Mom's Guide to the Galaxy

Some movie thoughts

I’ve seen a few distinctive movies recently and thought I’d talk about a couple of them. I’ll go light on spoilers, since one of them is still in theaters.

Dragon Blade – This historical fiction piece about a Roman army invading China’s Silk Road pairs up Jackie Chan and John Cusack against a corrupt Roman leader. Obviously, a movie with Jackie Chan has some great fight scenes, including some duels and larger battles. The dialogue was about what you’d expect from an action movie… not memorable, but not too corny, and while the outcome was predictable, plot points within the movie came as a surprise.

Tag – This movie about adults playing a 30-year game of tag is rated R for a reason… there are significant portions of dialogue you do not want to explain to a child. Once you get past that, it’s a fun romp about a group of adults that set aside one month a year to sneak up on their friends – in other cities – for an extended game of tag, and the one friend they’ve never managed to tag.

Shazam! – Just out in theaters, this is a fun DC movie, now that they’ve realized they can sell something other than mopey Superman and Batman flicks. Shazam! goes beyond the goofy moments in Aquaman to entertain viewers while relaying a solid message similar to Lilo & Stitch or Mrs. Doubtfire about family being what we make of it. There are some great moments as Billy explores his powers and discovers the importance of using them wisely. My biggest question about the movie, however, was why “Shazam,” composed of a mix of Jewish, Greek, and Roman strengths, is responsible for containing the seven deadly sins from Christianity.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women – This is a fabulous not for kids movie exploring the origins behind Wonder Woman. Professor Marston, addressing criticism of Wonder Woman, explains the psychology that the comic book is supposed to be teaching, exploring the DISC assessment with the censors who were interrogating him. The movie delves into the polyamorous relationship between Professor Marston, his wife Elizabeth, and their student and girlfriend, Olive, and the difficulties of raising a non-traditional family in the pre-World War 2 era.

Signs of spring continue

I’m thoroughly enjoying the warmer weather and the time I get to spend outside as a result. It’s not doing much for my Pokémon Go tendencies – there’s so much work to do in the garden, I don’t have time to walk to the nearby gyms and stops. Once everything is planted and at a maintenance level for the season, I’m sure I’ll get more walking in.

That said, I’ve continued mulching all around the garden, both as a weed suppressant and because it looks nice. I’m expecting to have my strawberry plants in the ground by the end of the week, with all of the pavers set so I can reach every part of the garden bed. Most of last year’s mint has been trimmed back, and the dried ends pulled off the chives to see (and taste) the new growth in the spring. I have a couple more plant remnants to pull out before I can start putting seeds in the ground for the early plantings, like salad greens.

The yard has been brimming with wildlife as the robins and other birds return. It’s hard to keep the bird feeders filled, not only because the neighborhood squirrels keep visiting, but also the abundance of birds that perch in the nearby trees. The squirrels do tend to knock all the seed onto the ground, which makes it more accessible to the gathered birds.

Squirrel on a hanging bird feeder — This squirrel is a regular visitor

Given the variable weather in Chicagoland, I’m never quite sure when the first grilling of the season will be. I’m pleased to say that I lit of the grill already… on the last day of March. Well, technically, I cooked on it; Cassandra lit it. I’m looking forward to continued grilling throughout the warm months.

Spring is here.

Spring is here. Life is skittles and life is beer.*

Gardenzilla and wood paver tiles in the new garden bed, eagerly awaiting strawberry plants

It’s gardening season! It warmed up a bit, so I was out at the hardware store last weekend buying dirt for the new garden bed. This is by far my easiest garden bed setup since I moved in – I’m repurposing an existing area that had rocks and the occasional weed. I started working on it in the fall, piling leaves there instead of paying to have them removed, then weighing them down with free mulch from the city. Early last week, as it warmed up, I stopped for some more city mulch, and was thrilled to find pine trees mulched into the pile. After several buckets, I was ready to add dirt, followed by some paving tiles down the center. I’ll need another set of paving tiles, so I can reach all of the strawberry plants I intend to add to the bed, but it’s off to a good start.

