Return To BrickCon!

Last weekend I went up to Seattle for BrickCon 2016. Between admiring LEGO creations, chatting with fellow fans, gaming, eating out, and sightseeing, I took some time to marvel at the fact that it had been three years since my last BrickCon.

Though the 2012 and 2013 BrickCons were fun, I remember feeling rather exhausted after both. The first year I blamed my fatigue on having to drive over 300 miles (plus all that walking around the con). So the following year, I went up by train. That didn't seem to help the situation, though, and I returned to Portland feeling seriously drained.

By the spring of 2014, I'd started planning my epic European/American East Coast trip (aka The Glorious Adventure). I started saving money, and made the decision not to do BrickCon in 2014. In October of 2015, I was on my trip.

This year, 2016, I was ready and able to return to Seattle for this LEGO convention. This time, I did things a little differently than I had in the past. 

*For one thing, I went by myself. A friend had gone with me the two previous times. Happily, I now know quite a few fellow LEGO fans, thanks to our local LEGO club as well as our local convention, so I was never without someone I could talk to.

*I paced myself more than I'd done at past conventions. I left each night after the main meeting, rather than stay for the after-hours events. I may have missed out on some fun, but checking out early meant getting more rest.

*I actually hung around the public convention for a few hours. In the past, it was so crowded during public hours, I would usually escape and go elsewhere. This time, I tried to embrace it. I ended up sitting behind one of the tables where one of my creations was for several hours. I got hear several people talking favorably about my MOC, so that was nice.

Which brings me to...

What I brought this year!

My only new MOC was Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Of Make-Believe, which I began working on back in August. After watching some old episodes of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood with my baby niece, I recalled how, as a kid, I'd always coveted those models Mr. Rogers had in his kitchen of the castle, museum, clock, etc. How fun would it be to have those and play with them?

Hey, wait a second... I can have them!

So this is what I made for the con. I want to do a little more with it -- more blue plates for the background on the sides... and maybe extend the neighborhood so that Grandpere's tower is in its proper location. I also hope that LEGO makes more pieces available in Daniel Tiger's clock's color so I can make it more like the clock in the show.

 EVEN SO....

I also brought along three MOCs that have been on display at other conventions in past years....

American Kitchens (Bricks Cascade, 2016)

Choosing Poorly (Bricks Cascade, 2015)

and Brown Bear Goes For A Stroll (Bricks By The Bay, 2014)

Games

Every year, BrickCon seems to change the protocol for game sign-up. One year, it was first-come-first-served. Another year, you signed a sheet but then they drew names randomly of who got to play in each round. That was annoying because you had to show up to each game just to find out if you'd gotten in. This year, they had us sign up online. Again, selection was randomized, but at least they emailed us a few days before the convention to tell us which games we had gotten into.

I signed up for Box Build, Master Build, and Blind Build, and got in to the latter two. Blind Build was, as usual, not a success for me. I usually start out well, but after about 45 minutes begin losing my mind. EVERY TIME. Especially when blindly building tiny vehicles. 

This is what we were supposed to build (the main picture)....

And this is as far as I got before giving it up. (More than 10 people had already called "done!")

The Master Build was more fun. (It usually is.) This year, it was done in two heats. I was in Heat B. We were given two small sets and were told to build to the theme of "madness."

Here's what I built....

It's supposed to be a lady whose shopping obsession has gotten out of control, leaving her in tears.

I probably could have given her a better nose.

Surprisingly, she got some votes from the judges, and I squeaked into Round 2 (the top 20)!

Here are some other creations from Heats A and B....

When it came time for Round 2 the following day, I was excited but nervous to be among so many really creative builders. I didn't expect to win (and I didn't) but figured that whoever did win would certainly deserve to.

We were given one set...

...then told to set it aside and go fill up a bucket of loose brick from these big bins.

Then, they said, build anything.

OPEN-ENDED MADNESS WHAT

Oh, I should add that we were also given three little green plant pieces that we had to incorporate into our build somehow.

The three of them together reminded me of a recycling logo, so I came up with an idea to make some kind of garbage-crushing machine that made new objects. Maybe with a conveyor belt?

