Thunder Over West 44th Street

Congratulations on 60 years and a wonderful article as evidence of just that; here’s to many more!

Congratulations on your wedding anniversary.
I guess a marriage that long is a “trip” of tolerance and reciprocation.
Great stuff on your web page, it’s a reading pleasure.

Mark

May you both continue to be wrapped in joy, laughter and love. A belated Happy Anniversary.

Another opus ~ I especially love this one, Al…. Cinelli is a lucky woman to be so appreciated. With wistful blessings for another 60 years, Theadora

Another glimpse reaffirming our lives. Even if there weren’t two special sentences that resonated with me more than your other readers, it is still terrific use of words and word images.

1. You married in 1949? You are a big brother — I wooed my wife in 1956 in NYC — she was a secretary in Wall Street int’l trading company and we saw the whole city then - Radio City Music Hall, top of the Empire State, stayed with friends in Tuckahoe for a few days. I’m a midwesterner, she was a Japanese exchange student at Pasadena City College, but we met up in NYC.

2. We saw HAIR! at the old Ciro’s in Hollywood after it closed on Broadway. Saw the film of Billy Elliot at the Santa Monica or Laemmle theaters.

Lovely, just lovely to read and how very nice to know love can and does endure throughout a marriage. I don’t believe it’s quixotic for you to say, “I rely on her to lead the way while I follow with a bag of words and stories that complete my life.”

Instead I feel you are sagacious and inspiring, with the love you show your wife with the words, “She is my beginning and my ending.” May love smile on you both for many years to come.

A wonderful piece! Full of life, fun and poetry. I really enjoyed reading it.
Keep it up, Al Martinez.

Your old fan,
Anna

Happy belated anniversary wishes. In the year you were getting married, I was being born - such a mitzvah! I love your columns and hope you both go on for another 60 years (healthy, happy and with humor intact!). Nanci

This one brought tears to my eyes! Beautiful! Brilliant! Thank the powers that be for Al Martinez! And thank them even more for Cinelli!
XOXO- from a looong time reader - Judy

Wow CONGRATS AL & CINELLI!
What a beautiful story and the Rain was a Blessing to you folks.
Wish you could brought some back to So.Cal.

Thank you for sharing this heartwarming & endearing saga of Love &
Committment.
Wishing you another Happy, Healthy 60.

Chicago Sugano
Los Feliz, CA.

It is rare that I experience such sweet, intelligent and gifted prose. I cannot recall a writer such as that Man Martinez, who gives so much. You are so loved not only by me but all those readers of your past LA Times. I write you with gratitude and many thanks for sending me your blog(s). Love, Margo

A great story of your life together. May you have many more happy years.
All the best to you and Cinelli.

Richard T.

We’ve been married for 51 years and hope to follow in your footsteps. Loved to read your columns in the Times. Feel free to send any blogs to my Email.

Cinelli: Watch out for the old goat. Men of his age need tender loving care so they won’t wander off. I’m 82, so I should know. Love to you both, Don Kessler

Al: A short story about an old man(me) losing his memory: I volunteer at St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton for the last 10 years. The other day I completely forgot the first name of the receptionist and instead said “Hello Sexy”. This woman of about 40 went ballistic. She reported me to her superior, called my superior and called the head of the volunteer department. To avoid a lawsuit I was asked to move to another building so this woman would not be able to see me again. In my day this woman and I would have been told shake hands and get back to work. I guess I am to old to be in today’s workforce. Don Kessler

You brought tears to my eyes. I read this blog very slowly. What an ode to the woman you love, and who obviously loves you. You’re definitely two people who believe that when life throws you lemons, make lemonade! I’m sure that’s one of the keys to your very successful marriage. God bless you with 60 more!

Yvette Ware

I celebrate life as you describe it and will continually look for your musings on such. Many more years to you and Cinelli and your family!

What can I say? Once again, you’ve proven that you richly deserve all the accolades that have, through the years, been bestowed upon you. Too bad it’s taken 60 years for you to speak kindly of the long suffering Cinelli.
Congratulations to you both. And, whatever you’re doing, keep it up. It’s obviously been good for both of you.

