Where I'm from......

Jess · 11-21-2009, 08:24 AM

I thought this might be a fun way to "get to know" each other via our surroundings or home towns. Post follies or foibles or really neat stuff about where you are from!

Where I'm from, hotdogs are a primary cuisine. Signs for 2/$1 are posted on lighted marquis' at every gas station/ conv. store you pass. You can see vintage cars with guys decked out in their best overalls lining up at lunch time!

We're going to make a coffee table book called "Hillbilly's Hot Dogs and Hot Rods"

Arwen · 11-21-2009, 08:53 AM

Where I'm from (or where I'm living right now), you can't shake a stick and not hit a BBQ place. You've got BBQ in gas stations, grocery stores, upscale and down-home places.

And everyone has the BEST BBQ of course. You can get it dry, wet, spicy, sweet on chicken, beef, pork or brisket.

And yes, brisket is its own food group--why do you look at me that way?

shadows papa · 11-21-2009, 09:19 AM

Where I'm from it's deer season,and since we have some of the best hunting places in the Mid-state,there are pickup trucks,and ATV's and lotsa dudes and ladies running around in more camouflage than you will ever see outside of a Bass Pro Shop! So if you are gonna be in the woods here,and you AIN'T hunting,wear lotsa blaze orange and sing at the top of your lungs!!

Diva · 11-21-2009, 09:49 AM

I was born in Uvalde, TX ~ Home of John Nance Garner (VP) and Dale Evans Rogers......

I moved to Austin when I was 4 and don't remember having lived anywhere else before that. I've had the same phone number for 53 years.....

When I graduated from high school, I left for college, but now I am once again living in the home in which I grew up. The term "full circle" comes to mind. <smile>

The slogan for Austin is "Keep Austin Weird"........and there are serious efforts to do just that.....I love it here....

My memories and observations....Barton Springs ~ a 'swimming hole' that is fed by an underground springs and is a constant 70 degrees year-round. It's huge....

Laguna Gloria...a wonderful and quaint art museum....been around a long time.

Of course, no mention of Austin would be complete without mentioning Leslie Cochran, Austin's most famous street person. Leslie wears women's clothing and is very outspoken against police treatment of the homeless. He was recently pretty beaten up when he tried to warn some kids about the dangers of drug abuse. All sorts of folks donated toward his medical bills. He is an Austin iconic figure and is often seen wearing a leopard thong and pumps....sometimes, he carries his cat around on his shoulders. He's a trip. The guy has no teeth, but by God, he has a bluetooth!

There's 6th Street.....restaurants and bars and neat shops....and when there's a festival, it is usually held on 6th Street. It's festive!

The historic Driskill Hotel.....built in the late 1800's by a cattle rancher (I think that's right)...it's lovely to be sure.....

And if you have little holes in your yard, you can pretty much bet on the fact that you've been visited by the armadillos! And if you scare them and they feel they can't get away from you, they will roll up in a ball! No joke. Oh. They also stink.

Did I mention Museum of the Weird? Which, of course is located behind The Lucky Lizard Curio Shop...... go figure!

And Cathedral of Junk......oh my God! LOL! It IS a religious experience! He puts on plays in the back.....there's a "tree house" built of his junk....2-3 stories tall with every toy from your childhood you can possibly imagine....too funny!

Ok.....well....there are sane things here, too.....Town Lake ~ now Lady Bird Lake ~ is actually the Colorado River which runs through the center of town....beautiful.

Austin is amazing. No two ways about it! While we did have The Shrub as our governor....we've also had the amazing, Harley-drivin' Ann Richards! And in our upcoming governor's race, we have Kinky Friedman on the democratic ticket.....

I know.

Keeping Austin Weird.........

Gemme · 11-21-2009, 10:22 AM

Where I'm from (originally), time slows down. Waaaaaay down. People talk with a drawl but YOU are the one with the accent. Brick homes reign supreme. You eat supper not dinner. Going to the local buffet means an impromptu family reunion. There is cornbread (REAL cornbread, not this Jiffy crap they have up here) and REAL BBQ (not the watered down versions up here) and it's an insult not to finish your plate and ask for more. National cell towers can't find it. The roads are lined with trees aged through decades upon decades and they bow their tops in respect to you, reminding you to do the same of your elders.

theoddz · 11-21-2009, 10:37 AM

Well, right now I live in Las Vegas, and I don't have to tell very many folks what "Lost Wages" is like. I think a lot....maybe too many...people think they know what Vegas is like, based on what they've seen on The Strip. It's not like that for locals, though, as most of us make a concerted effort to NOT venture down there unless we have to or have guests visiting or wanting to see it. You have to see it, at least once in your life.

