The three habits that lead to success are: Patience, Application, and Vision.
Take care: The person who will tell others' faults to you - will tell yours to others.
It is always better to be underestimated.
There are three things that are better than riches: Health, Freedom, and Honor.
Think swiftly, speak softly, act wisely.
"The world is neither Scottish, English, nor Irish, neither French, Dutch, nor Chinese, but human, and each nation is only the partial development of a universal humanity." - James Grant on founding the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, 1862
Anakin Skywalker: “I feel lost.” Padmé: “Lost?” Anakin Skywalker: “Obi-Wan and the Council don’t trust me.” Padmé: “They trust you with their lives.” Anakin Skywalker: “Something’s happening. I’m not the Jedi I should be. I want more. And I know I shouldn’t.”
Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith
Sadly, there are all things we want when we’re young that are just not allowed. Fortunately, as an adult, you can do something about it…
Noah Dziobecki adapted my son’s long-ago favorite bedtime book, Goodnight Moon, to the Star Wars universe for a friend’s son’s birthday. Kindly though, he’s made his version available for download with assembly instructions for the rest of us – for free. The Force is with us all.
“Toogi! Toogi! Greetings! Toong mee cha kulkah du Boonta magi! Tah oos azalus ooval Podraces. We have perfect weather today for the Boonta classic. The most hazardous of all Podraces.” – Fode & Beed, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace
Ever wonder how the weather outside your door compares to weather in the Star Wars universe? Come on, admit it. You know you have.
Well, wonder no longer. Tom Scott has linked the varieties of weather here on lovely planet Earth to the weather you’re likely to experience in such interesting places as Tattooine, Kamino, Yavin 4, Endor, Hoth and Naboo. And if, like me, you’re currently experiencing the weather of Kamino, be sure to carry your best manners and a very large pocketbook around today.
Darth Vader: “Luke… help me take this mask off.”
Luke: “But you’ll die.”
Darth Vader: “Nothing… can stop that now. Just for once… let me… look on you with my own eyes.” [Luke takes off Darth Vader's mask one piece at a time, revealing Anakin Skywalker.] ”Now… go, my son. Leave me.”
Luke: “No. You’re coming with me. I’ll not leave you here. I’ve got to save you.”
Anakin: ”You… already have. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister… you were right.” Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
It’s on, baby. Our madcap road trip is on. Princess Leia is house/cat sitting, the days off have been approved with the Galactic Republic, we’ve set aside the fund-age, and we’ve a new plastic friend to send updates from the road. Have laptop, will travel.
I feel like playing one of those group games. I’m going to try to think of things that I need to bring along, from A-Z. I’ll fill it in as I think of them (so stop back occasionally, if you’re intrigues). Feel free to play along. Yes, this includes you lurkers out there. You know who you are. If you can think of something that I’ve forgotten to put on the packing list, I’ll add it in and give you accolades and linky love to boot. Just remember to say, “I’m going on a road trip and I need to bring…”
A – Audiobooks, downloadable from Audible – Sandra Foyt
B – Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, so if you get stuck in traffic, you can headbang like there’s no tomorrow – Wendy Hawksley
C – Crock Pot for cheap dinners in the room.
D – Digital camera
E – Electric skillet. You can cook pancakes and toasties and steak and stir fries and lots of good things to eat. – Keptwoman
F – Fluxx one of our favorite games to take on the road. – Karen
G – Games that require you to look at every license plate, road sign, or volkswagen rabbit on the road are a MUST. – Topsy-Techie
H - Hiking Shoes for the jaunts around the artifacts (and to run from bears) – Brian
I – Interstate maps; preferably up to date; not like the ones from 1988 we still have… – Wendy Hawksley
J – Journal/sketchbook for the joy of 5 minutes observing or sketching – Keptwoman
K – Kit for roadside emergencies: fix-a-flat, flashlight, garbage bags (I think I’ll pass on her suggestion of a concealed weapon) – DJ
L – Lessons from home, to be done during any boring car-riding time. Nothing else can make scenery so interesting!
