The tale of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford leaving the state and not saying where he was going should have sounded a tiny bit familiar to Dome readers.

Gov. Beverly Perdue and First Gentleman Bob Eaves left for a few days vacation in February and refused to tell the pesky news media where she was going.

That may be about the only similarity. Unlike Sanford, Perdue: went on the trip with her spouse, told her staff where she actually was going, told her security detail and told Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, who was officially in charge during Perdue's absence.

Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson still won't reveal the specific "somewhere warm" to which Perdue traveled but did on Thursday eliminate one possibility: "It wasn't Argentina."

Here is one possible reason why Gov. Beverly Perdue is barn storming across North Carolina today pushing for a tax hike to avoid deep cuts in education.

A new survey shows that education is rising as an issue in North Carolina, Rob Christensen reports.

Since December, the number of North Carolinians who have named education as their top issue has risen from 8 percent to 17 percent, according to Public Policy Polling, a Democratic leaning firm in Raleigh.

Perdue is holding rallies in Wilmington this morning and Greenville at noon trying to rally support for a $1.5 billion tax increase to stave off deep cuts in public education.

Meanwhile, her husband, Bob Eaves, is reading to students this morning at the Heritage Park Community Learning Center in Southeast Raleigh.

More after the jump.

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Even North Carolina's first family is watching their pennies during this recession.

Spotted having dinner at the K&W Cafeteria in Cameron Village Sunday night were Gov. Beverly Perdue and her husband Bob Eaves, Rob Christensen reports.

Gov. Beverly Perdue met with the N&O this morning.

As the session with the editorial board drew to a close, executive editor John Drescher said "I've got an important question for you..."

"...Who's going to win the ball game," Perdue completed.

Drescher: I know you're a big college basketball fan. What's your assessment of this NCAA tournament and how the teams from North Carolina are going to do?

Perdue: Well I just sent you my picks. Bob and I had an argument last night because he picked, I forget, one team and I did pick Louisville. ... I really hope that Carolina wins. Everybody knows that I'm a big Carolina fan. ... It would be wonderful to see Wake or Duke do well. ... I hope that Tyler and Ty do well.

Drescher: Now you have a lot of sources we don't have. What do you know about Ty's toe?

Perdue: I would go bandage it myself if I thought it would help.

Perdue said her husband will be in Greensboro for some NCAA games. She said she may not be able to attend because of another commitment.

"If you see me there don't think I'm shirking my responsibilities as governor," she said.

Gov. Beverly Perdue, left, with her husband Bob Eaves, right, arrive at the White House to attend a dinner hosted by President Obama Sunday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Gov. Beverly Perdue is on vacation this week at an undisclosed location.

Chrissy Pearson, Perdue's spokeswoman, said she had long planned a vacation this week with her husband, Bob Eaves.

Pearson said she did not know where Perdue was vacationing, but the unconfirmed gossip at the Emerging Issues forum was that she was out of the country, Rob Christensen reports.

Perdue sent a recorded video message to the 1,000 leaders at the forum's luncheon at the Raleigh Convention Center, rather than appearing personally.

Pearson described Perdue’s get-away as a "working vacation" saying she brought budget books and other work along with her. The vacation comes less than a month after she took office.

Poor First Gentleman Bob Eaves.

During Gov. Beverly Perdue's inaugural, former Congresswoman Eva Clayton pronounced Eaves (like under a roof) as Evis, as in fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, minus the 'L'.

At the Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast in Research Triangle Park this morning, News & Observer publisher Orage Quarles introduced Eaves as the "First Husband," reports Mark Johnson.

The First Couple took it in stride. When Perdue got to the podium a few moments later, she said that Eaves had turned to her and joked: "Have they forgotten that I'm really your second husband?"

Perdue was divorced and Eaves was a widower when they married.

U.S. Rep. Eva Clayton is getting her tongue-twisted.

She started to call House Speaker Joe Hackney "senator" then corrected herself, but got his last name something closer to "Hackley."

Then she called the governor-elect "Everly" and corrected herself on that one too.

A little later, Clayton made amends for her earlier error in pronouncing the first gentleman's last name.

"I made an awful error. I didn't acknowledge the power behind the power — Bob Eaves," she said, pronouncing it correctly this time.

Then, she introduced Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry (pronounced "sha-ree") as "Cherry Berry" and Supreme Court Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson as Patricia "Timmason" Goodson, Treasurer Janet Cowell as Janet "Caldwell" and featured singer Caitlin Cary as "Cathlin."

Finally, horror of horrors, she pronounced Andy Griffith's name as "Andy Griffin."

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue said it was a day for change.

Speaking briefly before a high-dollar reception preceding the inaugural ball, Perdue noted that she and her husband, Bob Eaves, had gone for a walk around the capital this morning.

(She noted that they left the dogs, Dosie and Zipper, at home. "We thought it would be too much for Raleigh to get used to: Bev and Bob and the dogs.")

At the Executive Mansion, Perdue noted they read a plaque from 1971 that noted renovations had been done for the governors and first ladies.

She then introduced her husband as "the first first gentleman."

Perdue thanked the Junior League and the corporate sponsors for making the night happen, noting that proceeds would go to the Center for Community Leadership, which encourages women in public office.

She also gave the night's festivities an unofficial theme.

"Tonight's the night we get down and party, because tomorrow night we get to work," she said.

No, he won't be called "First Dude."

Bob Eaves, husband of Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, is honored and excited about his new role as the governor's spouse. He will not, however, assume the title chosen by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband, Todd.

Perdue lightheartedly suggested a contest on the Internet to determine the title, Mark Johnson reports.

Dome would like to kickstart that contest right here. Readers, what should his title be?

The official title for now will continue to be "First Gentleman." A shorter version — "First Man" — has also been thrown around, as have the more casual "First Fella" and "First Guy." Brits (especially tabloid editors) might favor "First Lad," but that seems a bit odd here.

What about "First Bob"?

Update: BlueNC blogger James Protzman suggests "First Mate." Given Eastern North Carolina's nautical history, that has some nice historical resonance...