Many years ago, there was a TV show called Veronica Mars. I didn’t start watching it until season 2, and then when it was cancelled with a cliffhanger finale at the end of season 3, I WAS BEREFT. Beee-reft, people.
When all the seasons came out on DVD, I rented them and watched it from the beginning. And then a couple years later, when it was on Netflix (it’s not anymore), I watched it AGAIN.
BECAUSE it’s SOSOSOSOSOSOSO GOOD!
And if you’re not a Marshmallow, and you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m sorry. Because you are MISSING OUT!
Every time I’ve watched these three glorious seasons of Veronica Mars, I’ve had the same feeling of total loss at the end…when the series ends with NO RESOLUTION because they didn’t know it was going to get cancelled. I’m just as sad at the end every time, even though I’ve seen it before, because it’s THAT GOOD!!
Unless you live under a rock, you know that last year the cast and creator of Veronica Mars made a fabulous Kickstarter video and campaign that raised over $2 million dollars (the goal) in less than 24 hours to fund a Veronica Mars movie. FINALLY!! We Marshmallows will get our resolution! The project ultimately raised almost $6 million, and the movie opens THIS FRIDAY!! I bought my tickets weeks ago.
In anticipation of this great event, my husband bought me all three seasons of Veronica Mars on DVD for my birthday – and he is watching them with me!! He’s never seen it. I am happy to report that he loved the series every bit as much as I do.
BECAUSE IT’S TOTALLY AWESOME!
We finished watching it last night…I am happy to report that Bobby was indeed as bereft as I was when it was over. Fortunately, he’s not going to have to wait SIX YEARS for resolution!
Because Friday night, Veronica Mars and her witty crime-solving friends are back. And I’m EXCITED!!
So tell me friends, are you a Marshmallow? Or do you think I’m a crazy person?
Yesterday Emily let you all in on the fact that while recovering from having all four of my wisdom teeth removed, I wasn’t posting any selfies or #doyourmakeup posts on the interwebz.
All I can say is…you’re welcome! I mean, I really don’t think anyone wanted to see me with both cheeks swollen and stuffed with gauze, no makeup on, and barely conscious from anesthesia on day one. Or, with both cheeks swollen, no makeup, and face contorted in pain from the vicodin making me puke (all over the dining room floor, YAY hardwood floors! I now have more sympathy for my kids when they can’t make it in time.) on day two.
But day three? When I was still really swollen on one side of my face and couldn’t move it very well? Couldn’t really smile? Looked like a chipmunk with Bell’s Palsy had a stroke? And put makeup on because I had to take Jonah to speech?
I thought you all might want to see that. But I was saving it for a special occasion.
Like now.
Ok, so I added the crazy eyes in for fun.
Is this the best day of your life OR WHAT?
But wait, there’s more!
Like A Human Chipmunk with Bell’s Palsy sits for Andy Warhol:
and
A Human Chipmunk with Bell’s Palsy goes to the masquerade:
and finally:
Old-Timey Human Chipmunk with Bell’s Palsy:
Oh, and I can’t forget about this one:
Oh wait, that’s not me. Let’s pretend it is. Don’t you owe me that?
Last week I had the opportunity to go with Joshua on a field trip. Even though he’s in fourth grade, this is the first field trip I’ve ever been on with him, because I’ve always had younger kids at home to care for and making babysitting arrangements hasn’t been overly practical. But he really wanted me to come this time, and my mom was in town and agreed to care for Jonah. Plus, the field trip was to one of my very favorite local places – our open-air Dayton history museum, Carillon Park.
Photo by erinbrace via Flickr
Perhaps you’ll recall that I have a great love for Dayton history. I am a full-on history nerd and I’m proud of my hometown. I’m very glad that Carillon Park has preserved so much of its rich history and glory days.
