And A Sprinkle of Editorializing
I promised to tell you more about this state I’m in (geographically-speaking). Mom is recovering from foot surgery so my travel writing will have to be of a virtual nature right now. I thought I would start by clearing up some misperceptions that have come my way.
Misperception #1 – Idaho is not back East
I have heard this one over the years whenever I said I was going to visit Mom & Dad in Idaho, “Oh, you’re going back East?” would be the reply. But, since it was usually one of my California friends asking, I guess I am compelled to say that might be accurate. After all, Idaho IS east of California. As my Dad always said, “Everything’s relative.”
Misperception #2 – I don’t know how to spell Boise
This correction is directed to the makers of Blackberry. I found each time I typed in the name Boise in an email, Blackberry’s spell check would flag it as a misspelling. It would try to replace “Boise” with “Noise.” I do not find Boise to be particularly noisy. In fact, it is very quiet in our neighborhood – except for that noisy animal world – like geese and roosters.
And if flagging “Boise” as a misspelling is not bad enough, Blackberry also auto-corrects the ID state abbreviation to “I” apostrophe “d” (I’d)! Someone needs a geography lesson. Even if Boise is not the largest city in the world, it IS the capital of Idaho. And didn’t we all learn the state capitals in school?
Facts About Idaho
So here are a few facts about Boise and Idaho you may not know. And since my whole Baby Boomer Second Life is about less stress, I promise there will be no test.
- Boise is the capital of Idaho (I like to build your self-esteem by starting with one you know!)
- Boise’s population is over 200,000 (not so small Mr. Blackberry!)
- The state bird is the Mountain Bluebird (I hope to snap a picture of one for you!)
- There are two time zones in Idaho – Mountain Time & Pacific Time (I’m not kidding!)
- Idaho is bordered by Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Canada (not an eastern state anywhere!)
- Idaho is known as the “Gem State” with over 70 precious & non-precious stones (find me those precious ones!)
- “Famous Potatoes” was put on the Idaho license plate in 1957 (my Mom swears all the good potatoes are shipped out!)
I don’t want to tax you too much, so we’ll save more “fun facts” for another day. I had my new office desk assembled this week so there is no end to the ideas that have popped up through my new state of comfort (I don’t think that’s an eastern state either, but I could be wrong).
So, until next time…Live, Laugh & Love!
Hey, Cathy, Great piece! Too bad about the Noise in Boise. When I lived in Iowa all those years, my geographically-challenged friends thought I was Ohio. Oh, well, it has the same number of letters. Keep up the good work in whatever state you find yourself.
Hey back, Jan:
You know, I wonder if we are showing our age by expecting people to know their U.S. geography.
Cathy:
Maybe not back East, but definitely “East-er.”
And Jan, you may be gratified to learn that a small city in Nebraska, founded by former residents of both Ohio and Iowa, named their town “Ohiowa” because the town fathers couldn’t decide which it should be named after.
Definitely “Easter-er” And love that “Ohiowa”.Thanks for the history lesson, Mark. Let’s see we covered geography and now history. I guess that means math is next!
Oh this was fun too Cathy! I had no idea you had 2 time zones! Your “back east” comment made me laugh though – I always say that you know you’re from New England when you describe heading off to Rhode Island as a trip “down south”!
Now, you got me laughing with the down south comment. 😀