That somehow turned into a conveyor belt of doom. Evil scientist/James Bond/every action cartoon I ever watched growing up/etc. But how could minifigs be lured into the trap? Free candy? No, wait! A free clinic! Those poor, unsuspecting patients!

So while I was building it, it all seemed very amusing. And afterwards, it got some laughs and people were taking photos. 

But looking at it afterward, I was sort of shocked at what I'd done. I go from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood to DEATHHHHHH?? Madness indeed.

Here are a few of the other things that were built in Round 2. Utterly brilliant, most of them....

And the one that ultimately won....

^Love the orange boat/hat brim.

Besides getting to take home the cabin set, everyone got a special brick for being a semi-finalist:

Prizes!

At every LEGO convention I've ever been to, they've done random door-prize drawings for free LEGO sets or bags of pieces or something similar. Typically, everyone has a bar code on their con ID badge, which gets scanned before every group meeting. During the meeting, a computer draws names when prompted, and people win prizes. I have witnessed this process going horribly awry, but it worked very smoothly at this con.

At Bricks Cascade, which is a smaller con, you're pretty much guaranteed to win at least one prize, as long as you show up to the meetings. At the larger cons, there are sometimes people who don't ever get picked. This happened to me at Bricks By The Bay, but I didn't really mind.

At BrickCon this year, they went back and forth between selecting 5 names at a time (for people to receive small, $10-30 sets) and choosing one name at a time (for people to win larger sets that ran from $50 to $300 or more.) My name was called in a group of 5, and I got a small City set.

Besides the door prizes, there were trophies awarded on Saturday night for superior builds.

It's always fun to see people receive accolades for their hard work, especially if you know them! Several people from PortLUG (my local builders' club) took home trophies. Yay guys!

Pictures

The MOC turnout this year was AMAZING. I had never seen so many great builds in one room. 

But here are a few creations that stood out to me for one reason or another...

^This is actually based off a LEGO street scene, only whoever did this built it using only gray and dark gray bricks. Looking at it, it makes my brain go WTF? because it's like I've suddenly gone color-blind. Crazy cool.

^Treasure! Fun!

^BEAR LOVE! I've never been great at sculptures, so I'm impressed. Plus I love bears. (ETA: My friend Wes has informed me that this is from a TV show, We Bare Bears, which I've now watched on Youtube and find absolutely delightful.) (P.S. Here is the Flickr page of the builder, Brandon Griffith, with lots more LEGO goodness.) 

^As I'm currently reading the Narnia books, I was especially amused by this Narnia mashup. (It should be Edmund meeting the White Witch, not Lucy and Tumnus, but who cares, really?) I had even considered building a Narnia MOC myself, now that LEGO makes a Snow Queen. However, I don't think mine would have looked nearly as good as this.

^v This Christmas Village was delightfully detailed, gorgeous, colorful and fun!

^Absolutely gorgeous. The waterfall was even moving, and the dragon flapped its wings!

^I immediately recognized this depiction of Admiral Boom's House from Mary Poppins. The LEGO world needs more Mary Poppins MOCs, I say.

^I really like the way they did the dark blue water, here. Great technique and result.

^Micro BrickCon is always fun to look at ever year. A bit surreal, too.

I LOVED SO MANY MORE... So many, in fact, that it would not do to post them all here. Kindly head on over to my Flickr Album to see over 200 photos from BrickCon 2016!

PHOTOS!     PHOTOS!     PHOTOS!

The Beast Within (Or: Toys R Us Needs To Get Its Act Together)

It is a known fact among adult LEGO fans that Toys R Us marks up most of their LEGO sets by a couple of bucks. To atone for this, the company says they'll match the price of any ad. But why should I have to bring in an ad? All I want to do is give you money and get some bricks; stop trying to rob me!

Which is probably why I almost never go there.

But about a week ago, I saw a promo for a building event to be held at Toys R Us stores on September 17th and 24th. On these two weekends, customers could build and take home LEGO replicas of Cogsworth and Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast.

Naturally, as fan of both BATB and all things LEGO, I was excited. But was it only for kids? I made sure to read the fine print:

Event intended for ages 6-up. Parental supervision required at all times for minors. All giveaways and event materials available while supplies last and distributed to participants only. Limit one per customer. Quantities limited; no rain checks. While supplies last. 

