Now that they're organized...

...I can make cool stuff, like:

This demolition hardsuit, perfect for wrecking the creations of the other kids.








This open-topped speeder, great for those late-night cruises around the dark side.








And finally, this streamliner, ready to cut loose across the nearest dry lake bed.








And who better to test this vehicle than our tame racing driver. Some say he's got extra studs in interesting places, and that he has broken seven vacuum cleaners from within. All we know is...he's the LEGO Stig!

Is this OCD?

While I've had all this time off, I decided to do a terrible, wonderful thing.

My LEGO bricks (okay, our LEGO bricks) were all dumped into this big green plastic box:

While compact and expediting clean-up, this made building anything specific a challenge. LEGOs form layers in the opposite manner of sedimentary rock: the tiny pieces filter through and end up on the very bottom, while the massive plates float on top. So, when you needed that one silver 1x2 vent to finish your model, you had to dig and dig and make a huge racket; this is satisfying by itself on a primal level, but not on a serious building level.



As you can see, I started a rudimentary breakdown a few years back, with a smaller box for all the minifigs and their tools, apparel, animals, and weapons; another small box for small pieces (in LEGO terms, that meant anything sized less than six studs total); and a third for hinges, swivels, and other special pieces. This worked somewhat, but I knew it could be better. The box of small bits was so full, it was still nigh impossible to find what you needed.

So Jacob and I spent several hours doing this:

Whew!

Here's what youre looking at: a standard hardware store parts bin system, with one drawer for round 1x1 flat studs; one for square 1x1 studs, flats, and wedges; one for 1x1 round and cone bricks; one for 1x1 square bricks; one for 1x1 bricks with side studs (including the famous "washing machine" pieces); one for 1x2 flats with a single center stud; one for regular 1x2 flats with two studs; one for transparent 1x2 flats with two studs; one for 1x2 tiles (no studs on top); one for 1x2 vents; one for 1x3 flats; one for 1x4 flats; one for 1x4 tiles, one for 2x2 square flats; one for 2x2 tiles, one for 2x2 round flats; tiles, and round-bottom sliders; one for 2x3 flats; one for 1x6 flats; one for 1x6 tiles...and so on. All the 1x2 bricks ended up in the large bin that previously housed all of the small pieces, as there were so many of them, and I may have to split the 1x2 flats into two drawers.

That's about 20% of the collection sorted. I'm just doing this for the small bits that would otherwise end up on the bottom of the box. I've still got a lot of work to do, but it will be much easier to build stuff after this. It's also surprisingly satisfying to get this done.

F is for Foundation

Spoiler Alert!

I finished Foundation and Empire last night. The last chapter has this big reveal that the clown Magnifico is actually the mutant general The Mule. The problem is, that from the moment they introduced Magnifico, I knew he was The Mule. I just thought about Magnifico for a second, and how all the other characters kept hyping The Mule, and I said to myself, "It's Kaiser Soze!" So when the characters finally figure it out, I'm like, "DUH!"

This happens after the whole bit about Riose. I actually liked Riose, and having his campaign ended completely off-stage was such a let down.

So, I'm taking a break from Asimov and reading Good Omens. I'm like 20 pages in and it's already more entertaining than all of Foundation so far.

How to enjoy International Derek Day, liveblogged

8 am: Roll out of bed

8:30 am: Report to outpatient lab for blood work (per regular doctor) and chest X-ray (per oncologist, it's a once-a-year precaution) at Summa. Had a blood test at onc's office earlier in the week, but phlebotomist opts to make a second hole. As I am being drawn, another patient enters; she's in a wheelchair pushed by her daughter, who is wearing a huge ICP t-shirt and is pierced and inked something awful. My phlebotomist complements the colors of the girl's evil clown tattoos, and rolls up a pant leg to compare her colorful vine tat to the clown.

9 am: Pick up new boxes of contacts.

9:30-11 am: Pump aaahhhrrrrnnn at the gym, followed by a swim and extra time in the whirlpool and sauna. Nice not having to rush! Mostly retirees here at this hour.

11:15: Retail therapy! I pick up the new Jetfire & Jetstorm TF:A figures at Target, tres chic. I also browse the Hobby Lobby, which I've never been to. They have a decent model rocket selection, which gives me some ideas.

12:15: Lunch! Restaurant seems to have the A/C on. Manager says the system is computerized and cannot be over-riden. Boggle.

1:30-3:00 pm: Kenmore Komics! In peace, I pick up some TPBs (Nextwave Vol. 2, Secret Invasion, and Battle Angel Alita Vol. 2) and some comics.

3:30 pm: Home. Read comics. Read comics again!

6 pm: Order Chinese. Tomorrow we're going to Lockview for gourmet grilled cheese for lunch!

A very nice day indeed!

Foundation grind

I have my used copy of the Foundation collection, and I'm slogging through it. I'm a few chapters into Foundation and Empire, and for the most part, the whole series consists of men sitting around discussing inevitable things in the most pompous way they can. Every once in a while there's a nice 'gotcha' moment, but for the most part it feels like work. I have to keep telling myself it's pulp from the 1950s, so the 'futuristic' tech and the generic sci-fi sounding names are part of the show. I hope it gets better.

The good news is that the book also has 'I, Robot' in the back, so I can get rid of the beat-up paperback edition I have been carrying around for eons.

Book Reviews!

First Post!

/sigh

Anyhoo, here's what I've been reading lately:

I just finished Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, which is the second Neal book I have read, after Snow Crash. Cryptonomicon was like a workout for my brain, with three main storylines, two during WWII and one in the modern day, which follows decendants of the characters from the WWII stories. It also has EQUATIONS in it, but they are all explained in regular language. It's mostly about the world of cryptography, in which spooky-smart people do spooky-smart things that make no sense to anyone else. It has tons of action, lots of world travel, and all the characters are awesome. My favorite character is Bobby Shaftoe, who's just a regular sort of jarhead assigned to guard the crypto guys, but he's also pretty bright and has some great insights into people and things.

Right after that book, I read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which is a quicker read as it's more of a young reader book. It's about a living boy who is raised by the ghostly residents of a graveyard. He learns all kinds of cool tricks from them! It's a great book for the spooky child in all of us.

Now I'm working on Death From The Skies by Phil Plait, which goes into excruciating detail about what would really happen if an astronomical disaster were to befall Earth. It's a fun read so far! After that, I feel compelled to tackle a sci-fi classic, Asimov's Foundation series. The last book in this vein I read, Ringworld by Larry Niven, was fantastic, and I liked the fact that it was just one year older than I am :-)