Tag: star wars

A Star Wars Fan Geeks Out in Ireland

My husband has a lot of family in Ireland, so we go back to visit often. We try to make each trip a little different and see new things so on this past visit I was intent on visiting a couple of the Star Wars filming locations.

It’s no secret I’m a Star Wars fan! So I was pretty excited just to see the spots in real life where they filmed parts of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Our first stop was to the Kerry Cliffs and Skellig Micheal, home to the ancient island monastery that serves as Luke’s hideout, Ahch-To, and is featured in both movies.

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This is as close as I got

We arrived 30 min. past the last boat ride so we got to see the islands wayyyy off in the distance. It was still pretty cool. Actually getting on the island can be treacherous business, as it was the only excursion on our tourist map with a big red warning that said “deaths have occurred here.” It’s very steep and rocky so we thought maybe we should wait on bringing a toddler and plan for a future visit. It’s also recommended that you book ahead, as there are only a few boats that make the trip and they tend to book up. You can go around the island or book one that docks. Click here to read about a couple of bloggers who actually made it on the island and how they booked their trip. We made due with the replica beehive huts and the beautiful view from the cliffs.

The Empire will never find me here!

The other place we visited was Loop Head in County Clare to view more beautiful cliffs, and one of the filming locations for Last Jedi. Apparently they were filming all up and down the west side of Ireland, known as the Wild Atlantic Way. All this scenery makes me want to watch the movies again and pay close attention to the locations!

I am going to plan ahead a little better on our next trip so we can actually go on the island and maybe see a few more spots. On a side note, I plan to add a trip to the Cliffs of Moher next time, which I haven’t seen in a few years and are always spectacular. You may know them by a different name though….they are the Cliffs of Insanity in The Princess Bride!

So who else enjoys visiting film locations from their favorite movies? What spots have you been to?

 

Happy Father’s Day! Yes, even you, Darth Vader.

I randomly found this image online one Father’s Day and thought it was funny. I had no idea it came from a book called Darth Vader and Son, by Jeffrey Brown, until a friend surprised me with the book she found at a garage sale. There’s also one with Leia called Vader’s Little Princess, which I recently sent to a friend as a baby shower gift.

The funny thing about the book is that it is just individual cartoons. It’s not an actual story. So it’s not exactly a kid’s book. However, my son has no idea it’s not a bedtime story so now it’s my job to make it one! He absolutely loves the book, but it’s a terrible read, so you have to make up a story to go along with the pictures. He can’t read so he has no idea.

So the story goes something like this: Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away, Luke woke up early and drank blue milk, then he got in a fight with his sister for playing with his toys, then he wanted to play with Han Solo and his dad said no, then he asked to get a Jar Jar Binks doll so Vader said no, let’s draw pictures of the Sith…and so on.

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See? Not the greatest story. Sometimes I skip big chunks of the book because I just don’t have a good story to go with it. And his dad Vader kind of seems like a jerk because he won’t let him play with Han, Greedo or get a Jar Jar doll. But then he plays with him, takes him for ice cream and fixes a booboo so he’s not all bad. I try to weave a nice story around it, all the while wondering, when he actually watches Star Wars the first time is he going to be like, “This isn’t how it happens!! Why is Darth Vader doing that??”

I guess I’ll just deal with that when the time comes! Until then, I’ll be making Vader out to be Father of the Year, lol.

So Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Hope you get a nice shiny new Death Star.

 

 

I Like Star Wars the Normal Amount

At least, that’s what I thought until I was having dinner with a new friend and found out I have no idea what the normal amount is.

I used to own a costume boutique so I was surrounded by cosplay/geeky people all the time. It was like living in a nerdy little bubble. Since I had a baby, moved to the beach, closed my shop and started the blog, I’ve been meeting a lot of new people and a lot of those people have no idea what cosplay is and some of them *gasp* have never even seen Star Wars. (I’m still shocked when I hear that, and honestly question whether we could ever be besties if they don’t understand the ways of The Force .)

Recently I was having dinner with another mom, chatting and getting to know each other. We were basically on a first mom date and the subject of Star Wars came up. I can’t remember what I said, but it led to her asking me “so you like Star Wars a lot?”

