Southern Hip Hop

"This one's for North Carolina! C'mon and raise up
Take your shirt off, twist it 'round yo head
Spin it like a helicopter"

Yes, it is true Petey Pablo mourns the loss of his mainstream popularity along with Chingy and Cam'ron, the extraordinary gifted lyricist gave the nation a taste of North Carolina soul with "Raise Up." We enjoy listening to the local rap stations to hear the dirty South's best and have discovered some hidden gems. Our current favorite is an ode to Maury's paternity-themed episodes. Do yourself a favor and click here to view the "Dat Baby Don't Look Like Me" video featuring Shawty Put and Lil' Jon.

Three Minutes in the Panic Room

This afternoon, while Clay was still a busy beaver at work; we (Lucy, Desi and myself) experienced our first tornado in North Carolina. I was watching the television enjoying the thunderstorms when the emergency notification system alerted viewers of a tornado touchdown 20 miles east of our town. I ran outside to admire the cloud formations and golf ball size hail before ushering Lucy and Desi into the downstairs bathroom (panic room) for safety. The sound of the hail hitting our house was defining and the windows shook from the tree bending wind. After three minutes the hail stopped and wind calmed. Luckily we did not have any damage other than a couple of down plants and chairs. It was exciting!


Five minutes before the tornado.


Three minutes before the tornado.


Lucy and Desi in the panic room.

Cheers and Crashes...

This afternoon we put on our best blue bull gear and went to our first (of many) Durham Bull's game of the season. Nothing beats cold beer, hot dogs and cotton candy at the ballpark on a hot soon-to-be summer day. The Bulls beat the Charlotte Knights 8-4 for their sixth straight victory. Our seats were wonderful and we can't wait to attend the next game.



The highlight of the game is depicted below. The mascot was racing around the field in a PowerWheel vehicle, pumping up the crowd during the seventh inning stretch when things took a turn...a bad turn. I heard Clay state with admiration "Wow, he is really going fast," as the Bull zoomed by our section and crashed the motorized mini-car behind the Charlotte Knight right fielder. Smoke filled the air as our furry costumed friend lay sideways, waiting for assistance, unable to get up without revealing his human alter-ego (bruised ego we're sure) sans Bull head. Exciting indeed...maybe we can begin to appreciate the sport(?) of Nascar...nah!  Did you see any crashes Meredith and Harry?



Our next assignment, watch the movie Bull Durham.

Southern Living

I am staying in Wilmington, NC with Clay's parents while he finishes up at Fort Drum. Sewing, decorating magazines, furniture shopping and the shining sun are keeping me busy in preparation for our mid-April closing date. In a few short days he will venture down South and we can finally begin to live the civilian life together. However, we decided to keep a line cast with Uncle Sam and Clay joined the North Carolina National Guard...we will see what adventures (if any) the experience will bring. It still does not seem real.

The Sun is Shining!

We're here. Traveling with an anxious dog and a precocious cat definitely makes for an interesting road trip but we made it. Clay's parents met us in Raleigh to take Lucy and Desi down to Wilmington so we can house hunt in and around the Raleigh area this weekend. I found it fitting that we left New York (while it was snowing of course) on the first day of spring...a new beginning. As two northerners attending Clemson University, we challenged our comfort zone but we emerged with the sentiment that there is no other place in the United States we would rather live than the Carolinas. We're home.

Speaking of Clemson...what the hell? Villanova? Seriously?

We're Moving To...

Raleigh, North Carolina

Yes ladies and gentlemen, we're moving to Raleigh. Clay was offered a position he can't refuse so we're one step closer to saying goodbye to the military as soon as he formally accepts the offer on Monday. We can now breathe a HUGE sigh of relief and begin the exciting adventure of buying our first home. I am diving hard-core into my job search now that I know where we will be residing (just a minor detail) and look forward to the plentiful employment possibilities.

Raleigh Facts
Named for Sir Walter Raleigh, who attempted to establish the first English colony on the shores of the new world in the 1580s. So regal!

The founding fathers called Raleigh the "City of Oaks," and dedicated themselves to maintaining the area's wooded tracts and grassy parks. Ooooh...pretty!

Average high temperature is 71 degrees. Average low temperature is 50 degrees. When can we move?

Average snowfall is 4.5 inches . I think we can handle that.

Population is 335,000. Yay...people!