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Whirligig week, Chapter Two. So, we left Educait and the Minivan Samurai breathlessly outrunning TS Bill en route to the Florida Panhandle home of the Samurai's brother, the Pilot, and his wonderful family. We made it just ahead of massive thunderstorms (well, one squall caught us, but the Samurai's mighty thews were easily equal to the task of steering the Space Van safely through the maelstrom). We were joined at the Pilot's by the Samurai's dad, the Preacher (also known, to his grandkids, as Doodah, or, to me, as Doodad) and his lovely fiance, Miss Inez. We were greeted by ecstatic niece Elbone, nephews Chando and Bales, and furry nephew Cisco. All four consider us, rightly, to be Their Exclusive Property. Elbone uses me as furniture-she's seven, but still petite enough to sit in the Aunt Educait recliner. So, the rain poured down, we all ate the sister-in-law's excellent cooking, played video games, looked mournfully out the window at the unused, spanking-new pool, and catered to Bales' obsession with the Lord of the Rings. Bales turned six last week, so we were there for his birthday. He requested, and received, many LoTR action figures (Aunty Edicait pawed through a whole newly-delivered box at KB to acquire Legolas and Gandalf the White), and, heaven help us, a Sting replica, complete with lights and SOUND. Cling-CLANG, clangity-DING, I'm annoying, hateful STING, it seemed to say. Bales LOVED it. After a trip to the seventh level of Chuck E Cheese's (my first and last visit) we took the three offspringlets and their two accompanying friends home, full of soda, pizza, and candy, and fed them cake, ice cream, and root beer floats. What WERE we thinking? All six adults were nodding wearily on the sofa at midnight, watching the boys take turns staging mock martial-artsy swordfights for us. The Pilot finally herded them off to bed. and we all silently blessed our few Sting-free hours. The next day, as the adults were eating breakfast, Sting broke. No more clangity-bash. There was much (silent) rejoicing. Then Uncle Samurai, bless his heart, FIXED it. The rest of our visit was spent checking out more excellent comic stores, playing in the pool, watching the Samurai teach aikido to the wee ones, and eating. We finally left (after scraping the kids off our legs-they're like limpets) and drove all night to get home and collapse. Have you ever been awake in Greensboro at 3:35 AM? Or Emporia at 5:45 AM? Lemme tell ya, you aren't missing anything. Really. Stay in bed. For an account of our incredibly fun weekend, see the Bookgirl, Colin-G, or Giuliana. We immensely enjoyed hanging out at GenieAlisa's place. We were sorry to leave on Saturday evening, but we had to have dinner with old-timers. Yes, there are folks older than us. More on that tomorrow. Read this: Batman/Planetary crossover. Warren Ellis ROCKS. On de Headbone: REALLY fun, twisted JapPop, courtesy of Rosine's younger son. |
 
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