Topic: 38 Years Ago I Got Married!

[bill440cars]

       Yep!  Thirty Eight Years Ago Today, I got married and we're still going strong!

[fuzzybutt]

Happy Aniversary my friend! may you have many MANY more.

[kirkn]

Outstanding!  Congratulations, and many happy returns!  This year (September) is our 20th.  I'm already saving up for something.  Don't know WHAT, yet.  I'm sure she'll tell me...   

Kirk

[nickjtc]

I'm in envy! Congratulations Bill.

[Rocking-M]

Congrats Bill !!!! you got me by 6 years. Our anniversary was on Jan. 1st.

[Ecosse]

Congratulations Bill!!

I too envy your good fortune, lucky dog.    

[bill440cars]

       Thanks guys, It has been quite an experience and we're looking for more.

       Hope you all don't mind, I want to share the unique way that we met.

       I had just gotten out of the U.S. Air Force on August 18, 1970 and drove my 69' road runnerback home to Little Rock Arkansas from my last base, Hamilton AFB in California. I was out running around one Sunday afternoon in early Sept. and heard a "road runner" horn go "Beep-Beep" (back then when one road runner owner saw another, they would honk that way) and I answered back with my horn in the same way. I happened to be sitting in a Shoney's Big Boy in the "Drive-in" area and another road runner shot into the slot next to where I was (like to have scared the crap out of me). It was Brenda (now my wife), we talked for a bit and then we both left. After she was out of sight, I felt so stupid, I had not gotten her name, her phone number orher address! Now, Little Rock was a pretty big place back then (much less now) and I looked for her every evening after work and on weekends for an entire MONTH! I even had a buddy (who was what we called a rent-a-cop) who worked at McDonalds to keep the cars moving and not let them block the drivethru, who helped me look for her. Well, after a month, I was checking with my buddy one day to see if he'd seen her and he pointed to a car on the access road that crossed behind where we were. I looked and it was her. I had to go around the block just to get to where she was and by then she was gone. I just drove in the direction that I had hoped she would go and, after a while, I saw her up ahead of me. I caught her, got her to pull over, got the info I needed, followed her home, made a date with her and the rest is history! We were a     "2 road runner" family til we realized that we couldn't afford both car payments just yet. Hers was a 69' 2dr hdtp metallic gold with a white top (even though it's red in this photo (also shown in this photo, is the New76' Volare' road runner I bought her later on)

         

Mine was a 69' 2dr sedan that was "Petty" blue with a black vinyl top and ET Uni-lug wheels

         

       Hope I haven't bored anyone, but that's the way we got started. 

[gregory1975]

Congrats!  It's good to see examples of couples who do stay together.  I like the red better BTW

[DRam]

Congratulations to the two of you.  Hope you have many more.

[HavocTurbo]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BILL!!!!!!

[bill440cars]

                Well thank you guys, and Havoc, I sure wish you'd have made your post so that it would have stood out, at least somewhat! I thought I was going to have to put SUN GLASSES on, just to read it!  

              Thanks again you all. So far, Knock on Wood, I haven't missed one yet! So Far!   When this thing with my Dad, really kicked in (July 27th 2008, Brenda kept things going while I was going back and forth and staying down there some nights. And bear in mind that we only have one vehicle on the road (so far). Situations like that can put a pretty good strain on a marriage and speaking of a pretty good strain, some marriages don't last when there is a child with medical problems either. We managed through our Daughter's 17 years and 1 months' worth of Seizures and a few other of our Daughter's medical problems as well. I was blessed with a mighty good woman, a great Daughter and a Dad who kept after me until he convinced me to get a Civil Service Job that was tied with the Army Reserves that kept the bills paid and provided me with adequate Leave time so I could be with our Daughter when needed and still get paid. Oh, we've had our problems, but we've been there when we've needed to be (and then some).

           BTW, my heart goes out to those who've had problems in marriage also. Sometimes it just isn't meant to be, I suppose.

[78 k550]

woohoo.
and ready for another 38.

Paul

[Ecosse]

AAAAAHHhhhhh!!! Havoc I'm blinded!

Bill that is the coolest story! Partly because there's not one, but two Road Runners in it. Oh, and that whole romance thing too. A girl with a Road Runner... be still my heart.

My first car (at 14) was a '68 hard top, gold, 323 Sure Grip, auto, horn intact. No girl.


Seriously, your story is inspiring. I'll tip a glass to ya both... this weekend.

[bill440cars]

Congrats!  It's good to see examples of couples who do stay together.  I like the red better BTW

       Thanks Gregory,  Couples with longevity don't seem to be as many any more and it's too bad. Bear in mind, I'm not getting on my "high horse", I wish more folks could manage it, but they are the only ones who know why they didn't make it.

