I don’t know what it is about the state of Ohio that irks me so, but the fact is it does.  Nothing good every happens to me when Ohio is involved.  Maybe some history might explain my problem with The Buckeye State.

The name of the state comes from the Iroquois word for Big River.  Okay fair enough, the Ohio River is pretty big, but really it’s no Mississippi!  By the time the state I shall not name was admitted to the Union, the Mississippi had been discovered and explored, and everyone knew that was one really big river!  So right from the start the state name was based on bragging and not really effective bragging at that.

I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  30 miles from the state border.  The drinking age in Indiana has always been 21, as a youngster, Ohio’s was 18.  Needless to say kids from 18 to 21 would travel Lincoln Highway from Fort Wayne to Payne, or Highway 30 to Van Wert to go drinking.  Unfortunatly both roads earned the nickname “Blood Highway”.   Not that I ever did it!  Oh No!  Not me!!  Never!!!   Just once, and because I had a baby face they wouldn’t serve me!  See, more reason to loathe the state I shall not name.

After I bought my first car, a Dodge Duster, I nearly got clobbered by a driver from that state.  The driver suddenly pulled in front of me on the highway, cutting me off with no signal.  When learning to drive, my Dad warned me about those drivers being the worst in the nation.  He was a traveling salesman, he’d put 50 to 60 thousand miles a year on the road so he had a good idea about the topic.  This driver merely cemented my Dad’s opinion.

Last night I was sorting through a pile of change.  (Don’t worry this is all related.)  We all have a place in our homes where spare change accumulates.  My Dad had a ceramic kangaroo, some people use jars or jugs, I use a wicker bunny (the kids called it the money bunny).  Like most people I have collected the State Quarters Series.  I have them all wrapped up in a baggie, one quarter from each state.  I was happy to see I finally got Alaska, the last quarter I needed.  Or so I thought.  After counting all the quarters to make sure, much to my surprise I was one state short.  After setting my quarters out in alphabetical order I discovered the missing quarter was from my arch enemy – Ohio.