Monday, April 17, 2006
Surprise
Today is my 35th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!! Over the weekend B threw me an almost, almost surprise party. For the past month B has been planning the party. He enlisted George and DJ as his co-hosts. Interestingly, the two of them approached B on their own about doing something for my birthday. He brought the two together and the three of them split up the responsibilities. All was going well, B even talked to my mom to let her know why he wasn't going to be participating in Saturday afternoon family celebration. He had told me he was going to the Liza Minelli dvd signing instead. That so didn't go over well with me.
As I said, all was going well, until Wednesday. B spent the day with George getting things together for the party. That night we were having pizza for dinner. George invited Luke, another dancer, over also. As we are sitting around, B is getting a drink for Luke when he asks Luke if he wants to come to the party on Saturday. The room went dead quite. B and George knowing the cat was out of the bag. Luke thinking over his response. I'm thinking I don't know of any party happening on Saturday. Unable to recover, B spills the rest of the story. In an effort to make him not feel bad, I let him know I'll play along and not tell anyone I knew about the party.
The party turned out great. About 50 of our friends showed up. I know I had a good time, yet much of the evening was a blur as I bounced from person to person throughout the evening. Everyone I've talked to has said they enjoyed themselves. I feel guilty for not having spent more time with everyone. B says to let it go, everyone understands you can't have big conversations when you're the host or guest of honor.
It was a great almost, almost surpise party!
Today is my 35th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!! Over the weekend B threw me an almost, almost surprise party. For the past month B has been planning the party. He enlisted George and DJ as his co-hosts. Interestingly, the two of them approached B on their own about doing something for my birthday. He brought the two together and the three of them split up the responsibilities. All was going well, B even talked to my mom to let her know why he wasn't going to be participating in Saturday afternoon family celebration. He had told me he was going to the Liza Minelli dvd signing instead. That so didn't go over well with me.
As I said, all was going well, until Wednesday. B spent the day with George getting things together for the party. That night we were having pizza for dinner. George invited Luke, another dancer, over also. As we are sitting around, B is getting a drink for Luke when he asks Luke if he wants to come to the party on Saturday. The room went dead quite. B and George knowing the cat was out of the bag. Luke thinking over his response. I'm thinking I don't know of any party happening on Saturday. Unable to recover, B spills the rest of the story. In an effort to make him not feel bad, I let him know I'll play along and not tell anyone I knew about the party.
The party turned out great. About 50 of our friends showed up. I know I had a good time, yet much of the evening was a blur as I bounced from person to person throughout the evening. Everyone I've talked to has said they enjoyed themselves. I feel guilty for not having spent more time with everyone. B says to let it go, everyone understands you can't have big conversations when you're the host or guest of honor.
It was a great almost, almost surpise party!
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
A Death
As we all know, I love comic books. B has even accused me of seeing myself as a superhero. But that is inaccurate. I may share qualities of a superhero, but I know the difference between fantasy and reality. Or at least I did before last week.
About 10 years ago, Superman died. Dead and buried. In the wake of his death, four characters appeared to take his place fighting the good fight. One of them was a teenage boy who called himself Superboy. He was a cocky, brash kid with a penchant for leather bike jackets, spikey 80's hair and sunglasses. It turns out he is a clone with 50% Superman DNA and 50% human DNA. Over the course of the years, he'll have numerous adventures, his own comic book and a few costume changes. Jump forward to 4 years ago.
Superboy is now a confident teenager who dreams of succeeding Superman. His costume is now a black t-shirt with a red S-shield, blue jeans and black biker boots. A relaxed costume for a relaxed kid. He's part of the Teen Titans team with Robin, his best friend, and Wonder Girl, his girlfriend. He's experiencing what we've all gone through as a teenager, only he has superpowers to deal with too. Oh, and he's found out the 50% human DNA comes from Lex Luthor... yep, that Lex Luthor. What a twist. Am I a good guy or a bad guy? Who's DNA is stronger? Like Luke Skywalker, he has his dark side period but ends up on the side of good.
Its during this whole period that I tap into his character. Of course it helps that he's drawn incredibly buff and beefy. In Illinois I'd get arrested, in Kentucky it's okay. A really hard thing for me to deal with. I get past that and start seeing him as someone who I want to be. He's the brawn for his nerdy best friend. He's considerate towards his girl friend. He wants to protect people. He struggles to keep is dark side in check. Here is a character that represents me. Finally after 10 years of collecting comics, I found someone I relate too.
