Thursday, June 22, 2006

Taking a break...

I am taking a break from building because I have a few other pressing jobs on my plate right now, so updates to my own creations will be a bit slow... I thought I would instead share a few of my most recent favourites posted to brickshelf.

The other night while chatting with deborah she shared this link with me, and while BOTH of us admitted not really being big fans of vehicle mocs... one just could not deny the beauty in this.

Posted by "tmbgrulz"


The lines are beautiful, the detail supurb, and just the right amount of shiney chrome...
Wow, colour me impressed!


Then I found this great little camera, not many pieces, considering some mocs, but very clean and convincing... this makes me want to go make my own.

Posted by "Avro"









Now on the smaller more traditional building side... LOG CABINS

There are few nice little cabin creations that have caught my eye. More than likely because I am working on my own "cottage" but in a much larger scale.

My all time favourite cabin/cottage has to be this one, the building, the landscaping, everything, beautiful, well executed and just lovely to look at. (Was entered in the first ever JLUG contest and won second place.

Posted by "starwarsboy"






Here is a nice one from a larger train layout.

Posted by "mikeslego"




I think this would make a great set... its small enough to be affordable, it uses some interesting building techniques... and it looks like it has good playability. I personally am not a fan of the yellow accents, and much would have preferred them in tan, but otherwise I am pretty impressed with this little cottage.

Posted by "Hippotam"

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Whoooo Hooo!!!!

Today marks the day, I finally got my red brick at Bricklink...



I know, who cares about fb really???

Well I dont, except that the "red brick" seems like a reward!
Of course, sadly the reality of it is a "reward" for spending too much money on Lego.

Oh well... I might as well enjoy it while I can... apparently you can't take it with you.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Another Lego, not so Lego moment...



I spent the weekend trying to sort out the pictures on my hard drive... and I came across this one pic of my children from many years ago...

They just happen to be climbing a huge RED Lego brick... in the "Honey I SHRUNK the Kids" themed park of MGM studios, in Walt Disney World, in Orlando Florida.

Funny part for me is this pic was taken way before I ever got back into the hobby of building.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

New Floor!




Okay, I was "forced" to do some math today, and I am not too happy about it...
And my calculations may be off... since math is soooo not my thing.

I had a dream that I decided to tile my house in Lego tiles...
So today, while playing around, I started to think, just what would that cost??

(Yes, I know, its not practical, Lego tiles would yellow, stain, scratch etc. but when has "practical" ever stopped me?)

So this is what I figured out.

4 two by two tiles = approximately one square inch.
Kitchen floor (minus the areas covered by cupboards)
is 12 feet by 14 feet = 168 square feet.
168 square feet = 24,192 square inches
24,192 square inches x 4 tiles = 96, 768 tiles
96, 768 tiles x .05 (average price for BL on white 2 by 2 tiles) = $4838.40

5 grand??? Hmmm, more reasonable than I would have thought.

Now, lets see... total house square footage....

Wink.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Super boring lego blog... aka, ALES should get offline more often

So I am in a Lego Chat (at Jlug) last night, and things are pretty quiet... which is bad news, since I babble at the best of times, but even worse when I'm bored and things are too quiet. (Im sure Freud would say I am over compensating for something)...

Anyhow, it starts with me posting to Lugnet... Todd Thuma made a post about new sets that aren't available at Shop@Home yet, but available in retail... which sort of hit home
with me, since often it seems like we (in Ontario, and I suppose the rest of Canada) don't get new sets super fast. So since I have been to B&B a few times recently and I was surprised to not only see the new sets, and compelled to buy a number of them.... I decide to share that joy with the Lugnet readers.

For some strange reason I am also compelled to tell them I will build the one new set tomorrow. Im not one to regret anything I say, but sometimes in hindsight, I do feel a bit silly, and this was one of those cases. I am sure that no one in the planet cares about what set I am currently going to build, its pretty anti climatic in the world of AFOLS....

Anyhow, this brings me to the moment when I decided to blog about this tiny insignificant moment in my life.
This is pretty much the convo I had.... (Few things edited out to protect the guilty, commentary in blue)

(WARNING - you may want to skip over this whole long boring bit to the next entry unless you are having troubles sleeping....)