Garden storage cabinet and a yard cart — New outdoor storage

Also on Saturday, with some fairly significant assistance, my garden storage cabinet was assembled. The shed that came with the house was in questionable condition when I moved in, and is getting progressively worse: the roof that shows wear and tear on the outside, leaks and is growing mushrooms on the inside. On top of that, somebody created a smaller, secondary door in the hidden side of the shed during the winter. One of my goals for this year is to remove that shed, but in order to do that, I need someplace for my gardening tools to live. With the storage cabinet assembled and populated, the project is off to a good start.

*No pigeons were harmed while writing this blog post. Also, I don’t like beer.

Little Bohemia Restaurant

Every so often, after visiting Brookfield Zoo, we find ourselves wandering through Riverside looking for lunch. After last fall’s ZooRunRun, I had a particular restaurant in mind to re-visit, only to find we had arrived before they opened. A quick Google search turned up a nearby Bohemian restaurant that was already open, so we walked that direction. And almost walked past it… the door is tucked in, so we got to the window and had to take a few steps back once we verified that it was the right door.

It would have been a shame to miss this delightful restaurant. I meant to write about it back then, but other things came up and kept me busy. Then this Sunday, after wandering around Brookfield Zoo again, we specifically headed to the Little Bohemia Restaurant again. The inside is small enough to feel cozy without feeling cramped, allowing staff to keep an eye on diners’ needs without feeling like they’re hovering.

Bread basket, beef noodle soup, corned beef dinner, and a custard-filled donut — A full meal at the Little Bohemia Restaurant

But what about the food? We are talking about a restaurant, after all. We each ordered a dinner plate, which included soup, the entree with sides, and a dessert, along with a bread basket for the table. The portion sizes seemed right, most of us had just enough room for dessert after finishing our entrees, and it was all delicious. It was also surprisingly cheap – all that food came out to about $14 each. We will certainly be back.

As winter ends…

gardening season begins. We’ve hit 60 degrees already – though it’s about to drop again – and you’d better believe that I’ve been outside tending to my garden. I started with the new solar path lanterns that I picked up at Costco with my annual rebate, a perk that comes with having a Costco-branded credit card. They were actually a filler, my big rebate purchase was an outside storage cabinet that still needs to be assembled. I think the box doesn’t do the lights justice; they are way cooler when lit than I expected.

Solar lights with a sun pattern — Check out the cool sun pattern.

Then I set up the long overdue rain barrel in my back yard. I could have placed it by a gutter and installed a rain diverter, but realistically, I need it by my back garden beds, which are the furthest from the hose. It would collect more water attached to a gutter, but it wouldn’t be as useful. I started it off with a bit of water from the hose to weigh it down, to prevent it from blowing into the neighbor’s yard before it rains again. Conveniently enough, it rained on and off for the rest of the day, so it has some additional water supplementing what I started with.

As long as I was out there, I found myself pulling a few weeds and some plant remnants from last year’s garden. Soon, I’ll be out there regularly, trimming off the old dry mint to let the new growth peek through, and getting seeds into the ground. Spring is just around the corner, and not too long after the start of gardening season, we get grilling season.

The City of Lost Fortunes by Bryan Camp

Near the end of 2017, I reviewed The City of Lost Fortunes by Bryan Camp. In my notes about the book, I wrote “Not expecting a sequel, but would like to read more in this world.” To my delight, I recently received the next Crescent City novel, Gather the Fortunes. That review isn’t ready to share… OK, I haven’t finished writing it. But the second book was as delightful as the first, so here is the review I wrote about The City of Lost Fortunes for the February 2018 issue of Booklist. I highly recommend keeping an eye out for more fabulous writing by Bryan Camp.

