"I Spent Under A Day in Utah Once"

The thing about living a life steeped in weirdness is- I forget how it looks to normal people. That is, until I make what I feel is an ordinary off hand remark referencing an occurrence and get a room full of silent stares, followed by confused laughter.

The thing about being at the same company for thirty one years is I occasionally pull up a document from over two decades earlier and think "What dopey kid wrote this mess?

...

Oh, it was me."

Meaning there has been time for a great many of those "ordinary off hand remark" moments.

Yup, it's time to drop more "Dad Lore."

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 11

The Second Season of the Second Age

I do not understand how people say this show isn't like Tolkien. There's so much going on, I forgot about an entire continent of people between seasons. It is packed full of characters, settings and societies that match the feel of Tolkien's work.

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 10

Oh, It Was Really Them All Along

I was almost obsessed enough with having an appropriate Halloween post to try and cram this write up to include the two episode finale, overnight, but luckily I thought of the space filling...

I mean fun and interactive quiz idea.

Yeah, there's spoilers... You've had a week.

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Menu Interlude

[Later edit- I fixed the title. It actually said “Disney World” when I gave it to my family. Old habits die hard. Brackets indicate my jokes, brackets with “Later Edit” is anything I wrote after giving the list to my family, before or after the trip. No one cares, moving on.]

Halloween Music Trivia!

Due to trying not to have an aneurysm by needing to finish writing a review of Agatha All Along overnight for Halloween after a double size finale, I started posting Halloween Musical Trivia Questions on social media.

Technically there were only five days worth, but since I can't help myself and added a bonus question to each one, its a Top Ten.

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 9

Everything, Everywhere, a Year and a Half Late.

As soon as I saw the first coming attraction for Everything Everywhere All at Once  I knew it had the potential to be one of my favorite films.

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 8

I Finally Saw "ONE" In The Theater Again But for the First Time

It has been many years (thirteen to be exact) since I managed to catch a Transformers film on the big screen.

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 7

DC and Monsters, The Good, the Bad and the...

Seriously, what in the hell was that crazy awesome thing?

But before we reach that story ...

Let's start with the Good.

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 6

Dune Part 2 Section C Through a Kid’s Eyes

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 5

Dune Part 2 Section B Through a Kid’s Eyes

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 4

Dune Part 2 Section A Through a Kid’s Eyes

There is more riffing on this film, because Part One tended to be general comments on the mythology, characters and setting while Dune Part 2 was far more interactive.
 

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 3

Dune Part 1 Section B Through a Kid’s Eyes

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 2

Dune Part 1 Section A Through a Kid’s Eyes

Rosa had to travel shortly after Anabelle was home on break and forgot her purse. I drove it down to her in college on a Friday night after I saw Dune Part 2 in the theater on Wednesday. I mentioned something about the film during our Daddy Daughter Dinner, and it started a long series of questions and answers about the Dune Universe.
 

Disneyland 2024 Countdown- Part 1

Batman Begins... Yet Again

Atlantic City- August 9, 2023

Rosa woke up early, gave our unmoving forms hugs and went to walk and lay on the beach.
 
We remained unconscious for most of this time.

Our (Continued) Adventures with Superman

Atlantic City- August 8, 2023

We slept late… because that’s what we do there.
 

New Who Views- Doctor Who Series 14. No, Season 1. Why not Season 40?

I kept pushing this review into the future, because... 

I am a Time Lord. 

Ha! 

Seriously, it was because whenever I tried to put it together all I'd come up with was:
"WOW, that was fun!"

Atlantic City- August 7, 2023

We woke up promptly at 9:30 for our morning on the beach.
Then we went back to sleep and woke up promptly at 10:30.
 

The Acolyte Comes Packed with Mature Star Wars... for some

 

Instead of a regular review, lets visit a theoretical conversation between audience and creators:

Note- This is not to address fans of the bulk of all Ages Focused Star Wars who didn't like it,  (I'm mostly in this group, I really liked this show, but won't rewatch it nearly as much as the films or The Mandalorian/ Boba Fett which fit in with the original films better than anything else.) or those who will only ever like the Original Trilogy (and shows which fit in with it) no matter what. (Hi Mom!)  Instead this is for that rather specific branch of fandom that demands every Star Wars be specifically tailored for them and only them.

Atlantic City- August 6, 2023

We drove down to the southern end of our state much later than Stupid O’clock in the morning, setting the tone for another “minimal exertions" type of vacation that we all desperately needed.