M – Medications in their original containers
N – Nuvi by Garmin – Sandra Foyt
O – Occular necessities like glasses, contacts, contact solution, and sunglasses. – Ashley Allain
P – Pillows so you don’t have to rest your head on your folded-up sweatshirt – Wendy Hawksley
Q – Quilts for when the temperature tug of war begins (hubby says its hot, you say its cold…) – Wendy Hawksley
R – Reusable shopping bags, preferrably insulated, for carrying food about the place – Keptwoman
S - Surge protector, multiple-outlet – Sandra Foyt
T – Towels, preferrable microfibre for roadside swims if the weather is good, and cleaning up messes in the car. – Keptwoman
U – Undies, clean in case we end up in the hospital
V – Very full tank of gas – Brian
W - Water bottles for our hiking adventures
X – eXtra dose of patience! (I think I’ll pass on Theresa’s xylophone suggestion.)
Y – Yarn . . . for knitting. – Hilary
Z – Ziplock baggies of all sizes: food in the cooler, wet clothes in the suitcase, picnic supplies, dirty shoes, etc.
“The Chancellor is behind everything, including the war. Palpatine is the Sith Lord we’ve been searching for.” - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith
Wendy, from Athena Academy, wants to know the 10 things I’ve done once in my life which I wouldn’t want to repeat, ever. Wow, I only get to pick 10? OK, but from here on out, I get to blame all of these things on The Chancellor.
Using assorted “herbs” and “chemical spices” as a teenager, because a new friend said it was great fun. Not so much.
Having the skin ripped off my hands because I froze when my horse completely freaked out getting into our new trailer and, thus, I didn’t let go of the rope.
Riding in a horseshow, in leather gloves, for 8 hours after the aforementioned skin was ripped off.
Taking the local train (after an overnight flight to The Netherlands) from Amsterdam all.the.way.down to Maastricht because I misinterpreted sneltrein to mean slow train – get it: snel sounds similar to snail. (It literally means ‘fast train’).
Calling a friend in Germany using my AT&T phone card, instead of back home to Dad Windu, because I figured “It’s closer, so it’ll be lots cheaper.” Visual path of phone call from The Netherlands to Germany using an AT&T phone card: The Netherlands –> USA –> Germany Bill for one month of ‘cheaper’ calls to neighboring Germany: $300 USD
Working a 36 hour shift – and then driving 35 minutes home.
Driving 8 hours, in and out of a blinding snowstorm, to visit Dad Windu while we were at different schools. Only to returning in the same manner 48 hours later.
Flying into a wall and breaking my wrist because my cousins wanted to play “The Flying Game.”
Crashing the family truck after having my driver’s license barely a month.
Saying that final goodbye to my childhood’s best-friend-in-the-whole-world.
I’d love to hear your 10 things. Yes, I mean you. Let me know when you post yours.
Dexter Jettster: ”This baby belongs to them cloners. What you got here is a Kamino Saberdart.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi: “I wonder why it didn’t show up in the analysis archives.”
Dexter Jettster: ”It’s these funny little cuts on the side that give it away. Those analysis droids only focus on symbols. Huh! I should think that you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and… heh heh heh… wisdom.”
Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
Not child-friendly. Not appropriate. Not in anyway how I want to imagine my country spending my tax dollars. Not even new. But OMFG funny.
A higher-ranking-than-you-probably-are-were-or-ever-will-be friend showed us this before heading back home to get his family’s household goods picked up before they’re transferred out of the country again.
77. The MP checkpoint is not an Imperial Stormtrooper roadblock, so I should not tell them “You don’t need to see my identification, these are not the droids you are looking for.”
Princess Leia: “You’re not actually going into an asteroid field?”
Han Solo: “They’d be crazy to follow us, wouldn’t they?” Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
Since I haven’t had a “Star Wars stuff” post lately, I thought I’d pass on a couple of crazy pieces of Star Wars-related memorabilia that I found on Amazon today while cruising around. Each one made me think, “What the…?” OK, the infant/toddler costumes are pretty cute.
If you really loved someone, you’d be willing to shuck out the $150 it costs for some smacking awesome Yoda Stamp Cuff-links, right? Right?!
