Yes, I am in Nebraska! You're probably wondering why and what the whole "CALI-BRASKA" stuff means and that's okay! Here's the story:
Once upon a time, a young woman named Leah Cecil won first runner-up at Miss CA and was awarded the fantastic opportunity to compete at the
National Sweetheart Competition (click for more info). Last summer she flew to Hoopeston, IL to compete amongst the top young women that the Miss America Organization has produced. The 30 women competing were first/second runner-ups in their state, so it was like a mini Miss America pageant!!...okay enough with all the cheesy third-person stuff! :) While in Illinois, I had a roommate named Mindy Schreiber and we just clicked! I was so lucky to have her as my BFF during my exciting time at the Sweetheart Pageant! Mindy ended up getting Miss Congeniality (which was NO surprise to me) and I got awarded the Patricia Musk Talent Award, so we both walked away with some great honors, but most important, a new friendship. While in Illinois, we combined our states' names and now we are team "CALI-BRASKA". :)
When Mindy won Miss Omaha, her next step was to once again compete for Miss Nebraska! Early on, the idea of visiting her pageant seemed like a great idea, but not possible at the time. But after talking it over more with Mindy, I realized that I should just do it and cheer her on in person! I'm SO glad I decided to come to Nebraska because I get to see Mindy again and I get to see her homestate too! The Schreiber family has been SO gracious in letting me stay with them in their hotel and have been so much fun! Mindy has her parents, grandparents, three sisters and brother, and her sweet supportive boyfriend, Caleb here. It's a fun wild gang for sure (just like my family)! I definitely feel at home here.
Anyway, I arrived on Friday and it was surely an interesting journey to North Platte! I had to leave my house at 4AM in order to get to LAX 2 hours earlier than my 6:30 flight (LAX is a nightmare) and I first flew to Denver and then took a little jet plane with propellers to the little North Platte airport! Mindy's mom and her local director were there waiting for me at the door and we were all ready to party! Interesting story, on the small plant to NE I met the husband of a former Miss NE and he was one his way to see the show as well!
Friday night's preliminary show was a great production! The pageant is held at North Platte High School and the auditorium is HUGE! The production is very similar to Miss CA, except there are only 13 girls and not 58, so the show is very short. The stage is beautiful, the emcees are hilarious and entertaining, and the girls are gorgeous (especially Mindy, of course!). Speaking of the emcees, one is Patrick Thomas from "The Voice" and boy is he talented! I did not get to watch the show much because I was busy with school, but when I heard him perform last night he gave me goosebumps! He is hilarious as an emcee and phenomenal as a singer. He and Miss NE 2011, Kayla Batt, sang a beautiful duet and they sound so good together that they could record something and make it a hit. They could be the next Lady Antebellum! Good job Nebraska for putting him in the show!
Today (Saturday) is the final night for Miss Nebraska, so someone WILL get crowned the with the coveted title! I know I sound biased, but Mindy truly deserves it the most this year. She is SO ready for the job and will dazzle the judges at Miss America. She has not won any prelims yet, but that's okay (neither Noelle or I earned any prelim awards last year at Miss CA and we were the last two standing). Despite earning no prelim awards, she has received some of the most honorable of all: The Miss NE Community Service Award, The Miss America Community Service Award, and the CMN Miracle-Maker Award for raising over $3,200 for Children's Miracle Network! She will make it to the Top 7 tonight and from that point on, anything can happen. It's all in God's hands right now. Mindy knows that God has a plan for her and so she's ready for anything. If you're reading this and you're a Miss NE judge, PLEASE PICK HER!!! :) Good luck, Mindy! I love you and I am SO proud to know you! CALI-BRASKA all the way to Vegas, baby!
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| With Miss NE 2011, Kayla Batt |
Today was also the Miss Nebraska Parade! They had the local Boy Scout troop there along with the only world-famous Buffalo Bill impersonator. He looked pretty good on that horse! Kayla Batt and the Miss Nebraska contestants rode on a classic car of their own and showed off their beautiful smiles. The parade reminded me a lot of the Garden Grove Festival Parade and the Hoopeston Sweetcorn/Sweetheart Parade! Mindy looked stunning, as usual!
Fun fact: I went to Godfather's Pizza for the first time today! It was SOOO good, that's what I call pizza! Caleb introduced me to Taco Pizza and it was surprisingly delicious! It was still a pizza, but they put taco ingredients on it instead. Good job, Mr. Herman Cain! I learned that the official headquarters for Godfather's is here in Nebraska!
Mindy will be coming to Fresno to watch me compete at Miss CA and I am SO excited for that. If she is Miss Nebraska, I will be even more excited to know that my other half with a state title is there cheering me on! Let's make this happen!
Check my Facebook or Twitter for updates on tonight! I don't have a smart phone, so I won't be able to update right away. If you're anxious, check online anywhere else you can!
SATURDAY NIGHT RESULTS:
Mindy got First runner-up and was so gracious all night! YOU GO GIRL! And of course, congrats to the new Miss Nebraska, Mariah Cook!
Here are some fun facts about the State of Nebraska!
- Nebraska was once called "The Great American Desert".
- In 1927, Edwin E. Perkins of Hastings invented the powered soft drink Kool-Aid.
- The state nickname used to be the "Tree Planter's State", but was changed in 1945 to the "Cornhusker State".
- State insect is the honeybee.
- State motto: Equality before the law.
- The goldenrod was declared the state flower on April 4, 1895.
- The Naval Ammunition Depot located in Hastings was the largest U.S. ammunition plant providing 40% of WWII's ammunition.
- The Lied Jungle located in Omaha is the world's largest indoor rain forest.
- Nebraska is the birthplace of the Reuben sandwich.
- Spam (canned meat) is produced in Fremont.
- Nebraska has the U.S.'s largest aquifer (underground lake/water supply), the Ogalala aquifer.
- Nebraska has more miles of river than any other state.
- Nebraska is the only state in the union with a unicameral (one house) legislature.
- Nebraska's Chimney rock was the most often mentioned landmark in journal entries by travelers on the Oregon Trail.
- The 911 system of emergency communications, now used nationwide, was developed and first used in Lincoln, Nebraska.
- Nebraska has more underground water reserves than any other state in the continental U.S.
- Marlon Brando's mother gave Henry Fonda acting lessons at the Omaha Community Playhouse.
- Lincoln County is the origin of the world's largest "Wolly Mammoth" elephant fossil.
- Weeping Water is the nations largest limestone deposit and producer.
- The Nebraska Cornhuskers have been to a record 27 consecutive bowl games and 27 consecutive winning seasons
- The University of Nebraska Cornhusker football team has produced more Academic All-Americans than any other Division I school.
- The world's first college course about radio personality Rush Limbaugh is taught at Bellevue University in Nebraska.
- Origin of Nebraska's Name: From an Oto Indian word meaning flat water
- Nebraska's State Gem is the Blue Agate
- The largest porch swing in the world is located in Hebron, Nebraska and it can sit 25 adults.
- Union Pacific Railroad's museum is headquartered in Nebraska.
- Buffalo Bill Cody held his first rodeo in North Platte, Nebraska July 4, 1882.
- In 1950, Omaha became the home of the College World Series.
- Sidney, Nebraska was the starting point of the Black Hills Gold Rush.
- Dr. Harold Edgerton of Aurora, Nebraska is the inventor of the strobe light.
