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| 30 April 2004 |
Our 10th....(goodness me 10th!) wedding anniversary today, 30 April. We usually try to mark these occasions with a trip away from home for a day or two. I've come to rather wish we'd sorted out a wedding date which gave Oklahoma's tornado and allergy seasons a wider berth! I didn't know about such things back then, I was more worried about eclipses, moons void of course and suchlike; avoiding both figured into the reason for our wedding date, added to the fact that we needed to "get on with it ASAP" due to his visa requirements and my emigration procedures in general.
Below, a blurry compilation, from husband's Flickr site, made from a jokey video he took at home following our very casual wedding in England. Ceremony comprised just him, me, Registrar, a driver and a photographer who kindly acted as witnesses, and an internet camera connection to the USA, so that husband's family could watch. It was 2pm in England, 8am in Oklahoma. Accompanying music is a scratchy old recording of "Take me to the land of jazz" - and is apt enough, 'cos he did!
In my early years here, we took some anniversary trips that I'd think twice (or 4 times) about taking at this time of year now! I think I used to assume that as long as we were out of Oklahoma all would be well. Not so, especially during the past two years when tornado tracks have seemed to change ever so slightly, veering a wee bit further east much of the time. Thoughts are with those affected by recent outbreaks, mainly to the east of Oklahoma.
Tornado watches and warnings are bad enough when safely ensconced at home with TV weather forecasters busily providing viewers with exact data on tracks of tornadic nasties in their area, but if away, blithely driving along some rural road when a funnel shaped thingie appeared in the distance, we'd be hard put to "keep calm and carry on!" Down flat in a ditch in company with whatever varmints and critters might also be hiding there doesn't appeal much.
Now, when we think of taking a break away from home in celebration of our late April wedding anniversary, I insist we travel only westward, well away from main tornado-prone areas. I had a rough plan in mind this year to try for northern New Mexico and a hop just over into Utah to see Monument Valley etc. That tentative plan has been shelved, mainly in case either, or both, of us were to suffer relapses while "on the road" of the endless sneezing, blocked nasal passages, sore throats, feverish temperatures and fatigue we both suffered a few days ago, possibly brought on by this year's "pollen vortex". A shorter trip westward remains a possibility this week, so if posts stall after tomorrow's, that'll be the reason.
Below, a blurry compilation, from husband's Flickr site, made from a jokey video he took at home following our very casual wedding in England. Ceremony comprised just him, me, Registrar, a driver and a photographer who kindly acted as witnesses, and an internet camera connection to the USA, so that husband's family could watch. It was 2pm in England, 8am in Oklahoma. Accompanying music is a scratchy old recording of "Take me to the land of jazz" - and is apt enough, 'cos he did!
In my early years here, we took some anniversary trips that I'd think twice (or 4 times) about taking at this time of year now! I think I used to assume that as long as we were out of Oklahoma all would be well. Not so, especially during the past two years when tornado tracks have seemed to change ever so slightly, veering a wee bit further east much of the time. Thoughts are with those affected by recent outbreaks, mainly to the east of Oklahoma.
Tornado watches and warnings are bad enough when safely ensconced at home with TV weather forecasters busily providing viewers with exact data on tracks of tornadic nasties in their area, but if away, blithely driving along some rural road when a funnel shaped thingie appeared in the distance, we'd be hard put to "keep calm and carry on!" Down flat in a ditch in company with whatever varmints and critters might also be hiding there doesn't appeal much.
Now, when we think of taking a break away from home in celebration of our late April wedding anniversary, I insist we travel only westward, well away from main tornado-prone areas. I had a rough plan in mind this year to try for northern New Mexico and a hop just over into Utah to see Monument Valley etc. That tentative plan has been shelved, mainly in case either, or both, of us were to suffer relapses while "on the road" of the endless sneezing, blocked nasal passages, sore throats, feverish temperatures and fatigue we both suffered a few days ago, possibly brought on by this year's "pollen vortex". A shorter trip westward remains a possibility this week, so if posts stall after tomorrow's, that'll be the reason.
10 comments:
Congratulations, Twilight and anyjazz! One decade later and your big concerns are twisters and a mild case of the cooties...can't be all bad (and maybe MH370)! It might be for the best that you're at home...the path not taken may hold some unpleasantries.
April 30, 1993, I was relocating for a new job in CA, and I had just shy of three weeks to drive there in my new car. I was so excited to have a leisurely drive and take my time seeing the sights. To make a long story shorter, the weather was horrid every day...huge thunderstorms kept generating from the Pacific coast eastward. Everyday, I drove quickly away and around these storms, but not very successfully...very unpredictable. Many of these storms had hail and torrential rain and my new car was clobbered several times. I arrived in CA two weeks early! But, that was the fun part...stayed at the Hilton in Palm Springs for that duration, as my temporary housing wasn't ready. It was the start of their off-season, so I was given a luxury suite. All was paid by company and covered as moving expense.
So, don't be so sure about driving westward as a means of avoiding storms...didn't work for me...LOL.
The tenth anniversary is celebrated with tin or aluminum...a 75' roll of aluminum foil is fairly inexpensive and comes in-handy. You can make a solar oven...LOL. However you celebrate this occasion, it's only important to be with each other.
Congratulations!
Happy Anniversary to the both of you! Wishing you many more.:)
Thanks for sharing your sweet wedding video.
Ya'll are mighty cute..
Happiest of Anniversaries
stay safe and enjoy however you decide to celebrate.
mike ~ We're lucky indeed - it comes home to me as I read of people younger than us shuffling off this mortal coil - Bob Hoskins the latest exit.
We've taken off for a fairly modest break, weather forecast seems settled for a day or two. In West Texas tonight - maybe just over into eastern New Mexico tomorrow.Taking quiet roads, via sleepy towns. Childress tonight.
Your sojourn in a swanky hotel expenses paid sounds very interesting! A world away from the wide skies of West Texas :-)
Oddly, or perversly I really do like Texas (politics notwithstanding) They did have Ann Richards and Molly Ivins though!
Thanks for the good wishes.
Vanilla Rose, LB and Sonny ~
Thank y'all kindly, your kind thoughts are much appreciated.
mike _ Forgot to say - tin/aluminium anniversary?
Maybe a couple of tin foil hats would be in order! :-)
Belated best wishes for your anniversary, Twilight & Anyjazz. Nearly ten years in the US, eh? People get shorter sentences for manslaughter. As you know, I too married an American. She's the only thing that makes living here worthwhile, and I'm sure you'd say the same of Anyjazz.
Those tornadoes are only going to get worse, so keep your heads down and enjoy your trip. Thankfully, we don't have to worry about them on the U.P., though we're still regularly getting snow in the forecast.
RJ Adams ~ Thanks RJ! Yes, it'll be 10 years in the US come October.
We take the rough with the smooth, as frustrating as things can be here in the USA, I'm not totally convinced that these days it'd be a whole lot better - things will have changed quite a bit. There are many more pubs there, and fewer fundamentalist religious individuals though - there's that!
;-)
RJ Adams.....I had meant to type...... "not totally convinced it'd be a whole lot better in the UK"....
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