You know you’re from New Orleans if… (Updated)

Sometimes you don’t realize how unique the city of New Orleans is until you meet a newcomer.

Then you really appreciate the little things that make it special and unique. 
Lets try to keep the traditions going for another generation.

• You cringe when you hear it pronounced New OrLEENS. It’s New OrLINS and we don’t really say N’Awlins.
• When you travel, everyone asks if you’re from New York, except a New Yorker, they’re just stumped.
• Even as a kid, you knew the address of Rosenbergs. “Rosenberg’s, Rosenberg’s, 1825 Tulane!”
• You know the opening date of your favorite snowball stand.
• When asked the highest point in the city, you reply, “Monkey Hill.”
• You remember when Monkey Hill was just a hill.
• You know that a nutria is an overgrown rat, but you still choose it for the baseball team’s mascot. Then name them Boudreaux and Clotile.
• You actually know what a zephyr is and might have ridden it a time or two at Pontchartrain Beach.
• Your sense of direction revolves around Uptown, Downtown, towards the lake, or towards the river.
• You travel East to go to the West Bank and West to the East Bank.
• You had more faith in a man named Nash with a sharpie than any Supper Doppler or Viper System.
• Your property can turn waterfront at any time.
• After every thunderstorm you have to reset your clocks.
• You never want to see another blue roof, duct taped refrigerator, or hear the name FEMA as long as you live!
• You refer to your grandparents as Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw and godparents as Nanny and Parran.
• You refer to a specific shade of purple as K&B purple.
• You get sad when thinking of all the things that “ain’t dere no more”. Especially, McKenzie’s Bakery and Mr. Bingle.
• You got excited when you found out you could get a traditional McKenzie’s king cake at Tastee’s.
• To you, an extensive art collection consists of the best Jazz Fest Posters.
• You turn your radio down, take a deep breath, and concentrate before crossing the Huey P. Long Bridge.
• When you are out of town, you think someone is joking when they say everything closes by 8pm. But they’re not!
• When traveling and you see “Authentic New Orleans or Cajun Food” you giggle and reach for the hot sauce you brought with you.
• You know you got ‘dem shoes on your feet and standing on Bourbon, Decatur St., or any street you happen to be standing on.

Food

• There are four seasons: crawfish, shrimp, crab, and oyster.
• You call winter in Louisiana the perfect gumbo weather.
• You think of a lobster as an overgrown crawfish.
• Your momma told ya ‘dey shrunk on ‘der journey to New Orleans and became crawfish.
• When sitting at a table of boiled crawfish you explain to a rookie how, “not to eat the dead ones,” and that makes total sense.
• Newspaper makes the perfect table cloth for a boil.
• You order your po-boy dressed.
• When going out for oysters you have to figure out what months have R’s.
• When eating red beans and rice you assume it’s Monday and if it’s not you’re a little “thrown off.”

Mardi Gras

• You collect Mardi Gras beads in your attic because one day you might ride.
  
• You have to reinforce the attic for Mardi Gras beads.
  
• You were [insert age here] before you realized that Mardi Gras was not a National Holiday.
  
• If you go to Disney World for Mardi Gras, you will run into lots of fellow New Orleanians.
  
• You wear purple, green, and gold together and consider yourself stylish.
  
• You can find anyone on a float by the terms sidewalk side or neutral ground side.
  
• Your family has a traditional spot on the parade route and you know the family next to you that you only see at Mardi Gras.
• Popeye’s chicken is the perfect food for the parades and you order your chicken ahead of time.
  
• You have a ladder for working around the house and a special one for parades.
  
• You stay up every Mardi Gras to watch the meeting of the Rex and Comus courts.
  
• You really stay up to watch the police horses clear Bourbon Street at midnight.
  
• Mardi Gras is judged by the amount of trash left behind. More trash equals more fun.
  
• You hate it when people associate Mardi Gras with Bourbon St. and you spend 20 min. explaining otherwise.

Saints Football

• You remember when paper bags had more uses than carrying groceries.
• When watching a game you turn down the sound on your t.v. to listen to Jim Henderson and Hokie.
• Except when playing the Saints, you have a special place in your heart for the Manning boys.
• Tradition stated that when a game was over you had to hear what Buddy D would say and who he would call a squirrel.
• You completely understand the Saints – Falcons rivalry, and it makes you smile that only the Saints have rings.
• A man in your life wore a dress when the Saints were in the Super Bowl.
• You remember lots of people selling tickets outside the Dome, now everyone is trying to buy tickets.
• Most importantly, you believe that fairy tales do come true. They start in a Dome and end with a Lombardi Trophy. Geaux Saints!

Keep this list going. How do you know you’re from New Orleans? 
What do you think about when you hear New Orleans?