Heartwarming, Happy and Heinously Violent

I'm going to avoid any spoilers that weren't in the trailers. There are far too many wonderous surprises in this movie for me to deprive any viewers of them.

Atlantic City August 6th to 9th 2023

“The World Will Little Note Nor Long Remember…”
Or
"Oh, they'll Remember, Abe.”
 

A Rare, Cool Moment in My Life- June 13, 2024

Last year it was announced that Niall Horan- "The Show: Live on Tour" would be playing Madison Square Garden. He is Anabelle's favorite singer. Following the Taylor Swift mess, she and Rosa did much online jiggery pokery  (mostly Rosa, she excels at that) when the tickets dropped and first scored her a 100 level seat in the stands for Friday's concert, but then a floor seat for the Thursday performance. The Friday ticket was sold off at list price, because we are not evil.

Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 10 - Happy "Ending"

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

So…
 
This happened.
 

Clone Wars Episode Guide- Bad Batch Season Three

February 21st- May 1st, 2024. 15 Episodes

OK, Dave Filoni, I don't care how you continue your Clone Wars stories anymore, now including animated. Granted, I will keep watching them and reviewing them, like I did with  Ahsoka aka Rebels Season Five. However, as you've reached the end of this tale, here is my final foray into an Episode Guide.

Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 9 - The Legends Live On

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

There are three reasons the collection will continue to grow. This is irrespective of how hard it continues to be finding new figures at what my old man brain considers "acceptable prices."

These three are not counting the obvious reason- 

"As should be crystal clear by now, I do have a problem."

The first is the “feature” of the addiction leading to the tuning various websites into awareness of it, as highlighted by the AIM Scientist Supreme.
 

Yes, They are Dead, Boys and Detectives...But That's Not All

 

One would think with a show name like "The Dead Boy Detectives" the title would point out everything needed to understand the show.

Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 8- Master Class in Justification

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

With the Minor Acquisition Path reviewed. It is time to move on. The Major Acquisition Path that began with US Agent (2022, in case anyone forgot) is connected to the idea that, as the collection expands, there is always a “Location” for a character…

George Awards 11: Dana Awards "We All Waste Time. The Important Thing is When We Decide To Stop"

Warning

This post contains bad, foul, filthy and unacceptable language - the words that “will curve your spine, grow hair on your hands and maybe, even bring us, God help us, peace without honor.”
 
This is not a post for children.  Kids, take a hike.
This is also not a post for those adults who are offended by this type of language.  Do yourself a favor, and go read some of my cute stuff before moral outrage can kick in.
Just about everything else on this blog is clean…Stupid sometimes, but clean.
End of Warning.
 

Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 7 – Intermediate Level Justification

Part 1, 

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

The Cosmic Marvel shelf continues to get far denser than I originally planned due to store closing sales on Kree and Skrull themed two packs (2021), and the sale of the entire Kree Sentry (2019- purple and silver robot in the back corner) Captain Marvel build a figure line featuring those same races of aliens.

 

George Awards 11- Dana: "Eric McCormack Tweeted Me So Obviously This Is a Fever Dream"

 

Warning

This post contains bad, foul, filthy and unacceptable language - the words that “will curve your spine, grow hair on your hands and maybe, even bring us, God help us, peace without honor.”
 
This is not a post for children.  Kids, take a hike.
This is also not a post for those adults who are offended by this type of language.  Do yourself a favor, and go read some of my cute stuff before moral outrage can kick in.
Just about everything else on this blog is clean…Stupid sometimes, but clean.
End of Warning.
 

Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 6- Introduction to Justification

Part 1, 

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

While also K-Mart priced, and with an awful neck joint, Black Widow (2004) was too important to skip, being connected to both the Avengers and Daredevil. Taskmaster (2016) is a frequent villain in my comics, ensuring I grabbed him on sale much later. This was important as they both provided movie justification for when the two pack of Natasha’s on screen “parents” went on sale. (2021) Although, they both fulfilled “NEED”s anyway. The Red Guardian was hilarious and came with an action figure of himself. (As should be clear by now, “NEED” has a widely varied definition.) Melena was equally important as Rachel Weisz and I share the exact same birth date. Granted, she looks infinitely better in a white cat suit. (Again… widely varied.)

Sadly, a Florence Pugh Widow figure has not gone on sale yet to complete the set. I have hopes for Thunderbolts. However, I'd rather have one with the vest in the Black Widow movie. That was a really cool detail. They joked about it being an obsession but the idea that it was the first thing she bought for herself after a lifetime of brain-washing was sweet.
 