Carillon Park has lots of great exhibits, both indoors and out. It is home to one of the very first buildings in Dayton, and the oldest still exisiting. Newcom’s Tavern was built in 1796. It also has a stellar 1913 Flood exhibit which I thoroughly enjoyed. And, it has an absolutely excellent interactive movie presentation narrated by eerily life-like robots portraying some of Dayton’s past leaders in business and invention (including the Wright Brothers and my favorite eccentric city legend, John H. Patterson, founder of the National Cash Register company.)
Sadly, I think much of this history was lost on the fourth-graders; they’re still too young to fully appreciate the havoc that was the 1913 flood and the triumph of the dam system that was built in its aftermath entirely with privately donated funds. The people of the Miami Valley flippin’ solved their own problem and the result is still protecting us today, 100 years later. I love it!
A portion of the 1913 Flood Exhibit at Carillon Park
But anyhoo, the part of Dayton history that the fourth-graders truly did appreciate was the stuff about the Wright Brothers. Orville and Wilbur were born and raised right here in Dayton and this is where they invented the airplane. They did all their research, experiments, and building (the indoor stuff anyway) in their bicycle shop on Dayton’s West side. Decades ago, Orville sold the original building to Henry Ford (his buddy) who moved it to his museum in Dearborn, Michigan. THANKS A LOT ORVILLE. Carillon Park has a lovely replica, which will have to do.
The bicycle hanging up there was the first built entirely by the Wright Brothers, and sold in 1901. Is that awesome or WHAT??
The Wright Cycle building at the museum as two original Wright bicycles. There are only 5 remaining in the world. There is another one at the nation’s Air Force Museum (also in Dayton – holla!), one at the Smithsonian Institution, and one at you guessed it – the Henry Ford Museum. (He also has the Wright’s freaking HOUSE. Thanks again Orville!)
There are several volunteers who work in this part of the museum who told us all about the Wright’s amazing wind tunnel experiments. They did these experiments to determine what wing shape would give their plane the most lift. They tested over 200 wing shapes (miniaturized versions) in a self-built wind tunnel in their bicycle shop, and did all the crazy math calculations by hand. When the volunteer was explaining this incredible first aeronautical engineering feat to us, he did so with such passion that it brought tears to my eyes.
Our enthusiastic tour guide for the Wright Cycle Co. He rules my world!
A lot of the engineering stuff was over the kids’ heads, but I know that Joshua understood that what they accomplished was an amazing feat. And, it truly is.
The Wrights, who were educated only up through high school, started researching flight in 1899, achieved it in 1903, and had made it practical by 1905. From thought to practicality in just six years!! It’s just incredible. People had been trying to figure this out for a loooong time. It’s just mind-boggling how quickly they accomplished this goal that has changed all of our lives and our world in immeasurable ways.
The Wrights’ 1903 plane, the first that ever flew, is at the Smithsonian. But Dayton has their first practical plane – their third (the second was destroyed in a crash) and the one that they perfected powered flight on – the 1905 Wright Flyer III. EEEEEK! It’s SO COOL you guys. The fourth-graders were enthralled as was I. It’s been years and years since I’ve seen it. It is amazing. Regrettably I forgot to bring my good camera with me, so these are just phone pics, but there are many excellent photos of this plane (including some of the Wrights flying it!!) on the internet.
All the kids went ga-ga over the plane and they also were attentive to and excited about a film explaining the Wrights’ remarkable achievements in flight. During the film, Joshua turned to me and said in awe, “Isn’t that amazing?” My heart swelled a little. It is pretty cool that Dayton’s most famous sons are still inspiring it’s current children, long after their deaths.
Joshua with the Wright Flyer III
Joshua and I had a great day at the museum. It was so fun to make memories with my little buddy and have him share some of my love of Dayton history. After the class departed on their bus back to school, he and I went back through a couple of exhibits we wanted to spend more time in. I hope you all will go visit Carillon Park this fall if you’re local, and if you’re not, it’s a great reason for a visit to Dayton, especially if you’ve got an aviation-lover in your home.
