Christmas Haul 2016

Well, Christmas has come and went, and you know what that means.  A massive post about what I got this year.  It's so big that I'm postponing my normally scheduled post until next month.  I got A LOT of sets.  This could take a while...

 The haul for Christmas 2016 and my birthday

First off, we'll start with the gift I got for myself.  60104 Airport Passenger Terminal is great for me to add an airport to my town.  I got a 60022 Cargo Terminal for my birthday two years ago, but I needed a building to go with it.  Although the Airport Passenger Terminal is for hauling people, not goods, it gives me a foundation for building an entire airport.

Contents of 60104 Airport Passenger Terminal

It'll probably end up being as big as my city, as we'll need plenty of room for a couple of runways.  I've got some pen and paper sketches for the layout of the airport, but no virtual model yet.  It's a couple of weeks until I start class again, so I got plenty of time to whip something up.  Expect to see that in late July.

Fully assembled contents of 60104 Airport Passenger Terminal

I got a second set to help with flight operations in town.  60102 Airport VIP Service is around to help more affluent citizens rent a private jet, with limo service to and from the airport.

No one in town is any more important that anyone else.  It's a very egalitarian society.  Sure, some people have a bit more than others, but it's through effort, hard work, and increased responsibilities.  I think I'll stop there before I get any more political.  Lego is supposed to be fun, while politics are not.

60102 Airport VIP Service contents

The employee with this set will work at the airport, while the limo service will not only service people flying on this private jet, but anyone else in town wants to rent it.  It'll belong to the taxi company.  Not that there IS much of a taxi company, but as I usually do, I'll keep my options open for expansion.

 60102 Airport VIP Service fully assembled

I got a few different minifigures.  The Lego Batman movie is due out in February, and Lego released sets related to it here in December.  My wife was able to find a few characters, Catman, March Harriet, and Zodiac Master.  I have no idea who any of them are.  I don't remember them from the campy '60s TV series or any of the films.  I never read the comics.  Where they in there, or are they completely new characters created specifically for this new Lego animated feature flick?  Regardless of their origins, I'm looking forward to the movie.

71017 Lego Batman minifigures, left to right: Catman, March Harriet, and Zodiac Master

I got a couple of others as well.  My wife and I found a Lego-like Goldy Gopher minifigure at the University of Minnesota bookstore.  It's got a couple things that normal Lego minifigs don't have, like elbows and knees.  It works in the Lego System, and it'll just be for decorative purposes, so it's good enough for me.  Especially since it IS Goldy Gopher (he's my hero).

 Goldy Gopher off-brand minifigure contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

The other minifugre is a gingerbread man that was free with my order for the Airport Passenger Terminal.  He's a bit darker in color than the 71002 Series 11 minifigure.  I was hoping this would have come with more pieces to build a gingerbread house for him.  I'm keeping the box to give me ideas to build my own to add to the Winter Carnival for the kids to check out.

5005156 Gingerbread Man

I got a 31051 Lighthouse Point, which I'll be adding to the Marina.  A lighthouse is a great addition to the shoreline, as it will help out those on the water at night see where they are going.  It also came with this cool orca figure who'll reside in the ocean, at a safe distance of course.

 31051 Lighthouse Point contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

I received a 31050 Corner Deli, another Creator set, that'll go into the plaza area.  I've almost got enough small buildings to finish off this section of town.  I know it's another restaurant-type place, but it's not sit down service like the big one I've built.  The Corner Deli will work more like a takeout/fast service eatery.

 31050 Corner Deli contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

My parents got me 60082 Dune Buggy Trailer.  My wife and I had a pretty low-key Christmas with them.  I didn't even ask for any specific set from them, but they did get me a winner here.  I don't have a desert area for running a dune buggy through, but it should be fun off-roading vehicle out near the Lake Shore area.

 60082 Dune Buggy Trailer contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

You still there?  If so, good.  We've still got a ways to go here.  I got a few Lego Dimensions sets, and some containers to store them in.  First, the characters.  My wife and I got 71251 A-Team Fun Pack and 71258 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Fun Pack.  The former wasn't really a gift for anyone.  If I remember correctly, I added onto another Lego store online order to get some bonus for spending X number of dollars.  The latter I got at GameStop after Christmas because I had a $5 store credit that had to be spent before the end of the year.

 71251 A-Team Fun Pack contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

 71258 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Fun Pack contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

Both sets will open new Year 2 content in the main Lego Dimensions game.  We'll be spending all New Years Day playing that game.  No idea what B.A. Baracus and E.T. can do for us, but I'm going to love hearing the former telling us that he's not "getting on no damn plane".  Also curious to find out who'd be doing his voice, the original Mr. T, or Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.  Both good choices, but if I had to choose, I'd want the classic.