The local scenario is very different from the tourist experience. Once you get out of the Strip/downtown area, the city itself is very livable and pleasant. It's almost like any other relatively large sized city in the United States. Nearly everyone in Vegas is from somewhere else, so the shopping and atmosphere is rather eclectic. We even have a Chinatown!!! For me, however, my own "space" tends to be more centered around my family, my work and the military culture, since I live and work near/at Nellis Air Force Base, which is home to the Thunderbirds, which is the premier jet demonstration team of the Air Force (I'm partial to the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels, however, being a Marine), so there's a lot of air activity out where I live. It's severely hot (temps sometimes exceed 110 F) here in the summer and very comfortable (50's and 60's) in the winter months and in the past years, VERY dry with only a scant amount of rainfall. The only really significant problem we have here, as far as the environment (other than the current drought), is the smog and dusty air quality. We do get a lot of the smoke from California when they have had those devastating fires in the past few years, and since Vegas has been one of the boom towns during the inflation of the housing "bubble", we have had a bad problem with the dust. I had never, prior to moving to Las Vegas, been hospitalized for my asthma, but have since had two admissions for severe exacerbations.

I've been living in Vegas for 9 years now, but I'm originally from "The Hostess City of the South", Savannah, Georgia. I'm very, very proud to claim Savannah as my hometown and am still considering returning home when I retire from civil service and after my parents are no longer living. I miss that beautiful city, the "low country", steeped in graceful history, the laid back living and genteel flavor. I miss the smells of the salt marshes and the muddy oyster beds. I miss the fishing, crabbing and shrimping that occupied my summers when I was growing up. I miss seeing people smile and nod at each other and the way the Southern people take such pride in their manners and in treating strangers like family. It is the way I was raised and it is still a part of me. I also miss the "comfort food" of the South and a good plate of fried oysters, slaw and batter-dipped fries. I miss a good ol' fashioned "Low Country Boil" (a mixture of crab, shrimp, crawfish, corn on the cob, potatoes, onions, Kielbasa sausage, with seasonings, all boiled together in a pot). I miss the moss hanging from the knarled 100+ year old oak trees in the city. I miss sweet iced tea and the soft spoken "lowcountry" drawls that you hear from natives of Savannah and Charleston, SC.....two graceful sister cities by the sea. In short, I just miss home.

Okay, I'll quit, because I'm now so homesick, I wanna bawl!!!! LOL

~Theo~

theoddz · 11-21-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemme

Where I'm from (originally), time slows down. Waaaaaay down. People talk with a drawl but YOU are the one with the accent. Brick homes reign supreme. You eat supper not dinner. Going to the local buffet means an impromptu family reunion. There is cornbread (REAL cornbread, not this Jiffy crap they have up here) and REAL BBQ (not the watered down versions up here) and it's an insult not to finish your plate and ask for more. National cell towers can't find it. The roads are lined with trees aged through decades upon decades and they bow their tops in respect to you, reminding you to do the same of your elders.

LOL.....Gemme, where I come from, we call sweet corn bread (like that icky Jiffy mix) "Yankee Corn Bread". That stuff is more like cake!!!

Corn bread is cooked in a cast iron skillet, has a crunchy bottom and is really really tasty when "cracklin'" (little bits of crispy bacon) is added. Some people like to add jalepenos, but I'm not too fond of spicy things, myself....except women.

Cheers to you, Southern Lady!!!

~Theo~

.....proud to be Southern.

NotAnAverageGuy · 11-21-2009, 11:56 AM

I was born in Oklahoma City, which is ......

OKC is the biggest city in the state

It became the state capital in 1910

The first ever parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City in 1935

The first ever shopping cart was invented and used in Oklahoma City at Standard Food Markets in 1937

The Oklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995 is the considered the largest domestic terrorist attack in the nation's history. According to the FBI, "domestic" refers to the individual or group behind the attacks rather than their location. It was the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil until the events of September 11, 2001

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is located in OKC and has many events going on all year round ( I have never been and I wanna go the next time I visit)

Cowboi · 11-21-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theoddz

LOL.....Gemme, where I come from, we call sweet corn bread (like that icky Jiffy mix) "Yankee Corn Bread". That stuff is more like cake!!!

Corn bread is cooked in a cast iron skillet, has a crunchy bottom and is really really tasty when "cracklin'" (little bits of crispy bacon) is added. Some people like to add jalepenos, but I'm not too fond of spicy things, myself....except women.