Now I happen to know, for a fact, that you have been saying to yourself, “If only I could combine time with… small pieces that I will step on most painfully when I least expect it and… Star Wars.” Well, search no more! For the Lego Obi-Wan Kenobi Watch is at hand. There are other characters to choose from as well, Han Solo, C-3PO, R2-D2, or – should your kid run with a slightly more ruthless crowd – Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and a Stormtrooper.
You’ve put the finishing touches on the deck, or maybe you’ve gotten the gazebo just the way you like it, but there’s still something missing. Some… final detail to make everything just right. This 10 R2-D2s Plastic Light Set is just what the landscape artist deep down inside of you is calling for. Also available in 10 Yodas. How could a dinner party go poorly when you are surrounded (quite literally as it turns out) by the power of The Force?
Have you ever found yourself at a loss as to which flash drive was yours? They all look the same after a while. Not these puppies! For a mere $260, you can get a 7 character Star Wars USB Flash Drive Set. What’s $40 a piece among friends when you can store the plans to the Death Star inside a Royal Guard or even the Emperor himself? They come preloaded with exclusive Star Wars content, ranging from theatrical trailers to wallpapers, icons, and avatars. I’m sure that fact alone will make you feel better about skipping this month’s payment to the orthodontist.
Future fanboys and fangirls unite! Halloween is just a few months away, so garb your little one as Princess Leia or R2-D2 while you still can. Start them early and start them well, I always say!
Because if you’re not careful, they just might turn out to be…
Trekkies (!) instead.*
*Disclaimer: Obi-Mom Kenobi knows that Trekkies are decent and worth-while people and does not wish to incite a Star Wars vs. Star Trek flame war. The above – admittedly derogatory – statement was for humorous intent only. That said, “No one calls Han Solo a bitch.” (Fanboys)
“The maker has returned!” – C-3PO, Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
Not that he ever really went anywhere, but it always give me a little thrill to see that Balakov has put up another Lego Star Wars picture on the photo-sharing site Flickr. The most recent one, a Storm Trooper knitting, went straight to my heart.
A Storm Trooper Knitting by Balakov
After such a depressing post yesterday, I decided that I owed you all a little bit of happiness. Therefore, I’m going to share my most favorite Lego Star Wars action-figure-making-find. Don’t say I never gave you anything.
Remember the Storm Trooper on a Bicycle picture? Yeah, that’s Balakov’s handiwork. If you check out the ‘Sets’, you’ll see that he photographs more than just Star Wars with Legos, but those are – not surprisingly – some of my favorites.
UPDATE: And to answer Eileen’s question, there are many of Balakov’s images available as prints and cards at RedBubble, but this one is not available yet. Go leave a comment to Balakov about your desire for this particular image to be available as a print, and I’m willing to bet that he would be happy to oblige you.
, to the Star Wars universe for a friend’s son’s birthday. Kindly though, he’s made his version available for download with assembly instructions for the rest of us – for free. The Force is with us all.
If you really loved someone, you’d be willing to shuck out the $150 it costs for some smacking awesome 
, right? Right?!
Now I happen to know, for a fact, that you have been saying to yourself, “If only I could combine time with… small pieces that I will step on most painfully when I least expect it and… Star Wars.” Well, search no more! For the 
is at hand. There are other characters to choose from as well, 
, 
, 
, or – should your kid run with a slightly more ruthless crowd – 
, and a 
.
You’ve put the finishing touches on the deck, or maybe you’ve gotten the gazebo just the way you like it, but there’s still something missing. Some… final detail to make everything just right. This 
is just what the landscape artist deep down inside of you is calling for. Also available in 10 Yodas. How could a dinner party go poorly when you are surrounded (quite literally as it turns out) by the power of The Force?
Have you ever found yourself at a loss as to which flash drive was yours? They all look the same after a while. Not these puppies! For a mere $260, you can get a 7 character 
. What’s $40 a piece among friends when you can store the plans to the Death Star inside a Royal Guard or even the Emperor himself? They come preloaded with exclusive Star Wars content, ranging from theatrical trailers to wallpapers, icons, and avatars. I’m sure that fact alone will make you feel better about skipping this month’s payment to the orthodontist.
Future fanboys and fangirls unite! Halloween is just a few months away, so garb your little one as 
or 
while you still can. Start them early and start them well, I always say! 
