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January 15, 2008
Back to 49
In November, I completed one of those goals of my life- I visited Rhode Island. My goal wasn't to visit Rhode Island specifically, but rather to have visited all fifty states, and it just happened to be Rhode Island. So tiny, so easy to miss. My dad took us all over the place when we were kids, and I continued that into adulthood.
Our friends Patricio and Jerry went with us to RI, and while I was driving, they grilled me on when I'd visited all of the states. For me to have visited a state, it can't just be an airport. It needs to be a lunch, a drive through with a stop, or overnight stay. However, I suddenly had a doubt about one state, and I had to call my dad later.
Conversation with father:
Dad: Yello!
He has always answered the phone that way, and this used to annoy me, and now I enjoy it.
Me: Dad, I just went to Rhode Island! This should be my 50th state, but I needed to confirm something.
Dad: Rhode Island was your last state?
Me: Yes. Don't mock me. Now, I need to confirm something. When we were kids, living in Colorado, didn't we go up to Oregon for a truck or something?
Dad: No.
Please notice that I did not get my garrulous nature from my dad.
Me: No? Are you sure?
I have to double check and often prompt, as dad can remember certain things with perfect clarity like cubic volume of concrete forms, yet he's a bit vague on birthdays, ages of his children (we're all frozen in our teens), and how much mayo goes onto the peanut butter sandwich.
Dad: Pretty sure.
Me: Damn. Damn. Damn.
Mentally I was saying something a little stronger than 'damn, damn, damn' but I was talking to my dad, and it was always my mom who cursed like a sailor.
So now I'm having to go to Oregon, which, in my opinion, is a much better 50th state. I'll be able to do this, because I'm going out to SF 2/13-15 for a math conference for math nerds. I have the whole following week off for winter vacation. Depending on the weather, I'm just going to take a meander up to Crater Lake
and the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, followed by a return trip through the west coast of the state, then returning through the Redwood National Park.
This is a lot better than my 50th state being the one with the longest name.
Posted by G at January 15, 2008 05:35 PM
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Comments
Welcome back! I've missed you!
Posted by: nycwestsider at January 15, 2008 07:46 PM
Mayo on a peanut butter sandwich??? You must mean bacon.
You HAVE to go to Crater Lake. It's absotively incredible. Perfect perfect way to see your 50th state.
And my dad used to answer "Yello", too. I miss that.
Posted by: Matt at January 15, 2008 09:42 PM
We're going to miss each other in San Francisco by a week. :-(
Given the fact that we've been missing each other in NYC for about three months now, that's not surprising. ;-)
Posted by: Stephen J. Xanthos at January 16, 2008 10:13 AM
If you need a place to sleep in Portland, i know a groovy chick and pooch that i'm sure would love to have you!
Posted by: TeleFrank at January 16, 2008 11:18 AM
hmmmm....so our favorite math teacher has issues with counting and/or geography? :)
Posted by: brian Nesbitt at January 16, 2008 05:22 PM
1. I live in Washington state, just minutes from the Oregon border.
2. Crater lake is DROP. DEAD. GORGEOUS. I've been there. You should go there. Do it!
Posted by: goblinbox at January 16, 2008 10:51 PM
Take snow chains.
Posted by: sam at January 17, 2008 11:58 PM
My 49th and 50th states were Alabama and Mississippi. If I had to go to states in the order of interest, they would still be that.
Posted by: Mike at January 19, 2008 12:22 PM
Hey, I object to your casual dismissal of my favorite state. It probably takes more than a weekend to learn this, and I would ordinarily prefer trying to keep it a secret, but I'll say it here: Rhode Island is way more interesting than Oregon.
Oregon has one big comfy city, a coastline too far to the west, pine trees everywhere in between and beyond, and nothing interesting to see, do or think about.
Rhode Island has a far more exciting city, but also a hundred real towns with libraries and bookstores. There's also a hugely-diverse population of artists and other eccentrics, great schools attracting hot minds and spirits, endless small roads, beautiful farms, an incredible, independent, progressive 400-year recorded history, hundreds of miles of ocean shoreline and many beautiful islands, real seasonal weather, proximity to the rest of New England and relatively easy access to all kinds of other civilizations in the U.S. and Europe.
Oh yeah, there are also pine trees - and just about every other tree you can think of except palm and sequoia.
And did I mention the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations doesn't tolerate Republicans - unless they look and act like Democrats? Or that six years ago the out-gay mayor of Providence was elected with 84% of the votes?
I'd be there today if New York didn't exist, and I couldn't get to Europe.
Posted by: james at January 20, 2008 12:53 AM