1872 Sharing Spirits

I love those moments of realization. When you're being given information on one level but your mind flips it over and goes, "What the heck!?"
Like recently, I was driving by this store that used to be a state liquor store, back when the state had a monopoly on hard liquor sales in this state. Poor private retailers complained they could only sell beer and wine, the state had spirited away the real spirits beyond their profit-seeking fingers.
So this store, when hard liquor sales were privatized, was bought out by a private business, and now sells hard liquor. Good for everyone concerned. The state found a buyer for the real estate. The business got to carry on established business in the same location, and the consumer didn't have to alter the number of steps he took to alcoholic satisfaction. Not even 12 of them.
But what got me was a new sign displayed across the building. it said: "We Now Sell Beer!"
Go figure.
Another realization moment: I was listening to a radio story the other day about the state's Discover Pass. For $30 a year you can use it to visit all the state parks. But the state, ever anxious to help the park visiting public, has offered an alternative. If you find the $30 beyond your means, you can perform 24 hours of work cleaning up and maintaining state parks and get your Discover Pass that way.
Hmm... 24 hours of work for a $30 pass. What kind of work will I be doing? Picking cotton?
Somehow I think I might find a job at minimum wage a little better deal to come up with the thirty bucks. Still, I've always wanted to spiritually connect with my dustbowl Okie ancestors.
Sharecropping sounded so fun...
America, ya gotta love it.