The year is 2023.

The setting is Lincoln, Nebraska.

The soundtrack:

That’s only partially unfair, I think; no one uses AOL anymore.

Our week totally dedicated to your Nebraska Cornhuskers will be partially delayed—it took BigRedTwice a little longer to pry herself away from the Adriatic coast (who said we’re not worldly at OTE?), while Jesse knew full well it was Nebraska Week and is on a beach somewhere.

Dead Read? Well, that’s my fault.

Send us your Nebraska Mailbag questions.

While we won’t get to our full Cocktail Party Preview until tomorrow, it’s considered rude in Nebraska to not visit, have a few bars, and sip a decaf coffee before getting into the action. And, in the interest of celebrating the ever-shrinking but ever-constant community of misfits that are...well, you people...we rented out the finest place in Nebraska:

Wikipedia

This is the Monowi Tavern, found in Nebraska’s least populous incorporated city, Monowi (pop: 1). It’s been home to just Elsie Eiler, the mayor and proprietor of Monowi Tavern—though the Census Bureau listed the population as 2 in 2020 as Google apparently killed her off—since her husband Rudy passed away in 2004. She still operates Rudy’s Library and its 5,000 volumes in his memory.

Subject of plenty of New York Times and Eater and Omaha World-Herald and BBC and other travel guide pieces over the years, it’s one of those silly oddities with a heartwarming story behind it.

So as we pile into the Monowi Tavern to greet BRT upon her arrival home, what questions do you have for our Nebraska writers? Maybe you want to know their thoughts on whichever coach is definitely going to restore the Huskers to the glory of dial-up internet! Perhaps you’d like to know about Fred Hoiberg’s future in the Vault (that’s basketball). Or perchance you’d like to know what’s next for Huskers volleyball! (BRT will be sure to tell you.)

Whatever the question, we’ve got triple the population of Monowi on staff here—surely they can get you an answer. Grab a Zipline (or your Nebraska beer of choice) and hit the comments!

Here, two things to get you primed for Nebraska Week:

Is the Omaha World-Herald still full of moronic homers?

Sure is! Check out this latest piece of completely fabricated brilliance:

This coming from writers for the team that lost to 1-11 Northwestern. Just insanity.

Do you want to tell us something about yourself?

Please tell us the smallest incorporated town or village you’ve ever been to. Half-credit will be provided for Census-Designated Places or unincorporated places.

Here’s to you, Elsie. Happy Nebraska Week.