Wandering through E-Space

Just my biennial post saying I'm still around! (even though it's really been 3 years. LOL 😉) I always seem to have plans for this blog, but never get around to posting-not like I used to.   Just an FYI- I'll be helping run Artemis at the following conventions this year: Origins The Cleveland Gaming Classic     And of course, you'll see me at a few Italian Band gigs this summer-most notably The Feast of the Assumption!  No Pedal to the Point for me this year-a dear friend is getting married on the day of the ride.  However, I'm still training with the team and will be back next year!  I did the Cleveland MS Walk last weekend instead-it was a chilly walk! 😅   That's all for now-based on my "current" posting history trend, hopefully it won't be another 4 years before I post again! 😏 

 2 years...new record between posts? This is just a quick post to say, yes, I'm still here, but I'm still not sure exactly what I am going to do with this blog... Lots of things coming up-Artemis Bridge party, Marcon 58 , Origins , plus I have a race coming up the first weekend in June (Race for the Place).  Here's a random photo of the last board game I played:  (Planetarium) Oh, and yes, Countdown Owlie is once again counting down the days until the next total solar eclipse hits the U.S.! (see my Instagram for all his adventures!) Until next time! 

 Once again, I've neglected this blog.  A lot has happened since 2018.  A LOT.  I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with this space, but I'll think of something.   I originally thought I would start blogging again during the pandemic-but as you can see, that never happened (although since we're still in it, I guess it's not too late to start. 😉) I used to be quite the blogger-I was looking at some of my first posts and I had these long, great entries.  Then the entries became shorter and shorter, until I just stopped. I don't really know why-laziness perhaps? I was attending a virtual book launch party for my friend Marie Vibbert and one of the other attendee's asked if she was the only non-writer.  I assured her she wasn't, as I also am not a writer. One thing led to another and I started talking about my blog and what I had originally intended for it (I think I was going to talk about my trading card addiction  hobby. 😂), and that I j...

This past weekend I spent Saturday night to Sunday morning at Observatory Park for the Perseid meteor shower!  This was my third Perseid overnighter at OP.  I set up just before 8pm Saturday night and my friend Jynjyr joined us for a night of counting meteors. I started officially counting around 9:30 pm and finished up around 6 am. (woo!) Total count for the night: 70.  My record is still 201.  The weather wasn't perfect-the humidity was in the 90s, and it was on again off again clouds.  Also-lightning from Canada-I kid you not!  CANADA.  We started noticing lightning flashes around 11 pm-they were bright enough to wreck havoc with our night vision.  I kept checking the radar and there was a fairly large storm cell around London, Ontario-but nothing on the U.S. side.  It was quite fascinating (and annoying-as I mentioned before-it messed with our night vision).  I was hoping to get some decent meteor shots-and was really excited-thi...

It's that crazy time of year again!  Con Season!  Once again my place is littered with little bits and bobs and scraps of material as I try to get my costumes together for Marcon.  This year there's less scraps of material and more bits and bobs as I attempt to make jewelry for my Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff cosplay.  I'm basing it off of her appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron, although truth be told, my hair will look more like hers from Infinity War. 😉 I'm extremely proud of the fact that I was able to make quite a bit of her pieces with items I already had in my stash-but I did have to purchase a few more things.  In terms of the rest of her outfit, I'm using items I already have here at home-black skirt and sleeveless t-shirt, my black riding boots. I ended up purchasing a maroon blazer to complete the outfit-it's not exact, but I'm hoping it's a decent enough representation of the character.   Scarlet Witch is my main cosplay for the wee...

Well, alrighty then!  I really needed to upgrade my blog.  Not sure how I like the new layout, but we'll see if it grows on me.  I feel really bad that I've neglected this blog for so long. I keep thinking about things to post about-the problem is I'm never near a computer when I think of things.  By the time I get home, I'm just to lazy to post. HA.   I miss my old theme, but it hasn't been compatible with Blogger's fancy features for years.  Since the server I was using to house my template (and most of my graphics and photos) no longer exists, I figured it was time to upgrade. I need to gather and repost my links-maybe I'll add a page for them, rather than putting them back on the side bar, like before... It's the beginning of -Con season!  (-Con season for me is March-June)  Last year I attended 4 cons- ConCoction in March, Armada in April, Marcon in May, and Origins in June.  This year I had to skip ConCoction, but the rest are s...

