Sgt. Pepper and Lovely Rita on May 12, 1990.
How time flies — Herself and I submitted to the bondage of holy macaroni on May 12, 1990, in Hyde State Park just outside Santa Fe.
As you can see, unlike a certain baldheaded fat bastard of your acquaintance, the former Shannon B Gentry has changed not a whit in the intervening two decades. She remains as beautiful as the day we met, and her relentlessly sunny disposition continues to shine straight through the foul thunderheads of my perpetual pissiness. God help me if she ever gets her eyesight back. I had a bad moment there when she underwent Lasix, but it must not have taken, ’cause she’s still hanging around. Maybe it’s the life insurance she’s after.
Anyway, we’re going to treat ourselves to a nice feed and a little of the Frog bubbly, shop for a little jewelry (she says I need a new nose ring) and hope it doesn’t snow. Come to think of it, the weather went south at the wedding, too — we nearly got blown right the hell out of Hyde State Park, wedding party, sky pilot, harpist and all.
Beauty and the Beast.
Y’think God was/is trying to tell her something?
Meanwhile, Count Vino’ got staked in today’s team time trial. His fifth man croaked big time in the finale and Cap’n Blood had to keep turning around to check on his whereabouts, gesticulating and banging on his bars in frustration. Liquigas won the stage, putting Vincenzo Nibali into the maglia rosa, and Vino’ slipped to sixth at 33 seconds. The count will be muttering to himself in Kazakh this night as he sleeps in a footlocker lined with a bit of the auld home sod.
Tags: 20th wedding anniversary, Giro
Mad Blog Media 
May 12, 2010 at 10:56 am
As they say in Italy, “Tanti Augurri” Patrick and missus. “Harry & Leather” celebrated their 20 years of bliss (at least for me) in February with a special dinner here in Viterbo. Nice to see Vicenzo Nibali in pink today and the big-bucks Murdoch team get beat. Vino better be apologizing to his squad tonite at dinner for his silly gestures at the end of the chrono, otherwise there might be a mutiny.
May 12, 2010 at 10:56 am
As they say in Italy, “Tanti Augurri” Patrick and missus. “Harry & Leather” celebrated their 20 years of bliss (at least for me) in February with a special dinner here in Viterbo. Nice to see Vicenzo Nibali in pink today and the big-bucks Murdoch team get beat. Vino better be apologizing to his squad tonite at dinner for his silly gestures at the end of the chrono, otherwise there might be a mutiny.
May 12, 2010 at 11:01 am
‘Twas a foine wedding, lad, and brings back memories — hair, for instance. ‘Tis true that Shannon remains a breath of spring, while you yourself remain a whiff of…whatever. My clearest recollection of that trip to Santa Fe was placing a late-night call to Theresa for no good reason a’tall, and realizing as we spoke that I had myself a girlfriend. Twenty years, so. Thanks for the reminder.
May 12, 2010 at 11:31 am
‘it’s wonderful to be here. It’s certainly a thrill.”
Happy Anniversary and Best Wishes for many more! “They’re guaranteed to raise a smile!”
“I don’t really want to stop the show, But I thought you might like to know.”
If I remember correctly, Nibali, as a neo-pro, was off in a break at the Dauphine with Chris Horner. Horner went on to win the stage. During their ‘fuga’ Horner threw a bottle at him for not working hard enough and /or not understanding Horner’s directions/exhortations. But it was not gamesmanship. Besides the language barrier, I think Nibali was 19 and it might have been his first stage race. After the race, I believe Horner admitted he din’t know anything about the kid nor anyone in the peloton. I think it was his 1st yr back in Europe.
“So let me introduce to you the one and only Vicenzo Nibali.”
May 12, 2010 at 12:00 pm
20 years of absolute bliss!
The traditional anniversary song-
May 12, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Happy Anniversary, Patrick and Shannon, and our wishes for many more years of wedded bondage, er, I mean bliss…So were we still wearing narrow ties 20 years ago?
May 12, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Thanks to one and all, and congrats to you and yours, Larry and Chris. Forza Nibali, Libby! And yes, K, we were still wearing skinny ties 20 years ago, if we were impoverished journos with bad credit and worse fashion sense. Soon as we got back to our casita on Romero Street I lost the formal wear for jeans and (what else?) a VeloNews T-shirt. That, to me, was (and is) the heighth of fashion.
May 12, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Happy Anniversary, Y’all!
May 12, 2010 at 12:39 pm
1990 seems like a lifetime ago. I was 2 1/2 years out of grad school and still stuck in no-man’s land sharing a foxhole with school loans, the cost of bike parts for my nascent career in the Tour de Broom Wagon, and raman noodles. I think Meena finally burned all my high fashion stuff from that era, much of it purchased from the second-hand store at the Central Union Church, lest I find it and wear it again.
Enjoy the bubbly!
May 12, 2010 at 2:35 pm
20 years … very well done, sir and ma’am.
khal: at least it wasn’t a piano key, Ric Ocasek – esque necktie!
May 12, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Happy Anniversary, Patrick and Shannon. I dina know you then, but I’ll bet it was one hell of a good time!
May 12, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Best wishes to you and yours. I have always known that we were kindred spirits but I never knew why untill you mentioned your anniversary. Cathy and I were wed in 1972 on this date, WOW! does that ever seem like a long time ago, is 38 years really that long/short? Anyway best wishes my man, I’ve been reading your stuff for at least the last four years and have really enjoyed everything especially concerning your numerous pets,. cats and dog. We also are owned by a rather large neuterd male feline by the name of Puurgus the Terrible, who at at this time is asleep in Cathy’s underwear drawer. Well hey! I digress, have a great day.
May 12, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Congrats on a great two decades together…………….and several more to come! 🙂
May 12, 2010 at 9:02 pm
If I could actually write, I would. That pair of pictures is the measure of time passing. Life goes on; we play the Circle Game as our lives play through.
Its good to see the two of you sharing your time together, O’G. I won’t go on for 2,000 words. All the best to you both.
May 12, 2010 at 9:08 pm
Hey Happy Anniversary! Interesting thing I’ve noticed about women. Well the one I’m on 28 years with. Once they are hooks on, have their hooks in , whatever it’s not your external appearance that is important, but something less visible. So congratulations you must be doing something exactly right. Actually in the after photo while Shannon seems total y unchanged, you seem to have improved with the years in the same way Hemingway did.
May 13, 2010 at 8:10 am
20’s a great milestone. One that I haven’t been able to reach with 2 marriages combined. Well, maybe this next one will stick.
Conrgats and many, many more!!
May 13, 2010 at 8:18 am
Boz: I like your optimism!
May 13, 2010 at 9:44 am
Yes, I would rather look forward than look back. I think it was Satchell Page that said “They might be gaining on me”.
May 13, 2010 at 9:56 am
You men are such romantics. I primarily stick around ‘cause he’s hung like a horse. Duh!
May 13, 2010 at 10:06 am
…TMI…
May 13, 2010 at 10:55 am
You’re saying his spare tire is actually…