Beer is great year-round, but summer brings its own varieties. I noticed recently that hard ciders are becoming more popular. I had a chance to sample a new one from Ace, makers of an outstanding pumpkin cider that I am very much looking forward to having again this fall. Their pear cider, available in all seasons, merits a future review. But this one I had not seen before.
Continue Reading »Today marks the 30th anniversary of two very special, very “eighties” movies that I happen to love. The (legitimate) Transformers The Movie, and Space Camp, which I watched for the first time only a year or so ago with the kids.
I honestly can’t remember when I first saw the Transformers movie, but it wasn’t in the theaters. I was the only one of my group of friends that caught it months, if not years later, after it came out on VHS. I had to glean the basic storyline from their broken recollections and from whatever the writers chose to reveal during season three. It seemed like the whole cartoon universe had flipped upside down. The show went overnight from a basic cowboys and indians-style conflict on earth to some dystopian robo-cyberpunk nightmare.
And as an added bonus, all your toys were dead now.
Everybody agreed the movie was momentous and mind-blowing (for my favorite Transformer, literally), but even back then I was cynical enough to sense the sinister hand of Mattel in all this. What better way to clear the decks for a brand new lineup of toys?
The actual Space Camp was kind of a legend back when I was a kid; an almost unimaginable privilege that would have been the closest any of us could ever get to setting foot on the moon. What young boy hasn’t dreamt of being an astronaut at some point in his life? I remember they used to give away seats at Space Camp on those old kids’ game shows. I think I actually spoke with my Mom about it once - about signing up - shortly after they featured it on Good Morning America. But that was more fantasy than reality to a family of limited means. Besides, if they actually put you through physical paces (what did they do at Space Camp, anyway?) I’m not sure I had “the right stuff” to handle a kid astronaut’s exercise and torture regimen.
The movie, however, is great and holds up well decades later. Despite an unbelievable and soon-forgotten plot device involving an intelligent robot, the movie delivers on all the suspense, excitement, and wonder that you could ask for. My kids loved it and it served as a great reminder of the shuttle program and the importance it once had in the national consciousness.
Here in North Texas the sun is shining. The weather is warming up. The world outside is getting brighter. The Texas wildflowers are already in bloom, thanks to a mild and soggy winter. In the woods, things are moving. The itchy season is upon us, and the window of opportunity for a lot of local geocaches is closing, as the casual players tend to steer clear of anything that might put them in the way of tall grass, poison ivy, or the dreaded tick.
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Do you remember Collector’s Crypt? I wrote about that place around this time last year. It’s closed now. I had a dream about it the other night, or rather its next incarnation, which was as a hybrid Christmas/Halloween store. I know the owners have an interest in Christmas things, so that detail is not too surprising. But in my dream, there was also a functional toilet over by the register. I’m not sure what that was supposed to mean.
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2015 was the year I discovered Dark Hour Haunted House, and you probably realize by now what a fan I am. We are very fortunate to live in an area with access to a year round haunt. To be able to be successful at that requires a level of quality and showmanship, frankly, above your average haunt. Not to detract from anyone else in the business (no one can do it all!), but I think it does hold true. In getting to know these guys and the haunt itself a little better over these past few months, it is becoming clear how much of an inspiration they are to other folks in the industry. And I’ve still not yet discovered all they have to offer!
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