It's The Little Things

How is it that we know so fast that you're not from Seattle? Well, it's the little things, of course, like, if you say Pike's Place Market. That's a dead giveaway. Here's a list of ways that we can tell you apart.

I'm not suggesting that any one assimilate to this list. No one has to change their behavior. And the truth is, the number one way that we know that you're not around here is when you say "Well, I'm from (Ohio)!" or wherever. Here are some more indications you may not be from around here.

• if you think of the rain as "bad" weather.
• if every fiber of your being doesn't tell you to take off work early on a sunny Friday afternoon.
• if you don't know the difference between 'partly cloudy' and 'partly sunny' and you don't know what a 'sun break' is.
• if you don't know where to get a salty, greasy, delicious mouthful of Dicks (oh the anticipation when you're holding that hot sack in your hands).
• if you add an -es to a "Dick's Deluxe" to make it plural.
• if you add an apostrophe-s to Pike Place Market.
• if you cringe when you hear the word "roof" rhyme with "woof"; or "root" rhyme with "put."
• if you don't know what a maple bar is.
• if you honk your car horn more than once a month.
• if you have no expectation that your restaurant, office, or public library bathroom have disposable toilet seat covers.
• if you cook with smoked salmon.
• if you expect to find liquor at the grocery store.
• if you've never dated someone from another ethnicity.
• if you're perplexed by the idea of a 'double short' latte.
• if changing lanes on the freeway stresses you out.
• if you can't find 'north' by looking at the horizon.
• if you think you can find 15th Avenue NE by driving north on 15th Avenue E.
• if you're rattled by an earthquake under 6.0. if you're still talking about it the next day.
• if you expect to get to work when it snows.
• if you don't remember where you were on December 1st, 1999
• if you've never eaten teriyaki
• if you don't know what neighborhood Dave Matthews lives in
• if you have any problem finding the VW-eating troll, a statue of Lenin, the or the Center of the Universe.