Will

The love between you and Cinelli, and particularly the love you express for your partner of 60 years, is heartwarming to say the least. Beautifully rendered and lovingly infectious.

Congratulations, and thanks for sharing your feelings and superb observations in your delightfully inimitable style.

JL

PS: FYI, I’m getting double emails from you.

My husband and I celebrated 108 years of marriage on Tuesday as my husband stated it. He and I remain best friends. That is the best way to marry! We have our own oasis in Solana Beach

where we seem to have the best of everything including a magnificent view of the Pacific. Jim is still doing engineering consulting and recently was in Washington, DC to review proposals for the Air

Conditioning on new Metro cars on a new line connecting Dulles with downtown Washington. He worked under library rules in ten hour days for nearly a week.

I lived in New York City for over three years while I was at the NYU Bellevue School of Nursing. New York City is a crazy place. We were there in January of 2007 when the winter winds

roared down the cities version of canyons and froze us nearly to death.

I miss your columns!

Good Luck, Mary Bushnell

Your way with words is such a delight.May you and Cinelli be around for many more years of places to write about.

John Ford

Ah jeez. Here I sit at 45 after two divorces, thoroughly settled into my done-with-women stance and you have to make it all sound so ultimately worthwhile again.

From a guy in Morro Bay who has #60 coming in less than 3 months, I not only know where you’re coming from, I know where you ARE. I think.
My Jo-Ann smiles as brightly, and probably as often, as your Joanne. She (like yours) is a LOT younger than my 83 but for the last 3 we’ve been tracking her ALZ as it creeps its petty, yes, thank God, petty pace. We’re rich. We don’t own any real estate, cars larger than Tercels, swimming pools or “what’s a portfolio?” but we can count the good stuff. We see the Pacific every time we look out the window, have the best health & hospital plan ever invented and, where we live it never gets over 80 or under 50, the sun comes out every morning at 10:30 and it only rains at night. We both have good company and……we’re rich.
Jo-Ann was a CPA, graduated Summa Cum Laude and passed all four parts of that toughest of all State exams in one sitting. She balances, knows how to make the numbers “come out”. So the other day when it was time to fix her own dinner according to her own weights & measures, she said, “OK, it’s time for me to fix my dinner so don’t TALK to me,”
I said, “OK.”
She said, “I SAID, DON’T TALK TO ME!!!!
I said, “(nothing)”
We both, Busted out laughing.
She said, “Thank the Lord, I guess my sense of humor is on the ascendancy in direct proportion to me losing my mind.”,
which is all I really wanted to tell you.

What a delight to read! Our 49th anniversary is in a couple weeks and you give us inspiration to strive for 60 years and more, God willing. I just wish I could describe my love for my husband as well as you do for your Cinelli. Best wishes for many more years together.

Love it! Live long and be happy. Pat

Dear Friends…Happy to hear your words again after so long a time. I happened to be in N.Y. June…Sorry to miss you, but maybe next time…Best to you both from your friend…cece g

60 years — that’s about 20 California marriages. Many more happy returns.
Richard S.

May you and Cinelli enjoy many more happy years. I loved reading about your trip to New York and how you and Cinelli decided it would be New York.
What a wonderful description — it made me feel very happy to read it.
I love your writing.

What a lovely column.

A beautiful love story! Congratulations! And I LOVED reading it.

Al, this was great! I laughed through most of it and then realized, knowing you and Joanne, this was a beautiful love story. May God reward both of you generously for hanging in there for 60 years..

Love-
Fran and Bob

Sweet and funny–so YOU. Lucky Cinelli–lucky you, too. On for another eon together and thanks for sharing your ongoing love story.

Paul and I “celebrated” our 60th wedding anniversary in August by going to the Orange County Classical Jazz Festival. That was our first celebration; it continues. Congratulations on your 60th; may you enjoy many more.

Thank you for your story. You are right, a sense of humor is essential!

Your compelling writing continues; what pleasure you give.

Mary

Congratulations Al and Cinelli:
I only wish I could say the same, after two failed marriages I can only envy you, but I am also happy for you. May you have many more happy anniversaries, in good health.

Clearly you two live the cardinal rule of a great marriage: to take your marriage seriously but never yourselves. Thanks for sharing your time in Manhattan with us all. We loved being there with you.

