In no particular order.....here are the tall tale signs I know I am back in upstate NY.
*When I order a hot dog out at a restaurant and the waitress says, "Red or white?"
*As I am out walking my children around my hometown, my 4 year old son asks why I am not grabbing his hand before crossing the street. I look at him with a smile and say, "There's not any traffic here to worry about!". (Note to outsiders....there is 1 stop light down by the BIG M at the village limits).
*No one locks their cars or houses. Every door is open all the time, anytime.
*You know it's 5 o'clock when the fire alarm goes off.
*When I order a drink it's a real drink. At least 50% alcohol...you get your money's worth.
*I have an abundance of people willing to babysit my children...and most of them are related to me.
*People call me Jenny.
*I laugh more.......mostly with my brothers about some drunken escapade.
*People are on the same routine they were 20 years ago.
*I eat subs, wings, and pizza every chance I get because I know that nothing in Ohio compares.
*Memories come flooding back as I turn around every corner.
There was a time when I couldn't wait to get out of NY. In my young rebellious mind, I thought I would never come back or even want to come back. Now I look forward to visits home and breath a little deeper each time knowing that my past and present have come full circle. Clifton Springs will always be my home, and you know what they say...there is no place like home.