As should be crystal clear by now, I do have a few problems... including overthinking.

George 11- ...Dutch Elm disease, the Contraction of the Universe, Paper Cuts...

 Warning

This post contains bad, foul, filthy and unacceptable language - the words that “will curve your spine, grow hair on your hands and maybe, even bring us, God help us, peace without honor.”
 
This is not a post for children.  Kids, take a hike.
This is also not a post for those adults who are offended by this type of language.  Do yourself a favor, and go read some of my cute stuff before moral outrage can kick in.
Just about everything else on this blog is clean…Stupid sometimes, but clean.
End of Warning.
 

Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 5- Harbingers and Hardships

Part 1, 

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

As much as I am offended by the price increases, I do have an exception to the sale rule.

When travelling, they don’t count as full priced parts of my collection, but rather souvenirs!

Trips to Disney World and Colorado netted: 

The Enchantress (2016- Villain in Secret Wars and key to the Thor run I started collecting comics with), 

Puma (2019- Featured prominently in the Spider-Man Wedding issues - a key event of my early Marvel reading time) 

and 

Silver Sable (2019- Not really any kind of key, but she’s… really shiny!)

As should be crystal clear by now, I do have a problem.
 

George 11- How About Ghosts and Fairies, Werewolves and Vampires?

 

Warning
This post contains bad, foul, filthy and unacceptable language - the words that “will curve your spine, grow hair on your hands and maybe, even bring us, God help us, peace without honor.”
 
This is not a post for children.  Kids, take a hike.
This is also not a post for those adults who are offended by this type of language.  Do yourself a favor, and go read some of my cute stuff before moral outrage can kick in.
Just about everything else on this blog is clean…Stupid sometimes, but clean.
End of Warning.
 

Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 4- Price Hikes and Hunting

Part 1, 

Part 2

Part 3

Toy Biz finished their license with two final build a figure waves featuring MODOK and Mojo. (2006) The era of “hard to find” figures was kicking off. However, the prices were still low, and MODOK is incredibly goofy and ridiculous thus rendering him awesome. Therefore, when the love of my life, and my enabler, came back from shopping one night and told me she saw boxes of them being unloaded in an aisle at Toys R Us, I jumped in my car and drove to the mall. The excitement of finding the whole MODOK wave still in shipping cartons led to the purchase of the Mojo wave as well.

 
As should be crystal clear by now, I do have a problem.

 

George 11- We Loved Our Daughter Very Much but She was Evil... Made the Horses Crazy

  Warning

This post contains bad, foul, filthy and unacceptable language - the words that “will curve your spine, grow hair on your hands and maybe, even bring us, God help us, peace without honor.”
 
This is not a post for children.  Kids, take a hike.
This is also not a post for those adults who are offended by this type of language.  Do yourself a favor, and go read some of my cute stuff before moral outrage can kick in.
Just about everything else on this blog is clean…Stupid sometimes, but clean.
End of Warning.
 

Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 3 – The (Marvel) Legends Build

Part 1, Part 2

In spite of various six inch scale acquisitions, I wasn’t planning on building an actual Marvel collection.

At least not yet. 

Addicts never do.
 
The series of decisions made in short succession indicates that “not planning on an actual collection” concept wouldn’t last for long.
 
With “room” on the book shelves now that all the little figures were away, I had been debating on beginning to collect Marvel Legends in earnest, based on comic book ads and inserts for some upcoming lines having characters I cared about due for release. I was mostly looking at characters from my main Marvel reading years- members of Daredevil’s world (which I will call "Marvel Knights" to annoy those who know better) and appropriately timed Avengers, like the Iron Man Silver Centurion and other members of the West Coast team

.
 
Aside- I could SWEAR I saw that armor listed as “Silver Sphinx” when it was first coming out. And yet I cannot find any evidence of this being accurate. Even the oldest stuff I have calls it “Silver Centurion.” Can one generate a personal Mandala Effect? 

Maybe I blew a fuse in my brain.

 
However, I was debating between starting down that comic book-based path, or starting to collect Eighties era professional wrestling figures. Yes, I had begun an equally focused path down the rabbit hole of renewing an obsession in that world.
 
I decided to let it come down to what I would find in a store together first. After much comparison shopping, I was unable to locate a Rowdy Roddy Piper and a Junkyard Dog in the same location. However, I did locate a Sabretooth and Colossus (2003), which I knew would go well with the brown costume Wolverine (2004) due out shortly.