Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Where do you live vs. Where are you from?

Joan and I were chatting back and forth this morning, and she said something about "you Texans."

That set me back on my heels. I wrote her-

I think it's weird to be thought of as a Texan-I am pretty sure I can make decent salsa AND guacamole with fewer than 6 ingredients total (and the garlic and cilantro are totally optional), but ya know, Texas is just where the military sent me.

I think we might be kind of like New Yorkers, except we say ma'am and y'all, and aren't so twitchy.


So I did a tally-

12 years in Chicago
10 in Colorado
4 in Texas (Fort Worth)
4 in Germany (KL/Winnweiler-Hochstein)
4 in Alaska
3 in Texas (East Cupcake)
2 in Germany (KL/Mehlbach)
7 in Texas (East Cupcake)

So far, the greater Chicagoland area still wins. I know Joan will embrace her inner Vamanta when she gets a Subaru (which is, by the way, one of the favorite cars of the Anchorage-Matsu region). I don't know what it would take to make myself believe I am Texan.

Horses? Sorry, I ride English. Baking, State Fair-nah, I did that in Alaska. Big Hair-c'mon, I have Japanese hair. Bling-oh, give that a rest too. A boob job and blonde hair....well, ok, maybe.

The funny part about living in East Cupcake-when my dad was a young guy and left the Wauconda/Kenosha area to seek his fortune he went west. He ended up working for a pig farmer about 30 miles west of here. I have pictures that prove that. I have a sneaking suspicion Dad ran out of money.

Do you live where you are FROM?

I am still Cobblestoning away. I started sleeve 1 last night.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like your question, Bets. I am from California (at least when I'm in Colorado). When I'm traveling I'm from Colorado. Colorado wins in years over California about 16 to 36 years. I've always had a reason to return to CA because I had family there. Just musing about life at the moment. Have a good day and happy knitting, Jamie

Grace said...

Born Bred and Still living in NJ
East Orange 9 years
Lincoln Park 10 years
Hackettstown 2 year
Budd Lake 1 year'
Hackettstown again 3 years
Frankford/Branchville 23 years
Lake Hiawatha/Parsippany 5 years

Anonymous said...

Wow, my life is sure boring....
Born, grew up, and continue to live in a city called Oshawa, Ontario Canada.

Actually, I was born at the Oshawa General Hospital ,
Worked there for a long time,
Will probably die there someday.
But not soon, that's for sure.

junior_goddess said...

Oh gosh. Mark has, on occaision, returned to the city of his birth.

I threaten to call the hospital and tell them to keep him.

Anonymous said...

I sort of do.

That is, I was born within the five boroughs, and I live in another one of the five boroughs. So you could say yes.

Ont eh other hand, I was born in Brooklyn, and NO WHERE ELSE is Brooklyn, not even Queens, not even if I were LOTS closer to the border.

So I spent 5.5 years in Brooklyn

13 or so in the part of NYS that upstater's consider downstate and the city considers upstate.

4 years commuting between college in Real upstate and home in the iffy part...

another 3 years in the iffy part

2.5 years spending week in Manhattan, weekend in iffy part...

almost one whole year in a coldsoreonthelipofhell, also upstate...

Past..gulp...coming up on 21 years in Queens, NY.

And the iffy part is technically only about 30 miles from here as the crow flies.

So I guess I do live where I'm from, even though where I'm from sort of isn't there anymore...or something like that...

DH, by the way, was born one county over. Braveheart was in the NICU at the same hospital. I am proud to say I managed to have The House Elf on this side of the city line...

(And I come by this honestly...I can trace my ancestors back at LEAST to the 1870 census...in Manhattan... couple of blocks from where I worked in the mid 80's...)

T, who else?

Anonymous said...

Nope, I'm from New Mexico, but I live in South Texas. I've lived in various cities along the I-35 corridor for as long as I lived in NM. I could live here the rest of my live, but my heart will always be in New Mexico, I'll always be from there.
ScullyKnits

Les said...

Hmmm! This will be interesting to itemize!
Edmonton Alberta 21 yrs
Michigan 1.5 yrs
Calgary 1 yr
Edmonton 5 yrs
Red Deer, Alberta 6 yrs
Whitecourt, Alberta 3 yrs
Calgary Alberta 5 months
Millarville, Alberta 15 yrs
Geez, I must be ancient!
Les

NightOwlKnits said...

Born 'n raised in California. I've spent all but one year here - and that lone year was in Nevada (a very odd part of my life, and not at all what you might think…)

Oddly enough I've been told I have a distinct southern drawl. Enough that a parent of one of my daughter’s grade school friends (who fancied herself as something of a linguist) was clearly convinced that I was from the Panhandle area, and she was surprised to find out otherwise.

I know that I tend to be sort of empathetic towards whomever I happen to be with – and a lot of friends and colleagues are originally from the south – so perhaps hanging around them has “stuck”!

smariek said...

Gosh, I'm quite boring and not nearly as well traveled as you guys. Born and raised in San Francisco, lived in SF all my life with the exception of some college years near Sacramento, and then only recently moved 40 miles south but am still in the San Francisco Bay Area. So I haven't gone far at all.

Joan said...

Count me boring too. New Joisy & Vamant. ;-p

Anonymous said...

Born in NYC. Moved back and forth from Manhattan and Queens after leaving home in Brooklyn. Live with my husband and children in Queens now. Overall,

7 in Manhattan
23 in Brooklyn
10 in Queens