The New Hobbit Hole

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The New Hobbit Hole
Concerning Hobbits
The New Hobbit Chronicles

This is a continuation of the infamous thread New Zealander Builds Hobbit Hole originally posted on January 26, 2001 by John Farson, who at the time undoubtedly thought he had found a rather obscure article that would elicit a few replies and die out. Without knowing it, he became the founder of the Hobbit Hole. For reasons incomprehensible to some, the thread grew to over 4100 replies. It became the place for hobbits and friends of hobbits to chit chat and share LoTR news and views, hang out, and talk amongst ourselves in the comfort of familiar surroundings.

In keeping with the new posting guidelines, the thread idea is continuing here, as will the Green Dragon Inn, our more structured spin-off thread, as soon as we figure out how to move all the good discussion that has been had there. As for the Hobbit Hole, we will just start fresh, bringing only a few mathoms such as the picture above with us to make it feel like home, and perhaps a walk down memory lane:

Our discussion has been light:

It very well may be that a thread named "New Zealander builds Hobbit hole" will end up being the longest Tolkien thread of them all, with some of the best heartfelt content... Sorry John, but I would have rather it had been one with a more distinguished title!… post 252 - HairOfTheDog

However, I can still celebrate, with quiet dignity, the fact that what started as a laugh about some wacko in New Zealand has mutated and grown into a multifaceted discussion of the art, literature, and philosophy that is Tolkien. And now that I've managed to write the most pompous sentence of my entire life, I agree, Rosie… post 506 - JenB

Hah! I was number 1000!! (Elvish victory dance... wait, no; that would be too flitty) … post 1001 - BibChr

Real men don't have to be afraid of being flitty! Go for it. – post 1011 – HairOfTheDog

Seventeen years to research one mystical object seems a bit excessive… post 1007 - JenB

Okay...who's the wise guy who didn't renew Gandalf's research grant?… post 1024 – Overtaxed

To the very philosophical:

…Judas Iscariot obviously was a good man, or he wouldn't have been chosen to be one of the Apostles. He loved Jesus, like all of the Apostles, but he betrayed him. Yet without his betrayal, the Passion and Crucifixion would never have occurred, and mankind would not have been redeemed. So without his self-destruction infinite good would not have been accomplished. I certainly do not mean this to be irreverant but it seems to me that this describes the character of Gollum, in the scenes so movingly portrayed above… Lucius Cornelius Sulla

To fun but heartfelt debates about the integrity and worth of some of the characters…

…Anyone else notice how Boromir treats the hobbits? He's very fond of them but he seems to think of them as children - ruffling Frodo's hair, calls them all 'little ones'. He likes them, but I don't think he really respects them… post 1536 - JenB

Yes... Tolkien told us not to trust Boromir right off the bat when he began to laugh at Bilbo, until he realized that the Council obviously held this hobbit in high esteem. What a pompous dolt… post 1538 - HairOfTheDog

…I think almost every fault of his can be traced directly back to his blindness to anything spiritual or unseen. He considers the halflings as children, because that is what they look like. He considers the only hope of the ring to be in taking it and using it for a victory in the physical realm. He cannot see what the hobbits are truly made of, he cannot see the unseen hope of what the destruction of the ring might mean--the destruction of Sauron himself, and he cannot see the unseen danger that lies in the use of the ring itself… I just feel sorry for Boromir--he is like a blind but honorable man, trying to take the right path on the road but missing the right path entirely because he simply cannot see it… post 1548 - Penny1

Boromir isn't a jerk, he's a jock… post 2401 – Overtaxed

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Oh, I think by the time Frodo reaches the Cracks, he's not even himself anymore! I think he's not only on the brink of a dangerous place physically, he's on the brink of losing himself completely during the exchange with Gollum. But for some reason, the take-over isn't complete till he actually has to throw the Ring in. The person speaking to Gollum is not Frodo, but the "Wheel of Fire" that Sam sees. After the Ring is destroyed, Frodo not only comes back to himself, but comes back with the unbearable (to him) knowledge of what it's like to be completely without compassion. I think that's why it's so important to him to be compassionate in the Shire… post 2506 - 2Jedismom

…Regarding Frodo's compassion... it's a little too much at the end. Even Merry tells him that he's going to have to quit being so darn nice. But you're right. He's learned a lesson about evil that very few ever learn since it wasn't an external lesson but an internal one. (Those kinds of lessons have the greatest impact) Not only did he totally succumb to it, but he was rather ruthless to my little Smeagol… post 2516 - carton253

Well that Frodo was a big mean bully! (to Smeagol)… post 2519 – Overtaxed

So as you can see, everything JRR Tolkien (and Peter Jackson) is welcome here in our New Row, our soon-to-be familiar New Hobbit Hole…; philosophy, opinion, good talk and frequent silliness.

