Today is the summer solstice and that means summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime (as that little ditty used to go). Also, the days will be getting shorter. It also happens to be our 10th anniversary as husband and wife.
And believe me, in those ten years, I've seen about TWENTY years worth of oddities and freakshows in this city. And I've had more occur in my life in these past 10 years than in the other 45 years I spent in Philly. While that alone gives me a feeling of mixed blessings, it makes me wonder what the NEXT ten years will be like. Still, I don't think I'd trade them for anything just on the basis of who I have spent them with. That makes all the difference through whatever ups and downs you encounter. As was once said: "A joy shared is twice a joy; a sorrow shared is half a sorrow."
Still, we share our anniversary (this year) with many notables such as the 40th anniversary of the USAF, Jane Russell's birthday, the 10th anniversary of Stargate SG-1 (and series finale), the Magna Carta was signed on this day, Hailfax, Nova Scotia was founded on this day, The Molly McGuires were hanged in Carbon County, PA, and it's National Day in Greenland as well as World Humanist Day...so there!
Now all this must account for something, eh? Although I like to say these were ten of the longest years I've lived, the time seems to have flown by in many respects, and that's not really a bad thing. As you get older time DOES "appear" to speed up, and no one has a clue as to why that is. That's just a personal observation.
And that got me thinking (uh oh). How to commemorate this milestone (no, NOT a millstone...LOL) with the proper decorum. So I did a little searching. It seems that traditionally, the 10th anniversary is denoted by gifts of TIN and ALUMINUM (still have a way to go 'till we get to the GOOD "metals"). The "modern" gifts would be DIAMOND JEWELRY (yeah, if my name was ROCKAFELLER or GATES)!
OK...let's see about TIN.....a can of sauerkraut? Nah, the can isn't made of tin any longer. A tin whistle? Nope, kind of cheap-assed, and the wife isn't really into making music (just whoopee...and loads of laundry). Maybe a "tin" of cookies (that's got some merit, but the main gift would be COOKIES...a near miss on that one).
Well, I guess the world of TIN isn't as busy at it used to be (except for TIN FOIL). So lemme see about ALUMINUM (yeah, that's a more user-friendly metal).
Aluminum cans are everywhere....a can of Guinness? No, that would be for ME. A can of any beverage is really out, because we buy nothing but 2 ltr PLASTIC bottles. Maybe an aluminum license plate bracket for her car? Nah, she's already got a nice black metal frame for the plate already. Gee, with all this aluminum around, you'd THINK gifts would be a lot easier than finding things made of tin....but I suppose not. And I know my wife wouldn't appreciate a new nigh performance ALUMINUM manifold for the car (neither would our wallets at the gas pumps). I got it...an aluminum PICTURE FRAME. (oh geez, we'd need a picture to go IN there then, wouldn't we?)...I guess they make them, right? There's always ALUMINUM FOIL (yeah, if I want to wrap my head up to keep all those alien voices the hell out)
Damn, this is one of THOSE anniversary years where the gift giving kinds SUCKS. (pssst...there's always jewelry, Bob). I don't know about the bling thing. Neither of us are "really" into all that crap. Personally, I'm still part of the "nothing shakes, nothing shines" brigade. I am still liking the six-pack aluminum cans of Guinness thing (hint, hint).
I've GOT IT....we could stop by a stock broker and buy some aluminum FUTURES...that way when that Purdue professor I blogged about last week finally gets his high-tech engine (that runs on WATER AND ALUMINUM....and Gallium) built and into production, we'll be ROLLING in dinero. Kind of like a gift that keeps on giving!
Oh yeah...we're gonna be holding our breath on that one. Well, it WAS just a thought....wonder what was IN those Froot Loops this morning?
Ah, what the hell....we'll do a Chinese Buffet (where they have aluminum serving trays keeping the entrees hot)...! Seems about as close as we're going to get THIS year...and there is always next year where we have something we can get our teeth into, namely STEEL! Plenty of stuff to find that's steel, eh?
In the meantime...I am thinking we need a cake....yeah, cake is good.
And to my wife:
"Here's looking at you, Kid".
Happy Anniversary!
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