May 20, 2008
You might be a Floridian if…
“Down South” means Key West
“Panhandling” means going to Pensacola.
You think no-one over 70 should be allowed to drive.
Flip-flops are everyday wear.
Shoes are for business meetings and church.
No, wait, flip flops are good for church too, unless it’s Easter or
Christmas.
Sweet tea can be served at any meal.
An alligator once walked through your neighborhood.
You smirk when a game show’s “Grand Prize” is a trip or cruise to Florida.
You measure distance in minutes.
You have a drawer full of bathing suits, and one sweatshirt.
You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls.
All the local festivals are named after a fruit.
A mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level.
You think everyone from a bigger city has a northern accent.
You know the four seasons really are: almost summer, summer,
not summer but really hot, and Christmas.
It’s not soda, cola, or pop…it’s coke, regardless of brand or flavor, “What kinda coke you want?”
Anything under 95 is just warm.
You’ve hosted a hurricane party.
You go to a theme park for an afternoon, and know when to get on the best rides.
You pass on the right and honk at the elderly.
You understand the futility of exterminating cockroaches.
You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee and Withlacoochee.
You understand why it’s better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.
Bumperstickers on the pickup in front of you include: various fish, NRA, and a confederate flag.
You were 8 before you realized they made houses without pools.
You were 12 when you first met someone who couldn’t swim.
You get angry when people say “Florida isn’t really part of the SOUTH”
You’ve worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas.
You know what the “stingray shuffle” is, and why it’s important!
You recognize Miami-Dade as ” Northern Cuba”
September 27, 2007
My favorite bird, and other reasons to visit Florida.
Roseate spoonbills are my favorite bird. Yesterday while I was driving to work I saw one flying overhead; this morning I saw two flying and one dining in the drainage ditch. I love how they combine a beautiful brilliant color with this unusual, rather surreal shape. When I worked in Florida before, I used to see them outside my office all the time. So I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for them this week.
On another note, I had forgotten about the osprey that fish near the Sunshine Skyway bridge. They carry their catch to the top of the street lights and tear into it up there. C and I always used to imagine that the tops of those lights must be really nasty, just caked in fish guts.
And of course, I’ve seen many pelicans, too. After only a year in Seattle Florida’s flora and fauna have already begun to seem exotic and exciting to me. I’m thrilled by the lush green foliage and bright flowers. The expanses of turquoise water dotted with tiny jungle islands and fringed with palm trees. Even the wet, humid air feels rich.
I’ve slipped back into Florida like a pair of broken-in blue jeans. The rhythms feel comfortable and familiar, yet at the same time, this is no longer home. I think this is a good thing; hopefully it means that I’ve adjusted to the notion of “Seattle as home”, and won’t feel too homesick when it’s time to head back.
