Gleeful Gecko » Holiday

Father’s Day 2010

Brett — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:53:52 +0000

Father’s Day is sometimes reduced to a Hallmark Holiday, an excuse to give gifts or feel bad if you don’t. For me it is normally a day of reflection on my life and how I am doing as a father.

My Father and Grandfather Abbott remain the measures I judge myself off of. My mistakes have been mostly my own in life, but when I think to the core decisions that have set my path I can see my Father’s and Grandfather’s influence in them. I am not sure what they did to set this mold in my life, but I know I am the proudest of my son when I see him measure himself by the same measures. It is as close to immortality as we poor humans get on this world and with poor parenting, tragedy or broken families it can disappear completely, but I love seeing my Grandfather live on just a bit in my son. I know my Father will live on there as well and if I don’t screw it up maybe I will be there after I am gone as well.

Happy Father’s Day to all.

Best Day Of The Year

Brett — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:13:12 +0000

I have been falling down in my duty to remind you that this Saturday, May 2nd 2009 is Free Comic Book Day, the best holiday of the year in that on it, you get free comic books. It is so simple and pure and the comics cover a wide range of interests, not just superheroes. Don’t miss it!

Happy Hastings Day

Brett — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:15:37 +0000

Battle of Hastings 2006

Happy Hastings Day everyone!

St. Paul Saints Rule!

Brett — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:56:45 +0000

I love minor league baseball, the games are fun and the promotions are brilliant. Case in point, the Larry Craig Bobble Foot being given away by the St. Paul Saints. On their site it says they are celebrating National Tap Dancing Day with the bobblefoot as well.

Oh, and the Yanks are still in last place in the American League East. I know they won’t finish there, but I like to savor life’s best moments when they come.

Last Reminder: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2008!

Brett — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:07:15 +0000

Ok, Last reminder that tomorrow is the greatest of American Holidays, Free Comic Book Day. For a good review of the comics on offer check out (postmodernbarney.com) which has a nice wrap up and gives you an idea of the variety of comic books on offer. If you can read, there is a book for you. For some shop recommendations near the Washington D.C. area click on.

College Park:
BIG PLANET COMICS OF COLLEGE PARK
7315 BALTIMORE AVE
COLLEGE PARK, MD
(301) 699-0498

Very nice shop with a wide variety of books. This shop, with several owner changes, is where I got back into comics in college. Big Planet also has shops in Georgetown, Bethesda and Vienna.

Annapolis:
GREEN ALIEN HEAD COMICS
15 Old Solomon’s Island Rd
Suite 102
Annapolis, MD. 21401
Phone Number:
(410) 897-0322

Under new ownership, but still a good shop if you are in the area.

Wheaton:
THE BARBARIAN BOOK SHOP
11242 TRIANGLE LANE
WHEATON, MD
(301) 946-4184

These guys are great, a really fun shop.

Silver Spring:
ALLIANCE COMICS
8317 FENTON STREET
SILVER SPRING, MD
(301) 588-2546

Another very good long time shop. I had to laugh when I saw their MySpace page says they are a 17 year old Female.

As for me I will be heading to:
Super Villains Inc.
4134 E Joppa Road
Nottingham, MD 21236
410-256-3055

where I hope to meet Jeff Parker, who has done some great comics over the last few years. He started the Marvel Adventurers: Avengers, a kid friendly Avengers comic, did an excellent Agents of Atlas series and is now doing the brilliant X-Men First Class, a brilliant retro look at the classic X-Men of the 60s, but done today if that makes sense.

Did I mention I love Free Comic Book Day? Cause I do. Yay! Free Comic Books! Bring the Kids! Bring Grandma! Free Comic Books!

Free Comic Book Day Video

Brett — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:40:38 +0000

Comic books. Free ones. Free comic books. Come on, you know life doesn’t get much better than that.

America’s Favorite Holiday Nears: Free Comic Book Day

Brett — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:59:15 +0000

Just a reminder that May 3rd is Free Comic Book Day, America’s Favorite Holiday! I have discovered a number of great small press comics on Free Comic Book Day, so if you can read you have no excuse for not finding a local comic book store and stopping by on May 3rd! Cripes people, it is Free Comic Books!

