Where have all the cowboys gone?

Last night, I had a dream.  In this dream, I was a contestant on The Amazing Race.  I'm not sure who my partner was on the show.  The dream started out with two teams on a plane.  My team and one other team.  All of the other teams had made it off the plane, but for some reason, they took the stairs that led down to the tarmac away.  What was annoying me was that the other three were like, "Oh, they'll bring it back in a few minutes."  On the other hand, I went to the door and asked them to bring the stairs back; and, guess what?  They did. 

While on the plane, however, I learned that there had been a twist on the game earlier in the season.  I was now partners with Cord McCoy (one of the Cowboys).  I thought I would enjoy the experience, but I did not.  He and I did not get along, and he was always leaving me behind.  I didn't think it was a very good tactic for us to get split up.

I guess the dream was a harbinger of things to come -- the Cowboys were the final team to arrive tonight.  Despite my dream, I still have so much respect for both of them, and it saddens me that they are no longer on The Amazing Race.  The show will just not be the same, and there aren't really any other teams I want to win. 
 


All of the other teams are fine, but they're just so-so.  I think Kent and Vyxsin are the team I like least.  Well, mostly Kent.  He's a whiner.  I do like Gary and Mallory, but Mallory is sometimes a bit too chipper, although she is calming down a bit.  Jen and LaKisha kind of just blend in...nothing special about them.  The Globetrotters can be fun, but I don't really think they deserve to win.  Zev and Justin are a pretty good team, and Justin is so patient with Zev, who has autism (although Zev definitely carried the team tonight).  The problem with their team is that they have one a number of legs; and if you know me, you know I'm usually for the underdogs. 

I think any of these teams could win, but I've just decided I want the next eliminations to go as follows: Next Elimination - Kent an Vyxsin; After that - Jen and Lakisha, Gary and Mallory; and, finally, the Globetrotters.  This would leave Zev and Justin as the winners of this season.



Overall, I've been impressed by cowboys in reality TV shows.  My one caveat to that would be Clint Black.  I think he made himself look like a complete idiot.  And just so you know, the way I judge is by how they conduct themselves on a show - their integrity and their character - not by how early or late they are eliminated.

So, this one goes out to all of the cowboys who show the importance of integrity and character, and who show that although nice guys don't always finish first, they don't finish last either.
    

North Dakota

I took a road trip to North Dakota this weekend.  Not to see anything in particular.  Just to take a roadtrip and spent a night away from home.  Now, recently, North Dakota has been on Yahoo! or MSN or Google (I forget which one -- maybe all three) as a good state to live in.  I decided to check this out.

I did enjoy my drive through the Westernmost part of the state.  The rolling hills were nice.  I was able to drive on the freeway through part of the National Grasslands (a new designation to protect people from drilling in place that it would be a stretch to name the area as a monument or park??).  I did not go and see Theodore Roosevelt National Park or the Painted Canyon.  I'll have to put those on my list for my next visit.

Yes, on my ride I did have the opportunity of seeing New Salem Sue standing atop a hill.  Click on the link to see this picture of the World's Largest Holstein.

Also, at around mile post 120 on I-94 there was some interesting signage.  It just seemed out of place or something.  There are a few signs on the road that say things like Exit 120 - 3/4 mile.  Maybe it's not weird, but it seemed weird to me.  It didn't label any town or anything.  Just a sign saying these particular exits were a mile ahead or 3/4 mile ahead.  I didn't get it.  Maybe someone else can explain. 

While in North Dakota I had a chance to go to the supermarket right next door to my hotel.  I don't know if I chose the wrong supermarket to go to or not, but the prices there were so high!  I did not buy anything in the end.  Also, the hotel was in a strange place, in my opinion.  It was surrounded by businesses - gorocery stores, restaurants.  And the heater in the room was so loud (okay, maybe not indicative of all of North Dakota, but I guess maybe I prefer the other Marriott's I've stayed at more than this one).  I do like Marriott Hotels.

All-in-all, my opinion of North Dakota is mixed.  I really wasn't a fan of the portion of Bismarck that I saw (too many businesses crammed in too little of a space), but the countryside wasn't bad.  

Okay - so this isn't about North Dakota - but I did enjoy my trip through the Black Hills of South Dakota a few weeks ago, and Mt. Rushmore was nice, but smaller than I excepted.  Maybe eventually I'll post the pictures I took during that trip.