Is it old age or California?

I am a different person than I was when we moved here in many ways. One of the most apparent ways is that I'm bolder than I was before.

I have gone out and yelled at kids in my pajamas because they knocked over my garbage cans. This is not normal Beth behavior.


Today, a kid was walking to school through my yard and he was carrying a red headboard from a bedframe.

Just kind of dragging it behind him. He got to the edge of my yard while I was loading kids and bookbags and flyers into the car. Then, he dropped it. So, I yelled to him to get that outta my yard.

He sheepishly picked it up and dragged it behind him to the other side of my driveway and dropped it.

I rolled down my window and yelled again that he needed to take that outta my yard.

He picked it up and put it on the bikepath. I guess that was better?

Maggie says: Mommy, if he drops it again, please don't say anything. Yelling twice at him is enough.

As I processed this, I realized that this was such unique behavior for me. I never would have yelled at a kid in Georgia for this. Twice.

So, today, I wonder is it because I'm getting old? Or is it the boldness of California?

Is it because I am getting older and more territorial and croutchity (is that a word? spellcheck doesn't like it>)?

Or is it the boldness of California? People are more vocal here and not as polite as they are in the south. They are quick to honk at ya if you are doing something that they don't agree with.

Grilling vs. Barbequing

I love spring/summer nights when we can grill. It's just such a nice feeling to have the kids outside playing and Steven grilling something that is making the air smell yummy.

HOWEVER, in California, people call this activity "barbequing". When someone first said that, I thought that they were putting bbq sauce on something. Like the food you get at Country's or Hog Heaven? You know, a pulled meat sandwich with BBQ sauce on it. I was so confused!

It turned out that people here refer to the activity as "barbequing" and the grill is called the BBQ.

Now, I can adjust to a lot of things in CA. And I don't make fun of things in CA because I feel that when you move to a new place, the worst thing you can do to alienate yourself is to make fun of a word or something about a place. Even though my "FRIENDS" make fun of the way that I say water, I just try to embrace CA and I really like it here.

EXCEPT....I refuse to call that activity anything besides grilling. I used to say that I was "grilling out". But,I've shortened the term so that I don't get quite so many stares when I talk.

Here's the heartbreaker. Last night, Maggie was playing outside while Steven GRILLED. Maggie ran up to him and asked him if the "barbeque was hot". WHAT? My baby's been converted.

I guess this is how my parents felt the first time I said "Lafayette" when we lived in Louisiana. I was more ingrained in the culture because I went to school and my peers were from Louisiana.

So, the question of the day...what do you call it?

Barbequing or grilling

P.S. This in no way will ever change what I call it.