Twenty-one years ago today, Herself and I were joined in holy macaroni in Santa Fe, and to the astonishment of just about everyone we know, (a) I’m still alive, and (2) we’re still together.
We celebrated with a bottle of Sofia, Francis Ford Coppola’s fizzy salute to his directorial daughter, and I laid an iPad 2 on her with a bit of the old sleight of hand, directing her downstairs to the nondescript brown bag containing it, saying it was a sack of cat turds from the litter box that needed tossing.
I hedged my comedic bets a tad, though, using a black Sharpie to scrawl “NOT REALLY TURDS” on the bag, just in case. Herself has been known to toss a bag of turds out the back door and onto the sidewalk to await transmission to the trash can at some later date.
What did I get, you ask? I got my gift 21 years ago.
Mad Blog Media 
Aww, shweet! Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!
I was very surprised!
Patrick and Shannon
Congratulations and many more entertaining years together to the both of you. Longevity in marriage is a joy that takes work to nourish. But work is required of anything worth doing.
Work is especially required of us as our fairer halves have to put up with increasingly balding old fat bastards, eh?
Congrats to you both Pat. May you have many more !
that woman is a paragon of fortitude, i say.
Well, Mazel Tov and a wish for many more happy anniversaries and happy days between too.
The (much) better half and I are coming up on the 30th anni in August. I don’t think I need to tell ya: you are one lucky SOB. I think there are about 47 women – in the the whole world – who would put up with the likes of us…
47 David? I figure there’s ONE for you, ONE for me and ONE for OG. Tanti augurri to Patrick and the long-suffering Shannon and to you and Karen in advance of your 30th. We celebrated our 21st back in February, I proposed on Valentine’s Day and hastily arranged the ceremony for a week later, fearing she might come to her senses if I didn’t get them done right away!
I think Larry probably has the numbers about right. My friend and colleague Charles Pelkey once told me that he and some old pals have a club, something like “Men Who Married Above Their Station.” He’s one, I’m another … and it sounds like we have plenty of company.
Say, maybe there’s an opportunity to market a new cycling jersey here. …
I’ll definitely buy one of those jerseys.
You are one lucky dog
I’m in that club for sure! I know Dave R is as well.
Happy Anniversary to the both of you! We hit 21 years this coming August, and I’m thinking similarly that I’m pretty lucky that she put up with me for this long.
That Mrs O’Grady is one lucky lady! 🙂
Congrats to you both!
I hold these truths to be self-evident:
1) Herself gets more lovely every time we see her photo on your blog.
2) If you have truly been married to Herself for 21 years, she must have been about 9 years old when you got hitched (by all appearances, she can’t be a day over 30).
3) You are a very lucky man, Patrick, old boy!
Dale
Happy Anniversary, From the Canada’s Litterbox- Nevada. May you have 21,000 years more. Deb says “What a nice thing to say!” about your own gift.
You are one smooth dude!
An IPAD2 just dropped you at least one more notch in the family. This is based on my recent experience. Family communications, in a 2 person family, is almost down to email, Facebook or tweeter.
It takes two wonderful people to put up with each other to hang together 20+, enjoy your day!