I love all those things, too. Including Rob Lowe! I knew when I started watching that he was joining the cast eventually -- and I confess to that being part of the reason I picked it up -- so when I first saw his name in the opening credits as a guest star I bounced with glee. My first thought was "Sam Seaborn does local government" and then very quickly I realized how very *not* Sam he was, but I've come to really love Chris Traeger, too. I'm really sad he's leaving.

Agreed on how Pawnee feels like a place that could be real. I spent most of my childhood in the Midwest, in towns much smaller than Pawnee, but a lot about it still rings true.