In the whole long list of physicians who are "approved" in Tallahassee, I found a grand total of five. This is our state capital. Granted, it's not a huge city, but still.

You can bet that our legislators get all the drugs they want when they come to town. It was hilarious: when we first moved here, and print newspapers were more important, before the legislative session started, the ads for "escorts" and "masseuses" (as opposed to licensed massage therapists, who are completely legit) and "nude dancers" would SKYROCKET.

Any number of legislators would get picked up for driving under the influence of something or other. And then they'd get a little light slap on the wrist. (Football players also driving under the influence were usually just let go without even a wrist slap. Football Is God in Tallahassee. It is why Florida State University exists. Apparently.) Your average Joe or Jane got much worse than that.

I went to a meeting of the Tallahassee Bar Association a number of years back. To say that over 90 percent of the attendees got completely plastered before they drove home is to put it mildly. One attorney I knew had totaled her car twice after attending Tallahassee Bar Association get-togethers. I feel very cynical. Can you tell?

Hazel