Odd thangs us Texans do............Fun thread! (middle-class, house)

[NOTAM]

Ok yall.......I got an idea for a fun thread.

I was walking my dogs tonight and saw a regular every day "scene" in Texas that I didn't think nothing of, until I had a visitor from the Northeast one time make a remark about how "odd" it was.

People using their garages as another "living space". Commonly seen-garage door open, living room couches and recliners in the garage, TV/stereo in the garage, card table, ceiling fans or fans, iceboxes (and of course deep freeze though that is almost a requirement for many of us in Texas esp hunters), decor on the walls, shelves of stuff (and not just tools and yard/household stuff), pictures on walls....folks settin' around having a beer, watching football, playing cards or just visiting with neighbors or kinfolk, shootin' the breeze. Mind you, these homes have backyards, with covered patios or Florida rooms/sunrooms, so technically, there ain't no logical reason to "require" this living space. Oh, and their vehicles are parked in the driveway by choice. To me, there is something warm and fuzzy about it, inviting, as you get to know neighbors who are walking/running/walking the dogs/hanging out in the neighborhood.

Now, mind you, I didn't see this to a very large extent in North Texas where I spent many years in the country and small townsk compared to here, where I live, for the first time in a middle-class subdivision where there are homes next to each other. But even in those small country towns I did see it. Maybe I didn't notice it as much because I wasn't always in close proximity to any neighbors. Perhaps it is just even more common here because they are 90 percent Army families in this town. Kinda gives a more on-post community feeling to it, maybe, for them.

So, that being said, what other things do us Texans do that you might not see at all, or as much of, in other states? Or have your out-of-state visitors observed?

God bless Texas.

[thecatwilbotd]

For some reason we like to hang out in the garage. You can smoke and do what ever. Don't understand not being able to park a car in there after your done though.

[NOTAM]

well most of the garage "rooms" i have seen, have way too much furniture set up in it etc...would be too inconvenient to move it all each time you want to park your car/truck in the garage.
i have a garage right now (first time in my life i have ever lived in a place with a garage) and never park my truck in there-and i have nothing in my garage but a small pushmower and weedeater. just aint used to having one. i reckon it would be nice when you have hail storms, but i can only wish that my truck would get pounded so hard by softball sized hail that i would have a good excuse to get a new truck ha ha!

Originally Posted by thecatwilbotd

For some reason we like to hang out in the garage. You can smoke and do what ever. Don't understand not being able to park a car in there after your done though.

[TexasReb]

Good one, Miss Belle. I gotta think on it a bit and contribute!

Of course, as an afterthought it occured to me that would it be considered an oddity that most of us ride horses to school and work? Lots of yankees seem to think so....

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

Ok yall.......I got an idea for a fun thread.

I was walking my dogs tonight and saw a regular every day "scene" in Texas that I didn't think nothing of, until I had a visitor from the Northeast one time make a remark about how "odd" it was.

People using their garages as another "living space". Commonly seen-garage door open, living room couches and recliners in the garage, TV/stereo in the garage, card table, ceiling fans or fans, iceboxes (and of course deep freeze though that is almost a requirement for many of us in Texas esp hunters), decor on the walls, shelves of stuff (and not just tools and yard/household stuff), pictures on walls....folks settin' around having a beer, watching football, playing cards or just visiting with neighbors or kinfolk, shootin' the breeze. Mind you, these homes have backyards, with covered patios or Florida rooms/sunrooms, so technically, there ain't no logical reason to "require" this living space. Oh, and their vehicles are parked in the driveway by choice. To me, there is something warm and fuzzy about it, inviting, as you get to know neighbors who are walking/running/walking the dogs/hanging out in the neighborhood.

Now, mind you, I didn't see this to a very large extent in North Texas where I spent many years in the country and small townsk compared to here, where I live, for the first time in a middle-class subdivision where there are homes next to each other. But even in those small country towns I did see it. Maybe I didn't notice it as much because I wasn't always in close proximity to any neighbors. Perhaps it is just even more common here because they are 90 percent Army families in this town. Kinda gives a more on-post community feeling to it, maybe, for them.

So, that being said, what other things do us Texans do that you might not see at all, or as much of, in other states? Or have your out-of-state visitors observed?

God bless Texas.

Well, as you know, I'm a native who still lives close by....LOL!!! I have never seen anyone do that!

My own garage is a storage space for all the junk I refuse to part with, but there is ALWAYS room for my vehicle! I never leave it out.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

People using their garages as another "living space". Commonly seen-garage door open, living room couches and recliners in the garage, TV/stereo in the garage, card table, ceiling fans or fans, iceboxes (and of course deep freeze though that is almost a requirement for many of us in Texas esp hunters), decor on the walls, shelves of stuff (and not just tools and yard/household stuff), pictures on walls....folks settin' around having a beer, watching football, playing cards or just visiting with neighbors or kinfolk, shootin' the breeze. Mind you, these homes have backyards, with covered patios or Florida rooms/sunrooms, so technically, there ain't no logical reason to "require" this living space. Oh, and their vehicles are parked in the driveway by choice. To me, there is something warm and fuzzy about it, inviting, as you get to know neighbors who are walking/running/walking the dogs/hanging out in the neighborhood.

This sounds rural to me. Like what you experienced in North TX, people generally don't do this here either. Most of the people who do this here usually smoke cigarettes and want to keep the smoke out of their house. The garage then becomes the furnished smoke pen & play room. Or they are 40-something unmarried or divorced men... IME.

My garage is a workshop that has automotive paraphernalia, though two vehicles go right in. Though sometimes you might see me in a fold-out chair with a beer in the little holder in the arm.

[NOTAM]

hmmm i am not living "rural" right now-i live in a middle-class subdivision in a town that is probably 75% military, and probably the remainder, retired military.
i have been to several of the military towns here, visiting girlfriends, and see the same scene in their neighborhoods.
so maybe it is a military thing.
though i did see it in North Texas, but not to this extent, like i said.
perhaps its because military families tend to be bigger (more children/dependents), have more smokers (oh and no one can tell me this aint true-this is my second stint working for the Army and living in or near an Army post, and i guarantee its true)

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

hmmm i am not living "rural" right now-i live in a middle-class subdivision in a town that is probably 75% military, and probably the remainder, retired military.
i have been to several of the military towns here, visiting girlfriends, and see the same scene in their neighborhoods.
so maybe it is a military thing.
though i did see it in North Texas, but not to this extent, like i said.
perhaps its because military families tend to be bigger (more children/dependents), have more smokers (oh and no one can tell me this aint true-this is my second stint working for the Army and living in or near an Army post, and i guarantee its true)

I gotta go along with you, Belle. I never really thought of it before but yep, I think you are right. Again, I never really considered "garage gathering" an oddity, but that is because, welllll, as the classic line in "Smokey and the Bandit goes" (paraphrased) "just how ignorant one is depends on where they are from to begin with and what part of the country they are in now" LOL

I remember quite a few times there would be a "party" or friends get-together and many of us boys would go into the garage and gather and drink beer and smoke and shoot the shlit, while the women would be in the house doing their own thing (probably talking about us). The garage would have a card table and chairs and this and that to the point is was, as you say, almost an extention of the house...seemed natural to us!

Front porch sitting, in an earlier day, is very akin, I would venture to say...with a hanging swing (swang, by damn!).

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

Of course, as an afterthought it occured to me that would it be considered an oddity that most of us ride horses to school and work? Lots of yankees seem to think so....

Are you SERIOUS??? GOD, I LOVE TEXAS!!!

[Alatex]

The description of how Texans use their garages is similar to how a lot of us non-Texans use our basements