I deleted the thing that I just posted because it made me sad and I want today to be a happy day...

so here's a happy thing

http://www.50statesproject.net/

post a photo from yer state!

I grew up on Long Island and I remember that duck! And going to see the Long Island Ducks! And I remember potatoes & peaches and I remember when LI Sound was clean. Good times.

There was a show on PBS the other night that told the story of this duck. Really neat - they originally sold duck eggs there. Lots and lots o'ducks. I love stuff like that.

We used to get ice cream cones from a stand in FL shaped like, of all things, a giant ice cream cone. Loved that, too.

Well, I didn't find any interesting Washington State pictures on the state site...

But here's a fun Seattle picture:

That's a real Volkswagen embedded in the sculpture.

"The Fremont troll was crafted in 1990 and is located under the north end of the Aurora Bridge at N. 36th St, Seattle, WA. Every year on October 31 the neighbors of Fremont celebrate a "Trollaween" party in honor of the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge. It's a large outdoor party with amazing costumes."
(Care of http://seattle.about.com )

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The only state I am in, is a state of relaxation.

This, is apparently the Jewish state of relaxation

of course that's a state of relaxation.

with 6 arms you could complete your whole to-do list in about ten minutes. think of how much multi-tasking you could do!

...think of how much procrastinating you could do.


oh man, i want six arms!!

look how healthy that state of relaxation is. My 6 arms would be holding donuts, steak, a cheeseburger, sweet tea, bacon, and maybe some pasta. Or maybe another steak instead.

i was thinking the same thing-
mine would include a cigarette and a martini (or five)

my arms are totally craving some nutella and ancient grains bread with a couple of gin and tonics.

Good call, maestra. I wasn't even thinking alcohol. Make that sweet tea a sweet tea vodka. Anyone else tried that yet? It's both amazing and dangerous!

Can you explain what "sweet tea" is?

Is that iced tea? Just regular tea with sugar in it?

THAT'S A REGIONAL TERM?

I had no idea. Yes, it's iced tea sweetened with sugar.

Then a brilliant company in South Carolina came up with this:

Ooo, I'd buy that vodka on packaging alone.

I"m going to say that 98% of the time if you order an 'iced tea' in Canada you're going to get something like Nestea Iced Tea, so the idea of ordering "Sweet" tea is kinda redundant.

Iced tea made with real tea is so rare up here, that they actually warn you when you order it.

"I'd like iced tea"

"Our iced tea is made with real tea, is that OK?"

"oh, I'll have lemonade then"

Forgot the posting picture from your state part. In the spirit of the duck, behold: The Big Chicken:

]

Marietta, GA. The eyes and beak move! Or, they used to. I haven't been near it in ages.

Saying that sweet tea has sugar in it is like saying that everclear has alcohol in it - that stuff is like tooth huting wince from the sweetness sugary. I've never made it but I am pretty sure they have to put the sugar in when it's still hot to keep it from just forming a four inch thick layer of sugar in the bottom of the cup.

Ha! It's true, some do make it tooth-achingly sweet. My granny did - it was almost black and so sweet you could nearly stand a spoon in it.

You do put the sugar in and pour the hot steeped tea on it, then add water. I like mine mildly sweet, though. No tooth aches!

It's usually pronounced as one word: sweetea, slight emphasis on second syllable. And there's the hayseed language lesson of the day.

I'd definitely say the "sweetea" one word thing isn't universal by any stretch.

However, if you are in the south and order "tea", more likely than not you are indeed gonna get a glass of iced, sugar sweetened tea unless you specify "hot" or "unsweetened".

Who is Sam?  New poster?  Is there an intro thread?

I'm MeMe, just not logged in. Decided I didn't like that name ongoing, so went w/ my "real" one.

Thanks!

A monument to Airstream Trailers? WTF!?! That's SO stereotypical



Hilsborough County Florida (Tampa/St Pete area).

"This is a fun place, but these people will turn on you like a pack of badgers on meth if you're not careful." - big d

yay. cliff walk.

i forgot to post something from my state. here's the colt dome. when i was a kid i was pretty sure a genie or a sultan lived in there.

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On the mountian overlooking Reading, PA:

The Biltmore Estate near Asheville NC is the largest privately owned house in the US. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltmore_Estate

Whoa Gray! That's beautiful - totally my dream house.

Isn't the Biltmore supposed to have a secret tunnel beneath it?

I don't know about a secret tunnel but judging from the size of the place I'd say they just can't find it.

Hi, Sam! You new around these parts? You still in may-retta?

My friend posted a facebook note that reminded me of this conversation:

1. Only a true Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption and that you don't "HAVE" them - you "PITCH" them.

2. Only a true Southerner knows how much any fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc. make up "a mess" (as in "a mess" of greens).

3. Only a true Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of "yonder."

4. Only a true Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is - as in: "Going to town, be back directly (generally pronounced dreckly).

5. All true Southerners, even babies, know that "Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl on the middle of the table.

6. All true Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.

7. Only a true Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. (If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin').

8. Only true Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near" and "a right far (pronounced "fur") piece." They also know that "just down the road" can be 1 mile or 20.

9. Only a true Southerner both knows and understands the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.

10. No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.

11. A true Southerner knows that "fixin'" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb. (As in, I was fixin to go over to BettyLou's. Or, we had a huge Christmas dinner with all the fixins. Or, are you fixin my car next?).

12. Only a true Southerner knows that the term "booger" can be a resident of the nose, a descriptive, as in "that ol' booger," a first name, or something that jumps out at you in the dark and scares you senseless.

13. Only true Southerners make friends while standing in lines. We don't do "queues", we do "lines," and when we're IN, not ON, line we talk to everybody!

14. Put 100 true Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're related, even if only by marriage.

15. True Southerners never refer to only one person as "y'all"... more than three is way more than one, it's "all y'all".

16. True Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.

17. Every true Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee are perfectly wonderful; that redeye gravy is also a breakfast food; and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food We recognize milk gravy when we see it, know what to do with it and wonder what the heck you other people eat on your biscuits.

18. When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin'," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!

19. Only true Southerners say "sweet tea" and "sweet milk." Sweet tea indicates it contains sugar and lots of it - we do not like our tea unsweetened "Sweet milk" means you don't want buttermilk.

20. And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say, "Bless her heart" and go your own way.

And here's something from my hometown:

When I first moved I here a fast food person said, "Would you like sweet tea with that?" "Sure", I replied, thinking how cute sweet tea sounded. I took one sip and was speechless. It tasted like sugar with a little water and tea added for flavoring.

My mother went to Louisiana and was stumped when the fast food person asked if she wanted her sauce "hah-or-mile". (Which apparently translates into "hot, or mild?")

The visitors enjoyed potato soup made by the giant cooking pan.