Where the wind goes sweeping down the plain

Greetings from the Sooner-rather-than-later State. Sorry I've been dropping the ball on this whole updating thing, but it's been a pretty busy week and a half. It's been good though. Stillwater is great, and I've already made a nice circle of friends in my program.

But I've also found the thing that I most actively dislike about Oklahoma: beer. And if you know me, you know I'm a big fan of beer. Oklahoma is one of six states in the nation (the other five including many of our neighboring states) that only allow so-called low point beer sales. Basically, the only beer allowed to be sold cold, whether in bars, restaurants, or stores, can be no higher than 3.2% alcohol. The only beer with a higher percentage must be sold at room temperature in a liquor store. Also, wine can only be sold in liquor stores.

While 3.2% isn't much lower than most domestic beers, and many lawmakers claim there's little difference, trust me when I tell you there is. Instead of the deliciousness that is beer, you get vaguely beer-flavored water. And in order to get the intended effect, you have to drink more, meaning more empty calories and carbs, meaning that you get a lot of fatter drunks. The low point laws also limit the types of beer to be sold in the state, since only those companies willing to make special low point beer can be sold. So my choices are usually of the Bud, Coors, or Miller variety. And forget about imports or craft-brews.

I also haven't had much luck with buying beers themselves. Last Thursday, I bought a six-pack of a Missouri wheat beer called Boulevard, which is actually pretty good. The six-packs come in closed boxes like twelve-packs, so I didn't know anything was awry until I pulled out an almost empty bottle the next day. The bottle was completely sealed, but there was only about a finger of beer at the bottom of the bottle.

Then Sunday I bought a twelve-pack of MGD in bottles. Everything seemed normal until the next day when I got toward one of the back rows and discovered that one of the bottles was shattered. I'm almost positive we didn't break it since neither the box nor the fridge showed any evidence of spilled beer. I'm pretty sure it came that way.

So here is my request to you: come visit, and bring beer with you.