Today Mrs. Hobbit and I are celebrating a special anniversary: fifty years together. TPTB have allowed us to disrupt the normal Friday pattern to give us a chance to toot our horn.
Our fathers were high school buddies in Los Alamos, NM, in the early 1950’s. They lost contact with each other when they joined the service. In the late-sixties her dad was traveling in New Mexico and thought that he would look up his old high school buddy.
People ask me, “How did you two meet?” My reply has always been, “One day this pink Cadillac pulled into the driveway and this babe gets out.”
Our attraction was instant and mutual (although she admitted that she thought my brother was “kind of cute”). Her dad once told me that after she met me none of the other guys interested her. As she lived in California and I lived in New Mexico, our early relationship was via mail.
To my generation, at the time, California was the Golden Land. I had the strong desire to see this magical place and looked forward to seeing my long-range sweetie in person. So, at sixteen years old, without telling my parents, I hopped onto my 250 cc dirt bike and drove to California.
In 2010 I repeated this drive on a modern motorcycle and wrote an article about it. Glibertarians.com was kind enough to publish it. The parts are here: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4.
Several years ago my niece asked, “How do you make a long marriage?” My reply was, “The same way you live to be 100: One day at a time.” Take the long view. You might die tomorrow; you might not. If you die then your troubles are over. If you live then you have the rest of your life to look forward to.
The story of our 50th anniversary is unwritten but here is a story that I wrote about our 20th:
So, our twentieth was coming up. I felt that a landmark like that deserved something special, different from the now-routine dinners at a Really Nice Restaurant.
Around this time there was a commercial airing for Isuzu 4x4s. This woman was putting on makeup and jewelry while the voice-over said, “It’s our anniversary tonight and my husband is taking me someplace special.”
At the end of the commercial “someplace special” turned out to be the edge of a canyon at sunset. The couple, in evening wear, was having a candlelight dinner. The Isuzu had brought them there.
I figured that was a good inspiration for our anniversary.
There is a place that I know of about ten miles away, a meadow at the bottom of a canyon next to a small stream. The last few miles are a 4×4 Low crawl over rocks so it is very isolated. The location is typical of our area; a fairly wide flat area at the bottom, enclosed by steep cliffs on either side.
It was early August and the monsoon thunderstorms were over. The days were warm and the nights mild. Nice conditions for a candlelight dinner in someplace special.
My wife’s friend was in on the plan and invited her over for several hours while I set the whole thing up. I grabbed our tent and camping gear and packed an overnight bag with a change of clothes for each of us, then set off for the canyon. On limited time I had to hurry to get there and it was bounce-bounce-bounce across the rock field until I got there. I set up the tent with our sleeping gear and unfolded a camping table.
Finishing that I bounce-bounce-bounced back to the highway and headed into town to buy some steaks, salad, and a bottle of wine, which went into the ice chest. I managed to make it home before she did.
As luck would have it a co-worker was having a party on the mesa above my camping spot on the afternoon of my dinner. I told the wife, “Put on a nice dress because I’m taking you to a nice place.” She changed into a stunning black dress and you could hear the eyeballs click from the guys at the party as she walked past.
When we got to the 4×4 part she started to have her doubts; “This isn’t the way we came in.” I kept reassuring her. “It’s a nice place”. There was a hotel in an occupied ghost town further down the canyon and she thought that it might be there.
When we got to the campsite she was, at first, dismayed; “I wore a black dress to a picnic?” But once she saw that I had pre-planned everything she realized that this was a going to be a special night.
I changed into a collared shirt and tie (as much of “dressed up” as I get) to make the evening more formal. I then cooked the steaks and warmed some pre-baked potatoes to go with our salads. We had our candlelight dinner in the wilderness, even though the evening breeze kept blowing out the candles.
Mazel Tov!
Congrats!
Congrats!
You deserve it.
Congratulations. Thanks for sharing this with us. We need some happy news.
Congrats! We hit 25 years next August, and plans are being made.
me and the Mr are 25 years next July!
So the two pairs of us = one Hobbit and Lady Hobbit!
Congrats, Hobbitses!
Congrats!
Congratulations!
People ask me, “How did you two meet?” My reply has always been, “One day this pink Cadillac pulled into the driveway and this babe gets out.”
🙂
Congrats!!
I thought you had died.
Adorbs – a ray of sunshine.
Mazel Tov!
Nice 1972 hairdo. 🙂
Very wonderful! I hope you both have a glorious day!