Cheers to you, Southern Lady!!!

~Theo~

.....proud to be Southern.

I love cracklin bread! My Granny used to make it!

Rook · 11-21-2009, 12:43 PM

I'll divide it in 2 I suppose....

Where I'm From {Originally}
I was raised in the Metro area of Puerto Rico...
I say Metro because there's a huge difference between "Metro" and "Isla"..Metro ppl by "Isla" standards are hood rats, mannerless oafs..."Isla" folks on the other hand, by Metro folks are a mix between stuck-up, disconnected and uneducated...
But, when the nitty-gritty comes along..say Christmas, or Politics, everyone's a "brother"[if you share the same political belief]....
Tourists are stuck in the Popular "edge" of the Island, the excessively expensive Show...You have to dig deeper for the Real Deal [btw, leave the Piña Coladas & straw hats in your hotel, trust me, you'll thank me l8tr]...
I miss the astonishingly impressive decorations entire Neighborhoods will set up to compete with other 'hoods, or just to look real Nice...
The "Parrandas" or "Trullas" always were my favorite part of the Holiday, a group of friends will wait until youre almost asleep...random day[close to X-Mas] and they'll start making Musical Noise or sing traditional songs until you give in and let them in....
The further from Metro, the more elaborate or traditional the food...
In Summer, it can be very very warm 95 and kinda breeze...or by Puerto Rican standard, Cold... 65 and windy or rainy...
Locals know when it's a good idea, or a stupid idea to visit the Beaches[ Seaweed, jellyfish, cold water, riptides...sharks]
During Rainy Season, kids ..depending on the age...would wear certain clothes, and run around in the rain playing...
Both Public & Private schools mandate Uniforms..so school year is usually Peppered with Uniformed youth... some High Schools have rivalries .
I miss it all..the Music, the People, the views & especially the FOOD...

Where I'm from [Currently]
It's a tree-hugging, Vegan, Locavore Orgasm....
It caters to students, in Everything..
Medical, entertainment, LGBTQ, Sports...
All for the students..
When most students leave and the foreign exchange stay, it's almost a ghost Town, everything is incredibly Slow, closes early, and it's really...sleepytown-esque...When Students start coming back, you can definitely tell...
We have more Coffeehouses than grocery stores..so I have my pick of the crop when I wanna ppl*ahem, lez* watch{I think there's a TeaHaus too}..
Halloween is a HUGE event here..They plan it year round..reminds me of nightmare before Christmas, I kid u not...
Students from other Universities arrive in Buses just for this...
When it's over, they tabulate costs, Bitch about it...and Start over...
Because of the variety of people here..
Prejudice is not felt much in Athens..
There should be more ecclectic restaurants, but there's not much..
I think it was one of maybe 2 Blue Counties during the Dubya Race...
And Michael Moore visited us...as did Clinton....
It was very...Amusing... during the Obama vs Clinton voting...
Some people had both signs side by side...same house...
It seldom snows..but when it wants to..it does...
Bad weather doesn't hit much..but we get our share..
Pollen gets really high here...
And Foliage is Gorgeous...

Gemme · 11-21-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theoddz

LOL.....Gemme, where I come from, we call sweet corn bread (like that icky Jiffy mix) "Yankee Corn Bread". That stuff is more like cake!!!

Corn bread is cooked in a cast iron skillet, has a crunchy bottom and is really really tasty when "cracklin'" (little bits of crispy bacon) is added. Some people like to add jalepenos, but I'm not too fond of spicy things, myself....except women.

Cheers to you, Southern Lady!!!

~Theo~

.....proud to be Southern.

That's the stuff! Cornmeal has to be shipped up here to make the stuff properly. I prefer my cornbread with some crunch all the way round the sides too and a cast iron skillet makes it just perfectly. I like cornbread with stuff in it, but nothing beats it with a smear of soft butter on it and nothing else. Throw in some atomic sweet tea and I'm good to go!

I miss home.

weatherboi · 11-21-2009, 01:48 PM

Where I am from you can smell the coffee being roasted at the maxwell house plant every morning driving through downtown.

theoddz · 11-21-2009, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weatherboi

Where I am from you can smell the coffee being roasted at the maxwell house plant every morning driving through downtown.

Heh....lemme guess...

Jacksonville, FL??

I lived there for 8 years.

The Maxwell House facility was right off the Mathews Bridge, downtown.

I remember how good that place made the downtown smell.

Theo...on the phone connection.

