My summer project

I didn't accomplish a lot from my to-do list this summer.

Admittedly, I did teach four weeks of material science summer camps around the country (U of Indy, BYU, U of Alabama, and U of Houston Downtown). I - and The Girl - also went camping for a few days in Pennsylvania. We also got a new dog and had a rough week where we lost an old dog and our cat.

But...through all of that, I did accomplish one thing on the to-do list: make Lego minifigure display cases.

Take a look...and, I offer a big thanks to Toki, whose instructions were invaluable.

The first display case has my collectible minifigure sets, series 1-9.

They're in order from series 1 up top to series 9 at the bottom. As you can see, the latter series (5-9) are entirely complete. Series 4 is missing one figure (Hazmat Guy) who is being shipped to me from Spain right now in trade. Series 3 is missing two figures (Baseball Player and Elf with bow). Series 2 has a few more gaps: skier, pharaoh, vampire, and spartan. Series 1 is largely incomplete, still needing cowboy, Robin Hood, astronaut, ninja, nurse, wrestler, robot, skateboarder, zombie, clown, cheerleader, and Indian with bow.

Here's a closer look at the woefully incomplete upper levels.

The next case has series 10 and - since I got the full series last week - will have series 11 once I get around to sticking the new guys down.

The final case may be a bit of a struggle to follow my organization.

Top row - soccer players
Second row - NBA players and Viking chess figures
Third row - Chima and police figures (I need to replace one that I had to cannibalize for trade parts)
Fourth row - city folk
Fifth row - ninjas, self-cast minifigures, more city folk
Sixth row - more ninja/Asian figures, pirates, birthday boy, bride and groom
Seventh row - superheros and villains
Eight row - space figures
Ninth row - more space, Harry Potter, LotR, and ghosts
Tenth row - islanders and forestmen
Eleventh row - court figures and knights
Twelfth row - expansion space

I'm particularly proud of that fifth row because that contains figures that very few other people in the world would have.

The first five (blue, green, white, yellow, and red) are made from IASCO's EuroCast and were cast around the country this summerin the workshops. The sixth is made from tin and was cast in Calen's classroom last spring.

I do need to figure out how to get those guys to sit more upright, but I'm still really frickin' proud of them.

Summer plans

Last summer I threw up my list of summer tasks but I didn't follow through with getting back to you at the end of the summer.  That's mostly because I didn't accomplish very many of the things on that list.

So, this summer, I'll make sure to follow up on this.  Hell, there needs to be a little accountability around these parts.

Here's the to-do list for summer 2010:

• Get rid of 20 cd's
• Replace electrical covers in hall bathroom
• Undo first, unsuccessful attempt at picture rail
• Mount second, soon-to-be-successful attempt at picture rail
• Remount (or dispose of) bulletin board
• Edge driveway
• Trim front bushes
• Cut sod to expand garden
• Throw compost into garden & till
• Split & re-pot plants from The Girl's school
• Clear out clothes from closet
• Look into ornamental grasses in front
• Get & mount electrical covers for bedroom
• Play frisbee golf ten times
• Tidy laundry room storage
• Split & move wood pile
• Clean gutters
• Replace broken gutter
• Replace fence post (by wood pile)
• Replace fence posts (by Ann & Paul)
• Cut & nail quarter round in living room
• Pop ten honeysuckles
• Redo school storage cabinets (lettered drawers)
• Sort through school drawers (in front desk)
• Sort through wardrobe at school
• Post old photo albums to Picasaweb
• Identify faces on Picasa
• Get fence estimates
• Plant new trees
• Read five books (graphic novels don't count)
• Trench drainage by deck
• Trench drainage by Ann & Paul

Summer

Last year's list of summer projects wasn't a good list as very few of the tasks were accomplished, so I'm going to simply list the activities and trips that I already have planned and that are flat out going to happen. At the end of the summer, I might list the things I've accomplished, but until then, I'm going to shut up about that.

Before the school year begins again, I'm heading to...in chronological order

• the Grand Canyon...the Las Vegas/Chicago/train parts of the trip have been scrapped, so it's renting a car, driving to the Canyon and back via Albuquerque, NM and Norman, OK in both of which we'll be staying with parts of The Girl's family for a night each way
• Hyde Park...for the Hyde Park Blast on June 28th...no, I'm not running it or running in it, but I am volunteering with some of my students to man a water stop...
• The Hometown...to help out with The Pater Familias's tennis tourney and hopefully see Cold North Gamer
• The Homestead...a week or two of R&R and bachelor fun with The Girl out in Colorado for a girls' weekend with a couple of her friends
• Weston, FL...where I'll be suffering at the Hyatt Bonaventure for the School & Youth conference for the LLS...and a game at Pro-Player Marlins Stadium out in section 141
• The City...to catch games at Shea and Yanqui Go Home Stadia before they get plowed into oblivion...with a side trip up to East Freetown, MA to visit a friend from high school
• The Homestead...and homeward...

...all of that within two months...we'll be eating through gas like it's going out of style, and we'll be visiting dozens of different states...and checking three more ballparks off of the list.

And someday there will be the promised rest and relaxation of the summer, but not for a little while. 'Til then, we'll be taking advantage of the awesomeness of summer break.

Four or so weeks too early...

Just in case you weren't yet in the mood...


SeeqPod - Playable Search

Two wheelers gettin' together

I was searching around on the White River Park website to see if tickets for the August Wilco show were available yet - no luck, by the way - and stumbled upon info about SegwayFesT 2008.

Wonder if they'd let me borrow a segway for the day...or weekend...