LIGHTSABER SAGA
Lightsaber Saga,

Hey I out did Skywalker and this is how it came about, although somewhat haphazardly. It started the Saturday evening after returning from WonderCon, I’m exhausted from the days festivities and couldn’t wait to get to bed. Well I’m still attired in my resplendent Jedi costume and unloading the famed Jedi mobile. I’ve found my Lightsaber and place it on top of the vehicle, which has a
bicycle rack tray, right there. Went upstairs with my travel bags & plunder from the convention and fell on to the pillow that was calling my name.

After an evening of intently studying the inside of my eyelids I awake to aches and pains from the previous days revelry, sore tired feet, lower back pain from walking on concrete and too much fire water. It’s early and I’m supposed to go to rehearsal for a belly dance event that
“El Ashab” is scheduled to perform at. We will be on the main stage at Rakkasah on March 24th.

However it’s Sunday morning and to tell the truth, I’d rather sleep all day, to recover from all that fun. But I promised the ladies not to worry I’ll be there, what I do to be the hero. Then I pick up Debbie around noon and we go to West Lake Shopping Center to look at fabric then hit
HWY 280 heading for Sunnyvale.

In route were enjoying the county side near Woodside, when we hear this loud thump and Debbie looks to me and says, what was that? I’m looking in the rear view mirror and I see this bright shinny object hit the freeway behind us and bounce sky high….. My mind is racing and realized that “it’s my Lightsaber falling off the back of the bicycle rack”. My mind is numb with the thought that “I’m such a dumb shit to forget that it was still up there” (cry me a river) I went blank with shock, were cruising around 70mph.in the fast lane. When my thoughts finally come back into focus, I can hear Debbie saying “Pull over now”

Pulled my shredded wits together enough to negotiate pulling over to the right lane in a safe and sane manner. Slowing down to pull off at the next off ramp, I look over to hear Debbie saying, “ We're going back for the Lightsaber Exit HERE!" We exit at Canada road and go back to exits at '92. And get back onto the freeway to retrace our route. The plan is to travel the shoulder of the slow lane, looking for debris on the shoulder or in the road in the hopes of retrieving my prized possession.

It’s a Park Saber with some history; I’ve had this puppy for nearly fifteen years. And it was told to me by Jeff Parks himself, that it was one of his proto types, before he started producing the lighted blades.

We ride the slow shoulder at 5 miles an hour looking and looking but see no debris at all. I tell Debbie that I remember that we had been traveling in the fast lane, so she says " We're making a second pass... in the fast lane". We turned off at Canada road and this time back- tracked only as far as Edgewood, Debbie has an idea to ride the fast lane, only we slow down to fifty mph. We make the pass in the slow lane. No Lightsaber. I'm getting sick. " I think it fell off further back" I say. "Ok, we're making a third pass " replies Debbie, "three times, a charm".

We exit Canada road for a third time and this time turn around at the vista point halfway between Edgewood and 92. On the freeway things gets dicey at best we are going 50mph in the fast lane and stopping on the left hand shoulder, getting out of the car periodically to check out every shiny metallic fragments we see. Then, I see it. I screech the car to a halt on the left shoulder 15 feet before the shoulder ends and the construction begins, parked between two orange plastic pillars. I sprint a few feet back to the spot where my baby is just lying there all hurt and bruised.

Remarkably my old campaigner is mostly intact, except that the emitter housing is missing and there are deep scratches on the handle. But it’s still amazingly intact.

I’m thanking the FORCE for not letting our efforts go unrewarded and hand the Lightsaber to Debbie. To her credit she cradles it lovingly and we jump back into the vehicle and make our escape. We now realize what we did and thank our lucky stars that we hadn’t seen the Highway Patrol. Or for that matter, had not gotten rear-ended….

Maybe the FORCE is still with this old fool, after recalling all the adventures and history of this Lightsaber saga and another story to tell. At least I got my Lightsaber back, Skywalker just losses his. (I’m shipping it back to “Doctor” Parks for emergency repairs)

Thank you Debbie for being there for me.