Star Trek Memories Over Time

I found this fabulous montage, made by a fan on Yahoo Images. It seemed like the most appropriate visual for my final, final post before the new Star Trek movie opens (Yes! I totally mean it, not another word until after the movie is in the theater!). At this time, I would like to list all my best, and weirdest, Star Trek memories; in chronological order:

• Being forced to play the "Gorn" monster on the playground during recess at the age of 12, because my two fellow male classmates would not let me be, "Spock" (my first choice) or "Kirk". OK, this is not a good memory, but it built character.

• Following my Dad (may he rest in peace) outside after watching an episode of the original Star Trek series and having him point out all the stars...and their names...and seeing his excitement about thinking that humans would go there some day. Star Trek really made him believe. I was just a kid at the time, but it made me a believer too.

• Winning the Kings Elementary School oratory contest for reciting a segment from Leonard Nimoy's "Mr. Spock from Outer Space" album in 6th grade. All the other kids read poems about flowers. I had a more apocalyptic view.
  

• Seeing John Belushi do his skit on Saturday Nite Live with Chevy Chase...still one of the best SNL moments ever. NBC comes to take down the set of the immortal series Star Trek, because the ratings suck...Spock and Kirk can't break character to let it happen. Best line...a production assistant yanks the pointy's off of Chevy Chase as the fourth wall crumples.... and he screams..."I want my ears...give me back my ears!"

• Creating some of the strangest, funniest Spock and Kirk stories ever with my co-worker (and now fellow Flaming Nose creator) Lisa back in the days of independent television. Does anyone want to see some of it? It's wonderfully inappropriate. Maybe we'll wait until after the movie opens.
  

• Taking my (then) 6 year old son to a huge Star Trek convention in Pasadena with my sister Georgette. He was horrified by the giant leather clad Klingon fans in attendance (fabulous bone heads, enormous weapons, platform boots) . My beloved offspring flipped out when I would not buy him the blow-up Enterprise, AND the Phaser AND the talking Tri-corder. I bought him the Enterprise. Then he had a melt-down. Mom and Aunt exited with enraged 6 year old. I told him if he didn't settle down, I would give him to a Klingon. Silence. Before all the Mom PC police get their shorts in a knot...that kid has grown up to be the greatest young man ever. He's college bound, and a sci-fi geek to the core.

• Actually that last bullet point is the perfect set-up to my most favorite Star Trek moment...and I will have to bring it to you through the Space Time Continuum, because it hasn't happened yet. This Friday, I'll be seeing Star Trek the Movie on the day that it opens with my son Tommy and a few of his buddies. They are all teenagers. (You hear that Paramount...it does span generations!). It was their first choice to see in the theater this weekend. It was my first choice as something to do for Mother's Day. A complete win-win for all.

Happy Star Trek Movie weekend to all the Star Trek fans that read the Flaming Nose here in the U.S. and around the world. Please tell us your favorite memories too!