        I liked it in Red better too. It was sitting in a grocery store parking lot one day and a Pontiac rolled into it (there was a pretty good incline and some distance involved), so there was some body and paint damage. I talked Brenda into letting me get it painted Red, when the Body shop guy said that he could give it a "Jam Up Job" with a decent price! You see, this one was her's and it was her 1st car (by that time, I had traded in my VW "The Thing", so she could get the new 76' road runner)!

[bill440cars]

AAAAAHHhhhhh!!! Havoc I'm blinded!

Bill that is the coolest story! Partly because there's not one, but two Road Runners in it. Oh, and that whole romance thing too. A girl with a Road Runner... be still my heart.

My first car (at 14) was a '68 hard top, gold, 323 Sure Grip, auto, horn intact. No girl.


Seriously, your story is inspiring. I'll tip a glass to ya both... this weekend.

        Fourteen and a 68' road runner? I'd have thought I'd died and gone to Heaven! They bring pretty Big Bucks Now!

        After we were down to a 1 road runner family, a girl friend of Brenda's had a dark blue 66' Dodge Charger she wanted to sell ( I had previously had a sharp Red 66' Charger that I traded for my 69' road runner and was shortly afterwards very sick that I had) and we managed to pick up on that one.

        

[HondanutRider]

Congratulations Brenda & Bill!!!

Wonderful story and nice to hear that you have all those good memories.  This June we will be celebrating our 39th.  Our first meeting at university wasn't quite as exciting as yours, but part of our special bond was that she didn't mind that I rode a motorcycle.  It was a 1962 Honda Super Hawk that I still have!  She got to like riding pillion and we had many great experiences on that bike.  Then along comes a family and all, but eventually things get back to just us and the dogs.  So at her suggestion I get a new cruiser and back into riding, and pretty soon she's insisting that I trade-up to a new 1800 Goldwing because she likes that pillion a lot better.  (BTW did you guys ever get to keep one of those "first cars"?  After graduating, and before getting married, I got my first 4-wheel - an Austin Healey 3000 that we still own!  It was much better than the bike for taking the family - wife, 3 kids and dog - for Sunday rides.)

[tramp]

thirty years this feb
she love to ride on the bike, she just won't fall off

[Soos]

       Yep!  Thirty Eight Years Ago Today, I got married and we're still going strong!

Must be, you're posting things on the internet ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY!!
 


38 years? Congrats!
She still got that look in her eyes?


l8r

[bill440cars]

Congratulations Brenda & Bill!!!

Wonderful story and nice to hear that you have all those good memories.  This June we will be celebrating our 39th.  Our first meeting at university wasn't quite as exciting as yours, but part of our special bond was that she didn't mind that I rode a motorcycle.  It was a 1962 Honda Super Hawk that I still have!  She got to like riding pillion and we had many great experiences on that bike.  Then along comes a family and all, but eventually things get back to just us and the dogs.  So at her suggestion I get a new cruiser and back into riding, and pretty soon she's insisting that I trade-up to a new 1800 Goldwing because she likes that pillion a lot better.  (BTW did you guys ever get to keep one of those "first cars"?  After graduating, and before getting married, I got my first 4-wheel - an Austin Healey 3000 that we still own!  It was much better than the bike for taking the family - wife, 3 kids and dog - for Sunday rides.)

           Outstanding!!!!!!  Actually, I didn't manage to keep any of the cars and the only vehicle I've got, that has some pretty good age to it AND memories is my 1st bike that my Dad reworked for me. It's a 56' (or 57'?) Jawa 50cc Pioneer hat was originally built like a Moped (but w/o pedals), that my Dad reworked to look more like a motorcycle (only smaller). I hope to bring it back to life, only I don't still have the BSA Bantam gas tank and 20" bicycle fenders that were on it originally. And that's too bad but I did come across a brand new (what I think used to be called a "peanut tank") gas tank that used to be bought for choppers and you had to make and weld on your own mounts. Still kinda looking for a set of the 20" chrome bicycle fenders though. I'll need to rering the piston (it's a 2stroke) and get some tires (it's still got the original 50's factory 16" tires on it. Yeah, things got pretty tight and we had to let the old cars go, as much as we hated to. Then in 1978, Karla (our Daughter) was born and at the age of 11months, she started having seizures and the old 69' road runner (her's, that got painted red) had to go to help with the bills. Even with me working Civil Service, Brenda working AND having good Government Health Insurance, our medical and drug bills were UP THERE! But, ya do what ya gotta do, you know? It would have been nice if we could have kept one of those runners and cool if we could have kept both, but I've got Brenda and Karla and that's Cool.

[Ecosse]

AAAAAHHhhhhh!!! Havoc I'm blinded!

Bill that is the coolest story! Partly because there's not one, but two Road Runners in it. Oh, and that whole romance thing too. A girl with a Road Runner... be still my heart.

My first car (at 14) was a '68 hard top, gold, 323 Sure Grip, auto, horn intact. No girl.


Seriously, your story is inspiring. I'll tip a glass to ya both... this weekend.

        Fourteen and a 68' road runner? I'd have thought I'd died and gone to Heaven! They bring pretty Big Bucks Now!

