The Yellow Dog Goes Red

It was May of 1975. Gerald Ford was President, gas was 65 cents a gallon, Minnie Riperton had the number one song with "Loving You" and we all wanted to go see One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

I was 17, I was cocky and boy was I skinny. It was the month I graduated from high school in tiny St. Paul, Nebraska, where I will be traveling today for my 30-year reunion.

So the Yellow Dog is going home to one of the reddest of the red states for five days. Here's what my hometown of 2,000 people looks like...

Here's St. Paul, from the air. I don't want to say I'm from a small town, but this photo is actual size. [rimshot]




Here's what the main drag looks like at rush hour:




And what rural Midwest town is complete without its identifying water tower?




So the Yellow Dog Blog may be a bit slow over the next four or five days – though I'll try to post while I'm there.

I'm considering taking a big risk and going into one of the two bars in town during the festivities and asking people for their honest opinions about the job being done by George W. Bush – a man that Nebraska has twice elected by large margins.

I suspect that, against all reason, it will be a lovefest but, if they're turning on him in my hometown, that may tell us something as well.

Off to the Cornhusker State -- I'll drink a Budweiser for you.