Thank You, Taxpayers!

All around Oklahoma City are these dumb billboards about things that were invented in our great state. I’m not sure what the purpose of them is since they are paid for by the Department of Tourism, and I hate to point out the obvious, but we’re already here. See that? I could have saved the state thousands of dollars if only they’d asked. Why don’t they ask me?

Those dumb billboards paid off for my daughter today when she called in to Radio Disney for a contest. She had to be the 50th caller and then know three things that came from our state. She quickly rattled off “the electric guitar, the parking meter, and the twist tie.” She won! They’re shipping a Wii and Guitar Hero to our house in the next few weeks. Everyone has been very impressed that she knew this weird assortment of Okie inventions. They keep thinking it’s due to my superior teaching ability. All I can take credit for is teaching her to read the signs as we go down the road. (By the way, you can thank us for that whole “parking meter” thing at any time.)

I did turn her win into a mini-research project. I am a homeschooling mom. Educate yourselves on a few more Okie firsts:

THE FIRST BOY SCOUT TROOP IN AMERICA WAS FORMED IN 1909 IN PAWHUSKA, OKLAHOMA.

THE HULA HOOP WAS INVENTED IN BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA.

THE FIRST PRESSURIZED SPACE SUIT WAS INVENTED BY WILEY POST IN BARTLESVILLE.

THE SHOPPING CART, YIELD SIGN AND AEROSOL CAN, WERE INVENTED IN OKLAHOMA.

THE PERSONAL COMPUTER WAS INVENTED BY OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT EDWARD ROBERTS.