ZoeyJayne · 11-21-2009, 02:48 PM

"LOL.....Gemme, where I come from, we call sweet corn bread (like that icky Jiffy mix) "Yankee Corn Bread". That stuff is more like cake!!! "

Ok first off before I state anything, whats wrong with Jiffy Corn Bread that stuff is the best and doesnt choke you when you try to eat it like the stuff that comes out of a cast iron pan lol

Anywho I wanna join in this one.

Where I come from there is a ton of old mills that used to be shoe factories but now they are luxurious loft apartments.
We have a famous sandwich named after the mills called a Bootmill... You have not lived unless you have eaten one of these.
Also we have 5 bridges that you need to cross in order to get to the other side of the city.

We dont say yall or yansta, we say wicked instead.
And everyone is an asshole aka " Masshole"

NotAnAverageGuy · 11-21-2009, 05:45 PM

The Oklahoma City Stockyards have sold over one hundred million cattle since opening

In World War I the great demand for farm products brought an agricultural boom to the state, but in the 1920s the state fell upon hard times. Recurrent drought burned the wheat in the fields, and overplanting, overgrazing, and unscientific cropping aided the weather in making Oklahoma part of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Farm tenancy increased in the 1920s, and in both the east and west the farms tended more and more to be held by large interests and to be consolidated in large blocks.

A great number of tenant farmers were compelled to leave their dust-stricken farms and went west as migrant laborers; the tragic plight of these “Okies” is the theme of John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath. With the return of rains, however, and with increasing care in selecting crops and in conserving and utilizing water and soil resources, much of the Dust Bowl again became productive farm land. The demand for food in World War II and federal price supports for agricultural products after the war further aided farm prosperity

Andrew, Jr. · 11-21-2009, 08:49 PM

*We eat seafood year round
*We have very few gay bars in the city
*We are known as being a little America (mountains, oceans, bays, etc.)
*We are multi-cultural

Gemme · 11-21-2009, 11:14 PM

Sports Illustrated came to my hometown for their swimsuit issue once. One of the models even straddled a cannon for a pic, if I remember right.

Just sayin'...

NotAnAverageGuy · 11-21-2009, 11:25 PM

ESPN or SI, one of them in printed in Stillwater

The OSU Cowboys have 2 either SI or ESPN covers

Jess · 11-23-2009, 07:46 AM

This is awesome! Christie and I have been elbow deep in working on our kitchen renovation this weekend, ( a process that will happen in stages as we can afford to do all the upgrades we want), so I haven't really peeked back in here until this morning.
It's great seeing folks posting about the fond things we remember about our homes. Gemme's image of the tress bending in silent reverence and oddz wonderful imagery of Savannah were very touching.
I am a huge fan of cornbread, both skillet bread ( momma made it every night until her husband passed last year) and biscuits ( she made them every morning until same event). Long standing traditions of comfort food and all of the memories it evokes is the biggest reason that I will use this cuisine ( in a slightly upscaled version) when we open our restaurant.
I am very grateful for the tidbits you all have shared and will add more later, coz
Where I come from ( and am living back there now, LOL ) we heat our home with a woodstove/ solar panel water tank heating system and I have a load of wood being delivered to hold me over until I can go pick up a load later this week. Sooo, I best put on some jeans and keep an eye out for "that nice young man who hauls wood" . ( Funny, my girl refers to me as that sometimes

)
Thanks for the input y'all.. fun getting to know more about yas!

jenny · 11-23-2009, 07:55 AM

Where I'm from, a trip to the beach is called "going down the shore." Jughandles are the only way to turn left on most highways, and you know that the turn for said jughandle could come before OR after the intersection where you want to go left.

People think our state is industrial, overcrowded, and ugly, but nearly everyone I know who has visited here has been shocked by how beautiful it is. Where I'm from, you can find beaches, mountains and farmland, all within a drive of an hour or two. You can also get into two major cities within a couple of hours at most.

There are 24 hour diners everywhere, and they all look pretty much the same, and you can get the most fabulous bagels here as well. Where I'm from, you know what a "benny" is, and people will make fun of the way you say "water."

I love it here. Just sayin'.

