You know you're from Ellensburg if...

In three months we'll have been here a full year (can you believe it?) and now feel qualified to weigh in on what it means to be a citizen of the great city of Ellensburg. So, you know you're from Ellensburg if...

- You refer to Fred Meyer as either "Freddy's" or "the mall," and you know your Rewards Card number by heart.

- Going to a real mall feels like a visit to Disneyland.

- The waiter asks if you want milk, water, coffee or "pop."

- "The West Side" refers to Seattle, not gang territory.

- You live next door to an old church, a D&M Coffee or both.

- You have no lock on your back door and only lock your car to prevent neighbors from unloading their garden produce on you.

- Sight of a Target, Costco or Wal-Mart gives you a sweet adrenaline rush.

- You can pronounce "Umptanum" correctly and without giggling.

- The weather forecast calls for warm and windy, cold and windy, rain and windy or just plain windy.

- After watering your lawn all day long, your grass is dry but your neighbor's house is soaked.

- You know someone is from out of town if they don't have a university parking permit hanging from their rear view mirror.

- You can attend extreme bull riding and a lecture by Salman Rushdie all on the same day.

- Walking to the hospital would be faster than calling an ambulance.

- Being white as a ghost is as acceptable as wearing socks with sandals.

- You meet someone "from Ellensburg" and immediately ask, "So where are you from?"

I'm still trying to decide if needing oven mitts to drive in Fresno was really worse than needing polar fleece to take a walk in June here, but we love Ellensburg and are proud to call it home.