Explorers, Family Business, Shakaar, Facets, The Adversary

Happy 4^th of July weekend everyone! I celebrated this important weekend by running a half-marathon relay! I ran a really strong 6.5 miles and could not be happier with my performance in this race. The 4^th of July is all about family, friends, celebrating freedom and fireworks. I am very Happy to report that I was able to take all of those things in this weekend.

I am learning so much as I go through this crazy journey that is marathon training. Today I had a brutal 10-mile run, well I ran 8.5 of the miles and had to walk 1.5 of them throughout the race. The run was greatly impacted by the heat, humidity, wind and hills. These are excuses I know but they are big factors. I also learned from a friend that eating Asian food and heavy cream sauces the night before a run are bad things and well I did both of them. LOL.  For a time during the run today I was starting to be a little doubtful on my ability to run a marathon but I have banished those thoughts from my brain because I WILL RUN THIS THING!

Explorers

Benjamin and Jake Sisko decide to test an old Bajoran legend of two men who travel from Bajor to Cardassia in a small stellar sailing ship. The journey has its bumps and hazards but eventually they make it to Cardassia and prove the legend as possible. Meanwhile Dr. Bashir meets up with an old school rival. 

Family Business

Quark and Rom are paid a visit from the Ferengi Commerece Association (FCA) regarding their mother who has apparently broken a major Ferengi law; she has earned a profit. During their visit the three struggle through family issues but eventually all is reconciled. Meanwhile back on the station everyone is a buzz about Sisko meeting Cassidy Yates, a freighter Captain and by the end of the episode romance is in the air.

Shakaar

The Bajoran government has lent the people of a small remote province soil reclamators designed to improve the soil once ruined by the Cardassians. The problem becomes Kira’s when Kai Winn asks her to talk to the leader Shakaar about getting the devices so that Bajor can improve soil and improve interstellar trade. Kai Winn, the newly appointed first minister, nearly instigates a civil war with her antics. In the end Shakaar announces his run for the office of first minister to oppose the Kai. 

Facets

Dax has finally had to schedule the Zhian'tara, a rite where she meets her previous host’s personalities through sharing bodies with her current friends. All goes well as she meets each host until Curzon inhabits Oda and refuses to leave. All is finally put right and Dax is glad for the experience. Also Nog is trying to pass the Starfleet entrance exam and makes it one step closer to fulfilling his dream.

The Advesary

Sisko has finally been awarded the rank of Captain! During the ceremony an ambassador informs him of a threatening situation in the Tzenkethi sector. The Defiant heads there to make Starfleet’s presence known and it turns out the Ambassador was a changeling and this was once again a plot by the Founders to breed distrust and paranoia in the Alpha Quadrant. The changeling also reveals to Odo the following message “You are too late. We are everywhere.”

Visionary, Distant Voices, Through the Looking Glass, Improbable Cause, The Die is Cast

Summer continues to march on here in Minnesota and that my friends is a truly sad thing for me to admit! As a school employee I really do cherish my summer’s off, even though I don’t take the whole summer off.  I have been working at the school in the Early Childhood Special Education program and at my second job the speech/language clinic.

In other more fun news I am one month into my marathon-training schedule. I am constantly amazed at how the body can adapt to new and more physically demanding tasks. I have not run anything over 6 miles since April but last weekend I ran a 9-mile course and finished strong all in all. I love running but I’m currently struggling with forgetting about the elapsed time and thinking only about the distance. Truly the only goal for the 26.2 miles is to finish and run every step of the way. Ok so that said I would like to finish in less than 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Once again it was PRIDE season in Minneapolis and I was there to celebrate festivities. Pride is a very unique “holiday” as it is a celebration of our struggles and successes as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals, which is a very noble thing to celebrate. On the other hand for some it takes on the guise of drinking heavily and random sex with as many people as possible. The community is wide and really I think there is room for all types of people and all types of celebrations.

This weeks binge watching includes the following:

Visionary

O’Brien is somehow infected with a random strain of radiation that is causing him to move back and forth in the near future. He is seeing events of people’s deaths; the destruction of the station and even his own death, the problem though is solved through some clever work by O’Brien and the good doctor. Meanwhile the Romulans are on board the station learning about the Federation’s encounter with the Founders.

Distant Voices

Dr. Bashir is attacked by a telepathic alien and placed in a coma. The rest of the episode he ages and ages while encountering strange versions of the DS9 crew. In the end he figures out that he must defeat the alien in his mind before he can come out of the coma.

Through the Looking Glass

Sisko is kidnapped and brought to the mirror universe by Smiley O’Brien. The humans in the parallel universe are looking to step up their rebellion against the Klingon/Cardassian alliance and need to capture Jennifer Sisko. It seems Jennifer is working for the Cardassians but Sisko is able to convince her to join the rest of the humans so that he can return home.

Improbable Cause

Garak’s shop is destroyed and it looks like it was the Romulans who are responsible for the assassination attempt. Through an investigation Odo finds that there were other Cardassians who were murdered at the same time and Garak reveals that they were all members of the Obsidian Order. Garak and Odo travel to find Tain, the former head of the organization. The cliffhanger ends with Garak rejoining Tain.

The Die is Cast

The Obsidian Order and Romulan Tal Shiar have joined forces to make a preemptive strike against the Dominion. The Federation meanwhile does nothing to stop the fleet hoping that maybe the Cardassiansand Romulans succeed. The Federation begins to prep for an attack in the Alpha Quadrant. The Domion ambushes that fleet and attacks them as they attempt to destroy the Founders planet. Garak and Odo are rescued by the Defiant crew. It is also revealed that the Founders are in the Alpha Quadrant as spies.