Fortune And Glory – Page 31

June 8, 2018

Prepare to Jettison…

I’ve added HBO to my Hulu account.

I’ve subscribed to YouTube TV.

If this works out over the next week, I’m cancelling Xfinity/Comcast.

May 28, 2018

The 50s

1 year, 3 months, and 5 days after I was born, my ‘twin’ arrived.

Maria Saguisag-Sid is (this is my fourth try) one of the most extraordinary people I know.

She grew up with two older brothers who always decided what to watch on TV, which may explain her attraction to the sports world (Rob) and the geek world (me).

In middle school I was known as “Maria’s brother”, while in high school she was known as “Chris’ sister”. It was weird.

In college we were compared to Brandon and Brenda from Beverly Hills 90210. After college we were compared to Ross and Monica on Friends.

Maria met her best friend and life partner in high school. They eventually married and raised a pair of fantastic kids.

Maria is the rock among my siblings and me. She’s shown that recently with her handling of all matters and details following our Dad’s death.

Happy 50th, Maria! Luv ya lots!

May 27, 2018

Toilet Repair

Dear Dad,

I managed to replace the fill valve on the downstairs toilet. It doesn’t appear to leak anymore, and is silent again.

I found your tools in the same place that you stored them when you first showed me how to do home plumbing repairs.

I couldn’t have done this without your guidance, all those years ago.

I hope I did it right by you.

Thanks, Dad.

I love you and miss you.

May 27, 2018

Race Day 2018

While I know the first race I ever watched from start to finish was the 1997 Daytona 500, I honestly can’t recall what was the first race I ever watched, period.

But I figure it must have been the Indianapolis 500. Somewhere along the line I was a fan of A.J. Foyt, and knew names like Al Unser and Rick Mears.

There was a time that I knew I’d miss watching the race because we’d go camping over Memorial Day Weekend. I’d hear about who won after we got home from the camp site.

This is the last time that ABC will be broadcasting the Indy 500, handing the reins over to NBC in 2019. I’m hopeful that they’ll do as good a job, they’ve come a long way since that terrible coverage of their first ever NASCAR race, where they had interviews and spotlight segments DURING THE RACE, and didn’t even show what was going on during those segments.

We’re a few minutes away from the command to start engines. I have my favorite drivers, like Danica, Helio, and TK, but unlike NASCAR, there’s not a single driver in this series who I don’t like.

I’m hoping one of my favorites win. Or maybe one of the NorCal drivers, Kyle Kaiser or J.R. Hildebrand.

Drivers, Start Your Engines!

May 24, 2018

Solo: A Star Wars Story

It’s getting to a point where I like these newer non-Skywalker saga Star Wars films better than the saga films. As an avid role-playing gamer, the original Star Wars RPG from West End Games was more than just a game, it allowed us, the players, to make our own mark in George Lucas’ sandbox. To me, that meant more than the EU books/stories did, as much as I liked a number of those.

And to be honest, I think it’s one reason why I myself am so forgiving of the newer films, while toxic fandom continues to ruin what should be a golden age of genre films. Sure, I have an idea of how Episodes VII and VIII should have told the story, but they didn’t, and I’m okay with that. It’s not my story to tell, or I’d have my name in the credits under ‘Written by’ or ‘Directed by’.

Heck, I was actually picturing what my old characters (a bounty hunter and an Ewok) would be doing during The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Those are stories that I CAN tell.

But I digress.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is a fun movie. My initial ranking among the other films puts it between The Empire Strikes Back and The Force Awakens on my list, which makes it 5th in the top ten.

There were Easter eggs to other Expanded Universe material. There was a jaw dropping moment, equal to the one that was as much a surprise to me in Infinity War. Totally unexpected. But made sense, if you watched a certain animated series called Rebels.

One of the Easter Eggs almost made me yelp in excitement. Another one made me smile. Another, well, let’s just say that I need to re-read the Lando books.

And there were plenty of moments where I just had a huge grin on my face and tears forming in my eyes.

Was it the movie I’ve waited 40-odd years to see? Yes.

It was a movie that focused on Han Solo and Chewbacca and the Millennium Falcon.

And that’s all my 10-12 year old self wanted, after seeing Star Wars and reading the Brian Daley books.

The only things missing were Bollux and Blue Max, and Gallandro.

Recommended. Go see it! Two thumbs up! 3 out of 4 stars!

May 19, 2018