antibuckeyeism

I'm back from that trip to Pennsylvania, with stops in Cincy and Kent, Ohio. It was wonderful to see so much of my family in slightly less than a week. Bradford, PA may not be a vacation hotspot, but it's got some great scenery. Loved seeing Karen and being the first to see her Italy photos. Really really really want to go there now. Caught up on movie watching- War of the Worlds, Must Love Dogs, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. "Charlie" is the only one I'd highly recommend, even if the Oompa Loompas do lack diversity.

This is the first time I've driven one of the longest possible routes across Ohio by myself, and it helped me understand why people are so hostile to Ohio. Though I've driven up and down I-75 more times than I can count, and reconciled myself to the fact that it's basically one endless soybean field, with a bit of corn thrown in, the Cincinnati to Ashtabula trip helped me grasp the roots of "antibuckeyeism" (that's prejudice against Ohio, the buckeye state, for the uninformed). It's even worse when you start with a pretty, hilly drive (Brown County, IN) and end with a pretty, hilly drive (the NY/PA border), and Ohio is the long, flat monotony in between. Now, I'm still not convinced that flat topography is a crime, but I can see how those who aren't used to it and aren't armed with good music, books on tape, or company, may feel victimized by the sleep-inducing scenery.

Keeping busy hasn't been a problem these days. I've got my packing well underway. A co-worker has kindly hired some lab folks to help with emergency cleaning and painting of a rental property she owns. We'll have some sampling and lab work for smaller grants, even though the major one is still in the works. Hardly leaves me time to work through my stack of books, which keeps growing- thanks, Grandma!