Land of Something.

Hopeful.

Lincoln, Nebraska.

Many of the Hens on Ice coop wondered what to expect this week in Lincoln and no one had any answers. A few hens had been Kearney, few didn't know Nebraska was a place, and one bird said, "God bless you" after I said, "Nebraska" in the makeup room. While some birds expected Lincoln to be a bust, I remembered how much fun one could have in hotspots like Ft. Wayne, Biloxi, and Huntsville. As long as Lincoln wasn't another Erie, we'd be just fine.


I set out my first day to get some fresh air and buy a few essentials at Walgreens. Although it was frigid, I get coop fever too easily and couldn't just stay indoors while Lincoln was calling. Tired, dizzy, and cold, I knew I'd need coffee before braving Walgreens. I decided to try the locally-owned and cleverly-named coffee shop called, "The Coffee House." I immediately knew this was a local favorite with people ordering their "usuals" and loitering to use all the outlets and wifi. The barista asked if I'd like punch card. I politely declined, not living here, but now that I've been 3 times in 24 hours and the owner knows me, I feel like a dodo for not having one.

Reenergized, I wasn't ready for the doldrums of Walgreens. Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska, so why not check out the capital building? I flapped toward the tall structure, only to be distracted by a cat in the window of a local bookstore. I like books and cats, so I couldn't resist. Upon entering, I met another cat and a woman named Kat. I slowly browsed whatever books were near the cats, eyeing the best time to pet them (the cats, not the books). I felt a little odd just walking into a business to pet its cats, but Kat reassured me that petting Kat's cats was encouraged, or maybe tolerated. I forget, but there were lots of cats in there. I avoided petting Kat... I think.

Cats.

Capitalizing.

I left with a $2 book and cat hair in my feathers. I still hadn't been to the capital or Walgreens, so I kept plodding through the brisk Nebraska day. The capital was as expected: tall and stately, poised for pictures. There was a statue of Honest Abe and a his Gettysburg Address engraved behind him. I remember having to memorize that speech for a college class. And there as I stood as an average American again, remembering nothing more that "Four score and seven years ago..." Tens of thousands of dollars well-spent.

After reading the famous address, I forgot my original purpose of venturing out, but I was craving a taste of academia. Lincoln is Cornhusker country, so I decided to tromp through the University of Nebraska campus and see if I still felt like a college student. I started in the bookstore, pawing through corncob hats and judging their selection of Spanish textbooks. It felt right. I proceeded to the main quad, lured by Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" blaring through the crisp air. As I started to booty pop, I realized these people were not my friends and no one else was dancing at 2 p.m. I patted down my feathers and tried to blend in again. There were a few booths set up, so I fluttered slow enough for people to offer me things. I left campus with a free hot chocolate, hard cover book, and CD. The book and CD may be religious propaganda, but they were free.

Blending in.

Hats.

After making myself at home on campus to call a friend, I noticed the sun was starting to set. I didn't remember what I needed at Walgreens, but it was probably something like hot chocolate, religious propaganda, and cat petting. Thank you, Lincoln.



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