Six and up! One per customer! 

So on September 17th, I went. That day, you got to build Cogsworth. The event was from 12 to 2pm. I got to the store at 12:30 and waited in line for over half an hour. The line seemed to be moving slowly because they had to have each and every person pick their individual LEGO pieces out of these little bins.

They gave you a bag for your pieces, and you also got instructions and a Cogsworth face sticker:

I quickly got my pieces, sat down at a table and began to build...

After all that waiting, it only took about 5 minutes to build the little guy....

Having made Cogsworth, I purchased an additional LEGO set and left. At home, I put a sticky note on my cupboard with a reminder so I wouldn't forget to return the following week to make Lumiere.

Today was Lumiere Day.

Hoping to avoid such a long wait this time around, I got to the store early, around 11:45. Right before noon, an employee (who I didn't see around last week) began handing out instructions to all the kids in line. He bypassed me. I didn't notice this at first because I was distracted.

In front of me in line, there was a family with a toddler. One of the adults asked the other what they were even building. The reply: "Some princess set? A candlestick? From... what's the name of that movie? Oh yeah, Beauty and the Beast." "What was the candlestick's name? I can't remember." "Me neither."

Reaching the front of the line, I asked if I could also have some instructions. A lady employee handed a sheet to me. Then the male employee said to me, "This event is for kids only."

I tried to explain to the man that I had been allowed to make Cogsworth the previous week.

"They were probably just being nice last week," he said. "But we can't allow adults to have one, because that would mean a kid might not get one and they'd be disappointed."

I pointed out that the fine print did not say there was an age limit.

He replied with something to the effect of, "The is a kids' event. But I'm not going to say no to you. Just that if you do it, a child will be disappointed." He said this in the exact tone I often tell kids in the school cafeteria that they ought to not eat the giant bag of Hot Cheetos they brought from home, but I'm not going to physically stop them if they're so determined.

Far be it from me to deny a LEGO set to a toddler whose parents don't even know the name of the darn candlestick and who, by LEGO's own standards, is too young to even have the bricks, due to potential choking hazards. (See that fine print.) 

By that point, I was feeling quite bad. I might disappoint a child, but screw my own disappointment. As an adult, I don't get to have feelings. I carved out part of my Saturday for this, drove ten miles to get there, and then I get... this.

Annoyed with the stupidity of it all, I left (with the instructions still in hand, thank you.) I briefly considered driving all the way to northish Portland to go to the other Toys R Us, but I didn't think my poor nerves could handle being rejected twice in one day. Anyway, I figured I probably had all the pieces I needed at home. And I did, mostly.

Well, I had everything except the face sticker. So I photocopied Lumiere's face from the instructions and used glue. It's a bit of an abomination, but hey.

In the end, my thoughts are these: Toys R Us? You need to get your *#@& together. You ought to make your online ads & fine print & rules consistent with what you tell your employees. If something is for kids only? TELL ME BEFOREHAND. I won't show up, and that's fine. I'll do something better with my Saturday. If something is for everyone? Tell your employees not to discriminate.

I'm done with your store, honestly. Amazon.com FTW.

Anyway, for those of you who missed the events or were turned away, here are the instructions:

Happy building!

Fifteen

Fifteen years ago, America was brutally shaken. Living on the west coast, having never visited New York or Washington and not knowing anyone who lived in those places (save for a few internet acquaintances), I didn't feel the events as harshly as some did. I wasn't even aware of the attacks until hours after they happened, when my brother showed me the news on AOL. He said that planes had knocked down the World Trace Center towers, crashed into a field, and hit the Pentagon. I couldn't even get my mind around the information. 

I immediately went upstairs and turned on the TV. I then spent hours watching the horrifying images of the second plane hitting, the towers falling, people screaming, newscasters speculating.

I remember how little anyone knew, then. Was it terrorists? It had to be. It couldn't be an accident if it involved so many planes. Were there any survivors? People thought there might be a lot of people buried alive under the WTC rubble. There were long lines at the Red Cross, people giving blood for the living-but-injured WTC victims, who (we now know) numbered few. 

