Derek Was Here

I have a great many books of which I have read no small amount a great many times. I do so enjoy employing all manners of bookmarks, but I do not scoff at dog-earing the corner of a page, nor laying a book splayed out on the read pages. Thus, a great majority of my books have a well-read quality to their appearance. Tonight, after having reached a nice stopping point in The Fellowship of the Ring, I noticed as I began to fold the corner of the page that it already had a well-worn crease. It was as though I was able to shake hands with an earlier version of myself; a comforting thought. I hope someday that someone, maybe one my own grown children, or even a grandchild, stopping at the same place, notices the same noticeable folds, like landmarks on a much traveled path, and smiles at the memory --of me. 

The Force Awakens

I just had my dad watch the new Star Wars trailer on my phone while sitting in his car. Just listening to it from the passenger seat stirred memories of watching the original Star Wars for the first time from the back seat of an old Toyota at the old Marion drive-in in '77 or '78, with him, my mom, and my younger brother. In my short lifetime, I do not believe that any other singular American pop culture phenomenon has affected me in the way that Star Wars has. Set aside the failings of any of the installments in regard to separate works of cinematic art and consider how the merchandizing of the late Seventies set the stage for what we as consumers in our contemporary modern culture expect to see and hear coincide with a blockbuster theatrical release. Consider how the simplest lines of dialogue have worked their way into our modern lexicon. Consider the themes, although not entirely original, have cemented themselves alongside those of religious and other spiritual teachings. Although my foremost fantastical literary love affair is with the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, it is almost impossible for me to go throughout my day and not have a Star Wars related thought cross my mind. I truly believe it is due to the constant integration and indoctrination of the film property into our global culture over the past nearly forty years. It's something that makes me smile every time one of my children sees the logo in a public place and says, "Look dad! Star Wars!" because I know that was me sitting in the back of an old Toyota in a galaxy far, far away. 

Third Grade Love Life

Riddick: I had a girlfriend in first grade.

Sav: Oh yeah? What was her name?

Riddick: I don't remember. 

Me: Ya know, it was so long ago.

Riddick: Well...she moved that day.

Sav: Oh. That very day?

Riddick: Yup. I don't know what happened. 

My Perspective Should Always Be From the Expanded Universe

After dropping El of at the junior high and making our way to Riddick's elementary school...

Riddick: "What's up with that bench over there? Is there a dead person buried underneath it?"

Me: "No, but it still may be a memorial. Sometimes benches are placed as memorials to persons who have died, much like statues, even if the body of that person is buried elsewhere."

Riddick: "Well, I know of one statue that isn't a memorial for a person who is dead."

Me: "Oh yeah? Who is that?"

Riddick, "Superman."

Too Early in the Morning for Riddick Humor

As the kids and I were in the kitchen this morning, Rohan sighed and said, "I'm tired."

Acknowledging his crazy after school schedule I chuckled and said, "Wow, I can't imagine why."

Elena obviously missing the point said, "Welllll, if you wouldn't stay up so late."

"Uhhh, there's more to it than that." I quickly replied.

"Seven hours of school, two hours of running, two hours of wrestling..." Rohan mildly added in his own defense.

Then Riddick chided, "Just wait until you get in the third grade Rohan."

I almost fell over laughing. Elena chimed in before Rohan could, "What are you talking about Riddick?!"

"Dad gets it. He's laughing." Riddick answered dryly.

"Oh do I?" I almost could not suppress my laughter. "Let's just pretend for a moment that I don't. What do you mean?"

"Yeah Riddick. If Rohan is in high school then he's already been in the third grade." jibed Elena.

Riddick answered back, "I know that Elena. It was a joke. I said 'wait', get it? He has to wait? Sheesh."

It is good to be Riddick: he has it all figured out, all of the time.

Never Cut the Red One!

Elena and I were stopped at an intersection when she observed some exposed wiring on a tractor trailer in the lane next to us. She said, "Dad, why is it they never know which wire to cut in a movie --the blue one, green one, or the red one?" My little grape is a clever one. 

Trials of a Shoe Gazer

Went for a run this morning. When I made it back to our apartment complex I walked past our front porch several times, out of breath, sweat pouring off of me. After about five passes, my heart rate only slightly lessened, I decided that I was ready to go in, if only just to make the neighbors less nervous. I walked up the porch while fishing my key out of my running arm band. I put it in the deadbolt  and jiggled it while jerking on the door handle, since it's rather problematic. I glanced up and the thought crossed my mind, "When did we put a wreath back on the front door?" I quickly looked at the bike --not Ro's bike.

So far the police have not been called. 

Waaaaaa

The shorties are watching an old Hello Kitty cartoon and a character said, "Why are you crying? There's nothing to cry about. Well...I take that back. There's a lot to cry about!" I can't stop laughing. 

El & Eddie: Lost in Vegetation

El: Shut up! You talk wierd!

Riddick's: Hey! You shut up! He's a potato!

El: He's an artichoke. 

Riddick's: Meh.