On April 2nd, we celebrated our 38th anniversary. This is a tribute to that number and a toast to my wife, who finds this type of information as basically worthless.
38, thirty eight, talatin da takwas (Hausa), tiga puluh delapan (Indonesian), trent’otto (Italian), dertig acht (Dutch), trzydzieści osiem (Polish), trettioåtta (Swedish), and XXXVIII (Roman numerals) – and feel free to add other languages in your comment.
In Mathematics
38 is the largest even number which cannot be written as the sum of two odd composite numbers
37 and 38 are the first pair of consecutive positive integers not divisible by any of their digits
38 is the 11th distinct semiprime number
38 is the sum of the squares of the first three primes (2, 3, 5)
38 is divisible by 1, 2, 19, and 38
38! – 1 yields 523022617466601111760007224100074291199999999
There is no answer to the equation φ(x) = 38, making 38 a nontotient
Square root of 38 = 6.164414002968976, but 38 squared = 1,444
In Science
The atomic number of strontium (Sr), whose neutrally charged atom has 38 protons and 38 electrons
38 degrees C = 100 degrees F, but 38 degrees F = 3 degrees C
Most people will see the number 38, but people with red-green color blindness might see 88 instead
The Messier object M38 is in the constellation Auriga
38 Geminorum (38 Gem) is a star in the constellation Gemini
Messier 38 (also known as M38 or NGC 1912) is an open cluster in the Auriga constellation
NGC 38 (also known as MCG-1-1-47, Stephan XII, or PGC 818) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces
38 Aquarii is a star in the equatorial constellation of Aquarius
Expedition 38 to the International Space Station (Nov 2013-March 2014)
38 inches = 96.5 centimeters, but 38 centimeters = 14.9 inches
In Geography
National Highway 38 can be found in Canada, Czech Republic, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, UK, US – including 38 of the 50 US states have a state highway 38
38 miles = 61.2 kilometers, while 38 kilometers equal 23.6 miles
38th Parallel North crosses Italy, Greece, Iran, Turkmenistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, United States, Portugal, and Spain
The 38th Parallel North originally proposed boundary between North Korea and South Korea
38th Parallel South crosses Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina
38th Meridian East crosses Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique
38th Meridian West crosses Greenland, Brazil, and the South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands
In History
Year 38 CE
- A common year starting on Wednesday
- Probable year of the marriage of Claudius and Messalina.
- Anti-Jewish riot breaks out in Alexandria
- Phaedrus writes his popular collection of fables
- Stachys the Apostle becomes the second patriarch of Constantinople
- Saint Andrew, the apostle, died
Year 38 BC
- Either a common year starting on Sunday or Monday or a leap year starting on Saturday, Sunday or Monday (discrepancy due to different sources)
- Octavian Caesar ordered the Hispanic era
- Octavian marries Livia, who was pregnant from a broken marriage
- Parthian invasion into Roman Syria
US History
James Madison wrote Federalist No. 38 (published January 12, 1788) under the pseudonym Publius as a continuation of Federalist No. 37 about the Constitutional Convention
The 38th US President was Gerald Ford, the only US president never elected and never born
Vol. 38 of US Supreme Court Cases contains cases from 1839
38th Congress of 52 Senators, 184 Representatives, and 10 non-voting members served the last 2 years of the first Lincoln administration (1863-1865)
In Business
A38 claims to be the best-selling dairy product sold in Denmark
A38 is a happening place in Budapest, Hungary
38th Street Diner in New York City
38th Street Coffee is located in Columbus, Nebraska
Latitude 38 is an online Sailing and Marine magazine
In Arts & Entertainment
Sonnet 38 (XXXVIII) is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare
Fabric 38 is a 2008 album by Berlin duo M.A.N.D.Y
Mirage 38 (Swedish: Hägring 38) is a 2013 novel by Finnish author Kjell Westö, which won the Nordic Council’s Literature Prize (2014)
Name of the southern rock band 38 Special – and another band is called Thirty Eight
The gate of the sci-fi TV series Stargate SG-1 can stay open a maximum of 38 minutes
Thirty Eight is a song by Will Wilde
In Sports Entertainment
No retired #38 jerseys in MLB, NFL, NBA, or NHL
Cincinnati Reds pitchers who wore #38 include Howie Nunn, Gary Nolan, Bruce Berenyi, and Jay Tibbs
38 is the number of slots on an American Roulette wheel (0, 00, and 1 through 36)
Houston, Texas hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII on Feb 1st, 2004 – New England defeated Carolina 32-29 – while the halftime show included the Janet Jackson reveal by Justin Timberlake
The number of games that each team in the current English Premiership, the top division in English Association Football, plays in a season
The Lotus 38 was the first mid-engined car to win the Indianapolis 500, in 1965, driven by Jim Clark
NASCAR #38 car has been in 654 races with 7 wins – driver with the most races, David Gilliland – driver with the most wins, Gwyn Staley
Miscellaneous
