Where I Come From

Erin at Shades of Gray and a Pinch of Pink is one of my newest blog obsessions - Erin, I mean that in the least stalkerish way possible, pinkie promise - and she had the fantastic idea to learn more about where we all came from instead of where we are now. Behold, the Where I Come From link-up! That should be accompanied by trumpets and revelry. Commence, please. 

What are the biggest attractions in your area?

My hometown doesn't even have a red light, so "attractions" don't really exist.  We do have stop signs, so there's that. There are 2 traditions where I'm from that really does make me love my hometown. I'd consider them attractions. The first is the county fair that happens every September - the Big Knob Fair. It's small and the rides are probably riddled with tetanus. But you'll see everyone you grew up with while you eat an elephant ear and sip a lemonade. 

The second attraction is one that happens on graduation day. All of the graduates who are farmers or who's parents farm drive their tractors to the high school when we have graduation practice. These are not lawn mowers but impressively large and immensely expensive tractors. It's a sight to see, for sure. 

What's the average Saturday night like?

In the hometown, hanging on the front porch with friends. If it's during the summer months then the yard sparkles at times during early evening. It's the lightening bugs, you see. They don't exist here. I miss them every summer.

What sports teams does your area root for?

Seriously? Near Pittsburgh? The only NFL team to have six rings, that's right....the black and gold. The Steelers! But even more near and dear to my heart are the Penguins. My boys on the ice. Who needs that stuck up Ovechkin???? Not us, we have Sid the Kid and Malkin. My heart is broken that Staal has been traded  to the Hurricanes. I'll wear my jersey until it falls apart.

*I think there's a thing called a "baseball" team, but I have no idea. The Parrots maybe? Oh wait, it's the Pirates....yeah.*

What kind of home-cooked meals are served?

Pierogies, which are pockets of dough filled with mashed potatoes and cheese. Then you fry a ton of onions and bacon, fry the pierogies in the grease and it's heaven in your mouth. 

Haluski, a noodle/cabbage/onion deal that's all fried in butter. 

Um, we like fried meals? It's the Eastern European heritage that runs rampant through the hills.

Do you have restaurant chains that aren't anywhere else?

King's and Eat-n-Park. Typical diners where you can go 24 hours a day. But the place I miss the most is Sheetz. At Sheetz you can get shmuffins, shgas, shbananas and shcoffee, to name a few things. Seriously though, I miss Sheetz. It's a gas station chain that also has made-to-order everything. They're open 24 hours a day which means that when you have a 2am craving for an english muffin sandwich, otherwise known as a shmuffin, it magically appears!

What's the scenery like? Mountains, desert, beaches?

It's very green, hilly and curvy. The kind that makes DH a wee bit carsick. Not the green part. Yep that sums it up.

What kind of activities did the kids in your neighborhood play?

My brothers and cousins used to play War at night. They'd ride their bikes and sneak through the woods with air rifles trying to mangle one another. I was the only girl. I stayed inside out of the line of fire.

What about style - prim and proper, casual country?

Farm casual? Is that a style? We're very rural. Funnily enough, I never felt like I fit in, even when the "look" was jeans and sweatshirts in high school. You can't get more laid back and yet I still felt uncomfortable.

What animal gets hit on the road most frequently?

Deer and skunk are probably tied. The smell of skunk actually makes me homesick, that's how often it happens. I'm weird though - it's genetic...my grandfather had a pet skunk that lived under the porch when he was a kid. If deer had a smell then maybe I'd be better able to determine the roadkill ratio between the two.

What kind of music blasts through local radio stations?

Country. Country. Country. And some pop. But mainly country.

I hope y'all enjoyed learning a little bit about my small (not kidding y'all) hometown. Link-up and learn me something about yourselves!