Getting to Know You, May 2018

[klarg1]

5 hours ago, Cranky Dog said:

LEGO blocks.

 

I don't recall anytime in my youth where I didn't enjoy them, and I was playing with them from age 3 to... present day?

 

Runner-ups:

• Transformer toys. I could never get enough of transforming toys. And would build my own out of LEGO sometimes.
• Pencil Drawing. My dad was a university teacher and always had bunch of leftover binders notes printed on one side. The back sides became albums of disposable sketchbooks. The binders also saw tons of use for homework as scratchpads.

Looking back, these are all elements of what defines me today. An introvert mechanical engineer, good at building with his hands and the most visual arts inclined member of the family. Rest of my family is more musically inclined.

 

See? Now I understand why we get along.

[kristof65]

2 hours ago, TGP said:

A stack of legos 5-6 inches long was to me a model of a starship with a crew of hundreds. 

I used to do this, too, only mine tended to be in the 6-10 inch range. I'd try to mostly use plate pieces, and then I would create Traveller deckplans and stats for them, with a plate representing a single level. 

[Beagle]

15 hours ago, Morihalda said:

May 29: What was your favorite toy growing up?

Star Wars figures by some margin. Coming in second would have to be 1/72 scale toy soldiers

[Darkmeer]

17 hours ago, Morihalda said:

May 29: What was your favorite toy growing up?

 

The two that were stolen when we lived in Alameda, CA. 

 

The Cast Iron version of Lion Voltron and the first version of Optimus Prime.  So sad that they are gone. 

[WhiteWulfe]

20 hours ago, Morihalda said:

May 29: What was your favorite toy growing up?

I could go with the "obvious" answer of Lego since I spent so much time with them, but I'll instead go with... 

 

Air Raiders.  Why Air Raiders?  They were a ton of fun, had neat vehicles, and most of all, the all important "thwomp it with your hand to shoot "missiles" at the other side. 

 

Alternatively, there's also a castle siege game that had catapult, ballista, and whatnot, and you actually had to aim the orange hard plastic projectiles at the enemy castle/camp to try and take them out..  Sadly I totally lost the name, and of course my parents gave it away without hesitation because I was supposedly too old, despite playing with it anytime they didn't mind me taking up the entirety of the basement or living room (it was best played with each camp ten feet away from each other because it made the taunting so much more fun - or so we said as kids). 

 

Second alternative: Nerf guns back in the '80's and '90's were a ton of fun - I keep wanting to get back into them now, because they're still fun...  Although with their cost, it's almost cheaper to shoot your friends while playing paintball, or so I playfully tell myself (me who wants a $700 USD pump marker that would be configured for stock play..  Yes, I want something from Chip Cartley Machine, and yes, it will be orange and black.  I also want an Airowgun, but the Ccm Series 6.5 can be used on most fields without issue :p ) 

Edited May 30, 2018 by WhiteWulfe

[Dilvish the Deliverer]

3 minutes ago, WhiteWulfe said:

Alternatively, there's also a castle siege game that had catapult, ballista, and whatnot, and you actually had to aim the orange hard plastic projectiles at the enemy castle/camp to try and take them out..  Sadly I totally lost the name, and of course my parents gave it away without hesitation because I was supposedly too old, despite playing with it anytime they didn't mind me taking up the entirety of the basement or living room (it was best played with each camp ten feet away from each other because it made the taunting so much more fun - or so we said as kids). 

Crossbows and Catapults was the name of one version of that game.

[Jokemeister]

20 hours ago, Morihalda said:

May 29: What was your favorite toy growing up?

 

I guess it would have to be my collection of toy cars which I don't have anymore.  I remember I used to have a ridiculous amount of fun "driving" my various toy cars around home and I could spend hours just quietly sitting in a corner making engine noises while I played (although it didn't feel like hours at the time!).  I don't recall this myself but according to my dad, every time we went out, I would beg for a new toy car. 

 

Judging from the size of my collection, he didn't always acquiesce. 

