Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Why I love Iowa

I love this state!  For quite a few reasons... first it was 75 today.  And like 100 in New Orleans.  I was complaining to Elle a few months ago that it was always cold, and I was tired of opening the front door to the cold in the morning, but if the summers are like this, it's worth it!  This is so nice- it's like California weather.

Also when you're nursing a baby in public, people are like, "oh how nice.  She's nursing."  And move on with their lives.  They don't look at you like you've just shot their dog, or are pooping in public, or are out to warp their children.  The South is so backwards.

And the parks here!  The schools!  Amazing what happens when taxpayer money is actually spent on the taxpayers.  Do I sound bitter?  That's because I am.  After Katrina we were promised better schools and accountability on the part of our politicians.  Ha!  Didn't happen.  The local paper here prints expenditures down to the penny for local government.  Would they ever do that in New Orleans?  Uh, no.

They renovate the schools here every 5 years.  I tell everyone I know that is unheard of all over the country.  They don't understand why it would be any other way.  Eric walked into the school where Elle was having Safety Town and said it looked like a museum- nicer than the private schools we PAID to go to in La.

Why don't people in NOLA get that they are paying twice for school?  Once for property tax, once for school.  The only public schools that are OK to go to are magnet schools.  Give me a break.  

Maybe it's the agricultural background.  People here needed everyone to work the farm, including kids.  People here VALUE their kids (in capitals).  They LOVE their kids.  This place is so kid friendly it puts Disney World to shame.  And they have a lot of them.  What else do you do in the wintertime?

People in La. grew up on plantations.  With servants.  Didn't have to work, ladies just had to look pretty.  Hell, women didn't even sweat- they "glowed".  Women here cut the grass!  I had never, or very rarely seen a woman cut the grass where we lived.  Here they don't think twice about it.

Anyway I love Iowa.  I'm sure more reasons will be forthcoming.


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