16 weird ways to celebrate star wars day

Star Wars Day is my favorite made up holiday, and whoever figured out that adding "be with you" to "May the Fourth" made it awesome gets my everlasting thanks. I've been a Star Wars nerd since the summer after fifth grade when my dad finally convinced me to give it a try, and I will be one for life (barring any complete atrocities committed by J.J. Abrams). Here are some offbeat ways I've come up with to celebrate this geeky occasion.

1.  Go pick up some power converters from Toshi Station.  Or some batteries from Radio Shack.  They're probably on sale there, it's basically the same thing, and you'll be living a dream Luke Skywalker himself never got to fulfill.

2.  Use your binoculars - see any Sand People roaming your neighborhood?   No?  I hear bird watching can be fun.

3.  Visit the weirdest bar in town.  Bonus points if someone starts singing in a language you don't understand.  Don't take anyone's seat, and if someone pulls a weapon on you, you better shoot first.

4.  Learn to be persuasive - try these five tips from Lifehack.

5. Try some fancy braided hairstyles, just like everyone's favorite sassy princess.

6. Brush up on your interrogation techniques.

7.  Wear a disguise.  Or maybe just break out of a personal style rut by trying something that's out of your comfort zone - these tips from Already Pretty might be helpful, or try one of Lauren's Instagram challenge prompts.

8.  Clean out your garbage disposal.  A New Hope teaches us that a messy trash compactor can have some very dire consequences.  There's a tutorial for cleaning your disposal using just ice cubes, vinegar, lemons, and baking soda over at Clean and Scentsible.

9.  Learn some survival skills in case you are ever stranded on an ice planet.  This list from Lifehacker, featuring videos, is a good place to start.

Two capes in one shot!

10.  Wear a cape.  If The Empire Strikes Back is any indication, they were all the rage on Bespin.  A simple Pinterest search yields tons of fashionable cape inspiration.

11.  Fix something that seems completely broken.  Running toilet?  Slow draining sink?  Cracked walls?  Apartment Therapy is always my go-to for the little "uh-ohs" that affect me as a renter.

12.  Freeze some stuff.  If you don't have access to Han Solo and carbonite, popsicles are pretty fun, and very appropriate for the beginning of May.  I've rounded up some of my favorite chilly recipes on a Pinterest board for you.

13. Bargain for something.  There are some useful tips for haggling in a real store over at Yes and Yes, but Craigslist or Ebay might be more approachable places to start.

14. Discover some long-lost relatives.  While many ancestry websites charge a fee, the U.S. National Archives has a wealth of information from census records and other sources available for free.

15. Set a trap.  I'm thinking something along the lines of offering your friends pizza for helping you move.

16. Throw a party.  Bongo drums and djembes highly recommended.