Here’s to an infinity together.

Rahla

Thank you for your wonderful serenade to your wife, and your marriage. In this day and age when overgrown adolescents can’t seem to create real committed relationships with each other, it’s great to see your fine example of what can be achieved when two people decide to be truly human. Reading about it really made my day!

Hi Al I’ve been missing your stories. thanks.

Hi:

A great piece. It is all about a sense of humor isn’t it? Life that is. I’ve only been to N.Y. once, but your words make it seem that I’ve lived there. Congratulations. It doesn’t seem like Cinelli has buyer’s remorse. But then, why should she? It seems that you’ve managed to laugh and love your way through life. Here’s to many more celebrations.

Bob Ferguson

As always, you bring laughter to the heart and tears to the eyes. Congratulations on 60 years of love and laughter.

This was wonderful! You and Cinelli… What a pair! You are simply an exquisite writer. Thanks for sharing this. Congratulations on this anniversary; may there be many more.

Hey, I would happily pay $513 for a pair of tickets to watch Dick Cheney in a tu-tu pirouetting drunk through Grand Central Station. So long as he leaves the rifle at home.

But I digress.

Happy anniversary and what a lovely tribute to your magnificent partnership. Long may you/it wave.

Love,
Laurel Paley

Sadly Richard didn’t make our 60th but our 50th in Napa with our two daughters as hosts was memorable. Looking forward to more Alisms. From a fellow Oaklander Helen Baznik

Belated congratulations. I thought about you both when I had lunch at Inn of the Seventh Ray on August 22. Pleasant thoughts mingled with hopes that all is well with Martinez family. Keep writing, enjoying, loving, laughing.

You’re a blessed couple Al…God has smiled on you both.

Keep on writing…both of you!!

Hi. WOW! How time does fly. I remember when Cindy was telling me about your 50th surprise anniversay. And now 60 yrs! Congratulations to both of you. Two peas in a pod with the 3 “Ls”. Live, Love, Laugh! What a team! Loved your story. I too felt like I was walkng there.
Cheers to you & Mrs. M.

Mary Shipley

Another belated set of best wishes. I watch your web-siite with semi-regularity, and of course, missed your latest offering until just this morning. You two are truly blessed in your relationship. Your sixty years together is a tribute to both of you. May you share many more years.

Jeanne Coats

“What intrigues Cinelli and I” ??? is that correct English?

anyway, congrats on your 60th - I’m surprised she hasn’t strangled you by now!

Wow! Back to square one on Tillman after reading this. Nelle and I just marked 25. May I only be so lucky to have 35 more.

Our congratulations to you both on your 60th. We’re just 7 behind you but plan on making it and more. Our brother just celebrated his 61st with his long-suffering wife. They, too, are in it for the long haul. Again, happy anniversary!

Thanks again Al. Another great story by a great man and a great writer with a great wife enjoying such a great life! Just love your stuff…

Al, would that we all could find in our marriages what you have. In your honesty and insight, you give us the goal to which we all strive. Cheers to you and Cinelli.

Patrick Caneday

Hello Al. Happy Labor Day. I liked your piece so much that I forwarded it to my friends the Darions who live in Manhattan. (His brother Joe wrote the Man of La Mancha lyrics.) I envy you those 60 years of happy married life; obviously you’re two people who know how to give and take. I still miss your Monday Times articles, but it’s nice to be able to still read your stuff from time to time in your blogs. Stay healthy…and happy. Best, Ellie Kane

We’re working our way up to your number - celebrated 55th in July - is that the speed limit? Sometimes I tease Larry and ask if he “wants to go another round.”

With all the nonsense on the news about death panels, killing grandma, etc., we opted to watch a DVD last night and chose Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles”. We just laughed and laughed at its outrageous humor; we relished the shared experience. Your lovely telling of your and Cinelli’s life together is a goal for couples.

So enjoyed your loving tale of your anniversary weekend in New York and the back-story of your life together. It’s obvious Cinelli wants “to go another round.”

Lola Moline

To Al and Cinelli,
“To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving..” K. Gibran
My wishes for you are ongoing.
Frankie

You write beautifully Al. Keep it up. It’s a bright spot that negates the ranting of fools.