And my first response was “well I think I like Star Wars a normal amount.” And then I was like what the hell am I talking about? I’m on the cover of a Star Wars documentary that’s probably a little more than the normal amount. But I didn’t want to come off as totally weird, and then I realized well she’s going to figure that out sooner or I later might as well come clean.

So I admitted, yeah, I guess like Star Wars “a lot.” And then in true geek fashion I had to specify that I liked the original Star Wars the best, and that I’m not so into the new Star Wars and confess that I hadn’t even seen the new Star Wars yet (I have seen it now) and slowly I realize I probably talked about Star Wars WAY more than the “normal” amount. So I decide the best way to go is even things out with “but I like Star Trek too,” as if maybe being a well-rounded geek is going to sound more normal. I stop myself before clarifying “just TOS though, not much of the new stuff, except the movies. I’ve seen all of those.”

See? the normal amount. Nothing to see here. Totally normal levels of Star Wars love. Lets move along. Just don’t get me started on the costuming! Normal just goes downhill from there.

So what do you geek out on? Anything you might have an above-average amount of fangirl (or boy) love for?

Raising Darth Vader

darth vader babyEver get worried that you’re raising a future Darth Vader? Or even worse, a Kylo Ren? Sure, we all go through our villain moments, but I’m still on the good side and have hopes of raising a sweet little super hero. So tonight in the bath, that sweet little future hero turns to me, lowers his voice dramatically and says, “I’m a bad guy and I’m going to shoot you.” Then pics up his toy boat, points it as me and goes “Pew, pew, pew, I shot you with my boat.”

W. T. F.

Where is he getting this from? I suspect his dad, who thinks he can watch anything on TV and not have a toddler absorb it all. In fact, I just texted him to ask if he had The Punisher on before he put him to bed last night. Because I find it odd that I get to go on one Mom’s Night Out and come home to a boat gun wielding baby. Moments later he started demanding an actual gun and was very disappointed to hear guns were not allowed in the tub. (Husband texted back, blames it all on YouTube)

This new fascination with the dark side doesn’t stop at tub theatrics. Yesterday at the park another kid was growling at him (it happens) and he thought it was the most fun thing ever because there was a “bad guy” to play with. He talked about him all the way home.

I know they all go through phases and it’s just a new thing he’s learning, but sometimes I feel ill-equipped to get through some of these parenting challenges and I get a little anxious. I start thinking about the monumental responsibility I have to help this little child grow into a good adult. I mean, nobody wants a future Kylo Ren. (at least, probably not the dads 😆)

So here’s to good parenting and the best intentions to raise children on the side of the light.  May the Force be with us, always.

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Generation Geek

Star Wars a new hope movie posterI’m old school. The only video games I kick ass at were released at least 20 years ago. And I love Star Wars, but I haven’t even seen Rogue One yet.

And I feel like that sort of define things. Especially with the death of Han Solo and then the real life death of Princess Leia (and also Spock). My geek generation is getting older and our icons are dying off.

But at the same time a new generation is rising. The force is actually awakening, but also changing with the times. Like the new Wonder Woman movie. It’s a different WW than I grew up with, and it’s taking me a little bit to really embrace this new one. Although I love her and her strong character, she’s just not my Wonder Woman. I almost wish she had a different name, because I will always picture Lynda Carter in her star spangled outfit. But this generation needs an Amazon warrior, so that’s who she became.

I grew up with this stuff and it didn’t seem geeky back then. In fact, I thought it was all pretty cool. I played NES obsessively, but I didn’t go around saying I was a “gamer girl.” I wasn’t aware there was a distinction. I played Jedi with my cousins using broomsticks as lightsabers. I decked myself out in a cardboard tiara and Wonder Woman Underoos and ran around the house fighting crime. My Big Wheel was the green and purple Incredible Hulk edition.

So that is why my costuming isn’t usually about the latest and greatest thing to come out. I usually look to childhood favorites for inspiration. So in my mind, I really DID get to grow up and be Wonder Woman, lol. (… and Link, and Princess Peach, etc.)

I’m looking forward to raising my son in his own geeky generation. But I’m pretty sure to him, it will just be cool kid stuff.

Update – I wrote this post as a draft last week. And last night I finally watched Rogue One! And of course I liked it.