11-21-2009, 08:24 AM	#1
Jess Timed Out - Permanent How Do You Identify?: decidedly indifferent Preferred Pronoun?: other Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Patrick Springs, VA Posts: 2,812 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,247 Thanked 5,701 Times in 1,683 Posts Rep Power: 0	Where I'm from...... I thought this might be a fun way to "get to know" each other via our surroundings or home towns. Post follies or foibles or really neat stuff about where you are from! Where I'm from, hotdogs are a primary cuisine. Signs for 2/$1 are posted on lighted marquis' at every gas station/ conv. store you pass. You can see vintage cars with guys decked out in their best overalls lining up at lunch time! We're going to make a coffee table book called "Hillbilly's Hot Dogs and Hot Rods"

11-21-2009, 08:53 AM	#2
Arwen Joy Seeker How Do You Identify?: Smartly-Flavored Preferred Pronoun?: Goddess Relationship Status: Mrs. Syzygy 1/9/14 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Joyville, NM (aka Land of Enchantment) Posts: 10,140 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,636 Thanked 28,123 Times in 6,414 Posts Rep Power: 21474862	Where I'm from (or where I'm living right now), you can't shake a stick and not hit a BBQ place. You've got BBQ in gas stations, grocery stores, upscale and down-home places. And everyone has the BEST BBQ of course. You can get it dry, wet, spicy, sweet on chicken, beef, pork or brisket. And yes, brisket is its own food group--why do you look at me that way? __________________ I wrote a book, y'all! *FREE* Tarotscopes Seek Joy, y'all. Eschew hate. 9Words: A Poetry Challenge \| Do you like me?

11-21-2009, 09:19 AM	#3
shadows papa Member How Do You Identify?: With a Warning Label Preferred Pronoun?: Her Bastard Relationship Status: Peaceful Easy Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Back Where I Come From Posts: 699 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,223 Thanked 1,643 Times in 484 Posts Rep Power: 3193789	It's Deer Season Where I'm from it's deer season,and since we have some of the best hunting places in the Mid-state,there are pickup trucks,and ATV's and lotsa dudes and ladies running around in more camouflage than you will ever see outside of a Bass Pro Shop! So if you are gonna be in the woods here,and you AIN'T hunting,wear lotsa blaze orange and sing at the top of your lungs!! __________________ "Cry,cuss,sling snot, whatever. Just KEEP PEDALING!!" Shad

11-21-2009, 10:22 AM	#5
Gemme Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Queer Stone Femme Girl of the Unicorn Variety Preferred Pronoun?: She, as in 'She's a GEM' Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: The roads are narrow here Posts: 36,631 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 182,496 Thanked 108,178 Times in 25,669 Posts Rep Power: 21474887	Where I'm from (originally), time slows down. Waaaaaay down. People talk with a drawl but YOU are the one with the accent. Brick homes reign supreme. You eat supper not dinner. Going to the local buffet means an impromptu family reunion. There is cornbread (REAL cornbread, not this Jiffy crap they have up here) and REAL BBQ (not the watered down versions up here) and it's an insult not to finish your plate and ask for more. National cell towers can't find it. The roads are lined with trees aged through decades upon decades and they bow their tops in respect to you, reminding you to do the same of your elders. __________________ Gemme's Journal I'm misunderestimated.

11-21-2009, 12:43 PM	#10
Rook Senior Member How Do You Identify?: A.G - Stone Butch - GenderFuck Preferred Pronoun?: Hym, Hyz...or, just b respectable, it's not that hard.. Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Columbus Posts: 2,280 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,227 Thanked 3,182 Times in 1,287 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	I'll divide it in 2 I suppose.... Where I'm From {Originally} I was raised in the Metro area of Puerto Rico... I say Metro because there's a huge difference between "Metro" and "Isla"..Metro ppl by "Isla" standards are hood rats, mannerless oafs..."Isla" folks on the other hand, by Metro folks are a mix between stuck-up, disconnected and uneducated... But, when the nitty-gritty comes along..say Christmas, or Politics, everyone's a "brother"[if you share the same political belief].... Tourists are stuck in the Popular "edge" of the Island, the excessively expensive Show...You have to dig deeper for the Real Deal [btw, leave the Piña Coladas & straw hats in your hotel, trust me, you'll thank me l8tr]... I miss the astonishingly impressive decorations entire Neighborhoods will set up to compete with other 'hoods, or just to look real Nice... The "Parrandas" or "Trullas" always were my favorite part of the Holiday, a group of friends will wait until youre almost asleep...random day[close to X-Mas] and they'll start making Musical Noise or sing traditional songs until you give in and let them in.... The further from Metro, the more elaborate or traditional the food... In Summer, it can be very very warm 95 and kinda breeze...or by Puerto Rican standard, Cold... 65 and windy or rainy... Locals know when it's a good idea, or a stupid idea to visit the Beaches[ Seaweed, jellyfish, cold water, riptides...sharks] During Rainy Season, kids ..depending on the age...would wear certain clothes, and run around in the rain playing... Both Public & Private schools mandate Uniforms..so school year is usually Peppered with Uniformed youth... some High Schools have rivalries . I miss it all..the Music, the People, the views & especially the FOOD... Where I'm from [Currently] It's a tree-hugging, Vegan, Locavore Orgasm.... It caters to students, in Everything.. Medical, entertainment, LGBTQ, Sports... All for the students.. When most students leave and the foreign exchange stay, it's almost a ghost Town, everything is incredibly Slow, closes early, and it's really...sleepytown-esque...When Students start coming back, you can definitely tell... We have more Coffeehouses than grocery stores..so I have my pick of the crop when I wanna pplahem, lez watch{I think there's a TeaHaus too}.. Halloween is a HUGE event here..They plan it year round..reminds me of nightmare before Christmas, I kid u not... Students from other Universities arrive in Buses just for this... When it's over, they tabulate costs, Bitch about it...and Start over... Because of the variety of people here.. Prejudice is not felt much in Athens.. There should be more ecclectic restaurants, but there's not much.. I think it was one of maybe 2 Blue Counties during the Dubya Race... And Michael Moore visited us...as did Clinton.... It was very...Amusing... during the Obama vs Clinton voting... Some people had both signs side by side...same house... It seldom snows..but when it wants to..it does... Bad weather doesn't hit much..but we get our share.. Pollen gets really high here... And Foliage is Gorgeous... __________________

