New Jersey

I have been thinking about different cultures lately.

There is about a 99% chance my daughter will be living in VA by the end of the summer.

And really, we need to see the positive in this. And there are positives!! The one BIG negative is she is leaving, as I am sure every momma who has just one daughter move away, can understand.

One of the positives is, my Jersey Girl may change!! lol.

I remember way back when, Lance went to political camps at Patrick Henry College for two weeks. When we went to pick him up, he introduced us to his new found friends, and then, while packing up the car, he started telling us the 2 most profound things he learned that week.

The first went like this:

Hoops : "Guess what mom, we are jerks!"

Me : " What??!!?, What do you mean?"

Hoops : "We're jerks. There were 3 kids from the North, and we're jerks, and we can't even help it! We didn't even know we were jerks! Everyone from the south is just nice. And not even on purpose, It just seems to come out naturally!!"

This was something the 3 of them discussed on their own, in amazement.

He had never been surrounded from southerners like that before. It was mind blowing to him. He was 16 years old.

The second revelation was not as profound, but just as funny. And just as true.

Hoops : " And mom, you can tell right away who was from the North!"

Me : "Really? How? "

Hoops : " We spike our hair."

No one else had their hair spiked. Just the guy from Jersey, (mine) the guy from NY state, and the guy from CT. All the southern boys combed their hair.

LOL! I'm so glad he learned so much.

My daughter is a born and bred Jersey Girl.

I was hoping to have moved out of the state before she learned how to drive. She is such a ::sigh:: Jersey driver. ::sigh:: She has no patience for anyone else on the road. She doesn't get the term, " Enjoy the quiet." That is a foreign concept up here.

How I wish I could be a fly on the wall, as she is surrounded by nice, relaxed, easy-going southern girls. I hope she learns a thing or two.

And I mean that in the nicest way.

And to honor our great state, and for your enjoyment :

You Might Be From New Jersey IF:


1. You refer to the beach as The Shore.
2. You know what a Wawa is, and you know the location of at least 15 of them.
3. You don't understand why there aren't more 24-hour diners elsewhere in the country.
4. You can name all the flavors of salt water taffy.
5. You've run out of money on the Parkway.
6. You've ordered a "hard roll with butter" for breakfast..
7. You still can't believe MTV went to Seaside Heights.
8. There are no self serve gas stations.
9. You know what a "jug handle" is, and you know how to navigate it.
10. You only go to the "City" for day trips.
11. Route 18 doesn't freak you out at night.
12. You believe the Statue of Liberty is in NJ.
13. You don't take any crap from anybody especially people from New York and Philly, because you live here for goodness sake and just who the heck do they think they are anyway? Invading our beaches and bars, they are just here for the summer and they think they own the place.
14. At least three people in your family still listen to Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen and actually seen him play with the E-Street band in the Stone Pony down in Asbury.
15. You know Paramus has 4 major malls within 3 miles of each other.
16. You have mandatory recycling enforced by law.
17. You've pondered, "Maybe basketball would be more popular in NJ if the Nets didn't stink."
18. In high school you worked at Friendly's.
19. St Patricks Day is a serious thing..
20. You have nearly been run over by a Tram Car in Wildwood.
21. You have a grandparent who didn't move to Florida and retired in Cape May, Ocean Grove, Brick, or Toms River.
22. Donald Trump is mentioned daily in your local newspaper.
23. Your school actually made good Italian"subs."
24. The Jets/Giants game has started fights in your family/school.
25. You have been waiting the last 10 years for the Yankees to move to the Meadowlands.
26. You can smell when it's low tide.
27. You own an annual pass to Great Adventure and you had to take the monkey by-pass at the Safari cause your dad had padded-vinyl roof on his car.
28. You say "woodeh", "dowg", "cawfee", "wadeveh".
29. Your car is covered in yellow-green dust(pollen) in April and May.
30. You know that ACME is a supermarket, not just a Warner Bros creation.
31. Because your town was founded before 1776, all restaurants, bars, and shops have 'ye', 'olde', or 'colonial' in their names.
32. You know the myth of the New Jersey devil and you think it lives as the current governor.
33. You think the Olive Garden is crap and should never have opened in NJ.
34. You remember when Hoboken was a ghetto not overpriced.
35. There is a fruit and veggie stand down the road.
36. You like vinegar or gravy on your french fries.
37. You don't have to go to Red Lobster to get fresh seafood.
38. You once said, "It smells like New York in here."
39. You're an aggressive driver.
40. At least 5 people in your immediate family have asthma.
41. Your town has more water restrictions than people living in "dry" states i.e. Arizona, and Nevada.
42. Potholes are as common as mosquitoes.
43. In order to go anywhere, you have to go on a circle, and you know how to navigate it.