Kentucky on my mind

So the University of Kentucky lost the title game, and perhaps that was seen as a victory for those who dislike the lopsided recruiting of the contemporary moment, the way one school lands a half-dozen future NBA draft picks while other teams are lucky to field a single star. Of course, UConn has also had stacked teams in the past, so this year's final game was hardly a win for the little guy.

But I was also thinking of the flat tire I got on the highway in Kentucky on I-75, and how it was winter, but thankfully not too cold. Although Triple A took a good while to arrive, the Wal-Mart service center changed the tire very quickly, and I was able to drive the entire distance from Ohio to South Carolina in one day. My ten-hour drive turned into twelve, but I survived.

Finally, on the college front, I thought that I recently read that Ohio residents can pay in-state tuition to attend the University of Kentucky, but I can find no mention of this anywhere online. There do seem to be reciprocity agreements among smaller schools in those states.

A few weeks back, Dave Newman and I discussed Kentucky born-and-bred Chris Offutt's writing, and I think we agreed that we like his memoirs better than his fiction, and also that we both like No Heroes as well as the more commonly praised The Same River Twice.

Not once have I stopped at a KFC buffet or the "original restaurant" in Corbin, Kentucky although when I pass billboards advertising for such, I'm always tempted. This eliding of fried chicken is particularly sad to note because Corbin is often where I stay when I break the drive up into two days.

Fight for Your Leg Fried!

Cowboy Chicken in Xi'an, China