11-21-2009, 09:49 AM	#4
Diva Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Diva Preferred Pronoun?: Diva Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chez Diva Posts: 11,879 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,263 Thanked 17,174 Times in 5,239 Posts Rep Power: 0	I was born in Uvalde, TX ~ Home of John Nance Garner (VP) and Dale Evans Rogers...... I moved to Austin when I was 4 and don't remember having lived anywhere else before that. I've had the same phone number for 53 years..... When I graduated from high school, I left for college, but now I am once again living in the home in which I grew up. The term "full circle" comes to mind. <smile> The slogan for Austin is "Keep Austin Weird"........and there are serious efforts to do just that.....I love it here.... My memories and observations....Barton Springs ~ a 'swimming hole' that is fed by an underground springs and is a constant 70 degrees year-round. It's huge.... Laguna Gloria...a wonderful and quaint art museum....been around a long time. Of course, no mention of Austin would be complete without mentioning Leslie Cochran, Austin's most famous street person. Leslie wears women's clothing and is very outspoken against police treatment of the homeless. He was recently pretty beaten up when he tried to warn some kids about the dangers of drug abuse. All sorts of folks donated toward his medical bills. He is an Austin iconic figure and is often seen wearing a leopard thong and pumps....sometimes, he carries his cat around on his shoulders. He's a trip. The guy has no teeth, but by God, he has a bluetooth! There's 6th Street.....restaurants and bars and neat shops....and when there's a festival, it is usually held on 6th Street. It's festive! The historic Driskill Hotel.....built in the late 1800's by a cattle rancher (I think that's right)...it's lovely to be sure..... And if you have little holes in your yard, you can pretty much bet on the fact that you've been visited by the armadillos! And if you scare them and they feel they can't get away from you, they will roll up in a ball! No joke. Oh. They also stink. Did I mention Museum of the Weird? Which, of course is located behind The Lucky Lizard Curio Shop...... go figure! And Cathedral of Junk......oh my God! LOL! It IS a religious experience! He puts on plays in the back.....there's a "tree house" built of his junk....2-3 stories tall with every toy from your childhood you can possibly imagine....too funny! Ok.....well....there are sane things here, too.....Town Lake ~ now Lady Bird Lake ~ is actually the Colorado River which runs through the center of town....beautiful. Austin is amazing. No two ways about it! While we did have The Shrub as our governor....we've also had the amazing, Harley-drivin' Ann Richards! And in our upcoming governor's race, we have Kinky Friedman on the democratic ticket..... I know. Keeping Austin Weird.........