[2Jedismom]

I think munchies and pizza where we all chip in during the viewing of first two movies sounds great! And getting together maybe for coffee and desert and conversation would be good too. Maybe one meal, if you insist!

It all sounds lovely!

I hope it's the premiere...I hope it's the premiere! I want to share that momentous occassion with all my friends from the Hole!

No one else will understand!!!

[2Jedismom]

Can you imagine how thrilled the boys would be to see fireworks? They would just love it.

The good thing is, Steve will not want to be as involved in the festivities as I am, (he'll be more interested in the activities during the day) and will be able to make sure the boys get their rest. He's going with me to see TTT for the midnight showing, but he'd probably rather not and my parents have offered to let the boys sleep at their house.

[Overtaxed]

Well, we must have fireworks. Mustn't we?

Or at least a potato cannon. :)

We can stop at South of the Border and load up!

[ksen]

I offer having some meals at my house in order to hopefully save you guys some money. After all, you'll be spending enough on travel, lodgings and vehicles.

I would like to do at least one big meal together, like a giant cook-out or something. I can't pass up on the opportunity to try some of OT's barbecue. ;^)

[Corin Stormhands]

Pedro will be happy to see you...(si you?)

[2Jedismom]

And someone mentioned a lembas contest! That would be a good time to have it! And I would like to make breakfast once, for all of us. A big huge breakfast with my husband making the pancakes

And don't forget OT's HOT WINGS!!

[HairOfTheDog]

Yes, we will be spending money, but we have a whole year to plan for that... I think I shall set up a special little place to squirrel away money every month starting now! Vacations cost money, and this will be my first in a long while!

I have to go now... probably until late in the day.... see y'all later on!

[Overtaxed]

And don't forget OT's HOT WINGS!!

Had some of those last night. :)

Do I need to bring a fire extinguisher? I just had fire safety training and everything!

[Overtaxed]

I have to go now... probably until late in the day....

You know what that means....

[2Jedismom]

Yes, we will be spending money, but we have a whole year to plan for that... I think I shall set up a special little place to squirrel away money every month starting now!

Me too, Hair! This will be our first big family vacation where we aren't combining the required visit to family members. I'll start saving now too. But don't mention squirrels around OT... ;-)

[2Jedismom]

You will be stunned to know, my 3 year old normally loves really spicy food! He once ate a buffalo wing that burned his mouth. My mom said "You want me to throw it out?" and he said "Nooo, my mouth will quite burning eventually..."

I say normally, because since he was sick after that party, he has not had much of an appetite at all...last night he wouldn't eat at all...but sat in the chair looking despondant. I finally took his porkchop and ground it up in a grinder and mixed it with some gravy. Then I sat him up on the counter and talked to him about all sorts of stuff, taking his mind off the fact that I would feeding him bites of porkchop and corn. He laughed and visited with me and ate nearly everything.

This morning I gave him a bowl of bran flakes (he loves them, can you believe it?) and then for a mid-morning snack I gave him 4oz of Pediasure. I bought him some ham (he loves ham) and I'm planning on ham sandwiches with banana for lunch.

He seems much more chipper today...

[Overtaxed]

Nice to hear that he likes hot food. Isn't the hot stuff in cayenne pepper (I forgot the chemical name....I'll have to look it up) supposed to be good for the circulation?

Doesn't it seem that his stomach problems have been lingering a bit?

[SuziQ]

SAY WHAT?!

[RosieCotton]

I think I messed up the poll...I checked more than one date box, and now I'm not sure I was supposed to do that. I seem to be the only one that did so!

[Overtaxed]

[2Jedismom]

Well, when he eats, he keeps it down and does ok...he had some loose stools for a while, but that has resolved too...this morning he had a stool so large he had to comment about it for quite a while! LOL

He's just always been my voracious eater and he just seems more "apathetic" about eating than anything else. I'm hoping that he'll get back into the habit of eating.

[SuziQ]

But, I'd be hard pressed to find work equivalent of what I'm making out here...so...there's the rub.

LOL! I know what you mean! We live up here in 'Teddy the Swimmer's' neck of the woods! We'd love to move back South, and if Sir SuziQ could find a job that paid close to what he gets here, we'd be back down there in a New York Minute! At some point, we're going to check out Huntsville, AL; we understand there are a lot of hi-tech companies in the area who might have need of a PhD Statistician!

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Good morning everyone...

I finally have a modem installed in my new computer, so I don't have to keep switching back and forth between old and new computers! Hooray! Also, the new one has a DVD player, so now I can do movie view/chats! Double Hooray!

Rosie, I think we have Vernors here in Texas... I'll check the next time I go grocery shopping...

Have a good day all!

[SuziQ]

I think it's even worse now, with the Big Dig project going on.

Actually, I haven't noticed any change on the Expressway. When you're down at street level, however, it's another story! The place is a zoo; but I'm not sure it is any different than it used to be! LOL!

[ksen]

Good dog!