Happy Thursday!

You Know You're From Illinois When:

Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.

You measure distance in minutes.

You know several people who have hit a deer....and sometimes the same deer.

Your school classes were canceled because of the cold.

Your school classes were canceled because of the heat.

Stores don't have bags, they have sacks.

You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it, no matter what time of the year.

You end your sentences with an unnecessary proposition. For example: "Where's my coat at?" or If you go to town I wanna go with."

All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain or animal.

You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.

You carry jumper cables in your car.

You don't pronounce the "s" in Illinois like the rest of the world.

Vacation means going to Six Flags.

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.

You know if another Illinoisan is from southern, central or northern Illinois as soon they open their mouth.

You know which tree leaves make good toilet paper.

You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Construction.

You think that deer season in a national holiday.

The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page but requires 6 pages from sports.

There is a Dairy Queen in every town with a population of 1000 or more.

You Know You're From Chicago When

The "Living Room" is called the "front room" (pronounced fronchroom)

You don't pronounce the "s" at the end of Illinois. You become irate at people who do

You measure distance in minutes (especially "from the city"). And you swear everything is pretty much 15 minutes away

You have no problem spelling or pronouncing "Des Plaines"

Your school classes were canceled because of cold

Your school classes were canceled because of heat

You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day

Stores don't have sacks, they have bags

You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example:"Where's my coat at?" or "If you go to the mall I wanna go with."

Your idea of a great tenderloin is when the meat is twice as big as the bun, "everything" is on it and a slice of dill pickle is on the side

You carry jumper cables in your car

You drink "pop."

You understand that I-290, I-90, I-94, and I-294 are all different roads

You know the names of the interstates: Stevenson, Kennedy, Eisenhower,Dan Ryan, and the Edens

But you call the interstates "expressways"

You refer to anything South of I-80 as "Southern Illinois"

You refer to Lake Michigan as "The Lake"

You refer to Chicago as "The City"

"The Super Bowl" refers to one specific game in a series of 35 played in January of 1986

No matter where you are, when you hear the term "Downtown" you immediately assume they're talking about Downtown Chicago

You have two favorite football teams: The Bears, and anyone who beats the Packers!

You buy "The Trib"

You think 35 degrees is great weather to wash your car!

You know what goes on a Chicago Style Hot Dog

You know what Chicago Style Pizza REALLY is

You know why they call Chicago "The Windy City"

You understand what "lake-effect" means

You know the difference between Amtrak and Metra, and know which station they end up at. You have ridden the "L"

You can distinguish between the following area codes: 847,630,773,708, 312, & 815

You have at some time in your life, used your furniture to guard your parking spot in winter. (CHICAGO CLASSIC!!)

You respond to the question "Where are you from" with a side" example:"WEST SIDE", "SOUTH SIDE" or "NORTHSIDE."

You know what the phone number is to Empire Carpet!