Chaos. People in New York couldn't find their loved ones. There were The Missing Posters/fliers. Have you seen my sister? Have you seen my son? He worked in the North Tower. Please call 555-XXXX! There was hope that these missing people were in a hospital somewhere, merely dazed. It's so sad to think that this was probably not the case.

Between tears, we felt anger. This was, we were sure, a deliberate attack against America. What could we do? If we didn't do something, the "terrorists would win!" Some people decided wearing red, white, and blue clothes and/or American Flag shirts was the thing to do. It was silly, but we wanted to do something. We wanted to show our pride in our country, a country that was hurting so much. We wanted to be "united."

 Things changed. Security tightened even more at airports. After the crash of TWA Flight 800 in 1996 (which people had thought was a terrorist attack for some time) it seemed like security in airports had gotten more strict. But up until 9/11, nearly anyone could go through the security checkpoints. You could go right to the gates to see someone off, or welcome someone who was arriving. After 9/11, and ever since -- nope. Not without a ticket, you don't. And now they lock the cockpits on planes. 

We were all super sensitive in that first year or two or three. Sensitive to anything to do with New York City, terrorists, bombs, airplanes, or even tall buildings. I remember a debate as to whether they should change the name of the upcoming second Lord Of The Rings Movie, The Two Towers (adapted from a book published in 1954), to something that didn't remind people of 9/11.

If you turned on the TV in the days and weeks that followed the tragedy, you'd usually be seeing some version of the news, something about 9/11. September is normally when new TV shows premiere, but a lot of those shows got pushed back a month or more. Shows that had "terrorist" or even "airplane" elements to them were edited to remove anything that might potentially upset people. I remember NBC aired Back To The Future in the weeks after 9/11, and the terrorists-in-the-parking-lot scene was so edited down, you would have thought Marty McFly went back in time just for the heck of it. 

For a long time after the attacks, we looked for heroes. We began to elevate the first responders (firefighters, police officers, etc.) who either ran into the WTC without blinking or lost their colleagues on that day. Actually, anyone on the planet who was a police officer or firefighter could have our hero worship after 9/11. 

  Even Rudy Giuliani, then-mayor of NYC, got to be a hero for a while. He helped out and boosted morale until such a time as everyone remembered he was actually pretty terrible.

Americans were still pretty raw a year later, when the 1-year-memorials aired. I remember watching one broadcast where they listed the names of everyone who had died in the attacks that day.

I remember ABC did an episode of one of their news programs that featured all the babies who had been born in the months after 9/11, whose fathers had died in the attacks. Their moms were pregnant with them on 9/11/01. Some were far along; others weren't even aware they were pregnant on that day. I have the episode on tape somewhere, and it always makes me cry. Most of those kids have now just started high school. (Here's a video from when they were all 9 or 10.)

Fifteen years. What a day. What a decade and a half.

State Of A-Fairs

The Oregon State Fair bridges the gap between those lazy, sweltering August days and the crisp, chilly September ones. Over the past decade, it has become one of the yearly events I most look forward to. (Others being pumpkin patch visits in October and holiday bazaar excursions in November-December. Yes, I lead a thrilling life.) 

Most years, I go to the Fair with a friend. Sometimes I'll go twice during the season. I've been trying to remember who I've gone with in recent years. Looking back at photos, it looks like it was: 

2015 - Esther (friend)

2014 - Miriam (cousinette)

2013 - Esther / Mom (2 visits)

2012 - Esther

2011 - Lexi (my "little sister") / Stephen (friend) (2 visits)

2010 - Lexi

2009 - GG (friend) & Family 

2008 - GG & Family

2007 - Didn't go?

2006 - Mom, Amy & + Storey Family (relatives)

This year, I went completely solo.

 Wednesday, August 31: My main reason for going that day was to see the Jeremy Camp / MercyMe concert in the evening.

Fairgoing isn't always cheap, but I managed to spend a grand total of $21. 

Amazing, right? $5 for parking, $8 admission, $3.50 for root beer, $3.50 for a pretzel, and $1.00 in petting zoo-animal food.

Man, I love those animals.

