|
|
Opening title crawl:
Luke Skywalker has returned to his home
planet of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue
his friend Han Solo from the clutches of the
vile gangster Jabba the Hutt.
Little does Luke know that the Galactic
Empire has secretly begun construction on a
new armored space station even more powerful
than the first dreaded Death Star.
When completed, this ultimate weapon will
spell certain doom for the small band of
Rebels struggling to restore freedom to the
galaxy…
Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
That’s crazy, the first one cost a small fortune as it is! Regardless, you knew that sooner or later, somebody, somewhere, would figure this out. Death Star would cost $852 Quadrillion I’m sure the Galactic Empire felt it was worth it.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: ”Our presence here will be invisible, M’Lady. I can assure you.”
Captain Typho: ”I’m Captain Typho of her majesty’s security service. Queen Jamilla has been informed of your assignment. I am very grateful you are here, Master Kenobi. The situation is more dangerous than the Senator will admit.”
Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
Dad Windu and I, as not to be left behind all alone, headed off to Tucson, AZ to visit his parents who were over-wintering there and get in a bit more Old West history under our tourquoise-encrusted, over-sized, yeah-these-aren’t-to-touristy-right? silver belt buckles. Despite it being COLD there much of the time, we had a lovely time dodging tourists in Tombstone – the historical museum is quite good, by the way, even if the town itself is a collossal waste of time. The drive from Tucson to Tombstone is quite pretty, with lots of long and winding roads through both desert and high mountain passes. Our little rental speeder with approximately 2.9 gungan-power didn’t enjoy the drive much, but we sure did.
We took a roundabout way back and stayed over in Sierra Vista so that we could visit the Military History Museums located within the Fort Huachuca Army Base - only to realize that our rental car company messed up our paperwork so we couldn’t enter the base. In fact, we were technically driving illegally as the rental agent put down the wrong experation date – for the day before we were there! And let me tell you, Fort Huachuca is the ONLY reason to be in Sierra Vista that I could find. It’s one giant ode to Big Box stores and almost every possible National chain. After a bit of hunting and pecking, we did find a delicious, local Mexican restaurant – La Casita – and cute little coffee shop – Gelato Java Stop – where the owner messed up my order a little bit but was so nice and friendly that I didn’t even tell her.
Meeting the receptionist at the The Sierra Vista Convention and Visitors Bureau, however, was worth the lackluster overnight stay, she told us about a few local ghost towns (including which ones required a 4×4 to reach), great restaurants which sadly we didn’t follow up on because we were sooo full from our late lunch at La Casita that we didn’t even want any dinner that night, and even more about the museums at Fort Huachuca. You know, so that we really, really wanted to see them the next day… only to find out that we couldn’t. Grrrr.
On our way back to AZ, we backtracked a bit and stopped to see the ghost town of Fairbank, the closest railstation to Tombstone and several other local mining towns on its way to Tucson and points further west. This really got DW pumped, as it was certainly a place that his Old West “friends” – Virgil and Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, and Major Clum to name a few – would have passed through on their travels. There are only a few buildings left, but we roamed around the area for several hours visiting the very untouristy burial grounds atop a high hill with a spectacular, clear view of the surrounding shrub-lands,
the town remnants – please note the sign propped up against one of the buildings – love the quotes around DANGER by the way,
the crumbling rail depot next to the converted rails-to-trails recreational path, and the San Pedro River which was, of course, key to the survival and location of the town.
“This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away… to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless.” – Yoda, Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
Perhaps. But I’m also blissfully happy at the moment. It may be an un-Jedi-like trait, but it’s very, very real.
The stars aligned. A couple of excellent deals were offered. The current landspeeder had required yet another expensive repair. It was time. So as of last Thursday night, we are now the new owners of a 2011 Mini Cooper Clubman. It’s British Racing Green with a black roof, mirrors and – going on next week – bonnet stripes. I’m calling it The Green Lantern, in honor of a comic book-loving friend who first dragged me to the Grand Rapids Car Show back before Minis were even in production because he KNEW it was the car for me. Indeed, it was love at first sight, and I’ve been Jones-ing for one ever since. I’ll get a picture up just as soon as the bonnet stripes are on.
Last night, as we were getting ready to go to trampoline practice, Dad Windu said, “I love everything about this car.” Shockingly high praise for a “Yeah, dinner wasn’t half bad” kind of guy. Our nearly 16 year old Padawan Learner is just itching to drive it, but he will not be touching The Green Lantern’s clutch until he gets a few more miles under his belt driving the old-slow-mobile. We’re keeping the old, larger car around for a bit, in case PL follows in my tracks and learns to drive the extreme way – by crashing into someone/something else in the first few months of having a license.
Nute: “I know nothing about any Ambassadors…you must be mistaken.”
Amidala: “Beware, Viceroy…”
Nute: “Your Highness, we would never do anything without the approval of the Senate. You assume too much.”
Amidala: “We will see.”
Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace
Once again, I was close to assuming that I had pretty much seen it all, but I was wrong – of course.
Eileen Cook has found a way to combine her love for all things Pooh with my obvious obsession with Star Wars. Really, what are best buds to do when their ”You simply have to see this” moments don’t overlap? All hail James Hance, a clever creator of fine things. (look at both links)
And to add glorious fuel to the fire, Dad Windu found a way to combine Star Wars with his passion for roundabouts and all things road-related. TomTom, I bow to your awesomeness. First good and then evil.
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…
“When I was a kid, there are two things I wanted badly and never got…”
Obi-Wan Kenobi: “You look tired.”
Anakin Skywalker: “I don’t sleep well, anymore.”
Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
It’s probably because his mom didn’t read “Goodnight, Forest Moon” to him as a child.
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.
Hat-tip to Eileen Cook for sending this along.
|
|
