The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[g'nad]

Yeah, most of the new laptops have DVD capability, but I don't doubt they're a high density item...

[HairOfTheDog]

Maybe I can see about getting a super-secret spy satellite launched while you're in town. ;^)

Yes, that would be good!

Understood about shuttles being on hold . I am sure there is plenty to see at Kennedy anyway? - Public museum for the space program?

[Lil'freeper]

They do have a museum there- it is quite nice. Mock-ups of the shuttle and components, a "rocket" garden, even topiaries trimmed up to look like EVA-ing astronauts. Even if you don't get to see a launch, there's a lot to see.

(It was also the cheapest tourist option for a flat-broke college student who had just driven across country to deliver a vehicle to m'brother who was stationed in FL.)

[ksen]

I've been to KSC once, and my wife and kids have been a couple times. There's a lot of neat things to do and see there.

Check out their website HERE.

[JameRetief]

Jame - Good luck with the new job! I'll pray that everything goes smoothly for you and it usually takes me a week or so to catch up on the Tolkien threads anyway, so no worries there!

Thanks for the support.

[JameRetief]

I'd be happy to help, though I haven't gotten into the Silmarillion yet except to read your daily notes. But I'd be happy to post more of the Martinez or other articles you might recommend, just let me know.

Thank you. However much time you are willing to extend for this is entirely up to you. I don't want to impose on others unless they are entirely comfortable doing so. If your time only allows for you to post one or two a week, that is completely fine with me and more than I could hope for.

[JameRetief]

Hi Hair,

Thanks for the note. I've thought of some of the very things you mentioned. I have received private replies from people who read the articles but don't post. So even though the articles might not be sparking alot of comments, I know that people are enjoying them. Because of this, I thought I would let the people who enjoy reading them the opportunity to help the articles continue when I am unable to do so.

Whether it remains a 'Daily' Tolkien or not is a valid point and I will have to see how everything turns out. The Tolkien Virgin articles I think are entertaining. And can you believe that he is already about finished with the Silmarillion?

Anyway, we shall see how the future turns out. Hopefully it will turn out best for everyone.

[ksen]

If maigret(BTW, won't you be busy solving murders and such?) wants to handle the Martinez/misc articles I'll go ahead and keep the Tolkien Virgin going for you Jame.

If you can FReepmail me the link again. I deleted the other one.

Thanks.

[HairOfTheDog]

I figured you were getting some private feedback... when we were doing the TTT book discussion the public comments were dwindling, but when I mentioned the lack of interest, there were always private replies to keep going!

Ah well, my own interest waned anyway!

This summer I need to kick it back in gear, because I do want to get RoTK read before the movie comes out. It has now been over a year since I read it last! Are the Tolkien Virgin articles still on schedule to finish around Dec? He has a long way to go to finish The Hobbit and LoTR! - Perhaps I will pick up my reading and discussion along with him!

[Maigret]

If maigret(BTW, won't you be busy solving murders and such?)

It is all a matter of priorities and Tolkien comes first :)

[Maigret]

I'm happy to do it daily, now I know where Martinez' articles are, but could you send me the sites for any others you would recommend? And when would you like me to start?

[2Jedismom]

Sam, there are three ways you can participate...

You can send me money via paypal and I will purchase items with it, getting the most I can with that money, allowing for shipping...

You can send me money via paypal with specific purchase instructions and an estimated amount for shipping...

Or you can send me the specific items you want sent with an estimated amount for shipping.

In no case will your name be placed in the box with the items...my return address isn't even used, due to security concerns. I will send the chaplain an email with your name, address and email telling him of your contribution.

I just did this with the four packages I sent today. The lady at the post office was just delighted with the job I did on the packages and on the customs slip...praised my thoroughness and made me feel really good!

I told her that most of the items and the shipping was donated and she was very impressed.

[300winmag]

Just something I found the other day that I thought you'd get a chuckle out of. While it's lighthearted, I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with it.

[2Jedismom]

I have to tell you about my day...

When I went to send the packages, I was reluctant to go back to the post office where the guy yelled at me, but it was the post office that got the cookies out the fastest. So my friend that introduced me to the chaplain suggested another post office and I went there.

The first good thing was it was in the back of a hardware store! I didn't know how on earth I was going to carry four 10lb boxes in to the post office, but the guy at the counter at the store said I could borrow a cart! So that was one hurdle.

Then, when I got in, the lady at the postal counter was soooo nice! She just went on and on about my packaging and the way I did the customs slip. She commented about the items I was sending and I told her that because of donations, I was able to purchase everything the chaplain had requested EXCEPT for sunscreen. I said the cheapest I could find SPF 30 sunscreen was $5 at the Dollar General and they were out! Well, the lady behind me said "Did you check at DEALS?" I said NO! And she said they had sunscrean for a buck a bottle, she'd just seen it. I thanked her!

So then the lady checking me out said she was done figuring my cost. I told her I had $60 to work with and the total came out to $58.35!! The funny thing was, everyone in line behind me cheered!! They were so nice and knew just who the boxes were going to! It was almost like we had a little "support our troops" rally going right there in line.

It was great! I had a blast doing it. Thanks everyone!!!

PS: I went to DEALS and bought eight 8oz bottles of SPF 30 sunscreen for $8.66. The manager is ordering me 12 more, which should be the right amount for a 10lb box. The Lord provides!!! Thank you Lord!

[2Jedismom]

Going to my mom's for the speech...see you later.

[300winmag]

It was great! I had a blast doing it. Thanks everyone!!!

Those folks at the latest post office deserve a treat for being so nice to you. Anybody who helps us help our troops is a friend of all the free peoples of Middle Earth.

Check your PayPal, and spend some of what I send for cookies or some other goodies for these folks. The next time you take packages there, tell them it's from the HHDs, and we always take care of the friends of our troops.

[HairOfTheDog]

How fun! Isn't that neat! - Very well done 2J!

[HairOfTheDog]

Just came in from working Bay a bit. Second real longe-line workout he has had all winter.

Got some exercise! - Both of us. I think bucking is exercise!

Dubya on!

[300winmag]

Got some exercise! - Both of us. I think bucking is exercise!

My big exercise today was washing six months of crud off my truck while the temperature hit 71. Tomorrow is 40s and rain, so this was my window of opportunity.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, both horses are all ticked off because I have them cooped up in the paddock to try to allow the grass to grow for a week or two. They became so stircrazy that they were running and bucking in place and pickin on each other. I am either gonna have to let them out to run a couple hours or work them every day. The pony is not happy when cooped up!

Good speech eh?