You know you're from the Pacific Northwest if ...

Here is a quick primer for those of you not familiar with the habits & culture of those of us fortunate to live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest ... my commentary is in green.

• You know the state flower (mildew).
• You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.
  I haven’t thrown away any kind of metal in years!! Why isn’t the rest of the country recycling like this?
• You use the statement "sun break" and know what it means.
• You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.
  and you knew the scriptwriter who called it a "mochalatte" in Grey's Anatomy had never even been to Seattle. There are mochas (espresso, chocolate, & steamed milk), there are lattes (espresso & steamed milk), but “mochalatte” is not in the Pacific NW vocabulary. We’re very passionate about our coffee, can you tell?
• You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
• You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.
  This is so TRUE! Dressing up = wearing jeans with no holes in them & closed-toe shoes.
• You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal.
• You consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain.
• You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Veneto's.
  Oh yeah. There is a difference!
• You know the difference between Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye salmon.
• You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Oregon, Yakima, and Willamette (not to mention geoduck).
• You consider swimming an indoor sport.
• You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese, and Thai food.
• In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark—while only working eight-hour days.
• You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho.
• You are not fazed by "Today's forecast: showers followed by rain," and "Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers."
• You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.
• You know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind.
• You can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover.
• You notice, "The mountain is out" when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.
• You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still wear your hiking boots and parka.
• You switch to your sandals when it gets about 60, but keep the socks on.
  This is CLASSIC northwest style!! :o)
• You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
• You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists. This is true! Umbrellas make out-of-towners stink out like a sore thumb.
• You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time. I live this truth ... annually!
• You measure distance in hours (e.g., it is an hour and a half from Bellingham to Seattle)
• You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day. And you have A/C in your car, but never in your house. You'd probably only use it 10-12 days a year anyway.
• You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
• You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Raining (Spring), Road Construction (Summer), Deer & Elk season (Fall).

To these I would add:

• You know at least 5 people that drive a Subaru Outback.
• You have a "Buy Local" bumper sticker on your car
• You pass at least 10 "Impeach Bush" yard signs or "Anti-W" car stickers on your way to work.