Well, it was more than 8 months since I last posted!  Ha. I've been debating about the direction I want to take this blog-I really do want to continue blogging-I'm just not sure what I want to talk about.  Originally when I started this blog back in 2003, I was going to post more about my trading card hobby and my collection.  I never really did that-only a few posts here and there.  Nowadays my collecting of trading cards is limited to free promos-trading cards can be an expensive hobby! I've been more active in two other hobbies I love: astronomy and photography!  However it would be easier to do the things I would like to do with this blog if I upgraded my blog.  The only problem is the current template I am using is not compatible with the upgraded system, and I'm still rather attached to the way my blog currently looks (yes, I know-it's only the second template update, and it's been this way since near the beginning!  I can't help it...) ...

Whoa!  Haven't posted here since September!  YIKEs!  I hope everyone (who celebrates these) had a Happy Easter...and Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines, St. Patrick... :-D Life's been busy-but I do manage to post to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ;-)   Things are going to be busy on the Convention front-I just realized I will be attending at least one convention for the next three months!  It almost was 4 months, but I had to skip Cleveland ConCoction this year. :-( I'll be heading out to the Artemis Armada One convention this weekend, then Marcon in May, and Origins in June. I'm trying to work on a costume for Marcon-it's going to be a major sewing project for me.  My friend Julie helped me with a mock-up, and now I need to create a new pattern from it.  Wish me luck! I also am embarking on some major organization projects.  I've been meaning to bring up my trading card boxes from the basement for a while now...

I am not hear to complain about the media's fascination with the "Super Moon"-I think I've tweeting and posted to Facebook enough about that-instead, I'm hear to put my money where my mouth is (is that the right saying?) and to tell you to go check out the moon tomorrow night! :) Saturday, September 6th has been designated International Observe the Moon Night! InOMN is the brainchild of several "Moon Units" (the Lunar Science Institute, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific to name a few).  The idea is to generate interest in observing and studying the moon. How to participate?  It's easy!  Just go out on the night of the 6th and look up! :)  You can also join an event, OR create one for the public for yourself!  (unfortunately the only event close enough to Cleveland is Hiram College.  Perhaps next year we can suggest to the folks at Observatory Park to create an event of their own!) ;)  (update: alth...

In the wee hours on Saturday, May 24th, a new meteor shower, the Camelopardalids will make it's presence known! (Image courtesy of Sky and Telescope) This will be the first known time that Earth will pass through the debris left behind by Comet LINEAR. (I say known because there is very little evidence of that the "Cams" have made an appearance before).   The best part is experts believe that we will be plowing through a relatively dense field of debris, with the potential of the Cams becoming a meteor storm!   The peak of this shower is predicted to be around 3am, EST.  If you are in Northeast Ohio and are looking for a place to view meteors, Observatory Park in Geauga County will be open all night long for stargazers!  Camelopardalis is a very faint constellation.  Chris Mentrek, Astronomy Naturalist at Observatory Park suggests looking just to the right of the Big Dipper and just below Polaris, the North Star.  Even more good new...

Yes, I am still around! ;) Tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day!!! To see if there is a participating store near you, check out their store locator . In addition to grabbing some free comics, I'm also on the hunt for a few older ones.  I recently started reading the Farscape comics-set at the end of The PeaceKeeper Wars, these comics follow the story line of the cancelled season 5, and are considered canon by the Jim Henson Company!  There were 24 issues over a 2 year run, and the first 16 were compiled into 7 paperback volumes.  Unfortunately it doesn't appear that the last 8 were ever made into single volumes-so I am on a search for issues 17-24. (I own the first volume containing the first 4 issues, and the library has the next 6 ). I'm really enjoying the comics-they remain true to the tv show, and are written by Rockne S. O'Bannon.  :) I'm also on the hunt for some trading card supplies-I need more 4-card protector sheets for my promo cards! :)  I also pu...

  It's here!!  It's here!!!!   The 50th Anniversary of my most favorite television program on Earth!  Happy 50th Doctor Who!!! I've been watching Doctor Who since I've been a tiny little thing.  My first episode was The Time Warrior.   Since I was so young, I didn't remember much of the story until almost two decades later when I finally got my hands on a VHS copy. (Yes you youngin's, BEFORE dvd/blu-ray players!) ;) The thing I remembered most from the episode was when the Third Doctor first met Sarah Jane. She had just walked into the room she was sharing with the Doctor and Prof. Rubish and tried to pull off pretending to be her Aunt Lavinia. (of course the Doctor saw right through that!) ;)  Doctor Who was a family affair in our household.  Our local PBS station in Minneapolis, KTCA (now TPT, I think...) aired Doctor Who on Friday and Saturday nights-although they did try a little bit of everything, it seemed. Friday and Saturday wer...

