If it's Tuesday, this must be Poughkeepsie (You're not in Kansas anymore when the road kill is possum)

Jul 28, 2009 02:17PM by Lisa Speth

Traveling through this great nation is nothing less than an exciting adventure. From sea to shining sea, the United States is a brilliant array of wide-open skies, wide-open spaces and wide-open opinions.

From the laid-back approach of the West, and the fast-paced style in the East, America provides us with choices rich and diverse enough to satisfy any appetite. Sky-scraping structures, small-town football games, a corner market and beachfront huts give each area a unique sense of culture and history.

For all this country's vast diversity, however, sometimes it all looks the same. A recent road-trip has allowed me to …

What's in a Name?

I gave my children traditional first names as a middle name. I wanted something unique and individualistic, something that wouldn't damage their self-image or be downright disturbing-think "Blanket Jackson", Michael's bundle of joy, or " Diva Thin Muffin" , child of moniker-destroying Frank Zappa.

I developed my child-naming theory so that they could be recognized by their name-hopefully on a law degree, as a publisher's sweepstakes winner, as a multiplatinum recording artist, etc. - without being singled out because of it.

So, I picked out six great first names and gave them to my three children.

Fast forward 20 years... …