My Parents and the movie Fargo

My parents arrived here in California from Minnesota yesterday for a visit. Yes, I know their visit quickly follows the visit of my brother and his wife, but what the hell. They drive out here each spring to visit with us and be with the grand kids. My parents choose to drive instead of fly despite the fact my father had a pilot's license. I'll leave you to fill in the blanks about the airline industry.

I've lived in California longer than my birthplace of Minnesota. Last night, when my mother and I were cleaning up the kitchen, she asked me where I purchased my kitchen sink gadget. My reply was, "Oh Geez. I don't remember where I got that."

It was the "Oh, Geez" that I interjected that got my mother howling with laughter. She immediately made reference to the movie Fargo where they used that term ad nauseum in poking fun at Minnesotans. My mother laughed because she thought that after so many years of myself being in California that my Minnesotan roots were abandoned. She referenced that "Oh, Geez" saying as one of Uncle Joe's staple responses. I felt quietly complimented. Being that I was not even conscience of even SAYING "Oh, Geez" I guess I'm not so far removed from Minnesota as I thought.

Where I got to turn the laughter around was when my mother went off on how the movie Fargo was fraud because none of it was actually filmed in Fargo. Long story short: It's sad when you can differentiate the homogeneous landscape of half a continent.