I have been asked to file something new for this website about the centennial of Arizona’s statehood. I’m finding this difficult, because it seems to me to be sort of an artificial landmark.Don’t get me wrong. Even though I have lived here for a long time, and am not a true native Arizonan, I am nonetheless happy to be here.
On May 19, 1969, while shivering in my front yard in Jamestown, North Dakota, with a shovel in my hand, a well-rehearsed litany of curses emerged from my frosted lips as I set about removing a small portion of the foot of snow that had plopped down upon us the previous evening. But then, as I swore and shoveled and shoveled and swore in rhythmic fashion, a strange calm came upon me with the realization that life is too short.
Thank you to all of the new and loyal readers of Arizona Oddities. 2011 has been an amazing year and we look forward to 2012. We believe we have a truly special publication and a very special audience. Here’s a look at our most popular posts of 2011.
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We offer a wide range of content on Arizona Oddities catering to an eclectic group of fans from around the state. From history and recreation to artistic endeavors and those weird things you see along the highway, we’ve got it covered.
Here, we’re showcasing some of our favorite 11 posts from 2011.
The Arizona Republic columnist and Arizona Oddities contributor Clay Thompson has made a living out of answering the strangest questions in the newsroom and snarking on some of the people who ask them. Now, he’s gone one step further, asking his readers to submit recipes for a cookbook, just so that he can make money as a writer, but without having to do any of the writing itself. The Enormously Big, Official Valley 101 Cookbook will be available November 21. It retails for $9.95, but Arizona Oddities readers get the chance to win free copies!
