Utah

Somewhere today in a schoolyard the following conversation is taking place:
KID #1: Knock knock.
KID #2: Who's there?
KID #1: Utah who?
KID #2: You tall, but I short.
Followed by uncomfortable silence.

But, there is more to Utah than belly laughs, yuk yuks and chuckles.

Perhaps the first thing people think of when they think of Utah is Mormons. The Mormons settled into Utah's Salt Lake Valley back in 1847. Back then the state was still Mexican territory. A year later some treaty made Utah a U.S. state.

The original capital of Utah was Fillmore, but that was replaced by Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City is presumably named after a lake with salt in it, but no one knows for sure. Few people have actually been to Utah and who can blame them. I bet they forget to put it on maps every now and then.

Utah is a popular ski destination since it has mountains that receive more than 500 inches of snow yearly. That's far more snow than other mountains that receive less than 100 inches of snow. However, it's less than mountains that receive over 600 inches of snow. Did you ever see the episode of Full House where they were trying to find the true meaning of Christmas? At the end the greasy uncle showed the kids that it's not about Jesus Christ, presents or family... the true meaning of Christmas is SNOW. This means that 4/6 of the planet can never truly celebrate Christmas.

Western Utah is mostly desert with plenty of sandstone.

Let us take a look at the Utah state song:

UTAH...THIS IS THE PLACE
Words- Sam Francis, Gary Francis
Music- Gary Francis

Utah! People working together
Utah! What a great place to be.
Blessed from Heaven above.
It's the land that we love.
This is the place!

Utah! With its mountains and valleys.
Utah! With its canyons and streams.
You can go anywhere.
But there's none that compare.
This is the place!

Yes you can shop around, but you will save the most with Utah! Is it just me or does this seem like a jingle for a mall?

It was Brigham Young who led the pioneers across the plains.
They suffered with the trials they had to face.
With faith they kept on going till they reached the Great Salt Lake
Here they heard the words..."THIS IS THE PLACE!"

Utah! With its focus on family,
Utah! Helps each child to succeed.
People care how they live.
Each has so much to give.
This is the place!

Utah! Its teeth are big and green!
Utah! It smells like gasoline!

Utah! Getting bigger and better.
Utah! Always leading the way.
New technology's here...
Growing faster each year.
This is the place!

Getting bigger? Not true. In fact, with geodesic erosion the state has lost approximately 0.43 of an inch of land surface since it became a state. This information was discovered with some of the aforementioned technology.

There is beauty in the snow-capped mountains, in the lakes and streams.
There are valleys filled with farms and orchards too.
The spirit of its people shows in everything they do.
Utah is the place where dreams come true.

Utah! With its pioneer spirit.
Utah! What a great legacy!
Blessed from Heaven above.
It's the land that we love.
This is the place

Utah! Utah! Utah!
THIS IS THE PLACE!

Yay Utah!!!

Utah is one of the four corners states! This means that it is bordered by Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. There is a spot where you can quickly walk from state to state, or if you are fat enough, sit down in four states at once. I wonder what would happen if you committed a crime right at the four corners!?! Who would have jurisdiction?

Hmmm. I will grab my shotgun and go find out.