Congratulations on a milestone. The two of you look like one of those nauseatingly happy couples that make everybody else jealous and/or sick.
It makes me happy- I hope to see 50 years with my wife.
Congrats to the nice Hobbitses.
Congratulations to the both of you. You have made a long journey together and worth every day of it. Meeting the charming Hobbits in real life has been a warm experience.
You are a good man and both of you made a wise choice. 50 years! Goodness!
Congratulations Hobbit. I hope the Mrs. and I see 50. That’s a great accomplishment as well as a testament.
Very nice story and coda. Congratulations. I hope all is well.
Congrats! And thanks for sharing.
Wow, congrats on the major milestone! I remember reading your story about riding to CA, epic.
Wife and I are at 43, not sure we can get to 50.
Thank you to all. This post came out just as we were sitting down to dinner, so I was unable to respond more timely.
We really feel like we’ve made a milestone, especially in these time of modern times.
Congratulations, Hobbit! What a great story!
Awesome, wendy abd I had 32 years, may your last a long time
Congratulations
We have 4 years to hit that milestone.
Otoh, I just got dumped, too many issues, cant blame her,
Congrats! My parents will hit the same milestone this November.
Congrats! You hardly look old enough to be married that long. Maybe you got married at 13, it being olden times. 😉
Yeah I was wondering how old that top pic is. 🧐
Congrats and may you enjoy many more!
As you can see in the photo I was in the Air Force when we got married. One of the best things for our relationship happened when, less that a year later, I was assigned overseas (The Azores). The two of us were thrust* into a situation where we had to rely on each other without local family assistance and it helped with our bonding.
*heh
My mom and dad moved to San Francisco right after getting married. Dad told me that was a big part of why their marriage lasted. When they had an issue, they had to work it out. No running home to Mom when there was a rough patch. They had to learn how to work as a team.
Exactly.
Congrats! Next time I am in New Mexico we will try to meet you again.
I’ll leave a light on for you.
A beautiful story, Hobbit! Congratulations!
A Reuters ghoul named Gloria Dickie stands on the bodies of those folks killed in DC by lightning:
Washington DC lightning strike that killed two offers climate warning
So “weather isn’t climate” only works in one direction?
Let’s also throw in some random numbers with no context whatsoever:
JFC this is getting tedious. And dangerous. The MSM is gleefully panic-mongering us into the fucking stone age.
A temperature of 5F higher doesn’t drive lightning. Its has been a La Nina season…this is all to be expected.
Climate Disruption, what can’t it do?
I like digging into these, to see where their information came from. First, this article and headline seem to be the driver regarding Alaska.
So we will make one up.
Oh…you don’t know, but everyone will pass it on as fact.
Scientific speculation is the best kind of speculation.
I was never a scientist or researcher and I could not imagine how true scientists and researchers feel about their fields and methods are being hijacked.
They should feel like the crack whore down on the corner when they keep their mouth shut to ensure that sweet, sweet grant money keeps flowing.
From the current state of “science”, all I can conclude is the majority of scientists are a combination of true believers who use science to “prove” their desired outcome, and those who are willing to be bought off.
I see similar trends in engineering and codes. A lot of group think going on and little desire to push back. “Just charge the customer more to cover the needless extra work”
You guys should go here. https://magicalearthretreat.com/
Forgot about Quordle:
🟥8️⃣
4️⃣7️⃣
Stupid game.
Congrats TBH and Mrs!
Congrats BH and fam.
Haven’t been doing much this week – getting back in the swing of Evening shift (4-midnight) and it seems to be agreeing with me even more than the spring class cycle. Even with getting outside at noon to mow the yard (looks like ass after being out of town a few weeks) – I still feel pretty good. Got myself a new tree and planted it too – American Hornbeam. Fun plans for the weekend.
Side note…just came across this channel a few minutes ago and actually does a pretty good job visualizing some of the original book (Red Storm Rising) – interesting background noise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAM1PBSWVUQ&t=826s
Thanks. I just listened to the episode. Kinda timely for the WesPac.
It’s very quiet
Then turn out the lights.
https://youtu.be/tpONlZhStR8
And go for a walk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owpdDjsErA4
or maybe torchlight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XikRDErgbW0
Walk.
Do better.
https://youtu.be/AkFqg5wAuFk
Sorry, I’m just Miststueck
Cool link. Now do the walk of shame.
https://youtu.be/lvi6wJ6WilA
What the…why didn’t that work…well Himmel, Arsch, und Zwirn.