Bill C-38 legalized same-sex marriage in Canada
The number of years it took the Israelites to travel from Kadesh Barnea to the Zered valley in Deuteronomy
A “38” refers to a snub nose .38 caliber revolver
38 Special is a gun made by Smith & Wesson
The 38 class is the most famous class of steam locomotive used in New South Wales
38 is the number of the French department Isère
38th Street Gang is a criminal street gang in Los Angeles since the early 1920s
The XB-38 Flying Fortress was a single example conversion of a production B-17E Flying Fortress
Happy anniversary, Frank!
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Angela,
Thank you.
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“…Gerald Ford, the only US president …and never born” – so what, he just appeared? Poof! And he was? 😉
Most interesting facts there, Mr. Frank!
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Rats! You beat me to that one.
Perhaps Gerald Ford just stumbled onto the planet!
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Woot! So rare I can “catch” you at anything!
That would explain so much…. 😉
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Sorry Elyse… I meant to say, it’s rare I can catch Frank at anything!
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That’s ok. Everybody else picks on me!
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…. but did you really catch me at something?
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Darn it….
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Good try.
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Pffft.
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Elyse,
And I’m surprised you didn’t know this factoid.
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Don’t be mean to jerry. He saved my Dad’s ship during WWII
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I’m not mean to Jerry, but I am surprised that you didn’t that he born with a totally different name … Leslie Lynch King, Jr.
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What?
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His name at birth was Leslie Lynch King, Jr.
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Something new every day ….
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Thus, the only US President never elected and never born.
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Well, that’s stretching it a bit. But I will let you.
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Not a stretch at all … rather a clever twist.
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Dale,
Poof? Nope … Gerald Ford was born as Leslie Lynch King, Jr
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D’oh! No way!!!
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Absolutely. … So, you now see my statement.
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Sigh…I do indeed…
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That a way … and as a Canadian, I’m impressed that you didn’t question that he wasn’t elected.
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That part I actually knew. Which is why I’m surprised at myself for not knowing he changed his name…. 😉
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I imagine that factoid isn’t commonly known my many. Many thanks to the history guru giving me that tidbit many years ago … and I framed the factoid the same way he did so many years ago.
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I think it’s pretty cool that 38 of the 50 US states have a state highway 38. I live for symmetry like that. 🙂
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Oh, and Happy Anniversary!
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🙂
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Carrie,
That one struck me with a bit of synergy. …. and thank you.
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Happy anniverssry to you and Right Angle. May you be dancing together for another 38.
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The Right Angle would respond with a scream.
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You could add that Sophia Loren had 38 associated with her.
Happy Anniversay.
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Jim,
Good research …. or pulled from the memory bank. 😉 … and thanks.
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I never knew there were so many facts about the number 38. The most important one is your anniversary. Happy Anniversary to you and yours!! That’s incredible. Wishing you many more happy years together.
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Amy,
Oddly enough, I find researching the numbers to be interesting. … and thanks for the anniversary wishes.
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I too picked up on the Gerald Ford factoid – I didn’t know he was never elected and am wondering if he was a secret prototype of an AI trialed on the American public to see if anyone was awake……. What do you know that we don’t Frank? Congrats to Mrs Right for making it through so many years and so many number facts! 🙂
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Pauline,
Many thanks for the anniversary wishes.