11-21-2009, 10:37 AM	#6
theoddz Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Cranky Old Poop Preferred Pronoun?: Mr. Beast Relationship Status: Married Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,532 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 11,086 Thanked 9,942 Times in 2,507 Posts Rep Power: 21474855	Well, right now I live in Las Vegas, and I don't have to tell very many folks what "Lost Wages" is like. I think a lot....maybe too many...people think they know what Vegas is like, based on what they've seen on The Strip. It's not like that for locals, though, as most of us make a concerted effort to NOT venture down there unless we have to or have guests visiting or wanting to see it. You have to see it, at least once in your life. The local scenario is very different from the tourist experience. Once you get out of the Strip/downtown area, the city itself is very livable and pleasant. It's almost like any other relatively large sized city in the United States. Nearly everyone in Vegas is from somewhere else, so the shopping and atmosphere is rather eclectic. We even have a Chinatown!!! For me, however, my own "space" tends to be more centered around my family, my work and the military culture, since I live and work near/at Nellis Air Force Base, which is home to the Thunderbirds, which is the premier jet demonstration team of the Air Force (I'm partial to the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels, however, being a Marine), so there's a lot of air activity out where I live. It's severely hot (temps sometimes exceed 110 F) here in the summer and very comfortable (50's and 60's) in the winter months and in the past years, VERY dry with only a scant amount of rainfall. The only really significant problem we have here, as far as the environment (other than the current drought), is the smog and dusty air quality. We do get a lot of the smoke from California when they have had those devastating fires in the past few years, and since Vegas has been one of the boom towns during the inflation of the housing "bubble", we have had a bad problem with the dust. I had never, prior to moving to Las Vegas, been hospitalized for my asthma, but have since had two admissions for severe exacerbations. I've been living in Vegas for 9 years now, but I'm originally from "The Hostess City of the South", Savannah, Georgia. I'm very, very proud to claim Savannah as my hometown and am still considering returning home when I retire from civil service and after my parents are no longer living. I miss that beautiful city, the "low country", steeped in graceful history, the laid back living and genteel flavor. I miss the smells of the salt marshes and the muddy oyster beds. I miss the fishing, crabbing and shrimping that occupied my summers when I was growing up. I miss seeing people smile and nod at each other and the way the Southern people take such pride in their manners and in treating strangers like family. It is the way I was raised and it is still a part of me. I also miss the "comfort food" of the South and a good plate of fried oysters, slaw and batter-dipped fries. I miss a good ol' fashioned "Low Country Boil" (a mixture of crab, shrimp, crawfish, corn on the cob, potatoes, onions, Kielbasa sausage, with seasonings, all boiled together in a pot). I miss the moss hanging from the knarled 100+ year old oak trees in the city. I miss sweet iced tea and the soft spoken "lowcountry" drawls that you hear from natives of Savannah and Charleston, SC.....two graceful sister cities by the sea. In short, I just miss home. Okay, I'll quit, because I'm now so homesick, I wanna bawl!!!! LOL *~Theo~*

11-21-2009, 11:56 AM	#8
NotAnAverageGuy Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Trans Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,723 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 109 Thanked 282 Times in 178 Posts Rep Power: 0	I was born in Oklahoma City, which is ...... OKC is the biggest city in the state It became the state capital in 1910 The first ever parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City in 1935 The first ever shopping cart was invented and used in Oklahoma City at Standard Food Markets in 1937 The Oklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995 is the considered the largest domestic terrorist attack in the nation's history. According to the FBI, "domestic" refers to the individual or group behind the attacks rather than their location. It was the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil until the events of September 11, 2001 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is located in OKC and has many events going on all year round ( I have never been and I wanna go the next time I visit)

11-21-2009, 01:48 PM	#12
weatherboi Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Owned boy Preferred Pronoun?: Hey boy!!! Relationship Status: counting freckles slowly under Her direction!!! Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: i have 2 sets of geographic coordinates!!! Posts: 6,097 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 26,797 Thanked 12,549 Times in 2,993 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	Where I am from you can smell the coffee being roasted at the maxwell house plant every morning driving through downtown.

11-21-2009, 02:48 PM	#14
ZoeyJayne Junior Member How Do You Identify?: Desbian Preferred Pronoun?: Dez, me , it , her , who knows lol Relationship Status: Happily Married Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lowell Ma/Manchester NH Posts: 52 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 6 Thanked 90 Times in 32 Posts Rep Power: 1114154	"LOL.....Gemme, where I come from, we call sweet corn bread (like that icky Jiffy mix) "Yankee Corn Bread". That stuff is more like cake!!! " Ok first off before I state anything, whats wrong with Jiffy Corn Bread that stuff is the best and doesnt choke you when you try to eat it like the stuff that comes out of a cast iron pan lol Anywho I wanna join in this one. Where I come from there is a ton of old mills that used to be shoe factories but now they are luxurious loft apartments. We have a famous sandwich named after the mills called a Bootmill... You have not lived unless you have eaten one of these. Also we have 5 bridges that you need to cross in order to get to the other side of the city. We dont say yall or yansta, we say wicked instead. And everyone is an asshole aka " Masshole" __________________