        After we were down to a 1 road runner family, a girl friend of Brenda's had a dark blue 66' Dodge Charger she wanted to sell ( I had previously had a sharp Red 66' Charger that I traded for my 69' road runner and was shortly afterwards very sick that I had) and we managed to pick up on that one.

        

i didn't know what it was when i bought it. all my friend's older brothers were chevy heads but i saw 383 and thought it may be a big block as it was close to 396. after, i crammed by reading up... read about the superstock class c. early 60's. got it by working after school and summers- $400; only kid in middle school w/ a car!

i love the '66 charger, split rear seat, electric razor grill and all. great looking car, sucked at daytona. i had a '65 barracuda w/ the 4bbl. 273, a/c am/fm radio, tinted windows. texas car. had the fold down seat and back like the charger and the big window for "romantic" starry nights.

geez, another girl with a mopar. i grew up in the wrong town/decade. kudos to you my friend.

[nickjtc]

So, Bill, if you could encapsulate your marital success down to one thing, what would it be?

[kirkn]

So, Bill, if you could encapsulate your marital success down to one thing, what would it be?

Yes, dear!


Well, technically, I guess that would be TWO words...   

[cb750k7]

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A great story. Come to think of it,  in two months I will be celebrating my 30Th wedding anniversary...

Jona

[dusterdude]

bill,congrats and cool charger,i used to have one with a 383

[nickjtc]

Yes, dear!

'Yes dear' may be construed as being a bit condescending (women are good at construing, you know).

How about 'You are right dear, how could I have possibly thought otherwise?', closely followed by 'Let's eat out.'

[my78k]

Hey Congrats Bill!! Ofcourse if this same story had taken place more recently we could have sent Firecracker a PM to hunt her down for ya and he would have all the info you needed and then some within minutes  

Me and the wife are a little over ten years. Ofcourse, our meeting wasn't nearly as romantic...we met back in grade 11 English when she used to cheat off me...she hated Shakespeare. Hey come to think of it that is about the only good use I have gotten from his works either!

Dennis

[bill440cars]

So, Bill, if you could encapsulate your marital success down to one thing, what would it be?

Yes, dear!


Well, technically, I guess that would be TWO words...   

       Ha! Ha! Good one Kirk!  Ain't gonna lie, it's been "Give and Take. Sometimes more give than take and on a few occasions, the other way round. She has really been there for me during this thing with my Dad. Yeah, we've had our ups & downs, but we've made things work for all these years/ Maybe the fact that she's got a large amount of German blood in her and I've got Mainly Dutch blod in me, is why we're so stubborn!  

[cbr-eric]

congrats and great story!  I have only been married 3 years this june, and together since 2000... hoping to get to your level, and it is looking great at this point!  we just have a great friendship and it makes everything so much better. just love hanging out with each other and I think that might be one of the secrets, at least it doesn't hurt at all!  and my forst car was a 79 vette, and it is a lot cooler now than it started   went from being less than 200hp and an auto to nearly 400hp and a 4 speed. much more fun, although it is dads car only now.......

[bill440cars]

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A great story. Come to think of it,  in two months I will be celebrating my 30Th wedding anniversary...

Jona

           That's Great Jona, Mind if I CONGRATULATE you all early, so that I don't have a "Senior Moment" and forget.

[bill440cars]

bill,congrats and cool charger,i used to have one with a 383

    Thanks Mark, and that's Cool that you had one of those too! My 1st one (red w/white interior) had the 383-4barrel/4sp/posi and was quite a runner! The 2nd one (the blue one) had the 383-4barrel/ Auto and was still a pretty good runner (but not as fast or as much fun as the one with the 4sp/posi).  Have to see if I have any of the Red one.

[bill440cars]

Yes, dear!

'Yes dear' may be construed as being a bit condescending (women are good at construing, you know).

How about 'You are right dear, how could I have possibly thought otherwise?', closely followed by 'Let's eat out.'

                           

[bill440cars]

Hey Congrats Bill!! Ofcourse if this same story had taken place more recently we could have sent Firecracker a PM to hunt her down for ya and he would have all the info you needed and then some within minutes  

Me and the wife are a little over ten years. Ofcourse, our meeting wasn't nearly as romantic...we met back in grade 11 English when she used to cheat off me...she hated Shakespeare. Hey come to think of it that is about the only good use I have gotten from his works either!

Dennis

            Thank you Dennis, and you are probably right, firecracker could gave gotten all the info and tracked her down for me alright.


         BTW, Lots of col stories have come from this thread and I'm hoping there will be more to come. 

[malcolmgb]

Sorry I'm a day late for the party Bill but congratulations to you and Brenda.

It's my 37th this year.

[bill440cars]

Sorry I'm a day late for the party Bill but congratulations to you and Brenda.

It's my 37th this year.

         Well, thank you Malcolm and might I say the same to you and yours, so that I might not come up short, when your Anniversary comes around.