Rogue One-ing We Will Go

Rogue One  the latest sage of the Star Wars world, starts showing in our part of the world today, and of course we will be there to watch.  With this big of an event in geek life, however, there was some preparation involved.  My husband found a website(the Nerdist, I think), which detailed all of the movies, and animated series episodes to peruse prior to seeing the film.  The Star Wars universe is an immense one, and everything is interconnected.  So, if you have spent any time at all watching the animated series the Clone Wars, or Star Wars Rebels, you will have a few more pieces of the puzzle in Rogue One than the average viewer. Rewatch the second and the third movies, and you'll have a few more, and you'll understand some of the in jokes and 

I'm not a gung-ho Star Wars fan, I'll admit that without shame.  Larry is gung-ho enough for a small country.   That man can reveal entire character lineages, discuss the construction of light sabers and quote vague myths from the Star Wars universe, and that's just fine. It's like that whole Sith thing; there can only be one per family, and Larry has that role. He and Zane discuss Star Wars quite a bit. As for me,  Lucas' efforts to turn an extremely whiny and entitled Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader, one of the most fearsome villains ever, has lead to some fierce conversations at our house.  Oh yes.  I went there.  I don't like whiny people.  Why would I find anything at all to like about a whiny guy with breathing problems?  I'm supposed to respect that guy?  Let's face it, I'd probably be the first person Vader force choked, because I wouldn't be able to resist making snarky comments. 

But since I love my husband and son, I've sat and watched as much of what Larry has viewed as I can.  Zane has watched, too, with his usual in-and-out attention span.  He has even watched a few YouTube videos, all on his own.  Something about Order 66, I think.  Larry was very proud. 

Star Wars is something we can do as a family, no matter how much of the universe we know.  Everyone loves a good story, and although the Star Wars universe is extremely derivative, it is a rousing good tale. I think that was, ultimately, George Lucas' motivation, way back when.  So tonight,  we will be at the theater, center of the row.  There will be popcorn, and Icees, and a crowd ready for anything  By the time the movie starts, we'll all be giddy.  

Good times. 

A Ren Festing We Will Go

As part of our new family mantra to share more adventures together, we jumped into our car and hit the Texas Renaissance Festival this weekend.  The Festival runs every weekend in October and November, but I honestly never thought that we would be able to go, because most weekends we had soccer games, and we take those sorts of team commitments seriously and show up ready to play.  However, once I looked over the schedule, I realized that there was an open weekend in November where no games were scheduled.  Most soccer moms will understand that the rare, rain-free, soccer-less weekend is a gift to be grabbed with both hands. 

"What if we go to the Texas Renaissance Festival?" I asked Larry.  "You could wear your Viking costume from Halloween."  

This got Larry's attention; he is of the strong opinion that anything done is best done wearing a Viking costume.  He was in.  Zane was skeptical, until we mentioned that we'd be staying in a hotel.  Zane loves staying in hotels.  I booked the room, purchased the tickets, and we were off. 

Three hours later, we arrived close to the middle of nowhere in the Piney Woods of East Texas to find a long line of cars with the same idea in mind.  Zane and Larry put on their costumes, and we walked a short distance to the gates, where men in Beefeater costumes were waiting.  We saw lots of people in costume, but there didn't appear to be a rule about said costumes actually being from the Renaissance.  In fact, there were lots of Steampunk costumes and more than a few Furries.  There were Barbarians, and lots of fairies, their wings all aglow.  There were even Stormtroopers, from the Highlands of Scotland.  

We bought turkey legs.  We strolled around and looked at the costumes.  Zane and I rode a couple of rides.  The three of us watched  a jousting event, and rooted for England.  Zane had a fake axe, and he joined in several minor skirmishes with random costumed people.  I bought a bottle of mead, thinking that it would be unopened.  It was not, so I drank said mead while we walked around.  Thankfully, mead does not have a high alcohol content

We had a great time, but as we walked back to our car, Larry mentioned that we hadn't seen everything.  There were parts of the grounds that we wandered past, apparently, which is why it is always good to have a map.  I had also wanted to see the glassblowing and the blacksmithing, as well as some woodworking, things that nine year olds do not normally get excited about.  We thought about going back on Sunday, but Zane had developed a cough, so we headed home. 

"We could come back next year," I said, outlining a basic plan for a weekend stay.  I might wear a costume this time.  If I can find a Renaissance outfit that comes with a tiara.  Besides, I need to see if these guys managed to ever purchase actual wizard's clothing(they're "wizards on a budget")!

7 Best Ways To Spend A Winter Break

I am a firm believer in the idea that a break, or a vacation, is a time to not engage in anything remotely work related.  I put away my work laptop, and push the latest report that I need to finish completely out of my mind.  I don't check my work email, or answer any work related text messages.  My husband is the same way; we are very happy to let go of work-related responsibilities and focus on rejuvenating ourselves.  This year our break has been emphasized by the realization that I will be starting chemo therapy in the next two weeks; I may not be feeling so hot then.  Here then, are all the ways that my family and I have been enjoying our Winter Break. 

