Hey look - it’s the Spirit in Melbourne. Hang on, it’s both Spirits! that shouldn’t happen...

Welcome to my annual Brickvention trip.

I had taken the Thursday - Monday off work. The Thursday is set-up day, so I figured I’d get there nice and early and set up my displays. In particular I’d set up the combined M:Tron display that I was sort of co-ordinating ready for everyone else to add their parts.

So Wednesday evening I line up for the Spirit like a regular passenger except with a car full of Lego. While I’m in the queue I get a message from one of my workmates asking if I’d heard what had happened to the other ship, the one currently in Melbourne.

So I jump on the net. Nothing on the news yet, but I find the Port of Melbourne webcams and sure enough, Spirit II is basically sitting on the beach!

As the news sites started reporting the issue, I found out more. There had been a freak wind gust that broke the moorings and swung the ship around. No one was injured, but the ship was damaged and so was the pier. 

I boarded Spirit I in Devonport, but she wasn’t allowed to sail until about midnight - the Captain needed the all clear that we would be able to dock in Melbourne.

So already very much behind schedule, we eventually headed to Melbourne - but because the wharf wasn’t ready yet, we spend a fair chunk of the day doing laps of the bay. We eventually docked mid afternoon.

It was around 5 when I finally made it to Brickvention. 

It all worked out - with some help from the other guys from the M:Tron display (in particular the legendary Paulius) we got it sorted and it turned out to be a pretty awesome display.

From there it was back to the Hotel to check in and hand over the keys to the trusty Forester so the attendant could park it. Never had to do that before - slightly odd feeling.

From there it was another awesome Brickvention. Mike came down for the Friday and Saturday which was awesome. I’ll post some photos in a bit.

After the convention I went crusing around Melbourne. I had a day to kill on Monday before catching the ship (which was delayed anyway) so I went to Ikea for a look (never been there before) and a couple of toy shops. I eventually made it down to Rick James Bricks in Packenham which has been on my to-do list.

Along the way I had to learn how to do a hook turn (left lane to turn right) - thanks to the random car in front that demonstrated how to do it. I ended up on a Toll road by accident and had to work out how to pay that. 

I got sick of highways and things, so I looked at the map and decided Emerald sounded interesting, so headed into the country and eventually wrapped around back to Melbourne. 

Turns out I’ve been to Emerald before, about 20 years ago. It’s part of the Puffing Billy railway - which I only realised when I saw the signs for the model railway and realised I remembered it. It was shut by the time I got there this time though.

I did a search for Fish and Chips in my phone as I got back towards the Bay and thought I’d get some nice fish and chips and sit in front of the beach. Well - I got the fish and chips, but it ended up being a high end expensive sort of fish and chips rather than the corner store I’d been thinking of. Oh well, it tasted good.

So then it was back to the wharf where the Spirit was conspicuously absent. It was running late and not even visible when I arrive. Hung around and met up with some of the other Tasmanian Brickvention attendees - and eventually the Spirit sailed into view, lights shining in the dark. 

Joined the queue and waited until midnight before boarding. Was so close to falling asleep it isn’t funny. I had a shared cabin on the way back - but everyone was so tired we just fell asleep almost instantly. 

The late departure meant a late arrival into Tassie, which was fine as I didn’t wake up until 10. Once off the ship, it was straight into the office and what was left of the working day.

So that’s my Brickvention adventure for 2016, minus the Brickvention itself, which will be in another post.

Discom

 

Congrats to Mr and Mrs Eyles - Jason and Amy! 

Well - I’ve survived my first Groomsman experience, and successfully made sure that Jason got to the location and didn’t back out. He is now a married man!

 

While the official photographers were doing their thing, Wes managed to snap a couple of photos on my camera. Jason, his best man Grant, and me with other Good-Enough Guys.

 

We were there to support Jason when he needed it.

 

Looking sharp in our Aperture Science cuff-links (which you can barely see in the photo).

 

Poor Amy... just realising what she got herself in for...

 

And check out the gifts for being a Groomsman - that’s epic Jason, thanks! 

If you haven't noticed the labels, look again.

 

There has been an awakening... 

It’s the morning after Star Wars Episode 7 finally came out. I was at the midnight showing with a couple of mates.

The movie isn’t perfect, but I really enjoyed it.

Now, it’s going to be hard to mention anything without heaps of spoilers, so I’ll keep this nice and short.

I’m still a little bitter that Disney have wiped the slate clean and entirely ignored the Star Wars Extended Universe that had been created by thirty years worth of books. I was really invested in that universe, but it’s no longer considered canon, and the movies exist in an entirely different timeline.

That said - it you’re going to start again, I thought Episode 7 did a very good job. 

Kylo Ren is the new bad guy. I won't spoil who he is - but he’s a very different villain to Darth Vader. He is extremely powerful, but he also doesn’t appear to be very well trained. His anger may make him powerful, but it also causes him to lose control. He’s far less stable than the dark Jedi we’re used to.

For the most part the effects are great and feel like they belong with the original movies. Unlike the extremely CGI prequels, Episode 7 has a lot of practical effects and creatures. And it’s so refreshing. CG is awesome, but it doesn’t have the same feel. With the exception of the creatures in the freighter at one point (which were very CG and didn’t feel right) the rest of the effects seemed spot on. This is of course, after a single viewing, I might change my tune slightly after watching it again.

The biggest disappointment was the ‘threat’ and final battle. It was very familiar, something we’ve seen twice before. I think I can mention it without anyone complaining, because it was on the poster for crying out loud. The First Order (bad guys) have built something called Starkiller Base. That’s a pun on the fact that Luke Skywalker was called Starkiller in a very early draft of the script for the original Star Wars - but it’s basically another Death Star. It’s different, but the same. It’s not bad, but it would be nice if they’d thought of something different.  It felt a little underwhelming story-wise, and although it’s more powerful than the Death Star, it felt less threatening. 

But the personal conflicts and battles happening within that final battle were brilliant. I can’t say much here without spoilers, but it was very well done. Likely to cause some contention though.

I’ll certainly watch it again - but at this point I’m happy to say it’s better than the prequel trilogy. It may not be pefect, but JJ Abrams has proved that he’s better at capturing George Lucas’s magic from the original trilogy than George is himself.

May the Force be with you - as we wait for Episode 8,

 

I'm surrounded by fake Lego Dinosaurs!

 

So my car decided it would like to be a cyclops for a while, and blew one of my low-beam headlights.

No fear - I'll go to Supercheap and grab a replacement at lunchtime. Before I go, I do a quick Google search - apparently I need a H11 globe.

I get to Supercheap, and they have a handy book on the shelf, but it says I need a H4.

So I grab my phone and google again, one site says I need a H7, but the Nava site agrees with the H4.

That's two for a H4, so I get a H4.

Of course, when I get the old globe out after work, it's a H7.

So it's back to Supercheap in the morning :)