Thursday I was sitting at work, when my coworker Nora, herself a Whovian, came up to me and asked me if I knew about the Art Bites tour at the Cleveland Museum of Art (Art Bites are 30 minute gallery tours during the lunch hour) This week's topic? Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey! Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who by taking a tour of galleries of places that the Doctor and his companions visited. Well, duh!  Of course I was in!  Fellow Whovian Elanor joined us, too!  The woman giving the tour was obviously a big Whovian herself (well, of course she was-she came up with the idea for this Art Bite. ;) ).  The stories represented were The Romans, The Wedding of River Song, A Good Man Goes to War, The Girl in the Fireplace (the museum has the most beautiful rug on display-hard to believe it's from Louis XV's dining room!), and Vincent and the Doctor. It was a really awesome tour that went by really fast (and reminded me that I really should take advantage of the ...

Three days until the 50th Anniversary!!!!  Fun fact-Three was my first Doctor!  The first episode I remember watching as a child was The Time Warrior with Jon Pertwee and Elisabeth Sladen's first appearance as Sarah Jane Smith. They say your first companion is always your favorite-not sure how true it is, but in my case, it certainly is!!!!  She was like the older sister I never had. Speaking of favorite companions, the folks at BBC America's Anglophenia blog have come up with top favorite lists to celebrate the 50th Anniversary.  Check out their companion list! 10 Favorite Companions ...obviously, I totally agree with No. 1 on their list. ;)   I also have to agree with No. 2-I love Donna Noble-I felt as though she was the Sarah Jane Smith of the "New Who" era. :) I pretty much agree with the entire list- (yes, even though Rose is on the list-I had no problem with her during her tenure with 9-I just felt that with 10 she got to whiny and needed....

4 days until the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who!!!!!  Here is a great post from BBC America's Anglophenia blog filled with all sorts of video clips and information about the 50th anniversary, including the pre-show before The Day of the Doctor !!! :-D Countdown to the Day of the Doctor Enjoy!!! #SaveTheDay

The 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who is only a week away!!!!! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am! I've been watching the show since I was 2 and a half-years old! There is so much I could say, but for now, I'll let these videos do the talking. :-D Trailer for The Day of the Doctor I see some serious 'sonic' envy happening in this trailer-do you? LOL. Prequel Mini-sode, Night of the Doctor Just a link to it, for those who don't want to be completely spoiled. ;) Doctor Who Children in Need special, the Day of the Doctor: Preview for the Doctor Who biopic, An Adventure in Space and Time Are you as excited as I am?!?!?!?!?!?!?! :-D

It's October!!! HALLOWEEN!!! Here's hoping the weather holds out for my godson's first hayride tomorrow night. :) If you're in the mood for something spooky, then check out this list of Cleveland's most haunted places! (Special thanks to  http://blog.rightturn.com for the graphic! ) Happy Haunting!

Vader's Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown My rating: 4 of 5 stars I found this book on display in the graphic novels section of our library’s CPL leisure collection. Although I had basically given up reading any Star Wars alternate universe books long ago, I still have a soft spot for comics and this was just too cute to pass up. I mean seriously-the cover has Darth Vader having a tea party with a tiny Princess Leia and her stuffed Ewok. I couldn’t help but giggle. I soon found out that this is a sequel of sorts to another book, Darth Vader and Son. Although I haven’t read the first one yet, I really don’t think you need to, unless you’re really anal about it… If you are looking for a ‘what might have been’ type comic, then move on. This is by no means that-and it’s not supposed to be. It’s a humorous, fun little read. I mean, do you really think someone as big and mean as Darth Vader would take time out of his very busy day of taking over the universe to have a tea p...

So once again I've been thinking about what to do w/this blog.  I keep saying I'm going to update and post more, but I never get around to it... One thing I finally did was update my sidebar...sort of.  I got rid of a few sites that no longer update or are completely defunct (yes, there are a couple that are still listed...I'll eventually delete those. And boo! Yahoo Avatars no longer exist)  I moved a few things around (not sure why there is such a large gap between my twitter feed and my get glue stickers...)  I may eventually move more things around, but that will come later.  And even though The Peacekeeper Wars aired several years ago, I'm keeping the banner up because I love Farscape! (same goes for the Doctor Who banner announcing it's return to America on SciFi-even though SciFi is now SyFy and Doctor Who is now exclusively on BBCA, it's still history...) ;) One of the main reasons why I haven't "upgraded" my blog template is simply b...