You Know You're
From Minnesota When...
I
am from Minnesota and I bolded the stuff I do/did:
The
weather is usually 80% of your conversation.
When
you say "down south" you're referring to Iowa.
You
call highways "freeways."
Snow
tires came standard on your car.
You've
never taken public transportation. [I had take PT, but I'm a freak.]
75%
of your graduating high school class went to the University of Minnesota.
"Perkins"
was the only hangout option in high school.
You
assume when you say "The Cities" people know where you're
talking about.
You
can list all the "-dales."
People
from other states love to hear you say words with "o"s in
them.
In
a conversation you've heard someone say "yah sure, you betcha"
and you didn't laugh.
You
could pinpoint exactly where each scene in the movie "Untamed
Heart" was filmed.
You
hate the movie "Fargo" but realize you and your entire family
have that same accent.
You
get mad at people who think Fargo is in Minnesota.
You
know what Mille Lacs is and how to spell it.
You
have fish boiled in lye for Christmas.
You
know what "uff-da" means and how to use it properly.
You
know the 2 sports-related reasons why we hate Dallas.
Nothing
gets you madder than seeing a Green Bay sticker on a MN car.
The
only reason you go to Wisconsin is to get fireworks.
You're
a loyal Target shopper.
You've
frozen your tongue on a metal handrail before.
You
own an ice house, a snowmobile, and a 4 wheel drive vehicle. [My famil
does.]
You
wear shorts when it's 50 degrees outside in March, but you bundle
up and complain in August when it goes below 60.
You
have gone trick-or-treating in 3 feet of snow.
You've
not only walked across a lake, you've driven across one.
Everyone
you know has a cabin or, at least, access to one.
You
know that Lake Wobegon isn't real and you know who made it up, where
they live, and exactly what you want to do about it.
You
have friends who schedule their wedding in the middle of January without
a thought about weather conditions.
You
consider a six inch snowfall a blessing for "the cities"
because it provides instant urban renewal.
You
keep the snow tires on your truck all year because it ain't worth
taking them off for only two months.
Your
local Dairy Queen is closed from December through February.
You
believe the only REAL vehicles have skis in front and a loud motor
under your seat.
You
consider snow banks to be "just another rough" on the golf
course.
You
have worn shorts and a parka at the same time.
You
were delighted to get a miniature snow shovel for your 3rd birthday.
Your
town isn't trying to be ironic when it plans a "winter carnival."
The
temperature in March is above freezing for three days in a row, and
you think it's summer.
You
laugh out loud every time you see a news report about a blizzard shutting
down the entire East Coast.
You
think happiness is owning a "piece of lakeshore."
You
never meet any celebrities except The "BODY"
You
know what and where "Dinkytown" is.
When
you talk about "opener" you are not talking about cans.
You
have refused to buy something because it's too "spendy."
You
believe that the Vikings would have won four Super Bowls by now if
they were still playing in Metropolitan Stadium.
You
are convinced the Twins will never win the pennant because the owners
are too cheap to pay the good players, so they all leave.
Your
town has an equal number of bars and churches.
You
grew up thinking rice was only for dessert. You think that ketchup
is a little too spicy.
Your
gas station thinks "full service" means filling your gas
tank, washing the windshield, checking the oil and being friendly
to the customers.
You
(or your parents) voted for Mondale.
You've
seen "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in Uptown.
You
know that everyone has a city preference -- Minneapolis or St. Paul.
You
can honestly claim Germanic / Scandinavian ancestors, and have been
known to say "ya" instead of "yes"
Upon
seeing an ocean for the first time, you say, "Hey! That looks
like Lake Superior!" [Okay, for me it was Lake Michigan,
because I saw the ocean after I moved to Chicago.]
You
actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Minnesota.
You
measure distance in time.
You
drink Pop
You
played Duck, Duck, Grey Duck as a child
You
can identify what and when "Indian Summers" are.
You
wear scarves, gloves and caps as a necessity, not an accessory.
You
can't remember the last time school was canceled due to snow, but
still wake up at 5am the morning during a snow storm and pray that
school is cancelled.
You
miss Daytons.
You
prefer deep fried cheese curds.
You'd
eat all your food year round deep fried and on a stick if you could.
A
block heater comes standard on your car and you still warm up your
car for 15 minutes before you leave.