Sunday, February 14, 2010

absence makes the heart grow fonder

Today is a special day. Sure, today is Valentine's Day but you can hardly call a holiday that celebrates contrived love a special day. Today marks the 98th year of existence of our nation's finest state: Arizona.


Circa November 2008, 6:00 a.m., Billy, Dan and I, on our way from Rexburg to Las Vegas.


Saving the best for last, Arizona was admitted to the Union on February 12, 1912, as the 48th state.

I love my desert.


Here are some fun Arizona facts:

- The saguaro cactus -- the large iconic, tree-sized cacti in the picture above -- is native to Arizona (though very small populations have been found on the edges of New Mexico, California, and Mexico).

- Arizona has had more female governors than any other state.

- The cities of Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert were all listed in Forbes' "America's 10 Most Boring Cities" (although Gilbert is actually a town, not a city). Clearly, here there is more than meets the eye.

- Some of the greatest people in the world -- namely my family and many of my friends -- live there.

- The Grand Canyon. Yeah, that's in Arizona.

- Area-wise, Arizona is the sixth largest state.

- The official state neckwear of Arizona is the bolo tie.

- I daresay that Arizona has the raddest flag in the nation.

- The average high for Phoenix in January is 67°. I really don't know how to beat that.

Happy 98th birthday, Arizona! I love you and I miss you.

5 comments:

  1. I clicked through that Forbes article and at the end of the slide show they had an option to watch a video entitled: Toby Keith: Lessons in Success. I can't think of a more successful way to spend Valentines Day than to share one of Toby's cheezy balls with Myke Olsen.

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  2. we should start planning arizona's 100th birthday party now. it should be the party of all parties!

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  3. Quinn and Afton -- I think we all know where to celebrate Arizona's 100th birthday: Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill!

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  4. i really don't know why gilbert is a town (other than the fact that it smells like cows early in the morning on a really cold day), but i'm ok with it. i claim mesa too, since i lived there half of my life.

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  5. As I read this post I was thinking... There has GOT to be a 100th Birthday Celebration!!! Fortunately all of you are on the same page! Oh and when people say Az is no good, I tell them "Hey do you have one of the "7" Natural Wonders of the World in your state!" Arizona is the best!

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