I spent about an hour in the art gallery. No photos allowed in there. I understand, but it's annoying. There was a whole section with calligraphy projects from David Douglas students. I recognized two of my former students' names & work. I had them back in Kindergarten & second grade. One, I believe, just graduated. (Excuse me while I go feel old.)

In the Creative Living building, there was a pretty good showing of LEGO creations, mostly by kids. 

This was my favorite setup...

Out on the fairgrounds, I wanted some good fair food, but I kept running into the same three options:

1. Meat

2. Fried

3. Oddly Expensive

Which is why I finally just bought a pretzel. 

I checked out the rides, but didn't go on any...

I'm not sure what I think about temporary (read: collapsible) roller coasters.

Yeah, sure it is.

At 6:00, I walked toward the concert area. One of the radio stations had a prize wheel just outside the venue. I spun it and won myself a singular piece of candy! Then I went to find a seat. Fairgoers can sit in general seating for free. If you want to sit up close, you have to buy a special ticket.

I did not buy a special ticket, but I got to sit in the 9th row anyway, thanks to a nice lady who had an extra ticket! She just walked up to me and asked if I wanted it. Sweet!

And the concert--

was amazing!!

At its conclusion (sadface) I walked around the fair a bit more...

And finally, after a great afternoon and evening, with my heart full and happy, I headed for home.

Say, who wants to go to the Fair with me next year?

Silent Or Boisterous

I often dream in metaphor. If I have the same type of dream over and over, and give mind (when awake) to what's going on in my life when I have those dreams, I can usually start to figure out what the dreams are really about.

If I dream that I'm finding a bunch of open and unlocked doors in my house, or finding that things are missing or stolen, it's probably because I'm feeling vulnerable or anxious about something.

If I dream that I've gone outside to find that my pet chickens have multiplied into a huge flock that includes not only hens but a couple of guinea pigs who I've forgotten to feed for a week, it's probably because my subconscious is worried about real-life responsibilities or its concerned that I've been neglecting something important.

If I dream that I'm in a big building with lots of corridors and secret passageways and stairways, it might be because I'm actually in a highly creative mode and working out the nuances of a story arc in something I'm writing. Complicated story arcs somehow translate into dreams about secret passageways, go figure.

If I dream that I'm suddenly in high school or college again, and trying to figure out which class to get to next, or trying to find that class, or worrying that I'm failing a class, it might be because, well... um... OKAY, WHY DO I HAVE THOSE?

There are actually numerous possible reasons, but the fact is, I've had three of those dreams in the last week, and I'm kind of annoyed about it. Two were definitely set in college, where I was moving into and out of dorm rooms and having delicious meals at the food court. Last night, I was taking a math class that involved manipulating large amounts of clay. Yes, clay. But when we students weren't handling the clay, we were being asked to solve calculus problems. I had no idea how to do anything the teacher was asking, and was deciding I definitely needed to drop that class before I earned a big fat F. Also, I was feeling a little silly being there in the first place, having already gone through the whole college thing some years before.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to go back to college, though. I like learning. But I do not like homework, reading assignments, or writing papers. I don't even know why I don't like writing papers. Maybe it's because I don't like the idea of learning something and then having to repeat everything I've just learned back to the teacher. It feels so tedious. Just teach me and let me enjoy the knowledge.

I've actually taken about a dozen adult education courses since graduating from college. They've been great. But somehow... they don't really give me the "college" feel that my dreams seem to be asking for. But what kind of classes do I want to take? What would satisfying my apparent cravings for tastes of higher education?

Let's face it; the class I really want to take would be called something like: "Art Appreciation & Traveling & Food-Eating & Horseback Riding By Moonlight." 

I wouldn't even mind the homework.

Gone Games

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games have come to a close, but before I go back to watching 80s TV shows on Netflix, I'd like to mention a few things about The Games....

First off, even though I watched lots of swimming and track races again this year, I did catch some new events! Such as...

Trampoline. People bouncing really high! And doing flips! I had never seen this competition before; in fact, I was sure it must be a brand-new event. But I guess it's actually been around since 2000. Even so, super fun to watch. Boingggg!

Canoe Slalom: You know what I find boring? Olympic rowing races. Maybe because the camera usually just shows a closeup on four people moving their arms in a repetitive motion for what seems like an hour. Meh. But this year I watched the Canoe Slalom events, and what a difference rapids and obstacles make! Totally fun! 

