Crichton is confident he can crack any nut with enough persistence. Usually. ...Is the confidence warranted? That another matter.

"Texas," he huffs, "That'll do it. Never met a Texan that didn't love to tell me he's a Texan. Did he wear a gallon hat and all?" He's joking, but he's also not going to be surprised if the answer is actually yes.

He's not surprised his own beloved state of Florida has that kind of representation either if he's really being honest with himself. "Strange sounds about right. A certain class of guys from the ol' sunshine state used to make mixing too much sun, boats, and beer as a hobby. And I'm not even talking about the military base."