Monday, October 14, 2013

Nothing Much to See Here Folks...

There is nothing going on in our life and nothing to report. Except, maybe you should know that Raleigh, NC has been named  (in yet another poll) as the best place in the USA to live. We knew that, of course. We moved here 44 years ago, when Raleigh was only known for its occasional mention on The Andy Griffiths Show, as the location of the YMCA that Barney stayed in when he went to the 'big city' on police business. Back then it was small and insular; most of the people knew each other and their business, and I could go from our apartment to the local shopping mall in seven minutes. The same trip takes at least 25-30 minutes now, depending on the time of day. And while parking spots were always plentiful back then, you are lucky to find one now, without having to drive around for 20 minutes. 

Now that we have moved, I find myself traversing old routes; roads that have not been in my daily travels since we first came here and the few years after that. It seems we have come almost full circle, though I am not sure to what. 

My daughter-in-law's grandfather passed away and his funeral is today. A great bear of a man, he was well-known and respected in his areas of expertise. A renaissance man, he was widely-traveled, an avid gardener and outdoorsman, and a terrific cook. We were treated to his barbecued chicken wings on more than one occasion. I will miss them, and I will miss hearing of his exploits, which were many. RIP, John.

This is (possibly) the last time I will mention the odd names that have been popping up in my spam email  (the result of an ad on Cr*igslist), but the last batch is too good to miss:

Martinelli Hinners, Partyka Mullican, McAlpin Benbow, Zenon Dagg, Senetara Winner, Debus Francher, Kingfisher Kraft, Trasher Pledger, Sprenger Vidales, Mars Sindy, Gerard Swimm, Gaw Vancott, and Spenard Guzzetta. 

My favorite is Trasher Pledger.......what's yours? 

10 comments:

Ginnie said...

Hi Judy: I guess my favorite name would be Spenard Guzzetta... I get a lot of Spam but rarely look at the names.
I've lived in NC for 35 years and, like you, have seen lots of changes in Raleigh. I get lost when I drive there.

LL Cool Joe said...

I never look at my Spam, maybe I should!

I've never been to Raleigh, maybe I'll get there some day soon!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

All the names are incredibly complex---and they all sound like they are two last names....LOL.
As to my favorites---it is between McAlpin Benbow (two last names if I ever heard them...) and Spenard Guzzetta!
I'm glad you live in such a revered city, Judy, and have watched it grow and change---And STILL feel it is a Wonderful place to live!

rosemary said...

Doggies are sending you spam....their owners
need to pay attention because all of those are dog names.....

Arkansas Patti said...

Kind of makes me wish I were pregnant with a boy child and could name him Gaw. All the makings of a reality show there.
I get very little spam but will pay attention next time. Yours are quite creative.

Peruby said...

I was leaning towards Mars Sindy myself.

Anyway, I always think it may be a curse when the magazines etc.. post lists like the best cities to live in etc...

Sure enough - your town has been invaded and marked for a turn for the worse.

Granny Annie said...

You should be very proud of your community. My hometown of Tulsa,OK just popped up on having #5 top crime neighborhoods in the nation on a list of 8. They are right up there with Chicago and Detroit.

Mars Sindy is my favorite.

Anonymous said...

I've never been to North Carolina, but the photos I've seen of the land and mountains make me want to go. Nice to be living in a desirable place. Makes me wonder if the housing market will have a boom after such a positive report.

kenju said...

Robin, the last report I saw said we are getting about 10K new residents per year. Now all of them in the city limits, of course.

Anonymous said...

My favourite is Sprenger Vidales, so unusual I had to copy and paste it as I could not remember how to spell it!

Luckily my Apple turns my spam into dust before ever I see it!