What's up With Wyoming??? ...and Other Random Thoughts--from JERI

by mssickels on Mar 20, 2026 9:13 AM EDT

Dearest Readers,

John's busy, and asked me to start up a discussion here, so I'm taking over the blog for the rest of the day. I usually like to post one topic, but I can't think up anything that is interesting to me that is the length of one topic, so I'm doing a few unconnected thoughts. It's 12:30 in the morning as I write this, so keep that in mind...

What's up with Wyoming???

As many of you might remember, usually sometime around this time of year I post some fun facts about where our readers live. I'm very pleased with 49 of our states, plus the District of Columbia, and a few territories as well. OH! I forgot, several other nations, too.

However, there is a blight on JERI's Big Map O' Book Sales: That blight is Wyoming. Last year we had a presence in Wyoming, and there were a few other western states missing from the original totals (although we did end up selling in all 50 states last year). Thanks again, Idaho and Montana! Looking good this year!

So, Wyoming, what's next? You'll be saying that you don't like Apple Pie any more? Cherubic Babies? Buicks? I'm not trying to hurt any feelings, I'm just saying that I think you could do better.

Many other fine states (49, to be exact) managed to place at least one order...I see no reason at all for Wyoming to stand alone...go ahead...give into peer pressure. Just one little order. Everyone else is doing it!

**Other unrelated random thoughts after the jump**

RANDOM THOUGHT 1: Does Easter seem oddly timed this year? It's at the end of April, and I'd swear that it's usually late March or early April... and what about the Daylight Savings thing? Did it come early? Am I just getting old and losing track of time? Does this have anything to do with the gray hair I found yesterday?

RANDOM THOUGHT 2: Are you guys getting tired of the repeated misuse of common words?

LITERALLY -- Buy a freaking dictionary! or use www.dictionary.com! It's NOT 'This dress LITERALLY makes my legs 4 miles long'. It's 'Jeri LITERALLY can't believe how many times a day she sees this word misused.'
WENT vs GONE -- I'm not even getting into this one, people. Read a book!
IRREGARDLESS -- It's still not a word, folks! The word is REGARDLESS. 'I will continue to fight for the use of proper language REGARDLESS of the fact that no one can even spell the simplest ideas anymore because of text messaging.'

OK, sorry, no more school today... If I gave every example I have, no one would be awake by the end of this post, assuming that anyone is still reading!

RANDOM THOUGHT 3: Lawrence, KS (where we live, of course!) is a basketball town. Maybe it's because Naismith lived here--you know, Dr. James Naismith, Inventor of Basketball--maybe someone's been fixing the water supply to force most people here to love the game. I dunno. I'm not a huge fan, at least NOT to the point of being seriously invested. However, my apathy is NO REASON for people around here to get touchy!

I saw tournament championship t-shirts for sale at a local grocery store, and very innocently commented that I thought the tourney was just starting. WELL. You'd think I had suggested smoking pot while lying on a bear skin rug in the middle of the Kansas State Senate Chamber. Apparently, there's some other tournament that people love just as much as the NCAA one (yes, I had to look up the name). And, if the T-shirts are anything to go by, KU, er, I mean WE won!

Is there a point to this? Well, no, not really...it's just one more reason to be excited about the baseball season starting up soon...this NCAA thing is over by then, right?

That's all I have...I think we are all hoping John is able to get back to blogging in a timely manner...if not, though, fear not.

IF there is a need, tomorrow's essay will be titled:

Apostrophes or Apostrophe's: All About Writing's Tiniest Hero

Best Regards,

JERI

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Literally:

I think you’ll feel a bit better about it after reading this: http://www.slate.com/id/2129105/

It’s not much worse than saying, “I’m really starving; let’s eat!” Unless the speaker’s situation is in fact quite dire, there’s nothing “real” about his or her starvation.

by Al Swedgin on Mar 20, 2026 10:34 AM EDT reply actions

Basketball

Being a North Carolina grad and now living in NC (I was in Memphis for 10 years following college). I can understand your area’s obsession with basketball. The only dilemma for me is …when do I go to spring training so that it does not interfere with much basketball? My love of two sports really collides this time of year. All the spring training games on tv that I won’t be able to see for free once the season starts, the 75 degree weather outside, and the oncoming exhibition games in the area really distract the basketball fan inside me.

by KSM on Mar 20, 2026 10:54 AM EDT reply actions

Wyoming is imaginary

No one actually lives there . . . it is all a plot by the government to skim off extra tax dollars and funding for black ops. It also allows them to sell 2 senate seats and several representative seats to the highest bidders further enhancing their coffers. Be glad that there is currently no one from Wyoming on your reader list. Likely they are spies for the government or IRS audit/information gatherers anyhow.

this rambling brought to you by a conversation in had in college 10 years ago

by mestifo on Mar 20, 2026 12:07 PM EDT reply actions

Time

Daylight savings time was moved back a few years ago by Congress in an effort to save energy. Whether it does so or not is debatable.

Easter moves with the lunar calendar, an artifact of both the pagan rituals it replaced and the Jewish holiday of Passover (the last supper was a Passover meal). Passover is tied to a lunar calendar and this is Jewish leap year, so there’s an extra lunar month added. Easter isn’t explicitly tied to Passover and misses it sometimes, but they are tied to a similar lunar calendar.

by mhsiegel14 on Mar 20, 2026 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

IRREGARDLESS -

I hate that nword so much its not even funny.

by ADLC on Mar 20, 2026 2:48 PM EDT reply actions

Wyoming

The two biggest cities in Wyoming are close to the Colorado border and they also both have significant transient populations (college kids in one instance and military folks in the other) as well as a lot of people who are also visiting in energy (oil, natural gas, etc.) fields.

I bet a book or two ends up in Wyoming even if the billing address for the order isn’t there.

by MADness on Mar 20, 2026 9:55 PM EDT reply actions

My favorite grammar error is "would of"

instead of “would’ve”, that one always cracks me up.

by pack_fan on Mar 20, 2026 11:36 PM EDT reply actions

Wyoming's excuse?

Not a clue. But to be fair, the most I’ve thought about Wyoming in recent months has been at work, where some guy emailed bomb threats to the local high school.

He meant Torrington, WY. He sent them to Torrington, CT.

This also wasn’t the first time he’d done that. So at least he brought a little levity to the workplace, which is greatly appreciated.

"That is like saying my ‘upside’ is Brad Pitts face, with Einstein’s brain, and Ron Jeremy’s unit. It is nice to dream, but that ceiling isn’t going to happen." (King Billy Royal)

by drjayphd on Mar 21, 2026 3:10 AM EDT reply actions

I also hate how people mispronounce mischievous

like there is an “i” after the “v”. It’s Mis-chi-vus not mis-chee-vee-us.

by Evan_S on Mar 22, 2026 11:51 AM EDT reply actions

Well......

Shame on the one guy who actually lives in Wyoming. Apparently, he thinks the rodeos in Cody, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Teton National Park among other things are more interesting.

You’d think with all that time in the backwoods, riding a bull, going down endless trails, camping, and plenty of old cabins with radio or TV, that he’d enjoy reading your book.

I can assure you that there are plenty of tourists in those areas with it though.

"He don't want to walk you." -Sparky Anderson telling Kirk Gibson that Goose Gossage didn't want to walk Gibby just before he put it in the upper deck.

Check out my blog on the Detroit sports scene, national sports scene, and current hot topic events.

http://sportznutuncensored.blogspot.com/

by sportznut3081 on Mar 22, 2026 11:39 PM EDT reply actions