My birthday is a few days after Christmas, and my friends Collin and Lora were kind enough to give me a gift.  I never expect my friends to get me anything.  I just want them to come hang out with me.  They got me 41578 Screeno Mixel and 3920 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey board game.

 41578 Screeno contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

They said I could just use them for miscellaneous bricks to build whatever I want, but I like them.  I've considered getting some Mixels sets since I started putting my town together, but I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with them.  With all the other animal-like creations I have and my desire to build a park, I'll put Screeno out there with the alligators and tigers and whatnot.  As for the board game, I'll play that with my wife and whatever guests we have over.  Hopefully Collin and Lora one day.

 3920 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey board game contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

That's it.  The end.  I got some gift cards from my wife's family, which I'll be using for more sets.  Probably after visiting Disney World and Martin Luther King Day.  After I start class again.  I've got a few things on my list to procure.  Buying Lego's in a never ending battle that I'm more than prepared to lose.  Bring it on.

Marina Launch Ramp

When you have a large oceanside city, it's reasonable to assume that residents and businesses will want to put boats in the water.  My Marina Launch Ramp was designed to do just that.

The Marina Launch Ramp

The design is pretty simple.  An inclined plane carved out of a large block of a cement-like substance.  Just long and wide enough for a vehicle to back their trailer down to get the boat into the water for launching.

The ferry backing up to the launch ramp

When I got the 60119 Ferry back in June, I was wondering if I could make it work with the launch ramp.  It's not pretty, but if it lines up at the right angle, there is enough room for one of the ramps on the ferry to come down and allow cars to drive on.  I should reconfigure the ramp to be longer and more shallow, as there is a chance a car could scrape the underside of its bumpers because the wheels fall into the rut between the ramp and the ferry.

It'd be really great if I can find some dark stone grey 4515 ramp 6x8 bricks to use for the ramp, but Lego has never made any in that color.  They do have roof tile 1x4 pieces in dark stone grey, so I can pick some of those up.  I'd need a lot of them though.  How many is to be determined.  I've got some time between Christmas and New Year's to go back to the drawing board.

The ferry at sea

I should also figure out how to help people board the ferry from the dock.  I used to live on an island, so I'll figure it out.  It'd just be a staircase.  Maybe I should add some benches for passengers to sit on.  Some way to anchor cars down so they don't roll around on the deck while the ferry is in transit.  It'll be fun...

Sets used: 60117

Marina

I may not have mentioned this in the past, or maybe I did.  Maybe you inferred from the context of or the pictures of my Lego city.  In any case, I'll just tell you.  It's a coastal city.  It always has been.  At first is was along a lake, but after I developed ideas for buildings alongside it, it lies next to the ocean.

A wide shot of the virtual model for the Marina

I came up with a number of items to put on the coast that I considered "standard" for a city by the sea.  A launch ramp for boat owners to get their crafts into the water.  An office building to oversee coastal operations.  Some docks for those who need to come ashore.

The Launch Ramp, Marina Office, and Docks

I'm still trying to find things to put by the ocean.  I'm missing some beachfront property, and I'd also like to put a scientific oceanic research facility there as well (I have several Aquazone sets from the mid-90's that need a purpose).  Before I created my Lake Shore area outside the city, I did have some of the housing units oceanside, but I ended up with too many, hence the creation of the Lake Shore.  Live and learn, I suppose...

The Police Dock and Marina Shop

Thanks to my Marine Base, I felt they needed an outpost along the sea to look out for oncoming invasion forces.  Sure, it sounds a bit medieval, but so are the men and women stationed here.  A couple of cannons, some patrol boats, pirates and knights armed with guns and swords.  No one is getting by these forces.

The Marine Fortification

Over the next few months, I'll go more in depth into the buildings on the coastline.  Just wanted to get you a bit of a preview here, so take a look and maybe you'll get some ideas as well.

Lego Haul - 11/27/16

My wife and I just came back from California, so we needed to run to Target to pick up some household supplies.  Every time we go to Target, we have to stroll by the Lego aisle to see what they've got on the shelf.  This time, they had some 30474 Reindeer sets on the end cap.  We though it'd be a great addition to the Santa Claus and Elves' Workshop sets I got earlier this month.

30474 Reindeer purchased at Target

30474 Reindeer contents (left) and fully assembled (right)

After I got the Reindeer assembled, I went downstairs to check the mail.  I found my online Pick-A-Brick order inside the box, so I ran upstairs and double-checked the order to ensure everything was here.  I got all my bricks.

Contents of my online Pick-A-Brick order from Lego's website

I only paid a few bucks for shipping, as I used VIP store credit for the bricks themselves.  These pieces are for completing or progressing with several buildings, as detailed below.