Here’s how one can become president without being elected. In 1972, Richard Nixon won the election with Spiro Agnew as his Vice President. Agnew resigned in 1973, and Nixon appointed Ford as his VP. One year later, Nixon resigned, thus Gerald Ford became the first US President never elected … and he appointed a new VP.
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Thank you Frank! I did know that once and had completely forgotten!
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I’m impressed that you knew. 🙂
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Happy 38th, Frank! Also, 38 years of marriage added with 62 years of your age makes an even 100. 🙂
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X,
Oh my …. good one as I hadn’t made that numerical connection! Thanks! …. and thanks for the best wishes.
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Here’s something that didn’t make your post, Frank, that should appeal to both your inner mathematician as well as your inner cartoon lover: “The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmSbdvzbOzY It’s animated by Chuck Jones and it won Best Short Subjects, Cartoons in 1966 which was the 38th Academy Awards. Happy anniversary to you and your wife.
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Lame,
Wow … what synergy … an applicable addition that is tied to your love for the Oscars & Chuck Jones. Loved it! (I hadn’t seen this before.) Thanks!!!!
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I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! It’s a classic. I first saw it when I was 17 at an event with Chuck. He rocked!
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Priceless!
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Best wishes to you and your wife. May the both of you have a very beautiful day.
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Shimon,
Many thanks. We celebrated with a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant.
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Happy Anniversary to you both. This is wonderful post, you give life to the numbers and I like learning about numbers… Thank you dear Frank, Blessing and happiness, love, nia
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Nia,
Thank you for the anniversary wishes. Love your thought of “giving life to numbers”!!!! 🙂
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Wow that is a big share about 38… congrats and I look forward to your share one day when you reach 60 years…
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Bulldog,
Thanks … but I could hear my wife’s scream at the mere thought. 😉
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38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38x38 for a Joyful Anniversary and may each year be 38 times more joyful than the previous! 🙂 All the best!!! 🙂
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Marina,
Very well done …. 1,444 … 🙂 … and many thanks!
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My wife and I will make sure to stop at the 38th Street Coffee in Columbus, Nebraska, on our way from Omaha to Nebraska State Rt. 2, during our planned trip through central Nebraska as inspired by the movie “The Homesman.”
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TIm,
Driving to Nebraska will cut into your golf time.
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Happy anniversary Frank. I am going to do a top ten things a writer is not to discuss with a spouse next week so I can relate to yours and the number thing
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John,
Thanks … and that’s a great topic for a list!
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Your wife may have a point. lol
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Happy Anniversary Frank! Do you honor the years of your marriage like this every year? I think your wife should see this as a very sweet, romantic gesture 🙂
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Kelly,
I’ve do these number tributes around my birthday and my anniversary …. sometimes something else. Looking at the sidebar, YIKES … I’ve done 28 posts about numbers. … and oh … sometimes the personal tributes are on the day, and sometimes not (like this one). … Thanks.
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They’re very interesting!
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🙂 … bountiful offerings for those enjoying minutia.
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Must admit my eyes glazed over before I reached the end of your saga of 38…but I always like to see the enjoyment someone gets out of something that’s foreign to me. Thirty-eight years must mean your life has been graced with a great friendship, maybe a rare one too. All the very best wishes to you both!
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Cynthia,
Well, I can see how list as these glazes the eyes. Nonetheless, many thanks for the best wishes and kind words.
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A celebration should be forthcoming…besides a fine dinner with a lovely (I’m sure of that) devoted (sure again) life companion. Lists, numbers, scuffed tops of shoes from stepping out too far or fast on the dance floor, to you both many more rounds with the tune machine and that glazed look of love from Mrs. aFa (love it when I’m right…right?). Carry on, WILD THING!! RRR
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Raye,
Your kindness and wit are genuine and appreciated! We had a nice dinner and a wonderful local restaurant … and will dance again this weekend.
