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.

[Pippin]

LOL! That's right!

Pippin's always right 85% of the time! :^)

[2Jedismom]

I lost my bid on the last pair of red Chucks I bid on...sigh...

I'm beginning to think it's hopeless!

[Overtaxed]

The Quest continues.....

[Sam Cree]

Well, I for one will be very sad, if you go.

It helped that I explained to Jeanne that FR is a political site (that just happens to have an LOTR thread on which some of us have made acquaintances) as opposed to an LOTR groupie place. She knows that I am extremely politically motivated and probably appreciates that I now have a place other than the dining room table to rant and rave, which I have pretty much been banned from doing anyway.

But IMO, the friendships that are being formed on this thread, whether they will be fleeting or lasting, are very special. What is happening is kind of awesome in its own way. The mini moots that are suddenly happening are exciting.

I am not religious, as many of us are here, but I can't help feeling that in these evil times, the "Hobbit Hole" is a small, but truly bright spot..."a still, small voice (Kings 19:12)," if I may say so.

[Overtaxed]

The mini moots that are suddenly happening are exciting.

....coming to a moot near you

[rightwingreligiousfanatic]

Why is an online friend different than any other relationship to your wife? Or is it? I am curious!

1) Because it is something new in her direct personal experience.
2) Because it involves (some) single persons of the opposite gender.
3) Because it takes time that wasn't taken before (see #1 above)
3) Because she knows people who have left their spouses for "online" mates.
4) Because she thinks people obsessed with LOTR need to "get a life".

Probably a few other vague reasons as well.... But for now, I will implement my strategies, along with the supportive suggestions from ksen and Corin and we'll see where we are.... OK, now the cat's out of the bag, All, feel free to comment if so moved.... I think it might actually be a good topic to have aired out....

[ksen]

I am so glad that Jeanne had a good time. We were driving home and talking about our day and I thought that of everybody, Jeanne seemed to be taking everything in with a grain of salt.

I'm glad I was wrong. ;^)

I just wish we could have met your son and daughter as well. You have a great family Sam. Tell Jeanne that Tami and I said "hello!" ;^)

[ksen]

Don't forget all the bad press that meeting someone online gets. None of you are undercover cops are you?

I think the biggest obstacle with my wife was the fact that there are A LOT of ladies in here. Personally I was surprised to find so many wimmin on this thread, and on FR in general, when I first started posting here.

[rightwingreligiousfanatic]

Thank you very much, Sam. I agree. The HH is a very special place... Made so by all of the special, and, as you like to point out, "estimable", people who inhabit it....

[Overtaxed]

Ladies, we're scaring all the wives off!

[Corin Stormhands]

Off to the doctor. Back later when I've got my antibiotic.

[Sam Cree]

"Why is an online friend different than any other relationship to your wife?"

I guess there is a fear of the internet, also I think she may not see it as being as "real" as RL. However, the internet the way we are using it is part of RL, just as man is part of "nature."

What is happening here seems to me to be unique and special, though, I was trying in #64 to describe how I am feeling about it.

When meeting folks in "RL," you get to make eye contact and use body language, which mean alot, which we can't do here. But here we have had an opportunity, IMO, to know each other's thoughts more deeply through the written word than in many an RL friendship. So, in a way, I think it kind of equals out. Whatever it is, I believe it is a fine thing. Friendships are not formed lightly, we are lucky that all this is happening.

And I agree with Ruthy and ksen, meeting ourselves in RL, it wasn't really a surprise to find that they are as nice in person as they are here.

Well, I am going out for a haircut, I was embarrassed to show up at the moot needing one so badly, I think it's been over a month.

[2Jedismom]

You know, that's what I keep trying to tell Steve...that the people on this particular thread are decent people and good friends. It's hard for him to imagine, and he gets upset with me for wanting to visit here, especially when he's home. But yet he thinks nothing of turning on the TV (all three of them usually) the minute he gets home. To me, it seems more normal to want to interact with others than to sit in front of a box and just have something stuffed in your face, so to speak!

He expects me to just be able to turn you all off just like I turn off the computer or he turns off the TV. He doesn't realize that I've got closer friends here than many in-person relationships and when he insists that I turn off the computer, it sometimes makes me feel isolated and blue.

[RMDupree]

Glen has the exact same issues and once he saw for himself that there was no active courting on the board, he felt better. I urge him to get online and see for himself.

The only swooning going on in here is us wimmin with the characters in LoTR. :)

[RMDupree]

I was embarrassed to show up at the moot needing one so badly

I didn't notice. I was too excited to meet you and Jeanne!

[RMDupree]

He doesn't realize that I've got closer friends here than many in-person relationships and when he insists that I turn off the computer, it sometimes makes me feel isolated and blue.

Same here. Since Saturday though, whenever he gets online, Glen always asks if I need to check in with my friends. That is new and very encouraging!

[Sam Cree]

Oh, well she is taking it with a "grain of salt." But she had a good time anyway, and liked everyone, and the movie.

And she is now interested, and less fearful. She'll be at the next moot.

[ksen]

I needed a shave, but I thought, what the heck, might as well try and keep up the scruffy man of Gondor image. I did break down and wear skivvies..........clean ones even.

[Sam Cree]

You have a great family, too, Kevin. Your daughter is precious and beautiful, hope we will meet your son next time.

[Sam Cree]

Well, at least you didn't bring the FTD hat ;-)