Vermont Toy Museum

Do you ever feel a bit like a lunchbox from the 1970s? You know- the kind of lunchbox with a bit of rust, wear and tear? Honestly, I think I feel like one of those lunchboxes sometimes. Actually, a lot of the time now.
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My recent travels over Thanksgiving took me to the beautiful, great white north of Quechee, Vermont and I'm happy to report a visit to an exciting little treasure buried in the heart of Quechee called the Vermont Toy Museum. The museum is a tribute to by-gone toys from a by-gone era. Let's face it, do they make toys or lunchboxes as cool as they did in the 1970s? I don't really think they do. Understandably, I do make my statement with some degree of bias and age.

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Nevertheless, the museum is a wonderful homage to a forgotten time. I saw more than a few folks, like myself, absolutely in heaven within this small little museum. Two ladies, in particular, were giddy with excitment over what they saw. To be honest, I was pretty psyched too. The One To Be Pitied immediately knew I was over the moon inside myself. It was like being a kid again. The place was just wall to wall, overrun with goodies and my other half knew I had found nirvana in Vermont.

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Sure, I love the maple syrup and cheese, glassblowing and pottery, antiques and just about anything Vermont is nirvana enough, but visiting this little toy stop was like a step back in time too. It was a real treasure trove of fun. About the only thing missing were some old friends, one finger mittens and a snowball fight with the school yard bullies.

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I spoke with the son of the proprietor of the museum who indicated his father was in his 60s and built his little vision traversing the landscape in search of goodies at yard sales and pit stops along the way. He told me, not once did his father ever purchase from ebay, but rather scoured the vast collectable riches that exist in our very own backyards through yard sales. I thought that was pretty nifty. I have a cousin who lives in Vermont and lending a bit of truth to that story, she indicated that that man once visited her yard sale and purchased toys from her for the toy museum.

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Well, I thought I would share some of those vintage classics with you. Images were provided compliments of my phone. If you ever have the opportunity be sure to visit the Vermont Toy Museum in Quechee, Vermont. It's not my Fan Cave, but it's certainly like exploring one and that's always fun. About the only thing missing were lunchboxes for Bionic Woman and Land Of The Lost. Three cheers to the Vermont Toy Museum. Who knew there would be toys tucked in next to all that delicious maple syrup and cheese?

Las Vegas & Star Trek: The Experience

The Sci-Fi Fanatic has been completely MIA. I apologize for that. I was sorely ill-prepared as far as the blog goes when it happened. I had almost finished proofreading my latest installment of Babylon 5, Ship Of Tears, but hit the airplane before I could finish and just never could find time to link up the laptop again.

Las Vegas, what can you say? You either love a place like that or you don’t. Truthfully, I fall into the latter camp. I know so many people who love that place. The lights, the gambling, the shows, the nightlife, the people, and the sheer beauty of the utter decadence of it all- they love it! I fall into that other camp because it just ain’t for me. I didn’t mind the heat at all. If I can handle the Everglades I can handle the hot. I just can’t get all jazzed up about the hype and glitter of Las Vegas. I definitely didn’t run out to let it all hang out so I could use the oft-cited cliché ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” Honestly you can have it. I suppose what might seem odd is why I wouldn’t find a place that looks like a gigantic spaceship landed smack dab in the middle of the desert appealing, alluring or at least beautiful.

In a million years I never imagined I'd visit Las Vegas, Nevada. I just never wanted to go until my hand was forced in this case. Well, it was everything I thought it would be and more, bad and tacky. I actually envisioned it to be better than it wound up being. Cigarettes and gambling were at every turn. I was beginning to forget what inhaling oxygen into my lungs felt like. I’m sorry, but it was just a complete and utter spectacle [at night only]- a showy, shallow, soulless waste with a seedy underbelly underneath all those shiny lights.