Bryan Camp’s debut novel, The City of Lost Fortunes, fashions a supernatural world that barely hides on the fringe of society, manipulating the city of New Orleans. Six years after Hurricane Katrina, Jude Dubuisson is still struggling to control his magical ability to find lost things; it went haywire when the hurricane hit. The ability was somehow inherited from his father who was more than human; unfortunately, that’s all Jude knows about him. Having worked with the supernatural crowd before the hurricane, Jude is dragged back into that world by a debt owed to Dodge, the Fortune god of New Orleans, where he finds himself playing a poker game with rules, stakes, and (tarot) cards he doesn’t understand. The situation is aggravated by Dodge’s murder, which Jude is forced to investigate to avoid becoming the primary suspect. He’s fairly sure he didn’t do it, and hopes that investigating will clue him in to the rules and stakes of the ongoing poker game, assuming the dark presence that’s stalking him doesn’t kill him first. There isn’t a dull page as Jude determines who his real friends are and the extent of his abilities. Anne Rice fans will enjoy this fresh view of supernatural life in New Orleans, while fans of Kim Harrison’s urban fantasy will have a new author to watch.

For a good cause.

Frances with hair in February 2018 — Frances with hair (February 2018)

There are two charity events I try to participate in each year: the Hustle Chicago and the Brookfield ZooRunRun (or ZooRunWalk, as I call it). The Chicago Hustle is a stair climb, walking up the building formerly known as the John Hancock Center to raise money for lung disease research. In our case, we opt for the half climb, which is only 52 floors.

The Brookfield ZooRunRun is, not surprisingly, an event that supports Brookfield Zoo, one of the two large zoos in the Chicagoland area. It’s a 5k within the zoo, including along some paths that are normally restricted to zoo vehicles, before normally opening time. Some people show up wearing animal headbands or hats, or even in animal costumes, so you never know what you’re going to see as you walk or run the route through the zoo. It’s a lovely way to spend an autumn Sunday morning.

Less frequently, but just as eagerly, I sometimes participate in a St. Baldrick’s event. No, there isn’t really a saint named Baldrick; the event name came from merging “bald” – for how people look after shaving off their hair – and St. Patrick, because the first event was held at a St. Patrick’s Day party. Participants raise money for childhood cancer research by shaving their heads. (You don’t have to shave all of your hair off… but I think it’s more fun that way.)

This year will be my third time participating in a St. Baldrick’s event. The second time I did it, I had been at my job for under a year and only warned a couple people in my office that I was doing it. I have learned not to freak people out like that.

There are an assortment of creative and fun ways to give to various charities. And, as the founders of St. Baldrick’s proved, if there isn’t one, you can create one. In my case, that means three more weeks of hair keeping my ears warm, and then hats until spring finally arrives.

Trying something new at Capricon: hosting a party

Last weekend, I attended my 19th Capricon. Yes, really… 19 consecutive years at the same convention. Wow! Capricon was the first convention that I discovered the room parties at. (I had attended DragonCon before that, but didn’t encounter the parties until after my first Capricon.) I’ve assisted at parties with various groups over the years, but just with on-site stuff… checking IDs, supplying some fresh baked cookies, that sort of thing.

At last year’s Capricon, as I was wandering the parties with friends, I wandered straight into their party idea – building a box fort in one of the party rooms. Letting people decorate the boxes after we built it. And, of course, having drinks. Really, the core concept was the boxes, and those are easy to collect over the course of a year. One of our organizers studied theater set design, so he’s quite capable of building a set… pretty quickly, as it turns out.

A box fort flyer, a decorated box with "Just Another Box in the Wall", the Party Staff Choice award, and part of the wall — A Box Fort flyer, a decorated box, the Party Staff Choice award, and part of the wall

We had on and off discussions throughout the year, mostly about what drinks to serve, then eventually what entertainment to include for a castle-themed box fort. We considered what style cups and wristbands we wanted for the party, and what snacks to serve. And how much of everything to buy.

