Lego Update

 I took a nineteen-day vacation from work over the holidays. I spent some time with the boys.  There were days when I did nothing at all, but mostly I built Legos for the upcoming Brickfest Live show in Novi, March 1 and 2.  I have three new and three remodeled creations I have never shown at BrickFest.

This is a Troll/ Goblin Mine

This is an Old West Ghost Train

I made the Subway Hazmat Team Twice as Large

I redid this Stronghold that I showed at the church last year

This is a Creature From Toxic Waste scene

The scene was not complete when I took this photo

I really enjoyed building. I can work eight to ten hours straight on a project. I am getting better at planning and building. Often I found myself thinking, "If only I had an assistant to do the repetitive parts :)".

Pictures do not do the displays justice, but I haven't moved any of this downstairs for better photos yet. I really am starting to think I could retire. I don't plan on retiring for seven more years, but I feel like I could.

Show And Tell

 I displayed five Lego models at a small event on Sunday. The event was held at a church hall on the other side of town, about an hour away. A woman asked me to attend the event while I displayed at Brickfest. She was cute and close to my age, so I agreed. We exchanged a few emails between that first brief meeting and Sunday night. I will call her Ray for the sake of the narrative.

Ray is friendly and personable. I feel a sense of attraction when I am around her, which makes me feel awkward. Ray even insisted on hugging me when we said goodbye after the show.

This is her last email to me.

Bathwater

I'm grateful for you. You made the event more interesting, and it was nice to see you. I remember when I asked you if you were interested in sharing anything spiritual, you said no, but please know that you are welcome to our church anytime -- it might be the start of growing deeper in your faith. I'm glad you sensed the kindness of the church folks. I started going there 3 years ago and it has been good for me.

Here's a link to service online (removed)

If you'd like to check out a service in person, we start at 10 on Sunday.

Thanks for the links to Bible Bricks. That's exactly what I saw. I couldn't remember where I saw it, maybe just searching in preparation for this week. Maybe we can use those videos next year.

I hope our paths cross again someday.😊

Ray

I like her. She seems like a very nice and outgoing person. Maybe that is just who she is with everyone. I have her phone number and email. I am unsure if I am just reading more into her actions, but I am considering asking her out. The problem is I am not religious. I was raised Catholic, but now I am agnostic at best. I feel that the Catholic religious teachings are good for people and society. I am just not sure there is a God behind it all. 

What do you think? Am I seeing more than just someone being friendly?  Should I ask her out?

Annoyed

 I am annoyed with office stuff today. I don't talk much about my job. It is safer that way. People amaze me, though. Some do not want to make any effort of their own. They want to be told what to do rather than think themselves. Others take advantage of the bosses being away to leave themselves. I am not the hardest worker, but I get the job done. 

Anyway, I have about two weeks of disassembling and sorting Lego. I have agreed to participate in the small show in July. At this point, the plan is only to bring three creations: something new and two from the Novi show. I bought a revolving lighted disc. The latest piece will sit on that.

I would like a quick March. The temperatures have been pleasant lately, and I look forward to Spring. I am hoping Gia will still come back next month. We still text, but I have been pressing her about her return plans.

BrickFestLive Display

It took 3 hours to set up Friday. Below are pictures from my display. The event coordinators were very friendly and accommodating to changes that I requested to my table layout. They allowed me to pull the Gladiator into the hall for easier unloading.

Star Wars Scene

Viking House

Winter Fort

Overall View

Forestman's Treehouse

Dragon Seige

 Saturday was very busy. I was on my feet for the whole eight hours. I answered the same questions over and over. "How long did that take you?" "Is anything glued together?" 

There were only two other local private displays, so I had a captive audience. No one from the local MICHLUG group participated except me. The rest of the show was about kid activities and a Lego store. BrickFestLive did an excellent job of organizing those. If they had the support of local talent, it would make for a great show.

Before the Sunday started, I moved all the tables away from the red protective railings. Too many kids were touching the displays the day before. Still, I had a good time, which motivates me to keep building bigger and better. I was invited to a small show in Highland, Michigan, occurring in July. The woman was attractive and about my age, so I will display something there. :)

I plan to take everything down except the Treehouse, the Winter Tower, and the French-style building (not shown). People cannot believe me when I tell them the large display is coming down. I have a lot of Lego, but I cannot afford to keep that many pieces assembled. I estimated I had about $4,000 worth of Lego on display. Adjusting for replacement costs. The Star Wars Vehicle alone is worth $400. 

At one point, a little girl asked if I would build a mini-figure set she just purchased with her. I had to try explaining that I was not a Lego Master from the TV show and that there were two in the far corner. 

BrickFestLive

 Tomorrow, I must lug my Lego models to the Novi Suburban Show Place for BrickFest Live. This is the same place I previously displayed, but a different show. They are only giving people 5 hours on Friday to set up displays. That is short. Getting everything packed in the Gladiator in one trip will be a challenge.

This show isn't paying for parking for those displaying. That is disappointing. I am still determining what to expect at this show. I feel like there will not be as many independent Lego enthusiasts displaying. I aim to display what I have currently so I can take it all about, except the Forestman Treehouse; I want to keep that up for a while. 

Pictures to come.

