The Hobbit Hole IV – The Road Goes Ever On…

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

The Road Goes Ever On…

• First thread: New Zealander builds Hobbit hole
• Second thread: The New Hobbit Hole
• Third thread: The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads! (Congratulations, we filled it up!)

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

[HairOfTheDog]

It is awesome.

BTW! If it was just a big mistake, and it was sent to the wrong address, I will still think it is cool, and will forward it on!

[SuziQ]

Hey, 2J!! Clare said the Fry Bread looks like lembas!!

[300winmag]

Rick, I can't believe how unbelievably cool you are!

NO, NO, NO! I ain't cool, and that wasn't my work. It was a combined effort of a lot of HHDs around here that contributed. We all felt you deserved a special token of appreciation for all you've done to keep this insane asylum friendly and functioning. A lot of people contributed, and all I did was drop it in the mail.

While I'm flattered, fairness requires that everyone here share in your praise.

Please rephrase your nice message to use "you all" rather than "Rick".

[2Jedismom]

I got one too. I thought I was supposed to send it on to the Chaplain and wrote Rick saying I would get it to him as soon as I got an office address from him! Rick wrote me and told me it was for me and I'm still so astonished I don't know what to say!

I love it. Thanks to all who gave it to me...I understand it was a combined effort.

I never had a knife before of my own.

[RosieCotton]

As I mentioned...we always used regular bread dough to make fried bread, but we call 'em dough-daddles. Usually have them one of two ways...either shake them in powdered sugar, or dip them in syrup. Syrup is awfully messy, of course. They aren't easy to just cut like pancakes, so in general that was the one meal we were allowed to just stab with the fork and eat a bite at a time without cutting.

Had that as a Sunday breakfast fairly often! Or sometimes on Mondays...we'd have pizza on Sunday and Mom would save some of the dough for breakfast next day. Mmm.

[HairOfTheDog]

While I'm flattered, fairness requires that everyone here share in your praise.

I can't believe how unbelievably cool you ALL are! :~D

I go out to my mailbox (which, as most know, is something I rarely get the urge to do) and what do I find, but one of our great FReeper Hobbit Hole knives! I didn't order one for myself, just for the troops!

You are so kind and generous I am beside myself!

Thank you, ALL for all you have done!
This thread has brought together the nicest people
I have ever met and I am so grateful!

Rick, I still think you are pretty cool for finding these knives and making it happen!

[2Jedismom]

Could you ping everyone to 1,704?

[HairOfTheDog]

Certainly!

Everyone:

To: HairOfTheDog

I got one too. I thought I was supposed to send it on to the Chaplain and wrote Rick saying I would get it to him as soon as I got an office address from him! Rick wrote me and told me it was for me and I'm still so astonished I don't know what to say!

I love it. Thanks to all who gave it to me...I understand it was a combined effort.

I never had a knife before of my own.

1,704 posted on 08/06/2003 12:43 PM PDT by 2Jedismom (HHD with 4 Chickens)

[2Jedismom]

Thank you!

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, if the thread is gonna die I will go finish my work....

Talk to everyone later!

[RMDupree]

Liven up!

[Prof Engineer]

Well, if the thread is gonna die I will go finish my work....

Cheer up, it won't die.

My church just voted to commit suicide last night, I've been paying attention to other stuff today.

[RMDupree]

OK everyone! See you later!

[proud_2_B_texasgal]

Where's everybody at?

[RMDupree]

I dunno - but I got to get home! See ya!

[ksen]

If you don't want to talk about this here I understand, but was there that big of an uproar when this man was initially made a priest? Was his homosexuality not known at that time? If not, then when did it become known and why wasn't something done about it then?

Sorry to pepper you with questions PE. Feel free to answer or ignore as you see fit.

[RMDupree]

That's terrible! Why?

I'll respond later after I get home, OK?

[2Jedismom]

Uh oh...I'm in trouble. You should have seen the nice cut I got from the underside of the medicine cabinet.

You current on your tetanus shots?

[300winmag]

Rick, I still think you are pretty cool for finding these knives and making it happen!

Please permit me some perfunctory modesty here. And please be patient while I tell the story of this project.

As most of you know, I'm a genuine geek on several subjects. Knives is one of them. I get a number of catalogs and emails from dealers all over. Actually, I get A LOT of offers.

99% of the stuff doesn't interest me, especially now when money is tight. So before browsing, I always say the small prayer, "Please, God, don't let there be any temptation in here."

I wasn't tempted by anything in that Smoky Mountain catalog, but my eye caught the magic word, "closeout" used with that CRKT knife. I have one in my collection, so I was familiar with the design and quality of it. My eyes just about bugged out at a price of $17.

Based on my own experience, I knew a GOOD pocket knife is as welcome to a GI as that tube of graphite. There is just some simple stuff you never realize you need until you are lacking it. And while it was and is wonderful to send treats and poagie bait to the troops, what we mail to a chaplain is not necessarily what we mail directly to the troops themselves.

So while the question "where do I get two dozen good pocket knives from" percolated in the back of my mind, I had a MAJOR windfall on eBay. All of a sudden, I had $650 of "found money" burning a hole in my pocket.

It was while I was pondering the pleasant problem of how to blow this money that the knife sale dropped in my lap, and all the pieces fit instantly. I wouldn't be spending the money on myself, after all.

All that was left for me to do was invite you folks to participate, which you did magnificently. The laser engraving was the icing on the cake. And the rest, as they say, is history.

As a side note, the owner of the engraving joint said he was showing off the knives to other customers, and everyone was amazed and impressed by the knives, the engraving, and the group that sponsored the whole thing. Maybe we will be an inspiration to others.

As far as project status goes, 20 knives are in WN's hands now. I'm waiting on one check for a "souvenir" knife, but all the others are either already mailed, or will be mailed tomorrow. Four more knives will be sent to WN shortly. The final step of the process depends on her mailing skills.

That leaves me with two last knives. One will go to 2J to send the the Chaplain after he returns home. The last knife is either available for sale, or will be sent to WN's son-in-law to use as he sees fit. Perhaps he will be able to impress the hell out of someone with it.

Thanks for putting up with my rambling, but you all are part of it too, and it's been an honor and a pleasure working with you folks on it.

[Prof Engineer]

I can't say where the uproar was initially. I've been an Episcopalian since 1992. All of my expirience has been here in Texas. Every parish I've visited has been very conservative.

I remember asking a priest direct, pointed questions about the churches position on sexuality, abortion and other things, before I was confirmed.

Nearly all of the clergy I've met, men and women, have been happily married folks. I don't believe even the politically liberal believed homosexuality was right, especially in the clergy.

My feelings have been very mixed today. I believe it may be time to research the mission of Rwanda's Episcopal church to the USA.