You Know You Are From Brewster, NY When… (Part 2)

Back in 2015, I wrote "You Know You're From Brewster, NY When." It was a huge hit, as is often the case with things I do. My editor asked me if I thought I could do a sequel and I said I would. This morning I got to work on it without referring to Part 1, but after comparing the two, I realized that there were some duplicates, which means there are certain things that just stuck with me about my hometown. Here is the sequel:

You know you are from Brewster when... (Part 2) 

• You know where Heidi's Motel is but you have never stayed there.
• You see a Bear logo and shout "Yeah Bears!"
• You sat next to my Grandma at at Brewster Bears Football game.

• You worked at a deli, grocery store, pumped gas or sold clothes at the Danbury mall growing up. Those were your options.
• You know you could catch a sweet pick up basketball game on a Wednesday night in the St. Lawrence gym.
• You've made your own bacon egg & cheese, in the kitchen at the North Brewster Deli because the Pozzuto's are awesome.

• People say Tom Selleck has the best mustache, you disagree strongly. Everyone knows John Martino has the world's best mustache.
• Vinny Savastano has beat you in a foot race.
• Seeing Norm's empty and boarded up makes you legit sad.

• You know all of your shop teachers combined, have a total of twelve fingers.
• You've tricked Bev into thinking a "Post-It" note was a hall pass.
• You know a meeting at the Electrozone field meant it was time for some baseball.

• You hung out on Ice Pond Road when there were no houses there.
• You heard me on the radio in the morning and saw me parking cars at Beecher Funeral Home in the afternoon. Sorry for your loss.
• You refuse to shop anywhere but Kobackers. (Thanks for your patronage on behalf of Uncle Frank & Aunt Kim)

• You know that "Jealousy is the Green-Eyed Monster" Thanks to Ms. German.
• You know that Danbury bars closing, meant there were 25 minutes until a fight would break out.
• A trip to see a friend in Putnam Lake started with "A left at the monument," involved a dirt-bike, Budweiser and ended by attempting to elude the authorities.

• You know Hickory, Oakwood, Maple, Elmwood & South (H.O.M.E.S.) became a war-zone on Halloween.
• "Bigger, Faster, Stronger" was your first fitness program.
• Tyrone texts you everyday:

• You've been to the Fore N' Aft, The Hunt Club, Polo's or Miami Heat.
• The first day of school meant a hideous tradition that we will never tell our kids about.
• A school field trip meant a one minute walk or five minute drive to the Walter Brewster House.

• You you still know the way to the reservoir rope-swing.
• You know that The Pistons dominated Brewster Youth Basketball, despite having no "stars." We didn't need them, we had Matt & Mark Moore, ripping boards and playing team basketball. We also had the greatest coach in the history of basketball, Dick Moore.
• Steve Presti has always fixed your car. Don't call him to tell him I wrote about him, his phone is already ringing off the hook.

• Bonnie Colombo helped you understand the permit process at 1 Main Street.
• You know the kids from "The Heights" are a different breed.
• You claim to know Ava Fabian, even if you were not friends with her.

• Seeing the Cameo theater boarded up makes you sick to your stomach.
• You've attended a wedding reception at the VFW.
• "The Beach" meant Tonetta or Wells Park.

• A "Project Adventure Trust-Fall" meant your friends would let you fall to the ground.
• You know at least four people who were not permitted to "walk" at graduation.
• You've been invited to Rocco Drive (Maybe you saw this guy there)

• Someone says "we are having a party" and you are astonished to learn it's not taking place in the woods or in a hotel room.
• You, or someone you know has crashed into the mailbox at the end of this sharp turn on Foggintown Road. (You know who you are, some of you have done it twice)

• Kelly Quinn has temporarily damaged your eyesight with his bright smile.

• You have zero patience for explaining how there is a Brewster/Southeast, their relationship to The Village of Brewster or how the Putnam Lake kids go to Brewster Schools.
• You have zero patience for explaining the difference between the Brewster and Brewster North train stations.

• You've never been on a Metro-North train without alcohol on your person.
• You played a pick-up basketball game at Markel Park against a guy nicknamed "Swamp Thing."
• You know that any "road trip" that involved two or more Brewster kids ended in disaster.

• You had a physical fight with someone that ended up being your friend.
• You know Judy Cleary was the world's greatest Guidance Counselor.
• You've caught a Touchdown pass from this dude under the "Friday Night Lights." (That's Uncle Pete to me, you probably have other names for him) 

• You are a grown up and when someone drops something in the kitchen, you still shout D--- ! (Low Voice, Slow, sustained delivery that ends in a high pitch)
• You know what this face means. This particular night, it meant encouraging a drunk stranger to dance and laughing at him while he did. It's also the night we went to ALCS Game 5, he forgot the tickets, I lost my wallet so that dude was our entertainment in the Bronx.  

• You've talked Yankees with Liz Hudak.

• You know Buddo. (Dude loves wigs and hats) 

• You grow up the same way, did everything together, ended up on very different paths and remain friends.

Yeah Bears!

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