I'm in Seattle, and have lived within 25 miles of here virtually all of my life. It doesn't rain here nearly as much as people think it does, and I don't own a flannel shirt. What surprises me is how few people on this board are from Washington, land of Emperor Bill & his entourage - the Microsoft Campus is spreading like a fungus all over the east side of Lake Washington, but at least it's beautifully done.
Blakhart, I actually spent a week in Decatur, Nebraska (pop. 632 when I was there some 15 years ago). You are out in the middle of nowhere, aren't you? Far from the maddening crowd and all that. Probably hasn't changed much since then, either. At least you're living in the prettiest part of Nebraska, from what I've seen.