North Carolina Revisited

After spending over a week in North Carolina, I have a few more observations. First, I had forgotten what it was like to live in a neighborhood where everyone knew each other and people looked out for each other. I experienced this first hand while at the Baker household. Also, being a part of the Baker family made me realize how much I have missed out on in my single life. I enjoyed the family dinners, listening to their children’s reports of how their day went, and going to the cub scouts’ meeting, just to name a few. I even enjoyed staying home with their sick 6-year-old son one day. It was a humbling experience to say the least.

In regards to other observations about North Carolina, I was amazed at how many people had American flags displayed to commemorate Veteran’s day. I loved the friendliness at the grocery store. But, I have to admit, I was saddened to see that some people still displayed the confederate flag, even though it has such harsh meaning to one segment of the population. But on to more happy thoughts …

So, as the Baker family was driving me to the airport in Raleigh, NC, we passed a few interestingly named places (e.g., Hog Slab) and signs (e.g., Pizza, beer, and bait sold here). But one place really stood out – Two Dogs Pizza. Well, one thing led to another, and for the next 75 miles we played around with what Two Dogs Pizza must be like.

First, we started with some of the different types of pizzas. For example, the Dalmatian pizza would be heavy on the mozzarella with black olive toppings. The Bull Dog pizza would be a fancy name for beef pizza (think about it). Those with constipation problems, should order the Shih Tsu pizza (sorry about that one – couldn’t resist). Of course other types of pizza could be the Bloodhound pizza (heavy on the red sauce), Sheepdog pizza (anyone like lamb, hoggett or mutton on your pizza?), Chihuahua pizza (the typical Mexican pizza), Bolognese pizza (no explanation needed), and so on. For those who like everything on your pizza, they could order the Mixed Breed (or Mutt) pizza.

For those customers who want an all-you-can-eat special, they could order the Chow Chow special. I am sure Catholics would be especially fond of the St. Bernard special (a thick crust pizza with a brandy chaser).

Of course the pizza sizes must be Toy, Miniature, Standard, and Mastiff.

There could also be a non pizza menu that might include German Shepherd pie, Wiener Dogs (for those picky-eater children), and the dessert menu lovingly labeled "treats."

Oh, and the bathrooms would be labeled "spayed" and "neutered." And the toilets could be designed as water hydrants and/or trees.

At Two Dog Pizza, getting a "doggie bag" has even more meaning. And for those parents who bring their kids, just send them to the indoor playground called, of course, the "puppie kennel."

The wait staff would be referred to as Retrievers.

Of course Two Dog Pizza could have plenty of great advertising banners, such as “Our pizza is dog-gone-good,” or “Its a dog eat dog world.”

Well, I believe the Baker family and I have “beat this dead dog with a stick” too long.

Enjoy life!