That’s the hard question, really… you have an idea of how many people will come to the convention based on previous years (just over 1,200 this year), then guess at how many will come to the parties, how many cups each person will use, and what drinks they may prefer of the ones you’re serving. We ran the party for two nights. Few people, myself included, keep their party wristbands on from night to night, so you have to account for double use on the wristbands. Some people want a new cup for each drink, some will reuse their cups.

To say we had a blast, well, that’s an understatement. We’re looking forward to doing it again at next year’s convention, the Tropics of Capricon.

Try or learn something new.

At the beginning of the year, I mentioned that I set goals for the year and for the week. One of my weekly goals, with no correlation to an annual goal, is to try or learn something new. That’s it, no restrictions on what. It can be a new food, a new restaurant, random trivia that is somehow useful, or a new game… anything that I look at and go “oh, I didn’t know that” or “I tried something.”

When I visited California in December, most of the restaurants I went to were new to me, so rather than counting those, I looked for new (to me) foods on their menus. As a result, I tried a seared ahi salad one night, and Wild Alaskan sand dabs another. Locally, I’ve tried a couple new restaurants – including my recent visit to Balmoral – and explored a couple places in Valparaiso, Indiana last week.

Learning applies to work as well. Working in IT is a constant opportunity to learn, both about the software that I work with, the business processes our assorted clients use it for, and other software that can tie into it. I’ve spent the last week or so learning software that I’ve owned for several years (as part of a package), but never had a reason to use. The added bonus in this case was succeeding at what I was attempting to do, which involved repeatedly searching online for tips on the software as I struggled to customize one bit or another.

And that’s the reward for trying something new… accomplishing my work goal was satisfying, just as learning a new game can be. Trying a new food… well, that depends on whether I like it or not. So far, so good.

Swords and Fire trilogy by Melissa Caruso

About a year and a half ago, I received The Tethered Mage as a review book. I was thrilled when I read it, and was even more thrilled when I received the sequel, The Defiant Heir, a few months later. The trilogy reaches its exciting conclusion in The Unbound Empire, coming out this April. I won’t share the individual reviews here – suffice to say that I like all three books and highly recommend them. Instead, I want to look at why I like these books as much as I do.

Let’s start with the world… you are either born a mage, or you’re not. Certain kinds of magic are favored over others, at least within the Raverran Empire. Raverran mages, called Falcons, are each bound to a Falconer with a jess, a magical bracelet that allows the Falconer to suppress the Falcon’s magic. This isn’t a big deal if your Falcon creates artifices – magical devices, like the jesses, that can be used by other people – but when your Falcon wields balefire, or can call and control storms at a whim, then their magic is sealed unless at training or desperately needed.

Neighboring Vaskandar has a different approach to magic, favoring vivomancers, who control different aspects of life magic. The Vaskandran mages, called Witch Lords, are intricately tied to the lands they govern, to the point where they can drain the life from their subjects to heal their own wounds. More subjects means more power for the Witch Lords, which is why Prince Ruven, a Vaskandran skinwitch, is looking to invade Raverra.

The protagonist, Lady Amalia Cornaro is heir to one of the ruling families of the Raverran Empire. Over the course of the trilogy, she evolves from a young scholar who defies her mother to sneak into the poorest district of Raverra in search of a book, to proposing a new law freeing the Falcons – the magicians of the Empire – from the archaic laws that bind them, and accompanying her Falcon, Zaira, into battle. Amalia is tasked repeatedly with saving the Empire, and put in the unfortunate position that leaders face of having to decide who is expendable to achieve that goal.

The twists and turns in this trilogy will keep you guessing as to who will survive, and they’re so well-written that you won’t want to put them down. When you finish, you’ll want to pick them back up to re-read the bits and pieces that connected the clues for Amalia, then back to each of those clues to see if you missed any others.