Florida mosquito

More old school Pinellas County

Went to the WLCY Star Spectaculars in the old Clearwater Auditorium
Kept every Thanksgiving night open so you could go to the Clearwater-Largo game.
Saw the Stones live at Jack Russell Stadium
Went to your school prom at the Jack Tar Harrison Hotel (now the hdqrts. for the Church of Scientology)
Hung out at the "Steps" at the foot of Turner St.
Met people on the "Spook Line"
Went to Clearwater Beach on Sat. afternoons to see Roy "Shy Guy" Nelson broadcast "10's Bandstand" live from the Pavilion
Followed the dirt road east at the intersection of Old Coachman and Belcher into the citrus grove at night with your fraternity brothers to have grapefruit fights against that semester's pledges.
Remember when the US19/Gulf-to-Bay intersection was governed by (1) stoplight. Extra credit if you ever rolled down your car window at night while stopped there to hear the peacocks at the farm on the SE parcel (before Clw. Mall was built) raising hell.
Chirped your tires when leaving curb service parking at the Steak-and-Shake at the corner of Duncan & Gulf-To-Bay.
Wanted to get your ass kicked on a Friday or Saturday night,you'd go to either Safety/Palm Harbor or Tarpon Springs
Wanted to get your ass kicked on ANY night,you'd go the the Gator Bar in the old Ulmer Arcade in downtown Largo
Same as above,but country/western style at the old Joyland on US19 in Pinellas Park.
Bought your best school clothes at either Fremacs,Colony Shops or Frank's.
Parked off the side of the road under the massive stand of Australian pines to get onto Clearwater Beach as there was no parking lot.
Watched Univ. of Tampa football at the original Tampa Stadium.
Had dinner at Herda's Steak House
Remember when 5-10K people would show up for the old Clearwater/Largo football game on Thanksgiving Night.
Hung out at the Milk Bar or the A&W on Clearwater-Largo Rd.
Had bar-b-q at the King Pig on Gulf-to-Bay.
Wanted to really impress your date and took her to the Glass Frogg on Clw. Beach
Skipped school to spend all day at the north end of Sand Key when it was still undeveloped with just woods and beach.
Spent Sat. afternoons as a kid at the matinee at the Capitol,Carib or Largo Theater.
Loved Biff-Burgers or What-a-Burgers

Old School Pinellas County

You know you're old-school Pinellas if...
You ever had Sunday dinner with your family at the Kapok Tree Inn restaurant.
You remember when Chief Charlie's had the best steaks in town.
You drove by the old rundown dump of a building called "World's Worst Pizza" on Gulf-to-Bay, before it became the home to the original Hooter's.
You went to the Brown Derby for prime rib…….and the salad bar was nice too.
Pier 60 had a pool.
If you remember Chick Smith Ford in "Sparkling Downtown Clearwater".
"Free wine, Free beer, Good Food, Good Cheer" at Brewmaster's.
If you remember the Allied Discount Tires guy yelling "Tiiiiiiires Ain’t purtty!"
When WFSO AM 570 was the only rock station you used to listen to.
When WQSR FM was known as "Quad 102 ½" and actually broadcasted in quadraphonic sound.
If you trusted Salty Sal Fleischman, Andy Hardy, Roy Leep and Hugh Smith to deliver the news, sports and weather.
If you remember when Gayle Sierens was the "sports chick" on Channel 8.
If you remember when US 19 had two lanes, and the traffic flowed even better then.
If you remember seeing incredible live bands at Skip's on Madeira Beach.
When G. David Howard was the only comedy show in town.
You went to Scotty's or Cox for all your hardware & lumber needs.
Art Grindal, for Bob Wilson Dodge.
Dr. Paul Bearer * Gordon Solie. * Hubert Rutland.
When you could read the Clearwater Sun & St. Pete's "The Independent", and on rainy days, they gave the newspapers away for free and opened up the paper boxes.
Lakeland Civic Center, Bayfront Center , Bishop Planetarium and Curtis Hixon Hall.
Boot Ranch when it was an actual ranch.
Every small city and beach town had their own police department.
You went to the Sky View, 28th St., Thunderbird & Garden drive-in movies and got bit by mosquitoes in sweltering heat watching horrible movies while eating cardboard pizza and sickeningly-sweet snow cones.
Lum's Hotdogs on 5 Ave. & one 4st at 38 ave.
Capogna's was where you went for Italian.
Busch Gardens when the admission was just $8.00
Driving over the old Skyway Bridge (It used to look like it went up into the clouds)
The old 2 lane bridge that led to the abandoned forest called Oldsmar.
Palm Harbor was farmland you drove by, on your way to Tarpon Springs.
East Lake " and "Countryside" were just roads, not entire districts.
Worlds Worst Pizza was also the 'Weeping Willow' Lounge.
Drive-thru Farm Stores [beer stores] were everywhere.
Oldsmar Drag Strip on Race Track Road .
If you remember: Burdines * Maas Brothers * Barnett Bank * 95YNF * Jeans Giant * Clearwater Mall * Sunshine Mall * Denim Den * Countryside Six Theaters * Wrestling with Gordon Solie * Saturday afternoon Creature Feature with Dr. Paul Bearer * Skyway Jack's * The Rowdies * Hugh Culverhouse * the Tampa Bay Bandits......
The Savoy Lounge * The Cock and Bull * The Surfer's Club
Eat/Meat sign at the SCL rail road hump 9th Ave N.
Changing the film in your Brownie camera in a fake hollow tree at Bush Gardens
The huge Bonfire sign on Redington
Gulf Blvd was only 4 lanes in front of the Tides and Howard Johnson’s
The "Clean Air Capital" billboard where the post office in Largo is
Patty the porpoise
The Porpoise Pub had a porpoise and sea lions
St. Pete. Beach had a curfew
We heard the top 40 hits on WLCY 2 to 3 weeks after they were released in NYC
Barney's was the only motorcycle dealer
The Gandy bridge, Indian Rocks bridge and Johns Pass were made of wood
The glass blower's shack on the Treasure Island side of John's Pass
The Sunday parties at the Red barn
The Electric Zoo
Jonny's do it yourself boat yard
The Cashmere Cat
The Pavilion in Indian Rocks Beach
Burger Chef and Sandy's
Lil Generals and 7-11 were open air
Cars used to run over rattle snakes that stretched across old Oakhurst Rd
St. Cloud was a general store with gas pumps
The who's who of Largo and Pinellas Park hung out at the feed store
Sears Town The old Dhume mansion Al Capone's cabin on Park St. Beer Can Beach (Sand Key) Skinks and chameleons Eckerd's sold Zig Zags for a nickel The Tierra Verde ferry The who's who of St Pete Beach hung out at the Oyster Shucker
Hulk Hogan played bass in a country rock band called Monarch
You went to the Sea Farer on Gandy for rock shrimp
Or the old blue crabber who lived out in the mangroves there
How could we forget Webb's City or Wolfie’s
And AC was a luxury

