h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey Ya'll,

Room for one more? As noted credentials are important..

Born In Chapel Hill

Raised throughout NC and VA.

God no I wouldn't wear white shoes after Labor Day.

Ok, we won't delve into that Deb thing..but yeah I'll admit it if drunk or under duress.

Yes maam!

You're in.

BTW, isn't ya'll spelled y'all?

You try typing with two small people going "Mamma I need!!!" My apologies.

And as noted elsewhere-love the name..My Uncle John From Valdosta used it often.

A question, if I may. Are we following the time honored southern tradition of "where you're born is where you're from"?

Example:

Obituary:
Mrs. Constance Jones, age 98. Mrs Jones was a native of Mobile, she however made her home in Natchez for the past 80 years.

It was awfully kind of y'all to let me in, I just wouldn't want to confuse anyone as I no longer reside in Chapel Hill. Much to my eternal annoyance. But it is no doubt my fault for not being specific about current location. Virginia these days.

Well, they let me in...

'Course, my ownself was born in Virginia and now lives in Chapel Hill, proving yet again that all of life's a circle on a world too small to believe.

By the by - if any of you happen to pass through Carrboro, NC (just up the road from Chapel Hill), there is an incredible sand sculpture that has gone up in the 'town square': it shows the Statue of Liberty, having been knocked down, with police, firefighters, construction workers and ordinary folks keeping the torch aloft. Off to one side is the tail end of an airliner. It is terribly moving - I cannot begin to describe it adequately.

Anything like that where y'all are?

-7rob7

Know exactly where you speak of, charming little town, some of my people still live there actually. Our courthouse square has any number of memorials,just placed by the locals, most very touching. But the one from the preschool class makes many a passerby break down. Just a sign that says "We love you, and we're really sorry", with all the signatures of the children in the 4 year olds class. I who never cry, broke down-in public, mind you. Luckily there were any number of kind gentlemen with hankies and ladies to pat my hand and make sure I was ok.

Nice to see a Virginia gentleman by the way.

wow - that's great. There were all sorts of different things done in Harrisonburg. Nothing quite as moving as that, but a few really impressive events. The JMU convocation center was transformed into a blood bank by the Friday after the crashes. Over 800 people donated blood that Saturday - and that was just before noon. It may not sound that amazing, but having a mother working for the Red Cross Blood Services, I can tell you that 800 units collected from one site in one day is an *amazing* amount of blood.
I was rather proud of my fellow students, not to mention the H'burg locals.

Spoo,


As I spent a decade in Harrisonburg, I'm not suprised. By and large they're nice folks. Nice to see the University helping out too!

hey y'all...please can i join too ?

INS Status : Resident Legal
From : Sheffield UK
Now : Fort Lauderdale (Home for the last 10 years)
Number : u173341

alec.

Alec,

Not that I have any actual say so, but sounds to me like you qualify. But there may be a test later on what interesting regional customs you've picked up along the way Say hey to the Sunshine State, have a sister loving live in Destin.

You're in. Welcome to the group.

I was stationed at Eglin AFB, FL for a while. We used to hang out at AJ's in Destin every Friday night.

...well thankyou very much...

i look forward to meeting y'all if a get together is ever got together.

i know of three other researchers here and haven't even met Mother of God yet...there must be more.

alec

SWMBO : interesting regional customs i may have picked up...

well i still use my indicators.
my garage is full of bits of plywood, each purporting to belong to a certain window in the event of a hourican.

there may be more...should i start a thread ??

alec

welcome to the group!

heh - turn signals. That's always bothered me. Are they really just an Old South thing (non-US drivers excluded)? I'd like to say no, but around here the lack of turn signals is a sure indicator of the driver being from D.C. or further north. I'd like to think that it's just a fluke.

As far as other "Southern" traits go...
Being a Brit, how did you cope with the tea issue? I know our hot tea just doesn't compare, but were you able to make the transition to sweet tea?

Ah! Florida!

When I was growing up - a neverending process - Pensacola was the coolest place in the world, because the Kords (the most popular of the bands that played for our high school dances) came from there. And one of my favoritest memories from that allegedly 'innocent' era of my life was a trip to visit a friend's Mom that eventually wound up as an adventure involving cigarette papers, a baggie filled with a 'medicinal' herb, tractor inner tubes and the Itchatucknee River. On darker days, I think it's never gotten any better than that.

As to 'Southern' traits acquired: How big a building can you build from the leftover cinder blocks in your yard and under the house? Have you experienced the "the higher the hair, the closer to God" fashion statement? Do you put salt or sugar on your grits (an intense debate that has taken up quite some room in the Raleigh paper lately)? How about gravy on your rice? How long did it take to figure out that 'damn' and 'Yankee' were two words?

If you get over to Orlando and see Cirque du Soleil's 'La Norba' before I do, I will hate you all the days of my life, or at least until I get tired of stamping my foot and holding my breath.



-7rob7

7rob7, ya know I think we may have gotten drunk together in a bar one night and just not realized it..small world indeed. Guess we'll have to check the ages and see..

We may have something, perhaps this could be an interesting group project "Regional Customs of the American South". Grits, well that debate would have to be included. Rice? People actually eat it without gravy?? Lord have mercy! If you're female, did your Mama pick out a China and silver pattern prior to your birth? What to take to a wake. Did your parents love or hate Jesse Helms? The proper use of the honorific "Miz" in reference to ladies of a certian age. The degrees of latitude between something that's sweet and something that's precious. Oh my, endless topics abound.

PS: Alec, if you walk in to any large gathering of friends and say "Hey y'all" to all assembled before making the rounds-you're really now southern.

...sorry, ...i still say ' GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN '

must be ingrained...

alec

Mixed company I guess, I always say "Hey Y'all" and then "Where's the beer?"

Because I don't leave at home anymore I live in the west and they have to be lead to be sociable sometimes.....

Live,

sorry, can't spell today for some reason.