1. Sleep in.  Moms traditionally never get enough sleep.  That's just one of those things that you give up in exchange for the adorable children you birth.  During the work week, moms traditionally get up at the most ridiculously early hour to make sure that the entire household gets to school/work on time.  During Winter Break, however, NOBODY has to be up before the sun, unless you live on a farm.  If you want to sleep until 8am, that is entirely possible.  Thirty extra minutes or so is entirely possible during this time of year, and that is golden.

2. Catch up. Got a full DVR?  Shows that you missed still in your Netflix or Hulu queue? This is the perfect time to catch up on all those shows that you've been missing because of various conflicting activities, such as soccer practice.  We've got a ton of Constantine as well as a few Finding Bigfoot episodes to watch.  Once they've been viewed, we can clear everything off, and that will be a relief.  The best part of DVR viewing?  No sitting through commercials! 

3. Movie Day...and Night.  Winter break is perfect for watching movies.  It's dark and gloomy and cold outside--who wants to be out there?  Grab some popcorn and park on the couch, where it is nice and warm and cozy.  We've watched all three of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies, Guardians of the Galaxy, and every Peter Jackson film involving Elves and Hobbits.  We still have Godzilla and the last Bond movie to go.

4. Read All The Things.  During this break, I have been able to sit for long periods of time and just...read.  There is not a darn thing wrong with sitting in bed, in your comfy jammies, and reading all day long.  Right now, I'm reading lots of fluffy books by Jayne Krentz and Jude Devereaux and Julie Garwood, but that's only because I've read all of the new books that I had on my Kindle.  I have a huge pile of books next to my side of the bed, and I'm making my way through them.  I think the YA book Ripper is next, or it could be Mark Twain's autobiography. Who cares?

5. Do Family Stuff. We have an Xbox One, and my husband and son have bonded over Shadows of Mordor.  The three of us have looked into the telescope Zane got for Christmas, huddling outside after dark and checking out the moon.  We've combed the back yard to make sure that Bigfoot is not hiding in the bushes.  We've giggled and had indoor snowball fights.   We've played Hide and Seek, too, although that has mostly been us sitting on the couch and Zane hiding. Because we're lazy parents. 

6. Eat. Drink. No Guilt Allowed.   During this time, it is okay to have an extra helping of pie, or a second glass of wine.  I'm not talking about eating your weight in fudge, although that is actually a lovely daydream.  Winter Break is not about starving yourself, or worrying about how many calories you're consuming.  Don't go nuts, but this time of year is not for guilting yourself about your diet.  Savor that bite of fudge, instead of regretting it.  It will taste better. 

7. Just Be. How often do we just get to be who we are?  Most of the time there's some sort of demand upon us.  There are deadlines and meals, and children to be driven to where ever.  It gets to be difficult to remember your name, let alone who you are.  Every now and then, we all need to have a small space of quiet.  Winter Break gives you those moments of silence to pause and contemplate and remember.   No pressure, just a second or two of peace, before we have to go back into the fray.


What are your favorite ways to spend a Winter Break?  Do they involve cookies?  Can I come over?  I wish all of you lots of love and laughter for the New Year! 


Go check out the other great bloggers over at Mamakat's World Famous Writer's Workshop.  This is the perfect time to join up!  The prompt I chose was 2. 7 best ways to spend Winter Break.

The Traveling Stones, Revisited

Remember way back to last month, when I received an interesting package from Australia?    Turns out that I received one of the Traveling Stones from my friend Red over at Amazing Australian Adventures!  I was so excited, and determined to show the stone a rollicking good time.  When I say that the traveling stone I received earned some mileage, I mean it.

I put the items in my purse and was off to explore the wide world, and off we went.  The Kiddie Park was especially fun, except that I got nauseated watching the Merry-Go-Round.  I HATE when that happens!

Kiddie Park, San Antonio, Texas

While at the Kiddie Park, I noticed a few issues.  The stone was continually rolling about in the box.  Also, the little boomerang that Red sent along would not fit into the box, and was often relegated to the bottom of my purse.  I decided that this would not do...and I went into problem solver mode!

I felt that the tiny pearl was likely to fall out of the box and then disappear, which would have been a catastrophe of epic proportions, not to mention embarrassing for my country!   So, I got out my jewelry making tools and prettied things up a bit, adding a decorative bow and a place where someone might put a safety pin.  Perhaps a person might want to safety pin the pearl to their shirt for a night out on the town?

It was necessary to find a box big enough to carry the coin, the boomerang, and the pearl.  It just didn't seem fair to leave the boomerang at home after it had traveled all the way from Australia, so I hunted for a bit for just the right box, and then spent a little time securing everything for safekeeping.