Ross reports the news from recent Lugnet postings...
00:58:14 [RoscoHead] apparently mecha hub has officially opened
I make a joke, based on my last post...
00:59:09 [JaneyRedBrick] yes, and apparently im building a set tomorrow
And then it just gets stupid from there...
00:59:24 [JaneyRedBrick] sometimes i wonder what makes me post my boring news
00:59:25 [RoscoHead] you are????
00:59:37 [JaneyRedBrick] i think its pity for lack of posts at lugnet
01:00:14 [JaneyRedBrick] i have no idea why that set excites me
01:00:17 [JaneyRedBrick] but it does
01:00:21 [JaneyRedBrick] it looks really cool
01:00:34 [JaneyRedBrick] i was like "MUST HAVE" buying bot
It is at this point Ross catches on I'm babbling, but having missed my post, he still has no clue what I'm babbling about...
01:00:41 [RoscoHead] ummm
Then I make my big confession...
01:00:51 [JaneyRedBrick] and i lied, i didnt really use my VISA
Still he is confused...
01:00:52 [RoscoHead] you've lost me
But when you are on a roll, you don't care... you just continue with your lame story...
01:01:27 [JaneyRedBrick] i used cash, but a burning empty hand doesnt sound as good as a burning visa
Finally I clue in he is really clueless...
01:01:31 [JaneyRedBrick] i lost you where?
01:01:50 [RoscoHead] right after "building a set"
Ummm dude, you could have stopped me a long time ago
(like I can be stopped when on a roll)

