I'll Be Sure and Turn the Lights Off When I Leave

First and most important, I want to thank 'Sunshine' for inviting myself and our great friend Nicole to guest blog in her absence. I am honored and hope that I can bring some joy and entertainment to her readers as she has for years. I feel as if I have been asked to house-sit for her while she is away. So being very careful not to spill on her carpet, leave the lights on or forget to water her plants, I am kicking my feet up on her coffee table and relaxing on her couch (but please don't tell her) and telling my story......

My name is Robert, and as she and Nicole have mentioned, we all went to school together in small town, rural Iowa. We lived in what Nicole refers to as 'an alphabet town'. Many small towns in Iowa combine themselves with other small towns to create schools of many letters. This is how I had come to know 'Sunshine'. At the start of my senior year, our community was joined by 2 other small towns to form the school we have now. Thats what brought 'Sunshine' into Nicoles and my life. As Nicole mentioned, she was a golden haired beauty that always smiled, laughed and added fun to whatever event was going on. But I do have proof that she did have a sad side. She was a cheerleader for our basketball team that year that blew thru the season and made it into the first round of the playoffs, where we lost badly. Our yearbook that year of '87 has captured her standing on the side of the court at state looking as is she is about to cry, and chewing her fingernails. (pg. 69). Her look expressed the emotions of everyone. We all knew that she would be special and be the wonderful person she is.

She had suggested we discuss the aspects of growing up in Iowa. Nicole did a great job capturing the 'small town' feel of growing up an Iowan. Now I would like to add some more great reasons why I am proud to call myself an Iowan.

I feel I am a special type of Iowa person because I wasn't born there....I moved there! I may not be native, but I grew up in the heartland. Now for any of you who react the same way people do to me when they ask where I'm from......by asking "Where?" when I say Iowa...come along with me on a journey thru the 'Hawkeye State'........

First, we do NOT grow potatoes! We specialize in corn and soybeans. We have the distinct ability to add letters to words when they really don't belong. For example, ask an Iowan to say "I like to wash my own car.".... and you will discover they will add an "R" to wash and create 'warsh'. Trust me, I have heard it done. Where else can you hear someone say "I can row them now" and absolutely not be talking about a boat. It refers to when the corn or soybean stalks peek up thru the soil after planting. Giving you the ability to see the corn 'rows'. To us, detassling corn during the summer was a way to buy a car, or take our sweetheart to Marshaltown to 'scoop the loop'. Again, this has nothing to do with ice cream. We be cruising in our cars. We actually would..."go home and catch a lightning bug and put him in a jar". I'd like to say that Iowa is so flat that if your dog ran away from home, 3 days later you could still see him. Our towns have water towers with the towns name on them. Although I can thankfully say I never saw any one carry a paint can to the top to defend his sisters honor.

Our beloved state is home to many of the products you use. The best tractor manufacturer, John Deere is out of Iowa. Some of the professional concrete contractors in the country use 'Marshaltown' brand trowels and tools from Marshaltown Iowa. Marshaltown is also the birthplace of the best sandwich ever made, like Nicole mentioned....Maid-Rites! Taylors in downtown M-town. This type of sandwich was featured in the hit show 'Rosanne' as she referred to them as 'loose-meat'. Some of the parts to Winnebago Motorhomes come from Iowa. Our little town also claims fame to having the blackest, richest dirt in the world. We also can brag as to having the 'Worlds Largest Truck Stop' in Walcott off Interstate 80. Being an former 'over-the-road' truck driver, I have spent many nights there. Who's from Iowa???

Well, besides Nicole, 'Sunshine' and myself...here are some people you may know that come from our beloved state......John Wayne....heard of him? .......Buffalo Bill Cody, who by the way I am a very distant relative of.........actor Tom Arnold.....former model turned actor and complete heartthrob to many young women (and luckiest man alive to us guys) Ashton Kutcher. (married to Demi Moore)....Olympic Gymnast Shawn Johnson is from our state capital......actor Elijah Wood hails from Cedar Rapids......still not impressed? Well how about former Super Bowl MVP with the Rams (now with the Cardinals) quarterback Kurt Warner is from Burlington. He attended University of Northern Iowa which is our lovely 'Sunshines' alma mater.....Super bowl winning tight end with the Indianapolis Colts Dallas Clark is from Livermore. He attended University of Iowa with current Colts teammate Bob Sanders. I also want to mention the 2005 High School NFL Coach of the Year Ed Thomas who was shot and killed recently in a town near where we grew up in. Many of his 292 wins and 1 of his 84 losses were against us. He graduated and sent 4 men from his town to the NFL: Aaron Kampman (Packers), Brad Meester (Jaguars), Casey Weigman (Broncos) and Jeff Devries. ......now there are so many more I could mention and if I missed someone, believe me it was not intentional.

Well, I do hope this sheds some light on our fair state. I know that I am a better man today for growing up in Iowa. I received a better education, better family values, and better friends. I am proud to tell everyone that I grew up in Iowa, even if they don't know what or where it is. Plus, I should mention that my future wife - to - be is another schoolmate of ours from Iowa. So I hold Iowa near and dear.

Well everyone, I hope I was able to entertain and inform you. 'Sunshine' will be back soon so I better wipe down the counters, replace the toilet paper roll, re-stock the fridge and find the T.V. remote. I wish everyone out there health and happiness and until next time, I'll be sure and turn off the lights when I leave.....

Robert