Author: CaptainJaq

I am a father as well as a world traveling, dog loving, scuba diving, book collecting, writer - currently residing somewhere in Eastern Europe. His words have been spoken by Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and Robin Hood, been read by David Copperfield, and criticized by his 7th grade English teacher. He'd like to thank the members of the Academy, although he doesn't know why. In his spare time, he's a university professor and a kick-ass uncle.

Characters and Princesses (Disneyland Paris 2019-Day 3)

IMG_4160.jpegJuly 4 

We had pre-booked a character breakfast buffet when we first booked the tickets, figuring our second full day would be the best time. And now it was here. Of course, it was an 8:15am reservation, which meant getting up at 7. When your kid isn’t a morning person, though, this is easier said than done. But we did it. It took some cajoling, some threats, a bit of mom and dad frustrations, but in the end, we got there and were shown to our seats. Continue reading “Characters and Princesses (Disneyland Paris 2019-Day 3)” →

King of Complaints (Disneyland Paris 2019-Day 2)

IMG_20190703_113548.jpegJuly 3

Despite our late night, we were up early-ish and headed to the main hotel lobby for the included buffet breakfast. Our meal plan included 4 breakfasts and 4 lunch/dinners per adult and the breakfast buffet at the Santa Fe Hotel seemed just as good as anything else.

On the way there, we pass Pluto in the lobby doing a photo op (again, advantages of being in an onsite property) so we do that first, hoping to take full advantage of the Photopass program. I like the program, since it gives you access to all the digital photos the Disney photographers take (including those on the ride shots) and since photos was one of our primary foci here, it seemed like a good deal. It’s not for everyone, but it works for us. Continue reading “King of Complaints (Disneyland Paris 2019-Day 2)” →

It Starts (Disneyland Paris 2019-Day 1)

IMG_4211.jpegJuly 2

When deciding on our summer vacation, there are a lot of options to weigh. Granted,we’re only a small family of three, but you want to make sure there’s something for everyone. Last year, we went to London and learned some lessons about what to do and what not to do with a 2-year-old. We made changes on the fly.

This year, though, we decided again on Disneyland Paris. Continue reading “It Starts (Disneyland Paris 2019-Day 1)” →

On Preparedness

IMG_4509.jpegSo I just got back from a wonderful trip to Disneyland Paris (which you can read all about here) but as I was unpacking I realized something. See that book over to the left? Golden Blood by Jack Williamson? I’ve never read it. And yet, it’s travelled with me all over the globe.

See, whenever I travel, in addition to all my electronics, I always bring a good, old fashioned paperback book, just in case. In case of what? I don’t know. In case with all my battery operated equipment I somehow have a power failure and find myself stranded alone with nothing to do? Maybe? Continue reading “On Preparedness” →

Marilyn Monroe’s personal library: an epic reading list | AbeBooks’ Reading Copy

In 1999, Christie’s staged an auction of Marilyn Monroe’s belongings, including her books. The books in Marilyn Monroe’s personal library, number between 400-500 titles, and reflect a wide range of interests and maturity levels.

When she died in 1962, she was only 36 years old and had publicly made the statement she found intellect the sexiest attribute a person could have.

I can only imagine what she would have done had she lived longer. I think the world definitely missed out on something good here.

Job 418

Kaunas signIt’s been a busy few months here at the new house. First, the folks came to visit, then we had to finish the semester and whatnot and then, just a few days ago, my sister, along with my nieces and nephew, came to visit!

Like my folks, the Fulton Clan was coming from Asia (visiting their friends Johnny and Simone in Hong Kong and our cousins Mitch and Wassana in Thailand) and they were arriving very late on Thursday night. So, in order to make things easier, I rented a larger car (four adult size people and their luggage were not going to fit into our little Toyota) with the license plate of JOB418, which became our title for the entire trip. Continue reading “Job 418” →

Film thoughts…

scott-scripts-1725-1024x679As a writer, the one thing I know is: I can always learn more. And while I haven’t actively been in the film game for a long while now, I’ve been involved passively, offering notes and advice to varioud friends and students (many of whom have gone on to work professionally in the field!). Continue reading “Film thoughts…” →

The Archaeologist, A Unique Gin Bottled and Infused With Vintage Harley Davidson Motorcycle Parts

In Poppe Culture, my mystery novel about Skids Poppe, ex-motorcycle gang member turned journalist who solves crimes, I created a drink named after the erstwhile main character: Continue reading “The Archaeologist, A Unique Gin Bottled and Infused With Vintage Harley Davidson Motorcycle Parts” →

And we ran…

DCB55116-E311-42E9-B7B9-DFDBE64F01C3On Sunday, June 9th, I did something I’ve been meaning to do for a while now – participated in the annual Kaunas Marathon. As I said recently, I’ve been running on the treadmill and was interested in trying it out in the world. To kill the suspense, I didn’t run a marathon. I didn’t even run the 5k, as I’ve been practicing in the gym. Nope, instead, I ran, along with Rasa and Monki, the family 1.5km run.

And it was great! Continue reading “And we ran…” →

On Setting Goals

2019_runDisney_Virtual_Toolkit_Final.jpgAt the beginning of the year, I redeemed a gift Rasa had given me – a gym membership. To be fair, I asked for it, it wasn’t a subtle hint on her part. A couple years ago, I’d set myself the goal of losing weight, which I did (and generally, within a kilo or two – which is basically give or take 5lbs – I’ve kept it off) and now find my average weight is right where my old doctor, Beajou, had said he’d like it to be, at 150lbs (67-68kg). So now, with that done, I turned to the next goal: Getting in better shape.  Continue reading “On Setting Goals” →