just wait, it's coming! dddragon presents: Is Anything Truly Random?

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

The New Year in the Midstate

In this area of Pennsylvania, the newscasters call us the Mid-State. Also Southcentral Pennsylvania. Mind you, it's a two hour drive north to the geographic center of the state from the Harrisburg area. (Just in case you're wondering what's at the center, it's Penn State. It was put there for that reason.)

Anyway. When the news is on, it covers Gettysburg and Carlisle to our west, Lancaster to our east, and York to our south. There's not much between us and Penn State. (The people there would dispute that, and, of course, all the cows.)

While the rest of the world watched the big pretty, shiny ball drop in New York City, we here in the Mid-State watched ALL KINDS of things drop (or sometimes rise, as the case may be):

Harrisburg: a Strawberry (in 2004 it was a Strawberry Cow)
Dillsburg: a giant Pickle
Lebanon: a 7 1/2 foot bologna (come on- what else would they use?)
Hershey: a 300 pound Hershey Kiss (this one went up)
York: a White Rose* (down into a giant vase)
Lancaster: a Red Rose* (this goes up)
Falmouth: a stuffed goat. They have goat races in the summer, ya see?


There are more, but that's a sampling. Every year more small towns in Pennsylvania are dropping and raising objects.
(*see English history if you're wondering about these flowers)



Of course the news is now all about the Orange Bowl game on Tuesday night. Penn State vs. Florida State. Some sportswriters have dubbed it the "Geezer Bowl" because JoePa and Bobby Bowden are old guys. JoePa just celebrated his 79th birthday (and was voted Coach of the Year!).

The local reporters who are down in Florida for the game have also been doing some stories on the fans from Pennsylvania who went down for the game. "You can tell which ones are Penn State fans ~ they're the pale ones." Ha ha ha.


You can always tell JoePa in the crowd of people on the sidelines:










He rolls up the cuffs of his pants.

I expect everyone to root for Penn State. Didn't have to mention that, did I?

13 Comments:

At 11:17 PM, Blogger tlm said...

Heh... No way. :)

Go 'Noles!!!!!!!!

 
At 11:28 PM, Blogger Doug The Una said...

Dddragon, for your sake and Actonbell's I would certainly have rooted for Penn State, against FSU, this former Georgian didn't need to be asked. Go Nittany Lions!

By the way, I thought you were going another way with things rising and dropping.

 
At 11:32 PM, Blogger Lila said...

GO PENN STATE! I'll be watching. I bought beer tonight so I'm ready.

 
At 4:44 AM, Blogger Mikki Marshall said...

oh that's hysterical. I think that the ball in NYC should go up instead of drop! It would be more symbolic with bringing IN the New Year.

 
At 8:54 AM, Blogger TLP said...

The sad thing is that I don't even think it's odd that these tiny places drop a pickle or a balonga. I'm a hick.

OF COURSE I'm rootin' for Penn State.

 
At 10:53 AM, Blogger Jamie Dawn said...

That's great how the towns do their own mini-New Year's drop (raise). Take that, NYC!
The Hershey's Kiss one would make me crave chocolate, whch I already do. The rose going down into a big vase sounds like one I'd like to have seen.

 
At 2:57 PM, Blogger Sar said...

Maybe one year we'll see one of your decorated cow going up or down. Hmmm.

I'll forgive the old geezer's flooded cuffs and route for Penn State, just for you 3D. TLM, routing against you just comes naturally. ;)

 
At 4:13 PM, Blogger Minka said...

Go, Penn State GO!!!

 
At 4:36 PM, Blogger tlm said...

White tube socks with khaki pants is a major fashion faux pas. Ann Bowden would never let Bobby leave the house dressed like that.

(Shh... Listen... I think I hear it starting already!)

 
At 7:33 PM, Blogger mireille said...

well, since the Wolverines already bit the dust (GO BLUE '06), I'm there for ya. xoxo

 
At 7:57 PM, Blogger OldHorsetailSnake said...

The game is about to start (it is 5 p.m. PST in Oregon). I hate to say this (no I don't): Go Bobby!

 
At 10:11 PM, Blogger Saur♥Kraut said...

My mom went to Gettysburg college. We love that area, and always enjoyed visiting there.

 
At 10:51 PM, Blogger dddragon said...

tlm and Hoss: grrrr ....

Mom, Doug, AP3, Mireille, Monika, Sar: thx for the support!

Still Life: esp. since that ball seems to disappear at the end! Seeing it rise would be nice.

Jamie Dawn: I want to know what they did with all that chocolate!

Saurkraut: my dad's folks, his brother Elmer and SIL are buried in Gettysburg. It's really pretty country out there.

 

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