01:02:08 [JaneyRedBrick] did you read my last lugnet post?
01:02:21 [JaneyRedBrick] maybe that would help explain what im talking about
01:02:48 [RoscoHead] maybe
01:02:53 [RoscoHead] ah there it is
01:04:46 [JaneyRedBrick] do i make sense to you now?
And for a bit of self depreciating humour...
01:04:54 [JaneyRedBrick] nevermind, dont answer that
01:05:05 [JaneyRedBrick] thats just asking for trouble
01:05:13 [RoscoHead] LOL
01:05:23 [RoscoHead] ok
01:06:05 [JaneyRedBrick] sometimes i dont even make sense to myself
Breathe.... and rinse... and repeat...
01:06:19 [JaneyRedBrick] so anyhow....
He fakes interest...
01:06:34 [RoscoHead] yes?
01:06:38 [JaneyRedBrick] my whole point was, that green thing looks so cool to me, and i have no clue why
Convo takes a weird turn...
01:07:04 [RoscoHead] its the advertising
01:07:13 [RoscoHead] seems to be working LOL
I mindlessly continue...
01:07:14 [JaneyRedBrick] although i have been fond of the "creature" line, the lion one a while back, and the one with all the bugs
I sort of catch on to weird turn of convo...
01:07:20 [JaneyRedBrick] advertising???????
01:07:28 [JaneyRedBrick] i never saw an ad for it, silly
Fake argument begins...
01:07:50 [RoscoHead] yes you did
01:07:57 [RoscoHead] the pic on the front of the box
Rebuttal...
01:08:04 [JaneyRedBrick] in fact, its the first time i have been in retail were there is a set that i have never seen online... just sitting there
Conclusion to argument
01:08:13 [JaneyRedBrick] oh, rolls eyes
Moving on...
01:08:24 [JaneyRedBrick] anyhow, it wanted to live at my house
01:08:38 [JaneyRedBrick] so i couldnt make it stay on the shelf
Convo takes another weird turn...
01:08:47 [RoscoHead] maybe it likes cat stew
I avoid weird turn and keep babbling...
01:09:16 [JaneyRedBrick] so i brought it home, and have been caressing it lovingly all week
Fake sympathy...
01:09:35 [RoscoHead] awwww
01:09:40 [JaneyRedBrick] and decided to rip it open tomorrow, and play with its pieces
01:10:02 [RoscoHead] wow, you waited a long time
Conclusion (or so we think)...
01:10:11 [JaneyRedBrick] arent you so glad i shared that little story with you???
01:10:39 [JaneyRedBrick] just say yes
01:10:48 [JaneyRedBrick] and we can end this little play
More fake sincerity....
01:11:09 [RoscoHead] why would i want it to end?
More self-depreciating humour...
01:11:28 [JaneyRedBrick] ummm cause its even more stupid than my normal stupid
Oh the back hand...
01:11:46 [RoscoHead] is it????
Staying in self-depreciating mode... opening oneself for a full frontal attack...
01:12:23 [JaneyRedBrick] ummm, i think so
Oh he takes the high road...
01:12:44 [RoscoHead] i dont
Only to slam with the low road...
01:12:57 [RoscoHead] i think its about the same LOL
Pretends I don't notice the slam...
01:13:06 [JaneyRedBrick] oh well then, i can tell you more
Babbling resumes... (Right about now, you are thinking oh my god, does this ever end??)
01:13:15 [JaneyRedBrick] i wanted both sponge bob sets
(The following comment would seem strange if you had no idea, two other chatters are in the room at the time, they just havent said anything for ages)
01:13:32 [RoscoHead] yeah i'm sure the others arent listening
Continues with my new story....
01:13:38 [JaneyRedBrick] (not the build a bob... since i have already built a bob)
01:13:45 [JaneyRedBrick] but the other two
01:13:54 [JaneyRedBrick] but they only had one of them on the shelf
01:13:59 [JaneyRedBrick] so... i cried like a baby
01:14:07 [JaneyRedBrick] and then the clerk said ...
Then Ross interrupts with crap about HIS country,.. Ummm hello??? we are talking about ME!!!
01:14:10 [RoscoHead] word is spongebob wont be available here retail
I ignore the interruption (geesh, some ppl!!!)
01:14:15 [JaneyRedBrick] "wait, we are expecting more"
Kindly Ross fakes amusement...
01:14:24 [RoscoHead] LOL
01:14:26 [JaneyRedBrick] and i said "but i want it now"
Ross acts incredulous, (like he wouldnt cry if it was a new crane set)
01:14:32 [RoscoHead] you actually cried????
01:14:45 [JaneyRedBrick] and she said "well... i did buy one, and its in the back room"
01:14:54 [JaneyRedBrick] well i "fake" cried, like a baby
01:15:10 [JaneyRedBrick] acting like a toddler throwing a tantrum
01:15:20 [JaneyRedBrick] so she brought me out her copy
01:15:34 [JaneyRedBrick] and sold it to me, saying "i know you come from a few hours away..."
01:15:48 [JaneyRedBrick] "and i can get one the day they get shipped"
Relieved the story is coming to an end...
01:15:53 [RoscoHead] ah
01:15:55 [JaneyRedBrick] so basically....the moral of the story... act like a brat....and get what you want
Slams again...
01:16:13 [RoscoHead] so your reputation preceded you
01:16:16 [JaneyRedBrick] YES, YAY ME!!!
01:16:28 [JaneyRedBrick] yes, well they do know me by name in there.... so its hard to avoid my rep besides, everytime im in there, they make me show other customers my tats.... i feel they owe me
01:17:03 [RoscoHead] i dont think that works at toys r us
01:17:21 [JaneyRedBrick] lol, you should try it, you never know
01:17:47 [JaneyRedBrick] i highly recommend acting like a toddler... its very emotionally freeing
Here is stupid idea...
01:17:59 [JaneyRedBrick] god, i should turn this into a blog
Ego check, isle one...
01:18:06 [JaneyRedBrick] im cracking myself up, i love how funny i am
01:18:12 [RoscoHead] LOL
01:18:23 [JaneyRedBrick] really, the rest of you pale in comparison
01:18:27 [JaneyRedBrick] wink wink



Seriously, I need a new hobby!!!

Monday, June 12, 2006

Looks like they did it up well down under....


























Well I have been waiting patiently for the gossip, stories, or the pics of BrickVention (the first, and hopefully annual) AFOL Brick Event for Australians. Looks and sounds like they had a great time, with around 35 AFOLs and 150 guests, and some amazing mocs, they sure did it up right. Congrats guys!!!


Check out a few more pics here....