Florida for Idiots

When giving directions in Florida, you should always start with the words, “take I-75 . . .”

If you're a snowbird or a non-working retiree, you absolutely cannot drive between the hours of 6am and 10am and 4pm and 7pm. This is considered to be rush hour and you're not in any rush. No exceptions.

Freeways can only go north and south. Not east and west..

Tolls are a fact of life down here, the state has to make money so now, deal with it!

I-275 will always be under construction...that's the law; there is nothing anyone can do about it, period!

A1A and ALT A1A are the same streets.

Traffic lights aren't timed and never will be.

We measure the distance you travel in time, not miles.

If you travel more than 5-10 miles on any road in any part of Florida without seeing an orange 'Bob's Barricade', you're lost!

If you miss your exit on I-75, I-4 or I-275, its perfectly acceptable to back up.

Every street in Florida has both a name and a number (i.e. Adamo = 60th) just for the hell of it and for the pleasure we get from the reaction of visitors when we give them directions.

Once the light turns green, only 3 cars can go through the intersection. Eight more go through on yellow, and 4 on red.

Know the difference between Sun Pass, Sun Fest, Sun-Sentinel, and Sun Trust.

Flip flops, tank tops and baggy shorts are also known as business casual.

Your blinker means nothing.

English is our first and second language.

It is perfectly acceptable to brag about the size of your generator.

It is totally acceptable to be living in Florida but not root for The Dolphins, The Marlins, The Heat or The Panthers but not rooting for The Bucs or The Rays, is an arrest-able offense.

We have alligators here in Florida and they WILL bite you. Don't be stupid and try to feed or pet one.

When a hurricane is headed our way, even though you have advanced warning and you are told to be prepared, you're not a true Floridian unless you wait until the absolute last minute to go to Home Depot to pick up plywood or to Publix to stock up water, ice, beer, and potato chips.

You know how to spell Okeechobee.

There is an Okeechobee Blvd, Street, Avenue, Town, Lake and County.

A true Floridian does NOT own a boat. They have made friends with someone who already owns one. That way you don't have to deal with any of the headaches.

You weren't born here. If you were, you're angry that everyone else moved here.

There's always a Walgreens across the street from a CVS on almost every corner - with more being built every day.

When picking up a woman on South Beach, always look for an Adams apple.

It's normal to sweat when you are putting up your holiday decorations.

Jupiter is a city, not a planet.

Seniors have to do their errands during the weekdays. Not weeknights or weekends - that's for the working folks.

There are three types of dolphins: Mahi-mahi, Flipper, and also one called a football team.

You can't say; 'this is how we did it up north'. If you think that way, then go back.

No matter what they decide in Tallahassee you will never, ever be able to figure out your property taxes.

Learn how to dress in layers. It will be 95 degrees outside but inside any restaurant or business it's 65 degrees.

There are three things you will need to survive a Florida winter: A long sleeved T-shirt, sunscreen and the ablity to mock all those extremely pale'visitors' with the bright pink 'florida tans'

The same neighbor who smiles at you every day will be the first one to rat you out if you are violating water restrictions.