Let's Take a Walk Down Wonderland's There and Back Again Lane.

Hello Troops,
The July 4th weekend in America means rest and relaxation, time off from work, backyard barbecues, fireworks and a never ending stream of relatives playing catch up since the last family gathering at Christmas. Imagination is Rest and Relaxation's traveling companion and we all know that Imagination is driven by the good folks at the Imaginarium in Wonderland. So, while our American friends enjoy their holiday, the Imagineers will be working double, even triple shifts, to properly provide for endless hours away from the world of the Here and Now.

The Space Education Center is closed for 4th so our staff and volunteers can enjoy time with their own families and friends. Don't forget that we also need a respite to mentally run amok through fields of gold to recharge and heal our worn and bruised imaginations. On Tuesday we return to the battle field for four more weeks in the trenches before the August cease fire.

I'm leaving the Imaginarium for Wonderland Station to catch the 12:18 and thought you might like to walk with me to see the community's sights and wonders.

The Imaginarium sits on the corner of Wonderland Drive and the long and narrow There and Back Again Lane. There and Back Again Lane isn't the quickest route to the Station, but walking it's checkered pavement never disappoints those of us who seek the curious and odd.

An interesting film premiers tonight at the Star Theater on the Lane and I have an invitation from the director to attend. I'd like to go but hesitate because of the play's subject matter. You see, my sure to be negative reaction to the writer and director's dubious and unsatisfactory creation (based on reviews printed in the Wonderland Gazette) usually uses the generous and generic term "Nice" as its base. It's a word spoken to avoid insult. You understand.

This film strips that courteous crutch away, leaving me two uncomfortable choices; lie and offer false praise or tell the truth and risk destroying a writer and director's exposed and vulnerable egos. I suppose there is a third alternative. I could sit at the back of the theater and quickly escape as the house lights brighten. If I'm cornered in the lobby and an opinion is requested, I'll raise one finger to my lips and point to the bathroom to indicate the logical and universally accepted reason for my unwillingness to engage the conversation. Once in the restroom I'll find an empty stall and settle in for however long it takes to be sure the lobby is clear of anyone that might be interested in "what I thought".

Yes, that's the nice way to handle things.

Four minutes at a casual pace down the Lane brings you to the Arborius Necatius, a candy tree imagined by a youngster from some two horse town in Wyoming, and a required stop for those of us suffering from an insatiable hankering for sugar. His imagination became a reality in Wonderland.

Trixie and Jean never let a passing footstep go by without a peak. Wave one of the lollipops as you pass. The yapping won't stop until you're long out of sight.

a Garage Sale with a twist.

Maurice Mellon entertains the Lane's foot traffic on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the corner of There and Back Again Lane and Dream Blvd. Audrey Hepplewhite is his favorite fan and rarely misses a performance.

Careful of Teddy DiWit and his wand. He fancies himself a Wizard. In his enthusiasm, he nearly took out a passing teen's eye with his knotted hickory wand.
The teen insulted his Hogwart's house.

Teddy's Latin is crude and his magic clearly absent but the injuries he conjures with his wand / sword teaches Wonderland's muggles to tread lightly and respectfully
when we happen upon him.

Curiosities above and below



The back of Wonderland Bakery faces the Lane, or is it the front?
This sign on their front / back door never fails to confuse me because
the sign on the door says to enter the front door.
All I want is a sticky bun and chocolate milk. Why does it have to be so confusing?

A Sign in front of the Hairy Lemon Pub, a favorite night spot for the locals.
I'll not be ordering the Soup of the Day but that doesn't stop me from admiring the creativity.
"Make mine the broccoli and cheese with a side of bread and a Diet Coke on the rocks."

Two turns and half a whistle up the Lane brings you to the home of Heather Sanders, great granddaughter to Colonel Sanders of KFC fame. You can always expect a hearty chicken dinner when you pay them a visit. Heather was waiting for her drum stick, mash and gravy lunch when we caught her eye as we passed. Bless her heart, she is the curious one.
The family resemblance is striking, wouldn't you say?

Janice Dimple Jones works the cash register at the There and Back Again Quickie Mart. She is partial to honey and suffers from a stubborn streak of laziness. She likes to go to work in costume and quote memorized passages from her favorite Pooh books to all those with the patience to stand and listed while the ice in their Big Gulps melts away. Failure to listen and appreciate at least two quotes results in scanner malfunctions at the register.

"Oh, I guess I'll have to ring the items up myself," Janice says with a smile, which usually results in regrettable overcharges (when discovered). She claims the keys on the register are too small for her fingers.

There and Back Again Lane's Superheroes meet to plan their next campaign to stamp out evil and fight corruption on the Lane. They're a bit discouraged at the moment. All three Batmans are best friends to Marty Miller and Marty is the only one with a Robin costume. It's Batman and Robin, not Batmans and Robin. I'm sure you understand their problem.

Always expect the unexpected when exploring the Lane.


I enjoy my walks down the There and Back Again Lane.

More to Come Later, Enjoy your Holiday!

Mr. Williamson

How I Flunked Out of Starfleet Academy: Part 1

Hello Troops,
Adrian Stevens is the USS Voyager's Quartermaster (responsible for ship's supplies and equipment). She is the creation of Aleta Clegg, the Space Center's real summer quartermaster, head and only cook and chief bottle washer. She made first her first appearance on The Troubadour during the summer camp two years ago. We're glad to see her back.