60 years! How wonderful that you have been able to spend them together. What would we do without our extraordinary women guiding, prodding, cajoling and even (!) demanding that we pay attention to the road. Thank you for sharing your joy of life. That makes my journey much better for the companionship. . Congratulations!

By God can you write!!!! I see more trials awaited you returning home to Topanga Canyon. I do so hope your home and the homes of neighbors endured as grandly as your marriage has and if some or all have not I do so center my thoughts how how grandly each of you will prevail.

Al and Cinelli,

It feels like we are old friends when I read about you.
Your lives together for 60 years is a treasure that most of us never find. Happy Anniversary and many more.
Cheryl

OMG - 60 years together and still in LOVE! You and your Cinelli must be so special - I had 2 husbands and both lasted only 18 years each! I have often wondered about a love like yours.

Loved hearing from you once again - it has been way TOO LONG without the wisdom of your words.

Congrats on this SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY!!!

Gloey

My wife and I just celebrated our 31st anniversary, so I am more than happy to read your blog about your 60th. Plus, as a guy who was born and grew up in New York City, I got added joy from your description of my beloved “old country”.

Thanks muchly for keeping me apprised of these wonderful musings that always go directly to the human heart.

Cent Anni to you and your lovely spouse.

LarryD!

Congratulations on your 60th. I loved your article. Keep well, keep loving and keep your wonderful sense of humor. How did you know about my underwear drawer?

Congratulations to you both - it is getting rare these days to see two extradorinary people who are such a joy as you two are! May you continue down this merry path - and share it all with us! Thank you!
(How come you left all that rain back East?)

I would have celebrated my sixtieth anniversary last July if I had stayed married but I didn’t. (Thank God!) We are still good friends and if we had exercised the sense of humor and maturity which neither of us had maybe things would have been different. Congratulations ! I wish you and Cinelli many more.

A message on my e-mail from you, and what a beautiful one it is. How rare it is in this time to find a couple which has been happily married for sixty years! My best wishes for the next many anniversaries, I wish you a lot of happiness and good health to enjoy your ride into tomorrow, on that old rollercoaster–life. Karin

Dear Al and Cincelli,

HAPPY 60th!!! Thanks for sharing your joy with us! You are the BEST!

Many more happy years to you two!

Dear Al and Cinelli,

Happy 60th Anniversary!!! Thanks for sharing your joy with us! You two are the best, and I wish you many more happy years together!

gives me encouragement for my 26th year of Topangan marriage

If ever two people deserved the very best it’s you guys, and you obviously found it in each other. A beacon in the wilderness you are. Thank you.
All best always.

It’s so good to hear from you again and know that all’s well. I think of you often and wait, as always, for that “word poetry” to pour forth. Such is your gift!
Congratulations to you both, and may there be many more!

Belated congratulations, I hope you have many more wonderful years together.
Joan

From dryest California I would celebrate any aniversary
where you did, drenched and happy. Enjoyed your story
Thank you

Dear Al and Cenelli,
Aug 22 is my birthday. What an auspicious day to begin anything…a life, a marriage. Keep laughing and loving each other and life.
Best wishes to you both!

Me and my Sarah went to Sin City for our 55th and noticed that
prices of everything have doubled, and the slots more rotten than
ever. And cannot find any humor in it.

WOW 60 years. God Bless you both and give you many more years.

Yes… a great piece and a wonderful paean to love. Cinelli sounds like the perfect companion for your first 60 years….I think she will do as well for the next 60!

Dear Al and Cinelli,

Happy 60th anniversary. I know dad is smiling down on you two with a hi-ball glass in hand. Rick and I will do the same from Walnut Creek.

Loved your wonderful story of your NYC celebration.

I just say ditto to all the above messages. Oh, how I’ve missed reading your column and was thrilled to receive this. You certainly haven’t lost your touch.
Best wishes and congratulations on having a wonderful celebration with your special Cinelli and a special occasion.
When I am in New York in October I shall think of you both again with fond memories.