The past few years have been a joy reading Superboy's adventures. I've purchase comic art with him shown. I've got his action figure. His S-shield symbol is my AIM avatar. Sounds kind of "obsessive" but its not. More like reminders of who I want to be.
Everything is going great until last week. Last week Infinite Crisis #6 comes out. One of the villains of the series needs to be stopped. Superboy jumps into the fray. The villain has previously kicked Superboy's butt. This time the gloves are off. Superboy is going to stop the villain. Superboy does what he intended to do, at the cost of his life. He died saving the universe. He died a hero. A part of me died too.
Here is where fantasy and reality is blurring for me. I've read tons and tons. I've watched tons and tons of tv and movies. I've been impacted by a characters death, but not still feeling it a week later. It is almost a week later and I have a mini hole in my heart where Superboy used to live. Operaboy sent me a text message after he read IC #6 saying he was thinking of me. I let him know I was sad (and hopeful). This is unnerving. I've heard of people becoming attached to fictional characters. Never thought I'd be one of them.
Not sure what's next. Guess as with all deaths, I'll grieve and then remember the memories. Although there is some hope. At the end of Teen Titans #34, Robin is in his lab below Titans Tower when the computer inform him cloning experiment 96 failed. Robin then tells the computer to initiate #97. Who knows maybe we'll see Superboy again.
As we all know, I love comic books. B has even accused me of seeing myself as a superhero. But that is inaccurate. I may share qualities of a superhero, but I know the difference between fantasy and reality. Or at least I did before last week.
About 10 years ago, Superman died. Dead and buried. In the wake of his death, four characters appeared to take his place fighting the good fight. One of them was a teenage boy who called himself Superboy. He was a cocky, brash kid with a penchant for leather bike jackets, spikey 80's hair and sunglasses. It turns out he is a clone with 50% Superman DNA and 50% human DNA. Over the course of the years, he'll have numerous adventures, his own comic book and a few costume changes. Jump forward to 4 years ago.
Superboy is now a confident teenager who dreams of succeeding Superman. His costume is now a black t-shirt with a red S-shield, blue jeans and black biker boots. A relaxed costume for a relaxed kid. He's part of the Teen Titans team with Robin, his best friend, and Wonder Girl, his girlfriend. He's experiencing what we've all gone through as a teenager, only he has superpowers to deal with too. Oh, and he's found out the 50% human DNA comes from Lex Luthor... yep, that Lex Luthor. What a twist. Am I a good guy or a bad guy? Who's DNA is stronger? Like Luke Skywalker, he has his dark side period but ends up on the side of good.
Its during this whole period that I tap into his character. Of course it helps that he's drawn incredibly buff and beefy. In Illinois I'd get arrested, in Kentucky it's okay. A really hard thing for me to deal with. I get past that and start seeing him as someone who I want to be. He's the brawn for his nerdy best friend. He's considerate towards his girl friend. He wants to protect people. He struggles to keep is dark side in check. Here is a character that represents me. Finally after 10 years of collecting comics, I found someone I relate too.
The past few years have been a joy reading Superboy's adventures. I've purchase comic art with him shown. I've got his action figure. His S-shield symbol is my AIM avatar. Sounds kind of "obsessive" but its not. More like reminders of who I want to be.
Everything is going great until last week. Last week Infinite Crisis #6 comes out. One of the villains of the series needs to be stopped. Superboy jumps into the fray. The villain has previously kicked Superboy's butt. This time the gloves are off. Superboy is going to stop the villain. Superboy does what he intended to do, at the cost of his life. He died saving the universe. He died a hero. A part of me died too.
Here is where fantasy and reality is blurring for me. I've read tons and tons. I've watched tons and tons of tv and movies. I've been impacted by a characters death, but not still feeling it a week later. It is almost a week later and I have a mini hole in my heart where Superboy used to live. Operaboy sent me a text message after he read IC #6 saying he was thinking of me. I let him know I was sad (and hopeful). This is unnerving. I've heard of people becoming attached to fictional characters. Never thought I'd be one of them.
Not sure what's next. Guess as with all deaths, I'll grieve and then remember the memories. Although there is some hope. At the end of Teen Titans #34, Robin is in his lab below Titans Tower when the computer inform him cloning experiment 96 failed. Robin then tells the computer to initiate #97. Who knows maybe we'll see Superboy again.
