Why we really, really love Dallas.

Sam and I really love it here in the Dallas area. With a population of 1,197,816 we’re the 9th largest city in the United States and share the top 10 with two other Texas metropolitan areas (Houston and San Antonio). Our reasons for enjoying Dallas, however, are many and varied. For instance:

• We always find parking no matter where we go unless it’s Tom Thumb at Preston and Forest two days before Christmas.
• The citizens of Dallas still wear cowboy hats.
• Dallas is uncongested with lots of land area and low population density, and there are enough donut shops, nail salons and dental clinics per square mile to service an obese, well-groomed population with no cavities at least six times greater than ours.
• Huge freeways with practically no traffic, especially when you compare this to where we grew up (Chicago for me, L.A. for Sam).
• Extremely short winters that last maybe 10 days.
• A vast number of wonderful restaurants with the exception of a real Kosher deli, of which there are none worth mentioning whatsoever.
• Excellent hospitals and doctors.
• Tons of snooty stores if you’re rich.
• You can live in a beautiful suburban subdivision and still be close enough to cattle ranches — like us! — to hear the longhorns moo.
• Dallas is full of Texans, and Texans are entertaining. I refer you to the photo above in case you need proof of this statement.

Incidentally, according to the latest Harris Interactive Poll it seems that lots of Americans would like to live in Dallas. As a matter of fact, after not even making the top 15 ever we’re all the way up to number 4 now ... right behind New York City, San Diego and Seattle. Even with blowhard Rick Perry as governor!

And finally, no post about Dallas would be complete without mentioning the Dallas Cowboys, who receive our undying support no matter how much they suck. With 14 seconds to go in the first half Sunday night, and the Cowboys down 21-0 to the Giants, the following shot of owner/general manager Jerry Jones says it all. I don’t know if this is suitable for framing but you have my permission to try. (Better luck next year, Jerry.)

Thank y’all for reading this.