Brett — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:40:07 +0000

˙ǝsɐǝld sɯǝlqoɹd ʎuɐ ʇods noʎ ɟı ʍouʞ ǝɯ ʇǝl ˙ƃolq ǝɥʇ oʇ ǝpɐɹƃdn uoısɹǝʌ ɹoɾɐɯ ɐ pıp ʇsnɾ ı

Happy Pi Day Everyone

Brett — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:37:02 +0000

Remember to celebrate go out and have some Pie on Pi day. Happy Pi Day!

England, Not Dead Yet

Brett — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 06:05:35 +0000

In my post Pancake ban gloom I missed a real ray of light, the annual Shrovetide Football game went on as usual. The Up’ards won this year, hurray! I can’t help but think that sooner or later the state and health and safety nannies must come and kill this glorious game, it must gall them that a sport where one of the traditional rules is that you cannot murder the opponents during a game that ranges freely between two villages in huge mobs is still played in the green and pleasant land, but thank god it is. What a great game, I am sure the Down’ards will get theirs back soon enough, but once more hurray the Up’ards and England!

England Saved From Pancake Horror!

Brett — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:04:20 +0000

Sorry guys, having a bit of a crappy week and I just flat out missed this one in the paper. England Saved From Pancake Wielding Menaces! I will try to be better in the future in keeping you all informed about the menace that Pancakes cause to all of humanity.

What Boxing Day Means To Me

Brett — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:27:35 +0000

I know not everyone celebrates Boxing Day but I want to wish everyone a happy Boxing Day never the less. I have lots of Boxing Day memories, from the first time I came across it on a calendar and wondered, ‘what the heck is that about?’ to building my first celebratory Box Castle to watching the Sugar Ray Leonard vs Roberto Duran ‘No Mas’ fight I have held Boxing Day as a special day to be celebrated with friends and family for many years now. I wake to Warren Zevon’s Boxing Day carol, Boom Boom Mancini then I look around the room at all the celebratory Amazon boxes and my spirit is filled with joy. I shower, shave and think about all the great boxes I have met over the years, my first PC box, that television box, the huge boxes that brought my stuff home from the UK, all very good boxes. Then I get ready for our Boxing Day party, where we share the spirit of Boxing Day with all my friends. I hope this helps you see why Boxing Day is important to me and I hope you are filled with Boxing Day spirit as you celebrate this special ‘I still have no idea what the heck this is all about, but it makes a great excuse for a party’ day.

Christmas Time – Yay or Bah?

Brett — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:06:02 +0000

So I was reading Tony Long’s complaints about holiday excess in Wired and I had to pause and ask myself “Self, why don’t you hate Christmas?”

Hmmm. Good questions self, I do hate shopping malls with a passion and the over the top hype of the season really does get old right around the day after Halloween but all and all I really enjoy the holidays, even with all the crap that gets layered on it. I have, as all my friends can tell you, a terrible memory. I used to say I have the memory of a lemur, but the the lemurs complained I was insulting them. I am poor at buying gifts because I frequently forget that it is near someone’s birthday or the like, even when reminded I am probably batting less than .300 on remembering people during the year.

Christmas serves as a reminder to me about how important my friends and family really are to me. I spend the year looking to them for guidance and examples of how to live, Christmas serves as a chance for me to give them back some small token to show that I really appreciate them. It isn’t perfect, my batting average shoots up to around .500 but I still miss people, they either forgive me or spend the year plotting their revenge. I still hate shopping malls, Hell is a shopping mall in the week before Christmas, and I still hate the relentless hype from people who are desperate to sell me stuff this time of year, but I still love Christmas. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Have a Kick Ass Kwanzaa, Enjoy your Solstice, Rock your Festivus and if you celebrate no particular holiday this time of year have a great time anyway you rebel you!

Hawaiian New Year

Brett — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 14:23:26 +0000

National Geographic has a good article on Hawaiian New Year’s celebrations. We lived on a hill over looking Pearl Harbor, from the folks across the street’s back yard we could see the harbor and the towns around it. On new years it looked like a war zone, fireworks were going off everywhere, it was quite a sight. Naturally even when I was a boy the ‘Make The World Totally Safe For Everyone’ crowd hated the day with endless warnings about fireworks dangers. I am surprised it is still allowed to go on to be honest. Surprised but pleased somehow.

Although its been said, many times, many ways..

Brett — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 12:18:41 +0000

Merry Christmas to all may the day be bright for you wherever you are. I hope you all remember that long ago a King was crowned. That is William the Conquerer who was crowned this day in 1066. Happy Holidays happened for years afterwards.