This is Central New York in October
Where do I begin? Should I follow Julie Andrews’ directions and “Let’s start at the very beginning….a very good place to start?” Or should I start at the end and reflect? Either way, I present my observations on the strangeness of regionalism in New York State.
I mean you expect regionalism in a state as large as Texas-it’s practically it’s own country, but in NY? But it’s alive and well, and I have to say it’s what makes this state (and yes, even this nation) so darn interesting.
My younger self would have died rather than shout at a filming video camera: “Git R Done” (did I spell that right?) But I’ve learned not to sweat the small stuff, and if you can’t make fun of the obvious then who will?
They might look innocent, but it was all their fault for getting me started!
So really, do I begin with Git R Done or perhaps: “We snuck out before the dollar dance!” I’m not sure, but in between there was a lot of country music, some sort of fedora that looked more from “The Blues Brothers” than Nashville, and of course…chicken riggies. Cause let’s face it, when in Rome. No, I mean not literally, we were in Little Falls. And my spell checker doesn’t recognize riggie..so does that mean it isn’t really a food? I digress, no I don’t, because food is a huge part of what defines a region and Central NY has carved a niche for itself in the Chicken Riggie Universe! A region that gave us Utica Club and tomato pie just had to add something more to its illustrious line up. OK! So Riggies taste good, they’re like chicken caccitore when made by some and like penne ala vodka mixed with chicken.
Ready? Steady.....
THROW !!!!
By the time the camera came around and my cousin suggested we all shout Git R Done I knew I wasn’t in Albany any more . So, yeh, Dorothy felt out of sorts being in Oz, but at least she’s traveled to an imaginary land. Me. I’d gone 70 miles down the Thruway! 70 miles shouldn’t mean a noticeable change in accent, gas prices, and wedding traditions, but strangely it does. And I’m okay with that-just amused. And so damn amused I started laughing at 3:30 and was still stopping when I arrived at my mom’s 5 hours later!!!!
So I dubbed it the hillibilly weekend. I mean where else can you discuss the logistics of creating an outdoor latrine (leave the bark on) over several courses of dinner and no dancing..?
Honest…we got the family reunion planned during the down time. And here I was worried I’d have to do one more pain in the ass kick line to NY NY ! HA! I don’t think so! We didn’t dance at all. Nope….couldn’t have if we wanted to. [with the exception of the before mentioned dollar dance] . And I'm just saying it was a relief. Lately there's been nothing more than the typical songs to dance to...and I'm bored with it. So this-well maybe it was serendipity II ?
Mom and her upside down tomato experiment!
So by Sunday morning I’m thinking how do you top off this kind of weekend? How do you keep the laughter alive? And it was a tall task being a 3 day weekend and all. So Sunday, while target practicing with a 22 (that’s a rifle for all you suburbanites), I wondered, what more can I add to this zaniness? Well, my first hunt was a success. I killed a tomato. Blew off half its head. I said to my mom, “I really can’t see any reason to kill an animal. I mean, the last one I killed was a snake I beheaded with a sharp rok back in ’84. But I’m older and wiser now (though always remember, it’s not dead until the head is gone)!
First Kill !
I’ll get back to the whole animal thing in a sec…not done yet with the joy of central NY. We walked in the woods…”there’s a bear in the woods.” Says neighbor Bob. “oh, nothing will happen to us while mom has her trusted shalleileigh and I have my sapling cane to bop it on the nose. Do I make big for a bear or small and non-threatening? Oops IDK…..guess we’d be ****’d if the real deal showed up. Not like we can do a fly over and hit it from the air like “she who will not be named.” Of course if you’re really loud I suppose you can just scare the bear away. So we walked along and sang the Sound of Music together….ah inspiration. “Doe a Deer..” hold on!!!! You’ll get your turn soon enough.
Julie Andrews sings…”let’s start at the very beginning…” Well, maybe she got it wrong. So how exactly do you top off the perfect Hill Billy weekend? With a hoe-down, tractor pull, monster trucks? Nah! Silly!!! You hit a deer! You know “doe a deer, a female deer……” Damn sound of music! Was maybe not the best choice for a theme song. If it’s a red neck weekend then a Gretchen Wilson tune may have been more a propos (and we can invite her to the reunion, yee haw)! Did all our singing manage to ward off the bear, but summon the deer? IDK.
What I do know is my question of how to put closure to a dazzlingly funny time [believe me I really honestly haven’t been in such a mood in ages] was answered early Tuesday morning when said female deer accusted my little Japanese car [don’t you dare be pissed little deer that I don’t drive a Chevy or a Ford]. Thank god she didn’t wipe out my new tires!!!! That’s all I’m saying given that I just spent $ 700 on brakes and such the day before.
Now I truly thought Monday would have been the “red-neck closure” defining moment, but alas it was not to be though I did overhear a tooth less cashier say “Git R Done” that was about all Saratoga had to offer. So back to Tuesday and reckless deer with no respect for foreign autos and you have the world’s luckiest piece of serendipity as deer girl did her damge and ran away. I was able to drive off and all ended well. So I have to ask: “Does that qualify as ‘Git R Done’?”
Second Kill ?
What the heck does that mean anyway? What I do know is this girl….former central NY livin, country hatin’, liberal leanin’, woman said it on camera ! Shouted it with glee! What I also know is that I had fun immersing myself in the flow that was a region with it’s own culture, it’s own method of happy. It was family….and for one long weekend in October….I was home.
What exactly does it all mean?
