More Pics From the Past

Another trip down memory lane here. Notice the classic blue hair and the fresh clean grill. This was from the 4th of July party I had back in 2001.

Time to Put On the Track Suit Again

For the first time since my divorce, I went on a date... While I fear dating again like the plague, I did have a good time. For all my friends and family that are wondering, her name is Amy, is 28 and from Rose Hill. We went to PF Chang's for dinner, went for a walk by the lake, then went to The Shadow for a few drinks. I had a good time, and I figure any date that lasts four hours can't be all that bad.

Boulevard for Dinner

Every year (if you count last year and this one) Boulevard Brewing Co. hosts a dinner at Yia Yia's Eurobistro here in Wichita. They have a five course dinner and every course is matched with a beer that Boulevard brews. Lucky for me, I am friends with Sarah Blanchard who is married to the executive chef of Yia Yia's. Since her husband was working the dinner, she invited me to join her to partake in all the gourmet goodness. Check out this menu:

• Beef Garspachio with Waffle Sticks and Grilled Onions
• Veal Knockwursts with Boulevard's Special Mustard Sauce and Crushed Potatoes
• Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Grilled Veggies
• Roasted Duck with Crepes, Watercress and Veggie Medley
• Funnel Cakes with Ginger Sauce

They served the Boulevard Pale Ale, Unfiltered Wheat, Bully Porter, Stout, and Zon beers with each course respectively. Needless to say, by the end of the night, I was fat and happy. Thanks Scott and Sarah for a great night!

Revenge of the Sith

I got lucky and some friends of mine had an extra ticket for the midnight showing of Star Wars Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith. I got the joy of being able to be the first in my town to see the flick in all it's THX and digital projection glory. This last movie in the Star Wars series told the story perfectly. It showed how a headstrong Anikin was lead down the path to the Dark Side with the best intentions. It filled out the rest of the movies like they were all filmed at the same time. If you are going to see any movie this summer, see this one. I know I'm going to see it again.

Star Wars C3 Pics Now Online

Beau has graciously posted most of the pics that we took while we were in Indiana for Celebration III. He has them all posted in the redshoe.cc's Galleries here. Be glad someone took pictures of me in costume, because you won't see me in color anytime soon. You can also see why Slave Leia was such a hit with all the fans. If you have any pictures from C3 that you would like to share, please drop me a line and we'll get 'em posted.

Power Movers

I helped one of my adopted families move this weekend. Steve and Mary Clairborne, my cousin Jeff's in-laws, are moving back to Wichita from Paducah, Kentucky. We needed to pick up some necessities from their storage in Kentucky but were very limited on time. Steve, Jeff and I loaded up in Steve's extended cab pick-up and left Wichita at 1:30am Saturday. We drove for 10 hours straight, only to stop for some breakfast on the way there. Once in Kentucky, we picked up a trailer, built sides for the thing out of plywood, brackets and baling wire. After a few hours of moving and picking out the things we needed, we loaded the trailer and hit the road again. All in all, we were pretty impressed with our packing job and only had to stop a few times for load issues. At one point we realized the table and chairs had shifted, and when we stopped, we found out the hardware holding the table together was coming apart. If we hadn't have caught it, the entire dining room set would have spilled out on the highway between Paducah and St. Louis. We traded turns driving and sleeping the way back, and arrived back in Wichita at 5am Sunday, just 29 hours and 1200 miles later. Not a bad days work for a Saturday, I just don't want to have to do it again anytime soon.

Post Celebration III Reactions

My four days in Indianapolis for the Star Wars C3 convention were a total blast! With all the time we had at the convention center, I still did not get to see all I wanted to see, let alone everything that was there. It was great fun to see how the crowds reacted to all of us in costume. Jim, Christy, Grant, Seth and Beau showed me how much fun you can have at one of these things. We have about 400 some pictures of the whole thing, and we should have some of them posted up on the Redshoe Galley soon. One of my best highlights was actually getting recognized by my costume and getting asked for a picture. Not bad for a poor moisture farmer from Tatooine.

Getting Ready for Celebration III

The costume is almost done, and the bags are almost packed. I am on my way to my first Star Wars convention. Celebration III is the "official" convention of Lucas Film and the Star Wars Fan Club. This thing is supposed to be huge and have everything you could think of for a Star Wars nut. I'll be spending 4 days in Indianapolis, IN partying and being a geek. Just so you know, I'm going as Owen Lars, step-brother to Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and uncle to Luke Skywalker. Guess what? It's not black either. Check back soon for some pics of the whole thing.

Happy Birthday Evan Dealy

Congratulations to my good friends Beau and Angie Dealy on the birth of their new baby boy, Evan Miles Dealy. He is a healthy boy with all his fingers and toes :) He weighed 8lbs 5oz and is 20 inches long. He has a good set of lungs to keep everyone up late at night. Good luck and much love for Beau's little "experiment" :D

I should have some new stuff up soon, baby pics, new car pics, and maybe some more. Stay tuned...

My Next Car (already?!?!!)

Maybe when I pay off the Benz, I'll be able to afford one of these. And don't even ask, it will be black. Check it out here.