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Happy Anniversary. I believe a game of Trivial Pursuit is in our future! 😉
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Lorna,
As you can tell, I like minutia. Thanks for the best wishes.
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Yup. I can tell! 🙂
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Happy 38th! I started counting up your tidbits of info expecting it to total 38, but when it went on after that I stopped so no idea how many there actually are.,,,,,,thinking 38 would have been the perfect amount,
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LB,
I have done posts about numbers both ways … that is matching the featured number or not matching it. The main factors are the way I frame it, the number of factoids I gather, and what I’ve done in the past. So yes … this one didn’t match. Thanks for the best wishes.
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Happy Anniversary!!!
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Thank you, Resa!
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Frank, I just read your insightful yet comical comment responses to the President that was elected and never born lol. I just couldn’t stop laughing. Happy 38th Anniversary my friend! You guys inspire me to find someone lovely, marry him, and make him fix stuff around the house LOL. Just kidding.
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Kay,
From the comments, you now see who Gerald Ford was the US President that was never elected and never born. Many thanks … but I’m not a good handyman to have around.
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You have introduced me to a new mathematical term today Mr Frank. A “nontotient” eh? I will tuck that away in the recesses of my mind in the cupboard marked “do NOT open” with all of the other mathematical terms and memories. I am most interested in how Mr G. Ford was never born Mr Frank. Was he an alien? I understand the never elected. Mr Hitler was never elected to attempt to take over the world. We have many “I never elected that sod to do that!”‘s but not many that were never born in the first place…tell me more…
I would imagine the A38 in Budapest is thronging with hipsters all imbibing in some kind of specially brewed “A38” beer specifically for the establishment and nibbling on artisan homemade crackers slathered in A38 Danish cheese. OH to be a hipster fly on those walls…
I went to have a squizz at the 38th street diner site but was met with a nice polite box that informed me in red “We’re sorry, but something went wrong”. They then informed me in a nice light grey (so as not to tax my addled eyes after all of that pillar box red) “we’ve been notified about this issue and we’ll take a look at it shortly”. How very polite and what excellent grammar Mr Frank. We might not have been able to “see” the 38th Street diner but from this little box we get the feeling that they are very polite, that your order will be taken with extreme accuracy (and grammatical and spelling perfection) and will be delivered post haste and NO-ONE’S orders will ever be forgotten or late or they will be given some complimentary fries. I want to visit this establishment to tell them that I truly appreciate this small box and all that it promised. I think I might add that to my bucket list…
Oh DEAR! Another fail Mr Frank. This time it takes me to the large sparkly colon and a message that says “Oops! That page can’t be found”. Still excellent grammar but no banana.
Same problem for Latitude 38 Mr Frank. I realise that most of your dear constant readers will have skipped over this most vital of information but some of us don’t have lives and tend to hover in the annuls of other people’s blog pages hunting for “experiences”. I didn’t even want to see the sailing page to be honest. That is how little I have to do at 4.16am on Wednesday, April 15th 😉
Even I have my limits. I didn’t even test the link for “Sonnet 38 (XXXVIII) as I didn’t fancy wading through 154 sonnets (not my favourite variety of poetry). I will, instead, gift you one of the most beautiful poems that I have ever heard. I was privileged to have read it on a good friends Facebook page as a tribute to the happiness that she has felt since she upped sticks and moved from Olalla Washington to Hawaii to live off grid. A risky business, but sometimes you have to pick up your life and go where your heart flows. I would like to gift you and Mr’s Frank this amazing poem and want to wish you ALL of the happiness with your time left here on this magical little rock floating around a small star in a galaxy far, far away. Happy Anniversary Mr and Mrs Frank. May there be MANY more and here’s to happiness 🙂
So Much Happiness
It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness.
With sadness, there is something to rub against,
a wound to tend with lotion and cloth.
When the world falls in around you, you have pieces to pick up,
something to hold in your hands, like ticket stubs or change.
But happiness floats.
It doesn’t need you to hold it down.
It doesn’t need anything.
Happiness lands on the roof of the next house, singing,
and disappears when it wants to.
