Thanks Utah!

So, anyone who's ever lived in Utah knows that quite a bit of Utah-bashing goes on - both by residents and by the rest of the world. Other states see us as "Mormons," and I put it in quotation marks because I'm not referring to actual Mormons, but rather, I'm referring to what most of the world thinks a Mormon is. Interpretations vary greatly, but I've found that, more often than not, outside interpretations are a far cry from realistic - anywhere from polygamists, to horn-bearing beasts, to cults of anti-Christs. But I digress; any interpretation would be unrealistic, as we all know that to define a person by their religion would be ridiculous. Anyway, I've gotten off topic, but you get the idea about outsider opinions of Utah.  And those of us who live in utah often have complaints about the state. Granted, many of these complaints have bearing - liquor laws are unnecessary, life comes to a hault on Sundays, and winter can be pretty terrible - but I'm afraid that we quite often overlook the wonder that actually is Utah.

Now, this crappy camera-phone picture cannot begin to explain what I'm talking about so much as the story accompanying it can. In the midst of one of the worst days of work yet in my life, I caught a quick glimpse of the view that I take for granted every single day. The giant mountain overlooking my carwash was covered in red, yellow, orange, green, and brown - yes, even the brown was somehow breath-taking. Tiny snowcaps on the peaks stirred excitement for winter, drawing nearer everyday. Cheesy though it may seem, the subtle realization that I like where I live was enough to turn my entire day around. 

Steph and I have discussed on many occasions where we want to end up when she finishes school. We've toyed with paradise locations like Santa Barbara and Hawaii, and city-life areas like Washington DC. But the more we talk about where we want to go, the more we've realized we're happy right where we are. No doubt, this winter will piss me off on several occasions, and scraping the ice off my car windows will grump me up more than once, but I don't know what I would do without the contrasting seasons, extreme hots and colds, and unpredictable weather. Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without the chili nights, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the snow and cold, and spring wouldn't even be gratifying if it weren't taking the place of a bitter winter that has worn out its welcome. I wouldn't mind a pina colada with more than an ounce of rum in it, but I think the pros definitely outway the cons. So, thanks Utah.

Resemblance?

Okay, I'm not saying that they're twins separated at birth, but the resemblance is undeniable.

And the similarities run deeper than physical appearance. Tony Dungy: The first African-American coach to win the super bowl in the National Football League. Barack Obama: (will be) the first African-American president of the United States of America. Also, both have been accused of not "really" being black, or not being "black enough." (Obama more publicly than Dungy, but I definitely heard people question Dungy's "blackness," especially when comparing him to head coach Lovie Smith - head coach of the Chicago Bears - the team beaten by Tony Dungy's Indianapolis Colts in Superbowl XLI.)

Okay, so those are the only real similarities I could dig up, but I think it's still pretty rad. And if their similarities are any sign of things to come, then we can get even more excited about Obama's upcoming success as our president. As head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy's regular season record consists of 76 wins, and only 26 losses. That means that Dungy's Colts have won 74.5% of their regular season games. That's pretty spectacular. Dungy is currently in his seventh season with the Colts, and of the six completed seasons, the Colts won their division five times, taking second only once. Also spectacular.

So there you have it. Tony Dungy proves hands down that Barack Obama is the correct choice for president. :) Just ignore the fact that Tony Dungy is socially conservative...