Today Aleta tells us Adrian's back story.....

Mr. W.

I slung my bag over my shoulder. The gates of Starfleet Academy gleamed white in the overly bright sun. I'd never been to Earth before. I expected it to be a warm and gentle place, it wasn't. The hot, dry air sucked moisture in a moment, leaving me wilted. The sun of Calfours was dimmer and softer than this harsh light.

"Cadets! Report to the main desk for orientation." The burly man in the white uniform flipped his clipboard shut.

I joined the line of shuffling, gawking cadets. I had great hopes for my future. I'd worked hard to get admitted. I'd make my Momma proud. I'd return home as a Starfleet officer or I wouldn't go back.

"Name?" The clerk never even looked up from her terminal.

"Adrian Stevens."

She tapped the screen. A white card popped out of a slot. She handed it to me. "Report to the counter behind me. Next!"

I joined another line at the counter, presenting my card when I finally reached the burly man behind it. He slid my card through a reader, handing it back to me with a sniff. "General studies, huh? Flunked your aptitude tests?" He pushed a stack of uniforms to me.

"Aptitude test?"

"To see what you're best at." He accepted a red card from a tall, handsome cadet. "Red for command and bridge positions, yellow for security and weapons officers, blue for science, green for engineering, orange for computer specialists, and white for not specified." He slid uniforms to the handsome cadet. "You'll still get to space. Go line up by color with the others."

I crossed the huge hall to where cadets were gathering. The cadet behind me, the one with red piping on his uniform, nudged me.

"General studies means you're too stupid to qualify for any other position," he said. "You'll end up behind a desk, pushing papers and answering calls."

"Not likely," I answered. "I didn't take any aptitude test."

"It was part of the application process. Everyone takes the test." He turned to his left. "Go line up with the other losers, down there at the end."

I passed milling groups of cadets, all carrying uniforms with colored piping. I found the other general studies cadets at the far end. We had no color, nothing on our uniforms but the Starfleet Academy insignia. I shuffled into place, wondering what else I'd missed. I wanted to be a pilot or an engineer or any of the numerous bridge stations on a battlecruiser. I wanted to wear an officer's uniform home to my Momma. I would make it happen.

"Hey, another one of us." The cadet who greeted me was short with curly dark hair. "My name's Christine." She pointed at the other two general studies, two male cadets. "The short one is Wyatt and the tall one with the scowl is Alex."

Alex glared at Christine. "I'm in the wrong group. I should be in with the computer specialists or the weapons officers. General studies, ha. They messed up the scores. As soon as I find someone to talk to, we'll get this straightened out."

Wyatt grinned. "Hey, at least we're in the Academy. What's shaking?"

"I'm Adrian." I returned his grin.

The speaker crackled. "Cadets will report for dormitory assignments."

I followed my new group out the door and across the campus.

Your Link to Adrian's Blog. Enjoy
http://adrianstevensquartermaster.blogspot.com/2010/10/adventures-of-adrian-stevens-prologue.html

A Rest and then INCOMING!

Hello Troops,
Our last visitors to the Space Center disembarked the Starships at 6:30 P.M. last night. Today is our day off. Tomorrow our call to duty comes at 10:00 A.M. with private missions. Three day EdVenture and four day Ultimate Campers report for duty at 6:45 P.M. Shortly thereafter we engage the enemy. It will be four great days of flights, classroom work, swimming, chills and thrills.

We had a fantastic group of campers last week. The Flight Directors were happy, the volunteers were happy, our teachers were happy and most importantly - Mrs. Clegg was happy. In fact, she was so happy she donned her Klingon uniform and served our disco lunch in character.

Megan Warner and Matt R. are nearly finished with the Voyager's new medical station. It should be ready for this upcoming camp. The medical station will allow us to take one extra camper per camp. Happy camper and happy Mr. Williamson (more campers means a better balance sheet).

Our camper quote of the week:

7:20 A.M. Friday morning. The boys are slowly streaming into the gym from the Voyager's sleeping quarters with their sleeping bags and pillows. I'm sitting by the gym exit door waiting to send them to breakfast. A campers walks up to me looking worried.

"Mr. Williamson."
"Yes."
"When do we get to spend money?"

These campers never fail to please or surprise me, even after twenty years of running these camps.

The staff and volunteers serenaded me for my birthday on Friday. Thanks everyone for remembering. I've survived 53 rotations around the sun. All but seven of them have been in some kind of school whether it be elementary, secondary, college and twenty nine years of teaching. You'd think I'd have this learning thing out of my system by now.

Shall we enjoy the latest imaginings steaming in through the Imaginarium's Central Control Center. I'm sitting here right now watching the monitors. I'm always amazed by people's creativity and imaginations.

Task: design and build a fountain.
There is the traditional fountain exposing a serious cancer of creativity

Then there is the fountain designed by a student of the imagination.

One Awesome Watch.

Two buttons that tell the truth about politics.

Something for us Dr. Who and Harry Potter hybrids.

Having some imaginary fun with Disney and Potter

Your MisFortune Cookie

Get it? Trix and Illusions? Get it?
I'm lovin it.

And so it is and ever will be.......

See you in the Trenches! Enjoy your summer and remember, no summer is complete without time spend at the Space Center.

Mr. W.