Brenda

Great description of New York,’s Manhattan, better description of your 60 year love story and the life partner in your roller coaster journey. My memory of Manhattan was a tmidnight crossing a busy street under the shadow of the empire state building where my husband tripped in the middle of the cross walk, pulling me down with him while locals stepped over us to get to the other side. After his broken wrist and my fractured side healed, we see this is a fun adventure. How time does heal all wounds, or does it wound all heels.

Congratulations for a live well lived. On Aug 18, Bonnie and I
would have made 64 years — so your ‘words’ touched me greatly.
Thanks, once again, for your sharing values that count. g.

“What intrigues both Cinelli and ‘I’???” Apparently your keeper of the syntax missed this “objectional” error. Oh well, it’s the message that counts. And a lovely commentary it was on the 60 years of your marriage, that has resulted in a humor-filled companionship that triumphs over all. Warmest congrats to you both. Long may you continue to celebrate your love.

For Al and Cinelli
“To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving…” K. Gibran
My wishes for you are on going.
Ever fondly,
Frankie

Al, how lovely…you, Cinelli, the rain and those years of love, lust for a good life with each other and rumbling laughter in your souls. Happy Anniversary! Thanks for sharing your life with us. Your writing is like a message from a special spiritual guide that says “This way.”
Dana

Thank you for reminding me of your blog. I’ll read all the pieces when I have a chance. You write beautifully, almost poetically, as always.

You and Cinelli–what a team! Together for 60 years with love and humor, still enjoying each other’s company. I’m with you in that I’d have chosen Paris too. But there’s always your 61st anniversary. And it sounds like you had a great time in Manhattan.

Your bride is lovely and has a wonderful smile. She’s good and creative. May you celebrate many more anniversaries and happy years.

How lovely of you to share your continued happy thunder with us. Your blog is a reader’s treasure.

Ann Andrus

Mr. Elmer Tinez,
Congratulations on the piece and on your anniversary. And they said it would never last.

All the best,
Luis Torres

Life has its highs and lows, peaks and valleys, ups and downs and you two have managed to laugh them off. CONGRATULATIONS and have many more good ones. The winds of time remain our clock. May you both keep ‘ticking’ for a long long time.

ALWAYS enjoy your words Al. For me, they are like an abyss of bliss. Keep them coming.

Cheers, always.
Rita Seney

That was beautiful. Thanks for letting us in there, and congratulations.

Thank you for sharing your anniversary celebration. A wonderful, heartwarming, happy true story. Here’s to many more happy anniversaries. Please keep sending your writings to us.

A lovely recounting of a special celebration! Congratulations Al and Cinelli!
Best to you both.

May God bless you both, and bring good health and happiness always!
Thanks for sharing -

Felicidades to a master word craftsman and a great human being. Please continue to share with us for many more years.

Congratulations on making 60! Really good writing about a wonderful marriage. As long as you can still make her laugh, you’re probably OK for a few more.

My own mom and dad managed 56. On the occasion of their 50th, we asked her what she thought of it, and my mom said, “it means we probably don’t have many more left.” I hope you and Cinelli celebrate as many more as you can and want to.

Dear Elmer, I was delighted to read your love story abbreviated from 60 years of life to 900 words. Gadzooks, I wish I could write as succinctly! My 44 years with my “rock” was capped recently when I was on stage doing my thing, and Janet (on stage as well) was so amused by my portrayal that she couldn’t stop laughing. She turned upstage to cover her break-up. Well, she makes me laugh almost that much with less effort, and I realized what a joy and treasure it is to be able to make each other laugh even after as many years as we have had. Congratulations to Cinelli. I think you may have the talent to write things in a funny way, but she is really the funnier of the two of you, in the same manner we enjoy. I still prefer Ashland OR to L.A. locale, but I do enjoy my almost yearly visits to the Big Apple… and we too call Paris our favorite city in the world. Thanks for continued writing … I sure wish I could take your course. Maybe I could learn to write less! LOVDON

Dear Elmer, I was delighted to read your love story abbreviated from 60 years of life to 900 words. Gadzooks, I wish I could write as succinctly! I realized recently what a joy and treasure it is that my ‘rock” and I are able to still make each other laugh after 44 years. I think you may have the talent to write things in a funny way, but Cinelli is really the funnier of the two of you, in the same manner we enjoy. I still prefer Ashland OR to L.A. locale, but I do enjoy my almost yearly visits to the Big Apple… and we too call Paris our favorite city in the world. Thanks for continued writing! LOVDON

Sweethearts … Al and Joanne,

You are our role models. Keep on showing us how to do it.