The Weekend

I stayed inside again this weekend. The cold weather has me hibernating. I toyed with this pink tower top on Saturday. I don't have enough pink to make a full tower. Besides, I think it is a bit much. It was more of a learning experience for me.

I do like the frogs as ornamentation. I will have to see if they come in grey.

Sunday, I started what will become the centerpiece of my new build. I won't be able to get too far into it until after the show in March. Too many of my tan pieces are taken up by other builds.

The one started out as an experiment, too, but I think I will keep it going

Winter

From my balcony, I saw a vacant field and the houses beyond for nineteen years. Now, looking out the doorwall, I see a wall of black shingled roofs that block out everything. It's been cold. The kind of cold that makes you want to stay indoors. Despite that, I went to the grocery store after work while the sun was still out. My hands were stinging after I loaded the truck and returned the cart.

*     *     *

It has been a few days since I started this post. The temperatures are in the teens and twenties now. We have been getting snow every other day, but not enough to make it challenging for the Gladiator. I completed the final tower for the show. Anything else I build between now and then will be extra. I don't have plans to start anything big. My collection of essential parts is mostly in the pieces waiting for the show. Will see. I don't plan on doing much other than build Lego this weekend.

The Front

The Back

Aerial View

It comes apart in three sections

Side Views

Side View

Final Project for BrickFest

 The Gladiator read -3 degrees this morning as I drove to work. I stayed indoors over the weekend. I built Legos on Saturday and watched Peaky Blinders on Sunday. I took some images during each stage. I am not really happy with the results. Too many errors in the build. I am still deciding if I will continue or redo it all.

The Base

I figured a snow scene would be appropriate

My theory was to work in several stairs

Figuring out the angles

The first roof was rejected

The upper roof is better, but I need to work on more color and frills. The lower roof needs work, too. I might continue with it, but there will need to be a lot of rework.

Quick

      Here is a quick look at the finished roof. It actually comes apart in three sections.

                                                 

Brick Fest Live

 In my post Conversations, Rothwilder suggested: Give her some space, see if she writes you and takes initiative. Only way to know for sure. 

I took their advice and gave Gia some space. She continues to reach out to me close to as much as I her. Nothing profound, but we keep in touch. She is still in Rhode Island and is currently sick. 

I received acceptance to display at BrickFestLive in Novi, Michigan. It is about 45 minutes away. The show is on March 2nd and 3rd. It is a different show than last time but at the same venue as before. I will be continuing to build up to the day of the event. I have committed to filling four tables. I really need to finish the Star Wars scene.  I need to figure out the roof of my latest building and maybe create more pieces for the show. 

Transporting everything will be a challenge also. I will be taking the Friday before the show off to set up. I plan on taking the majority of the pieces apart after the show. I will probably keep the newest scenes up in case there is a show nearby some other time of the year.

Weekend In

 I stayed inside and built Legos all weekend. I hope to be accepted to display in BrickFestLive the first week in March. The club I loosely belong to displays year-round at other venues, but they specialize in city scenes, while I tend toward castle scenes. I have an interview this Wednesday to see if they accept me. If not, I don't know where I will display this year. 

I have one large layout and four smaller stand-alone pieces. I am working on a fifth, which I hope to have completed for the show. I just need to figure out the complex roof angles for the building. 

It is a lovely building with angles but needs a properly angled roof to make it unique. The challenge will be finding enough parts for a roof, determining the angles, and keeping the tower.

I want to go to Utah in March, also. Gia will not go. Max is interested but needs to see if he can get the time off work. He will need to take off seven work days. I want to attend the Off-Road Wrecker Games. It would be a busy few months if these things come together. 

Happy New Year

It's a new day
But it all feels old
It's a good life
That's what I'm told
But everything, it all just feels the same

I am back to work. I didn't miss it. I was falling into a pretty good routine. I could embrace retirement. I built three Lego models while I was on vacation. All in the last week. I would spend up to eight hours daily just listening to podcasts, building and sorting. My Lego table is a jumble of parts when I am building.

You already saw the Treehouse. I like that one. I have put it away for this year's show. Here are the two others. The first is a companion piece for the Treehouse.

The second was an experiment. I was trying a new way to make a round tower. It worked out well.

Now, I have fifty- five emails to sift through and respond to.  So the year begins.

This is the anthem.

Throw all your hands up.

Y'all got to feel me

Sing if you're with me...The Anthem, Good Charlotte

Tree House

 I have completed a new Lego project for those who have been asking. I spent a few days sorting Legos and cleaning the area before starting on a Forestmen Tree House. The build went straightforward. There were only a few redoes during the project. I started with the base and tree from the Lego treehouse, making it taller and more to my liking. I took some images of the work in progress this time.

The Lego Treehouse looks like this. It has playability in mind, and the interiors of each building are decorated. Mine are not.  

The Beginning

Making the Tree Taller and the first attempt at a structure

I wanted to attach two structures with a rope bridge.

It wasn't working out.

I tried connecting two structures by a rope bridge in the tree, but it was not working. I abandoned that idea and made two separate structures in the tree. After two more attempts, the final project looks like this.

I am happy with the colors and the final results. Each level has a door for imagined access. The structures don't look too heavy for the tree, and the model is sturdy. I can carry it with one hand, although it is very heavy. It looks more impressive in-person. The pictures do not do it justice.