Or the walk of life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w34FEbkQ1jU&list=RDw34FEbkQ1jU&start_radio=1
Love that song
Out Go the Light
That’s the first thing I thought of. Love that song.
Here’s a slightly older version.
A little more mellow, lol.
I found a better live version of Pat Travers rendition:
Boom Boom live
Snorting Whiskey is a bitchin’ tune, too.
Mike, where in ND are you? Just curious as I have a few customers scattered about the state.
I’m in the northeast
…corner of the state,
Lights.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EkMWrCARxOc
What a sweet story. Congratulations on 50 years together.
$4.1MM for defamation seems a bit steep, even if Jones is a POS. I just cannot see how the economical and even mental anguish that these parents have felt amounts to that much. I bet before trial, no one knew who any of these people were, maybe someone would scratch their head and say “maybe? Is he the blah blah”. $45MM in punitive reimbursement is obviously the jury not understanding the law and making a statement. I am sure the judge passed along that the cap is 750,000.
From what I heard, Jones’ lawyers objected to the punitive damages because they are above the state cap. The judge overruled Jones’ lawyers.
Ah, the “I’ll do what I want” school of jurisprudence.
These guys kind of stepped on their dick
I didn’t know about this thing I let people do until you told me I did it!
Woodchippers.
Congrats!
You and Mrs. Hobbit are both looking great.
Good Morning Gliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiibernam! I had to work a 12 last night because the guy that always calls in the day before his vacation called it. Dude, either you are in very poor health or you need to start scheduling your vacations to start a day earlier.
Did not know this until yesterday: “On June 26, 2020, Semisonic released the single “You’re Not Alone“, their first new material in 19 years,[5] and later released the full You’re Not Alone EP on September 18, 2020.”
I don’t hate it…
https://www.nj.com/news/2022/08/customer-are-stealing-all-the-shopping-baskets-instead-of-buying-bags-nj-supermarkets-say.html
😂
It was weird being in NY and them not asking ‘paper or plastic’. Of course the paper bag they defaulted me to split open as soon as I removed it from the shopping cart to load into my car, because why not. and instead of using the plastic bags from my shopping I had to buy separate plastic bags to put my garbage into, because that makes it environmentally sound or some shit.
Trader Joe’s is paper and everywhere else is plastic. I can’t remember the last time I was given a choice.
Why do you hate utopia?
Too many commie rat fuckers.
Sweet Jesus, I was wondering what happened to the baskets. Now I need a shopping cart to pick up a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread. Die in a fire, Murphy, and the rest of your knucklehead cronies.
Happy anniversary, Hobbit. And may you both enjoy many more.
I was not too sure about weigh in this morning…
Same as last Sunday. 😁
Mornin’ all. Off to the gym. I’m going to take the Mustang this morning.
Vroom vroom.
Started listening to Dark Air with Terry Carnation podcast while away. The first couple episodes are fun. So far, definitely recommended. It’s like an old time radio show with silly supernatural stuff.
https://audioboom.com/channels/5046661
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/vehicle-crashes-into-home-sparks-fire-in-mar-vista/
Anne Heche does something dumb.
Witnesses told TMZ Heche first crashed her blue Mini Cooper into the garage of an apartment complex.
Residents of the complex tried to get Heche out of her vehicle, but she sped away and crashed into the home a short time later, TMZ reports.
Yikes!
“I’m a really good driver”.
Congrats on #50, BH!
And good morning to the rest of you reprobates!
Good morning, ‘patzie, Sean, DEG, MYB, rhy, CPRM, and Lack! (Plinky and OBE, too, on the off chance you’re still around!)
Back to Tranq Base after being away last weekend. Gotta water the fuchsia, then wash and refill the hummer feeder! I also need to weed-whack the back yard, but it rained earlier and might rain some more, so I miiiiiight not get that done today… 🙄
Looks like all the plants here survived the week with no attention. Some of them were not happy when we got home, but a watering cured that.
Mornin’, GT. Boys night out at the ballgame with the Patzer spawn tonight if weather holds up. Tomorrow is guaranteed to suck, driving out to Lawn Guy and for wife’s uncle’s 80th birthday party. This involves driving through NYC *shudders*
Lawn Guyland. Fuck autocorrect.
Obviously your kind o’ place! 😉
Up late.
Congrats on 50 years, TBH!