• Grandstand:  Two medium stone grey plate 2x2 angle pieces will hold speakers for pumping out the jams being performed on stage.
• Grocery Store: Three yellow green 1x1 bricks with the orange juice decals will go into the dairy case in the store.  Orange juice should always be refrigerated.
• Marina Office: The dark stone grey 16x16 plate finished off the floor for this building, so it is now complete.
• Winter Village: I don't remember what I was going to do with the white 1x2 plate with a single knob.  The note I had on my list didn't specify WHAT building in the Winter Village this was meant for.  I'll figure it out.
• Hospital: I got a blue 1x6 flat tile and a clear 1x6x5 wall element for the window between the observation and operating rooms.  The two blue 2x4 plates will help me finish up the walls on top.
• Pony Farm: All of the brick yellow pieces pictured above are for building the office at the Pony Farm.  Like the horse barn mentioned in my previous post, I need to make this building a bit larger to fit everyone and everything comfortably.
• Pyramid nightclub: The yellow 1x3 plate allowed me to finish up the inside wall at the Pyramid nightclub, in the area around the DJ booth.
• Watch Tower: Not sure why I ordered six dark stone grey 4x8 plates, as I only needed four to complete the third floor inside the Watch Tower.  It will remain a mystery.

I also got a dark stone grey 1x4 brick for some purpose that I did not document.  I'll also have to track down the cause of this acquisition.  Plenty of bricks to keep me busy until Christmas here.  Should be lots of fun.

Lego Haul - 11/21/16

I'm currently in California for Thanksgiving to visit my in-laws, and to kill some time, my wife and I went to the Lego store at Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento.  It's smaller than the Mall of America store, but why not, it may have the bricks I'm looking for.  And it did.

The Lego Haul from 11/21/16

Unlike the MOA Lego store, this one had the brick yellow 2x4 bricks I need to wrap up construction on the Pony Farm.  I needed 78 of them to assemble the building for housing the horses, and that's how many fit inside a small cup.  It's a match made in heaven.
 

The horse barn at the Pony Farm.

I threw in some other pieces to fill out the cup for some future projects.  What those are, I do not know yet.  It's always nice to have a variety of bricks on hand for anything that might come to mind.  For now, I'll stay focused on the Pony Farm.  After assembling the barn for housing the horses, I'll need a few more bricks to ensure they have enough room in there.

Lego Haul - 11/15/16

I went out to BrickLink again to get some more Lego pieces.  This time around, I visited a new vendor and got some parts for my Watch Tower and Hospital.

The Lego Haul from 11/15/16

The dark stone grey 6x8 plates and the black staircase are for the Watch Tower.  I nearly have the floor for the third level complete.  I need 4 more staircases and about a dozen dark stone grey 6x8 plates to finish that building off.  I'm aiming to get that finished up in the coming months so I can get the blog post written up this winter.

The 2x12 blue plate and white door 1x6x6 Freestyle are for the Hospital.  That building is barely closer to completion, but I've got an order of bricks on their way from Lego right now with more Hospital parts.  Stay tuned, folks...

Construction Site

As I acquire more and more Lego's, I try to find purposes for them.  Over the last few years, I've been getting more construction-related sets, so why not create a Construction Site to house them all?

The foreman's trailer for overseeing construction

I needed a building to house the foreman's office, the construction plans, and other things used to supervise the building process.  I'm not familiar with this industry, so I'm sure there is more I need inside, but it's there and it takes up space, which is really all I needed here.

A construction worker discussing saws with the foreman.

Outside the office, I put a couple of portable bathrooms, in case anyone working on site runs into digestive issues.  These also aren't all that fancy.  I focused more on making it look good on the outside than in.  But who needs a fancy toilet anyways?

A couple of portable restrooms in case anyone needs to..., well, you know...

I have plenty of vehicles to help with construction.  What are they building?  I don't know yet.  I haven't gotten that far yet.  When I'm ready, I've got a crane, a couple of cherry picker, a couple of earth movers, a cement truck, a jackhammer.  Plenty of tools to help break up and move dirt, lift items into the air, and get people up to perform bonding operating (hammering, welding, etc.).

All the vehicles on site at the Construction Site

I've got a number of leftover pieces from some construction-related Lego sets that I need to find a use for.  I haven't been able to invent a new vehicle to add into the mix, but then again, I don't know what I'll need or want.  Without a building for everyone here to start working on, how would anyone know what you'd need to construct it?

Extra pieces to make stuff to help with the construction efforts

I've got a basic idea for a building framework for these workers to put together.  I need to get a baseplate and some bricks together to get it started so I have something to show for it.  Maybe during the time between Christmas and New Year's, when I have the week off of work, I can start something.  We'll see...

Sets used:  3179, 6514, 10657, 30151, 30229, 30312, 60072, 60073, 71008