[WhiteWulfe]

1 hour ago, Dilvish the Deliverer said:

Crossbows and Catapults was the name of one version of that game.

Close!  It was actually "Weapons and Warriors: Castle Combat set", which thankfully came up when searching the name of the game you gave, although mine might have been "Siege: The Game of Battle Action"

[Morihalda]

May 30: What’s the most beautiful sight or place you’ve ever seen?

Edited May 30, 2018 by Morihalda

[Lostbug]

9 minutes ago, Morihalda said:

May 30: What’s the most beautiful sight or place you’ve ever seen?

 

Let me put it this way: I went to New Zealand for a vacation. I returned for long enough to pack/sell my things, and moved 2 months later. And lived here ever since. The view from our local landfill would be for million dollar homes in the US.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/new-zealand

 

Edited May 30, 2018 by Lostbug

[Pezler the Polychromatic]

35 minutes ago, Morihalda said:

May 30: What’s the most beautiful sight or place you’ve ever seen?

Saskatchewan is full of natural beauty that everyone needs to see.

[paintybeard]

30 minutes ago, Morihalda said:

May 30: What’s the most beautiful sight or place you’ve ever seen?

 

Having been lucky enough to spend an entire lifetime travelling that's a tricky one. Perhaps this:

 

[WhiteWulfe]

1 hour ago, Morihalda said:

May 30: What’s the most beautiful sight or place you’ve ever seen?

 

I'd say Cape Rianga in New Zealand, but we couldn't even see the ocean from the lighthouse - something about torrential rains and it raining sideways that day!  Yes, I laid down o nthe ground and peeked over the edge to check if I could see anything more than fog and rocks down below, but it was too foggy to see the ocean even at the base of the cliff.  Dad got an epic picture of me and mom clutching the signpost pretty fiercely, if that counts... 

 

I'd also use other areas of that same country but no actual names really come to mind other than Rotorua as the national park there is full of (terrifyingly deadly) beautiful arsenic ponds. 

 

I could also say Jasper, as there's a decent amount of gorgeous things there, same with, uh.... Uhm....  Nah, none of those cities really qualify under "beautiful" in the traditional meaning of the word, even if the ghost towns in Southern Alberta are rather gorgrous... 

 

So instead I'll go with Anchorage on approach, because that was a rather gorgeous view. 

 

56 minutes ago, Lostbug said:

 

Let me put it this way: I went to New Zealand for a vacation. I returned for long enough to pack/sell my things, and moved 2 months later. And lived here ever since. The view from our local landfill would be for million dollar homes in the US.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/new-zealand

 

 

It's gorgeous, and has good laws in regards to drone usage too...  I really do wish most people would think of something other than whatever the LOTR set is called as the big defining feature of New Zealand.  My first though was absolutely amazing food and poi... 

 

Pity my favourite chocolate bar there was discontinued though, I loved that caramel drizzle thing that was coated in chocolate. 

 

28 minutes ago, paintybeard said:

 

Having been lucky enough to spend an entire lifetime travelling that's a tricky one. Perhaps this:

 

 

Aurora I'm guessing but where?  I've never seen it curl like that, but I also live in northern Alberta, so we get the plain Jane Aurora Borealis here. 

[Chaoswolf]

2 hours ago, Morihalda said:

May 30: What’s the most beautiful sight or place you’ve ever seen?

Way too hard to pin it down; I've been to a lot of places and seen a lot of beautiful architecture or landscapes.

 

The Aurora Borealis is a pretty good answer, though. I saw it while I was in the Navy; I was off watch and I think I stayed outside to watch it for at least a good hour.  It was cold out, but I didn't seem to notice it.

[paintybeard]

1 hour ago, WhiteWulfe said:

 

Aurora I'm guessing but where?  I've never seen it curl like that, but I also live in northern Alberta, so we get the plain Jane Aurora Borealis here. 

 

A picture I managed to take at Hammerfest in Norway 4 years ago. I was up there commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of North Cape and got extremely lucky with the night sky.