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All Cracked Up by Vicky DeCoster

All Cracked Up is about the humorous side of life, as seen through the eyes of wife, mother, and woman Vicky DeCoster. Each month, mixing wit and compassion, Vicky will find what's funny about life in Omaha. Something cracking you up? Write to Vicky here.
Nebraska: Definitely a Happy State...Unless... Nebraska: Definitely a Happy State...Unless...
Vicky DeCoster parses the results of a recent Gallup survey that ranks Nebraska as the state with the tenth-highest overall well-being. Being No. 10, she points out, is not without its challenges.
On My Honor, I Will Try to Not Eat So Many Girl Scout Cookies On My Honor, I Will Try to Not Eat So Many Girl Scout Cookies
In her latest column, Vicky DeCoster ably fends off the temptation to eat just one more Thin Mint, one more Trefoil, and one more Peanut Butter Sandwich. Just kidding.
Toys or No Toys in Fast-Food Meals? : photo credit oddharmonic Toys or No Toys in Fast-Food Meals?
A bill introduced in the Nebraska Legislature would ban fast-food toys unless restaurants can make their children's menus healthier. What's a parent to do? (Hint: Cook.)
2011 Nebraska Meadowlark License Plate New NE License Plates Turn Sexy Drivers Into Dorks
The new Nebraska license plates feature the state bird and the state flower, but why can't they be sexy, too? If you're the kind of driver that does more than kick the tires (think: color-matched driving gloves) read Vicky's lament of the plate redesign.
Maliaka at the Omaha Zoo Doorly Zoo Elephants Bid Farewell…For Now
The Henry Doorly Zoo is one of only 75 zoos in the US to have elephants. With the recent death of Maliaka, her companion Shenga will be moved, leaving the zoo without elephants. Learn more about the Omaha Zoo's plan to eventually bring them back.
The 49'r Lounge in Dundee So Long 49’r Lounge
The 49'r Lounge was a neighborhood dive bar, but over the years, the beers, and the friendships, it came to mean a lot more to some people. Now it is gone. Thoughts on the passing of a bar in the context of a life, and a place to share some memories.
Football watching fanatic My Life as a Football Widow
"In the beginning of our marriage, I tried to watch football with my husband." Do any other ladies know how this story ends? Vicky shares what she's learned in her life as a football widow.
Mean working on a skyscraper Footbridge Phobia Not (Very) Funny
The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is many things: a date spot, an icon for the city, a passageway between Omaha and Council Bluffs. However, for one woman, the bridge is more: it's an irrational source of fear. Will Vicky overcome her footbridge phobia?
Man pruning in a tree Prune This
In Japan, priests train for many years to learn the subtle art of delicately pruning trees in Zen gardens. Well...Omaha is not Japan. A husband on the loose with pruning shears, and a humorous look at one wife's plan to contain him.
Airport Body Scanner cartoon Body Scanners at Eppley Give Suburban Mom a Cheap Thrill
In between work, errands, and chauffeur service, Moms in Omaha might not have that many opportunities for excitement in their day. One Mom found the new body scanners at Eppley Airport good for a cheap thrill—and a little awkward self reflection.