Then I had to find me a helper, since my arms are just not long enough to hold up the box and snap a photo. Luckily, this particular helper was easily bribed persuaded with cookies.

With all that taken care of ,  it was time to head back out, box of travelers in hand. We went to the Riverwalk, San Antonio's most 'romantic' spot, where all the tourists hang out.  We hopped on a boat ride to avoid some of the crowds along the edge. Also, since there's no guard rail along the river, I had visions of my son attempting to walk on water in order to visit one of the ducks that live along the water's edge.

As we floated, I took the opportunity to show the stones a good time.

Some weird statue thing that was a gift from Mexico.  I think it is art.

Riding along the River Walk, Downtown San Antonio

Adina De Zavala was one of the people who wanted to preserve the Alamo, so they gave her a plaque, and named a street after her.

Of course, we could not leave the downtown area without visiting the most sacred shrine in Texas, the icon of our state.  Texas was an actual, honest-to-God independent country prior to joining up with the United States, and we are proud of our independent streak and what we had to do to get there.  The Alamo was originally a mission, and the main part was a church. Of course, that made zero difference to all those guys fighting to the death over it, but today the Alamo is indeed a shrine, which means that a hushed silence pervades the place out of respect.  The other missions in San Antonio don't get nearly the same amount of visitors!

The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas

We didn't just go traipsing all over the downtown area.  We also took the stones to a landmark hamburger joint, Biff Buzby's, for some righteous hamburgers.  We probably should have gone to a place that served more of the local cuisine, known as Tex-Mex, but I was craving a cheeseburger!

Hanging with Biff Buzby, Live Oak, Texas

The travelers and I spent the last day of our spring break at a kid's place, Chuck E Cheese, where the pizza and the beer made up for the fact that I would have to go back to work on Monday. 

These guys won all those tickets. Really.

But our time is at an end, and the stone and her friends must be moving on to their next exciting adventure!  The next blogger who gets to host the stone is Dionne over at Raw Christian. Dionne graciously volunteered to host the stone and her friends at her home in Colorado.  I have never been to the part of Colorado where she lives, but I've heard they have things like forests and bears and Bigfoot, and I'm looking forward to seeing her plans for the stone!  Maybe a picture of Bigfoot wearing the stone? 



Don't forget to check out the stones' blog, too!  http://travelingstones123.blogspot.com

The Trouble With Air Shows

Every single day, there are planes whizzing by our house for one reason or another. Occasionally we will see military helicopters, and that sends Zane over the moon. My son loves him some airplanes. As we live about four miles from an Air Force Base, this is a good thing. I myself am ambivalent about flying machines. They are all right in theory, I think. I have zero interest in ever actually flying a plane, however, so I don't really pay attention to what sort of aircraft is buzzing my house.

"Shiny!" I may say to my son.

My husband and I decided that it would be fun to take Zane to the Air Show this weekend. We may have been drinking at the time, at that stage of inebriation where dumb ideas appear very smart indeed. I can't say for sure. But after the morning soccer game, we packed up the car and drove onto the base.

And drove.

And drove.

After we had driven what seemed like ten miles, we were directed toward a large grassy area and told to park. We then walked about a half mile to the first gate. Here we were subject to search by MPs with guns, so we had to wait in line.

"I need to go potty," Zane said.

"You are kidding, right?" my husband said. Luckily, there were some of those porta-potties nearby; we got back in line. Zane was bemused by the wand when they searched him, and found it all very amusing. Larry and I herded him past the gate...where we had to wait for a shuttle. When we finally got to the actual area where the show was happening, it was a relief.



There were tons of planes parked for people to look at, crawl into, take a picture with, etc. I was curious about one plane; it had a sign in front of it printed in red letters so you would know they were serious: "DO NOT TOUCH THIS PLANE OR WE WILL SHOOT YOU." I might be paraphrasing. Planes were also flying around us, so we walked around.

And walked.

And walked.

After about the first three quarters of a mile, Zane did not walk. He demanded to be carried. He threw a fit if we refused. I wanted to just keep walking, and leave the screaming tantrum behind. Larry pointed out that the MPs would make us take Zane back--they had guns. So we picked him up and walked. Then we turned around and walked back the way we came. All told, we walked close to six miles, by my estimations.

Even though I had worn my walking shoes, my feet were killing me. I was limping. I had thoughts of knocking an MP on a Segway down and stealing his ride. The thought of how ridiculous I would look, and the resulting headline, changed my mind. Larry and I were exhausted by the time we straggled back to our car. I hobbled into our house just as the Blue Angels flew over. I don't even know if I will be able to walk tomorrow.

And Zane? He fell asleep while being carted around, and he woke up just as we got to the car. He was ready to go back.