11-21-2009, 05:45 PM	#15
NotAnAverageGuy Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Trans Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,723 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 109 Thanked 282 Times in 178 Posts Rep Power: 0	The Oklahoma City Stockyards have sold over one hundred million cattle since opening In World War I the great demand for farm products brought an agricultural boom to the state, but in the 1920s the state fell upon hard times. Recurrent drought burned the wheat in the fields, and overplanting, overgrazing, and unscientific cropping aided the weather in making Oklahoma part of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Farm tenancy increased in the 1920s, and in both the east and west the farms tended more and more to be held by large interests and to be consolidated in large blocks. A great number of tenant farmers were compelled to leave their dust-stricken farms and went west as migrant laborers; the tragic plight of these “Okies” is the theme of John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath. With the return of rains, however, and with increasing care in selecting crops and in conserving and utilizing water and soil resources, much of the Dust Bowl again became productive farm land. The demand for food in World War II and federal price supports for agricultural products after the war further aided farm prosperity

11-21-2009, 08:49 PM	#16
Andrew, Jr. Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Me Preferred Pronoun?: He Relationship Status: Unavailable Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Over the Rainbow in a House Posts: 5,072 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 16,004 Thanked 5,250 Times in 2,217 Posts Rep Power: 0	We eat seafood year round We have very few gay bars in the city We are known as being a little America (mountains, oceans, bays, etc.) We are multi-cultural

11-21-2009, 11:14 PM	#17
Gemme Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Queer Stone Femme Girl of the Unicorn Variety Preferred Pronoun?: She, as in 'She's a GEM' Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: The roads are narrow here Posts: 36,631 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 182,496 Thanked 108,178 Times in 25,669 Posts Rep Power: 21474887	Sports Illustrated came to my hometown for their swimsuit issue once. One of the models even straddled a cannon for a pic, if I remember right. Just sayin'... __________________ Gemme's Journal I'm misunderestimated.

11-21-2009, 11:25 PM	#18
NotAnAverageGuy Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Trans Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,723 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 109 Thanked 282 Times in 178 Posts Rep Power: 0	ESPN or SI, one of them in printed in Stillwater The OSU Cowboys have 2 either SI or ESPN covers

11-23-2009, 07:46 AM	#19
Jess Timed Out - Permanent How Do You Identify?: decidedly indifferent Preferred Pronoun?: other Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Patrick Springs, VA Posts: 2,812 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,247 Thanked 5,701 Times in 1,683 Posts Rep Power: 0	This is awesome! Christie and I have been elbow deep in working on our kitchen renovation this weekend, ( a process that will happen in stages as we can afford to do all the upgrades we want), so I haven't really peeked back in here until this morning. It's great seeing folks posting about the fond things we remember about our homes. Gemme's image of the tress bending in silent reverence and oddz wonderful imagery of Savannah were very touching. I am a huge fan of cornbread, both skillet bread ( momma made it every night until her husband passed last year) and biscuits ( she made them every morning until same event). Long standing traditions of comfort food and all of the memories it evokes is the biggest reason that I will use this cuisine ( in a slightly upscaled version) when we open our restaurant. I am very grateful for the tidbits you all have shared and will add more later, coz Where I come from ( and am living back there now, LOL ) we heat our home with a woodstove/ solar panel water tank heating system and I have a load of wood being delivered to hold me over until I can go pick up a load later this week. Sooo, I best put on some jeans and keep an eye out for "that nice young man who hauls wood" . ( Funny, my girl refers to me as that sometimes ) Thanks for the input y'all.. fun getting to know more about yas!

11-23-2009, 07:55 AM	#20
jenny Member How Do You Identify?: queer femme Relationship Status: inquire within Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 956 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 434 Thanked 1,593 Times in 580 Posts Rep Power: 5091118	Where I'm from, a trip to the beach is called "going down the shore." Jughandles are the only way to turn left on most highways, and you know that the turn for said jughandle could come before OR after the intersection where you want to go left. People think our state is industrial, overcrowded, and ugly, but nearly everyone I know who has visited here has been shocked by how beautiful it is. Where I'm from, you can find beaches, mountains and farmland, all within a drive of an hour or two. You can also get into two major cities within a couple of hours at most. There are 24 hour diners everywhere, and they all look pretty much the same, and you can get the most fabulous bagels here as well. Where I'm from, you know what a "benny" is, and people will make fun of the way you say "water." I love it here. Just sayin'. __________________ "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~ Anne Frank “Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.