Back in the Saddle

I'm back from my short stay up nort' and for me vacation officially comes to a close at 8:30 am tomorrow. I'm not yet in full blogger mode, but having spent three hours on the road yesterday a few things ran through my head I figured I'd take a shot at.

• First off, I was surprised to find that I could still pick up WTMJ just north of Green Bay on Thursday and was able to catch the closing remarks from the Bucher/Van Hollen AG debate. Based on that alone it seemed like it might have gone well. Only a few moments later Jeff Wagner's commentary proved me wrong. Fortunately I was able to hear more of the debate replayed Sunday evening. I realize there's been plenty of blog reaction since then, but here's my take: I'm happy I'm not a Republican but rather a conservative. Not only did these two embarrass themselves but the party as a whole. While their qualifications may be respectable, if I were in a position of choosing between one of these two for a job I'd be throwing an ad up on Monster.com post haste. Their behavior and short-sightedness painted them both as men more interested in selfish advancement than selfless service. As Wagner said, the true winner of the debate was whoever wins the Democratic primary. If you ask me, it's just one more reason to write in Casper.

• Speaking of writing in Casper, while in Crivitz I couldn't help but notice there's a race going on for Marinette County Sheriff. Sitting in what is arguably the finest supper club in the area, I mentioned to the owner and bartender that I'm running as a write-in candidate for whomever will have me, and being the sheriff in this part of the state is probably the closest I'll ever get to fulfilling my fantasy of being an Andy Taylor-like sheriff in a town like Mayberry. Let's just say I think I got another two votes.

• William Clement over at View From the Cheap Seats recently provided his professional opinion on crappy drivers. While I'm far from being a professional driver, I've driven all over this country both for work and play, and I have to second Bill's notion, particularly after driving over 300 miles in the last few days. There's simply no reason I should have been traveling at five miles under the speed limit in the left-hand lane because two cars chose to do 60 mph right along side one another for ten miles. Nor should I be passing cars while driving in the right-hand lane. Nor should I have to repeatedly brake in the middle of nowhere when there isn't an exit for twenty miles in either direction. And it's not like I was a lead foot; I was typically doing about 72 mph. Eventually I gave up and set the cruise control at around 63 (in the right hand lane) just so I wouldn't have to consistently deal with idiots.

• I've finally come to accept that an appreciation for country music is truly about being in the country and has nothing to do with being in the South. As one friend put it this weekend, the constant isn't what part of the country you're from but the shared experience of living in a double-wide, having a three-legged dog and losing both your pick-up and girlfriend in a single day. I've also learned that when people karaoke country music they're either really really good or really really bad. In between simply doesn't exist.

• Finally, regarding my write-in candidacy, there will be a couple of announcements in the coming days. If you've gotten this far into the post that means your attention span is long enough to be interested once they're made. Stay tuned!