Equestrian Jumping: Okay, I know equestrian competitions have been around forever, but ANIMALS GET TO BE IN THE OLYMPICS, YOU GUYS! I love that.

The winner of the Equestrian "Jump-Off" I watched the other day was show rider Nick Skelton from the U.K., along with his horse, Big Star. I'm not sure how old Big Star is, but Mr. Skelton is 58, which in Olympic Years means he's pretty much Methuselah. 

Which brings me to something that's been bothering me the past two weeks: The Olympic commentators have an annoying way of making me feel old. They love to talk about the athletes' ages. "This guy's only 18! Wow, what a prodigy!" "This guy's 28, oh... he's getting up there..." "Michael Phelps is 31; gettin' ready to retire!" 

Apparently, anyone over the age of about 32, myself included, is officially geriatric. 

And I get it; I mean, there's a scientific link between age and health and physical fitness/stamina. People in their late teens and twenties are often in their physical prime. They make up the largest number of Olympic competitors. They win a lot of medals. Older people, people over 30, well, we have brittle bones and are prone to gout and should really just go sit in a museum and wait for the end to come.

UGH.

But perhaps because I'm now considered "Olympically Old," I found particular pleasure, this year, in the stories involving athletes who were, well, older. Like Mr. Skelton, the equestrian. Or Kristin Armstrong, 43, who won Gold in the women's cycling time trial.

One lady I really wanted to raise a glass to was Oksana Chusovitina, 41, a gymnast who has actually been competing in the Olympic games since 1992. At her SEVENTH Olympic Games, she flew over the vault like a... well, name your airborne object. In a sport where nearly everyone peaks at about 18 and retires by 25 to become a commentator, coach, or 7th Heaven guest star, Ms. Chusovitina is like, "Where's the vault? Oh, that tiny lil thing? Run, run, run, WHEEEEE! Ha ha! Suck it, teenagers!" (Not her actual words, but, you know.)

Anyway, that's it for 2016. In four years (2020, for the mathematically challenged) the Summer Games will take place in Tokyo. I intend to be watching. I just hope my retirement home has cable TV.

We All Fall Down

I really enjoy the summer Olympics. In general I have very little interest in sports, but when The Summer Games are on, I'm there, in front of my TV.

On Friday I watched the Opening Ceremonies.

In a nutshell:

*Uhhh did I accidentally tune in to Disney's Fantasia?

*Holy crap are there a lot of countries in this world!!

*Tonga flag bearer = shiny.

*Refugee team makes us go "awww."

On Saturday I watched the men's bike race, which took place over the hills of Rio. Lots of curves. Very dangerous downhill rides. Several guys went off the road. Painful.

Sunday, it was the women's bike race. Toward the end, the lead racer flipped over her handlebars and landed so hard, I thought for sure she was dead. (She wasn't.) 

Later, during the swimming trials, we got a glimpse of Chad Le Clos, the South African Swimmer who beat Michael Phelps in one race four years ago, and apparently... things are not good between them. Because Monday night before one of the semifinals, this happened:

Yikes!

Apparently the non-love is a result of Michael, a while back, saying that some international races Chad participated in had "slow" overall times, and Chad shooting back that at least his times were faster than anything Michael had done lately.

They'll have it out in the pool later tonight.

Theirs isn't the only rivalry of epic proportions. American swimmer Lilly King is not a fan of drug cheats, mainly one so-called cheater in particular, and she will let you know!

I certainly haven't watched every minute of the games. Some events just don't interest me. Also, annoyingly, NBC's evening coverage on the west coast is NOT live, which means I have to try to avoid spoilers before the races. It's so much less exciting if you know ahead of time who's going to win. 

NBC.com, on the other hand, streams events live. While trying to download the latest version of FlashPlayer so I could watch Olympics stuff on my computer, I managed to inadvertently co-download software called True Key, supposedly by Intel. Its gimmick of allowing you to "log onto your computer with your FACE" sounds, well, sort of menacing.

Maybe Michael Phelps was trying to log in to Chad Le Clos' mind with HIS face?

I'm currently trying to uninstall it.