Hilton, Marriott, Holiday Inn Express, Cobblestone were all represented. Piled amid the discarded receipts for stamps, groceries, and nights on the town, plus loose change and an assortment of pens whose ink had long ago run dry, was the pile of hotel key cards.

Memorial Day has come and gone, so it’s time to hit the road. As a lover of Nebraska stuff (you know, corn, the Huskers, Busch Light) I’ve never understood why more people don’t vacation in our state.

I was on to the next burg, county, or time zone, whichever came next. He, on the other hand, was in no hurry.

Elections often bring surprises, but the upset victory of retired Omaha businessman Scott Petersen in the Republican primary for Secretary of State wasn’t that surprising. Sure, he defeated an incumbent, Lincoln attorney Bob Evnen, who was seeking a third, four-year term.

Every so often, you’re reminded that people are generally good. And, you get some idea how important the media is in helping generate good news.

On Sunday, I did something that I hadn’t done for many, many years. I walked into a graduation ceremony, not as a reporter looking for the perfect story or the perfect photograph, but as a graduate’s family member, there simply to celebrate a major milestone in a relative’s life.

Out of context, it may seem a little comical, but if you know, there is a chance that when you walk into my house and see the photograph of my dad and me sitting on the table in my entryway, you understand.

Rumors are as common around the state capitol as brome grass in a roadside ditch. It’s not called “The Hall of Hot Winds” for nothing, And that rumor mill gets cranked up big time during election season, when there’s speculation aplenty about who is running and who is not, and who can win and who cannot.

Back in the day, twice each year, a debate would break out at the news bureau where I used to work: “Who is going to write the gas tax story?” It was a story you could write in your sleep. “Nebraska’s variable gas tax is rising/dropping to … blah, blah, blah.” But it was kind of important.

In January, when I had the opportunity to join members of the Nebraska Press Association for breakfast at the governor’s mansion, one of my older brothers gave me two pieces of advice: make sure your shoes are tied and don’t spill any food on your shirt.