You are happy either way.
Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house
and now live over a quarry of noise and dust
cannot make you unhappy.
Everything has a life of its own,
it too could wake up filled with possibilities
of coffee cake and ripe peaches,
and love even the floor which needs to be swept,
the soiled linens and scratched records…..
Since there is no place large enough
to contain so much happiness,
you shrug, you raise your hands, and it flows out of you
into everything you touch. You are not responsible.
You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit
for the moon, but continues to hold it, and share it,
and in that way, be known.
Naomi Shihab Nye
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Narf,
What an awesome poem. Many thanks! Love the analogy of how happiness floats.
Sorry about the links. Whew … very odds because I’m careful, so many mistakes is quite odd. Oddly enough, the Sonnet 38 link worked. I repaired the others … but the NYC diner (Oops, with red-outlined box) is an issue at their site. Nonetheless, many thanks for letting me know.
Regarding the US President never born and never elected, me guide you to the comments.
a) see my reply to Ms. Pauline for the never elected
b) In terms of never born, he was born as Leslie Lynch King, Jr …. name changed later in life to Gerald R Ford, Jr.
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Does that mean, that by default, any woman who has ever married a man and changed their last name in the process was never born? If so, I haven’t been born twice now! 😉
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Nope.
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Oh well…I thought I was going to be able to claim “immunity” from my next tax bill thanks to my lack of being born…back to the old drawing board for moi! 😉
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Nope … gotta pay those taxes!
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😉
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Narf! What a most wonderful poem. I shall have to print it out and post it where I can read it daily. Thanks for sharing it!
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I was the same. I had never heard of the author before and immediately spent the rest of the morning researching her work and I don’t even “like” poetry as a rule. Glad you liked it Ms Dale 🙂
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Happy 38th Anniversary! We’ll be celebrating our 37th this summer. I hope you had a great celebration!
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Merril,
Thanks for the congrats … and we celebrated with a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant. Which month is your anniversary? When the time comes, I’ll send you the link to my 37 tribute. Well … assuming I remember. 😉
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I’m glad you had a great celebration!
Ours is in June.
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Happy 38th anniversary, and today was my son’s 38th birthday! how about that! Apparently we both had big days 38 years ago. LOL!
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I realized after I said my little “joke” that you were married on the 2nd. But I would imagine that on the April 14, 1977 life was still quite “new” as a married couple. 🙂
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Debra,
You got me thinking, so on April 14th, 1977 – that would have been my 4th day at work of being married. Meanwhile, Happy Birthday to your son …. so send him this post!
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And, frankly, the most perfect day of the year…
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Gerald Ford, very cool! The music, even cooler. Your anniversary, I am simply in awe congratulations to both of you.
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Val,
Isn’t that Gerald Ford factoid so cool. He was already out of office before a history buff told me … and he posed it to me in the form of a question – then later explained because I had no clue about his name change.
You have applauded our longevity before, so I realize the sincerity of your congrats. 🙂
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Happy anniversary, Frank! I didn’t know there was so much ’38’ related info!! 🙂
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Christy,
Well … when it comes to numbers, I do my share of digging. 🙂 … and many thanks for the best wishes.
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Cheers! (Oh, why not let the party last a little longer?)
Lots of history here, but you’re still making more!
Congrats
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Mouse,
Many thanks … heck … this post is a week later, but I don’t foresee another one.
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Well, I’m late but Happy Anniversary. God Bless your wife for putting up with a numbers guy ( grin) for Soooooo long. your fun facts are always a delightfully educational read. Cheers, Frank!
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Audra,
Not late at all … after all, the post’s date wasn’t on the day.
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I bet you had an amazing anniversary, dear Frank…
Your post is clever and truly interesting!.
Thanks for sharing with us… I really enjoyed it!!!!… Best wishes. Aquileana 😀
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Aquileana,
The anniversary was a good one. Given it was a weekday, we concentrated on our evening with a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant.
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❤ Cheers to you & Mrs. Frank ❤
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RoSy,
Thank you!
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You’re welcome.
{Hugs} to you both
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