The Short Road to Hutchinson

If you ever wondered how many World of Warcraft dorks are out there... they'd make a decent sized country with a big enough stockpile of WMD's (such as the Hand of Ragnaros) to send a few U.S. troops over to battle the Paladins and Warriors.

Ok, I admit I'd be hooked too being a gaming dork myself :)

And I'm sure it would be a lot less frustrating then poker has been.

This weekend was a travel through the small towns of Minnesota on the way to meet a friend who's moved away from The Cities for a quieter side of life and pursue his new career. Howard Lake, Dassel, Cokato, towns with farmland sitting adjacent to the high school. Towns welcoming you with all you can eat potato pancakes on Sunday morning at the Lions club; probably after church lets out. To the dismay of my fellow passenger, no Egg McMuffins to be found down the one side road along main street to these under triple digit population towns. Traveling along Highway 12 on the back roads from Hutchinson back to civilization we saw the old school roadside taverns with the weathered oak sign, that probably served three styles of Schmidt beer for a dollar a piece complete with barkeep who doubled as a farmer. The rolling hills of soon-to-be filled with corn stalks were covered in snow, a stark reminder that the state forgot that something called “Spring” started a few weeks ago and I’d appreciate not having to don a ski jacket while playing right field next week or gore-tex gloves to have a beer in the parking lot afterwards.

I’ve wondered if small town living would be right for me if I could find the right amount of income to sustain such a life for my family. Having family and friends close by is the reason I didn’t accept a different job several years ago that would have me basking in the desert sun of Tempe. Are mom’s chocolate chip bars and a ten minute drive to work worth nearly double the mortgage payment to live in a suburb?

You betcha.

Hoy tonight. If I manage to dodge the call-all-in-with-the-JackAce fan club this evening in a peep tourney you’ll find me there this evening. If not, good luck to all those pursuing those WSOP seats in the BBT3.