Big Love, Carol

I wish you’d blog more!

Mazeltov on your Diamond anniversary,which really sparkled,despite the rain(what is that?) May you enjoy many more happy boisterous ,yet peaceful years together. Our 60th.was last December-as long as Victoria was queen! Daunting ,isn’t it?
We were in London during July ,so missed that blog, but laughed heartily at it today.May you long continue your journalistic exposure of indecent exposure.
Hope Cindi is doing well.
Thank you!

I commented on this earlier in an Email, Al. But the comments here say it all. What a blessed gift you have. And it grows in all your readers. You and Joanne are great together and, of course, may you have many more years of happiness.

Over hill and dale, following life’s highs and lows, for six decades and counting, is truly a milestone worth celebrating.
The lows are the many valleys that challenge you to climb your way out of them, while the highs are the peaks you reach after the effort of the climb from the depths. Without the lows, you have nothing to compare against the pleasures of the heights, and without the high points, the bottom of life’s valleys offer no goal to look up to.
Over many years of reading about your travels through marriage with Cinelli, I must say you have painted enough pictures that leave the impression of her spending more time pulling you up the trail, with you mostly leading the way downward.
But, what the hell, Elmer, sixty years of paring the beauty and the mule, is nothing short of an inspiration to all of us mere mortals who live, laugh, and love our own way along the sometimes rutted road of marriage.
To think, that I was so proud last night at a wine dinner, when one of our table partners asked us how long we had been married, and after I answered twenty-seven years, she said, “Oh, you seemed like newlyweds.” Wow, we’re not even half way there, yet, but we’re trying….
May there be many more celebrations for you to share with us, because of your love, humor, and especially your beautiful Cinelli.
Congratulations to you both,
ORF

Hi. We checked out the Canyon Bistro, just cause they advertised on your wonderful blog. We went Sunday evening to catch the jazz. We weren’t disappointed and will go again. Did look around for you and C……that would have made it even better. Thanks for YOU!

A very belated congratulations on your 60th. My significant other and I will be married 62 years on Dec. 6th. However, we have grown apart and he does nothing by choice and I do everything I can (which is twice as much, as he doesn”t travel anymore except between his bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen for all the good food I ook)and his recliner. He says that the only thing he couldn’t have enjoyed just as much by reading about it was our trip to Yellowstone about 10 years ago. He celebrated his 20thbirthday on the battleship U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay when they signed the peace treaty with Japan. We went to Bremerton on Sept. 2, 1945 to celebrate the signing of that treaty. He got to go on the ship and to explain to me and to many others what happened so many years before. Lots of nostalgia then.

In the past ten years, I have traveled to Ireland, Scotland, London and Paris, also two cruises on Holland America to Alaska. Cruises are for me now and I would even dare to do it myself. I also took a short cruise toMexico a couple of years ago, but I would like to take another cruise maybe to Greece or Italy soon.

Thanks Al for sharing what you did on your anniversary and therefore I had to tell you about mine.

Mary Woolsy

Above the date should have been Sept. 2, 1995 for the 50 year signing of the treaty with Japan.

And above all of my complaints about my significant other is still that he has always allowed me to be me, and it seems to me that is what makes yours and Cinelli’s marriage such a good relationship. And I do not believe that is what I see all around me with long marriages, as I will hear the wife saying when I tell her where I have just been or done (My husband would never let me do that).

Mary

Thank you for the gift of your words. And may I add my belated congratulations to you both.

Dear Al,
Am sorry about your troubles-I had no idea things were so tough.I had spoken with Bobby and he told me said in all probability you wouldn’t mind my saying anything. So wanted to add my sympathies.
If you need to talk at all just pick up the phone. It has been a long time what has it been 5 years, I always enjoyed the conversations and you hold a fond place in my mind.
Regards,
Juanita

Even more belated congratulations! We love your “cautionary love story” and, like folks waiting at NYC’s docks for the latest from Charles Dickens, look forward to more chapters in your ongoing saga!