I did take five to absorb a little sci-fi action. I had learned that Star Trek: The Experience was at the Las Vegas Hilton and was preparing to fold forever in September 2008. I had heard those very words just weeks ago. Well, I immediately set my sights on getting there and making my visit a reality before it was too late since I was heading that way anyhow. I was extremely bummed to learn I would be missing what appeared to be a very cool Star Trek Convention in August at the Las Vegas Convention Center next to the Las Vegas Hilton with a slough of mega-stars from the series including my man Leonard Nimoy [See Postcard for entire list].

Star Trek: The Experience was pretty cool. The Klingon Encounter motion ride was a lot of fun and the effects were excellent. I don’t know how old the rides were but they have held up pretty well and were far better than the God awful Star Wars ride at MGM in Orlando, Florida. The other experience was Borg Invasion 4D and it was a kind of interactive-theatrical experience, but the effects were cool as the U.S.S. Voyager comes crashing in the Borg Cube to rescue us from the Borg Queen at the end to save us from certain assimilation. I really enjoyed them both. I had dinner at that Ferengi fellow’s self-named Quark’s Bar & Restaurant [there were some Klingons and Andorians walking around for effect; click here for the full menu]. It was my first day in Vegas and I hadn’t eaten all day. I was hungry. I ordered the Flaming Ribs of Targ [a.k.a. Flaming Ribs of Shite] covered with green stuff and, as you might imagine on an empty stomach, they would/should taste delicious. They did not. They were gross and disgusting. Quite frankly they sucked. You’ll recall I had the world’s most amazing ribs in Naples, Florida at Michelbob’s. Well, I found the world’s worst ribs and they are at Quarks, Star Trek: The Experience, Las Vegas, Nevada [another reason not to go- I’m kidding, everyone should go]. The Star Trek museum was pretty cool loaded with phasers and other props form the many series.

Everything was expensive in Las Vegas. I did see The Dark Knight [I'm sorry I'm just not a gambler]. It was as everyone has said- amazing, and I loved, loved Batman Begins. Heath Ledger, and I love Christian Bale, steals the show with a demented but really note perfect performance. What an even greater loss when I think about it after seeing him in that film.

I did The Strip. Later, as I walked through the Palms Resort Hotel [away from The Strip] you should have seen the cast of characters at the slot machines. No word of a lie, there was this one fellow who was kind of grungy and he had his finger so far up his nose in plain view that if it went any further it would have come out the back of his head. He looked like he was digging for gold while he was trying to win some money. It was repulsive. I felt for the next guy who had to use that machine. He was unabashedly right out in the open with it. The poor fellow definitely had some issues. There were people in wheelchairs and with canes. There were some with oxygen masks [that’s what happens when you smoke]. There were some with oxygen masks while they were smoking. The cocktail waitresses were mostly naked. I didn’t mind that so much. Soem were almost naked and were not cocktail waitresses. They were fine too, if a little scary.

Anyway folks, I’m back and I really wanted to share some pictures with you of Star Trek: The Experience, but bloody well forgot the fucking camera! So I took a photo of what materials I brought back with me to prove I was there. I did manage to grab a few with my cell phone camera- Crap quality! I'll try and figure out how to get them off there.

Guys let me tell you, I’m glad I’m away from that place. It is indeed the City of Sin for a reason and amen to that. I do want to note that some of the folks I ran into there were very nice. One cab driver told me how much he loves it there and keeps coming back there whenever he leaves the place. He and his wife like to go to the concerts. Steve Miller was on tap for the weekend. Still, I was reminded of a quote from a fellow named Kaiser Kuo who commented on Beijing in Time Magazine. “It’s a horrible place to live, but I wouldn’t be anywhere else on the planet. You get addicted to the excitement, speed and change. There’s nowhere else like it.” I couldn’t help but apply the same thinking to Las Vegas. Granted, I’ve never been to Beijing and at least the sanitation in Las Vegas is up to speed. But God Bless the folks out there who see the good in places like Las Vegas.

Now that I’ve returned and I've had some distance from the place I can’t help but admit there was something fascinating about it all that could definitely lure me back and suck me in. Thankfully I have my inner Spock to keep me in check.

Assimilation

There has been an attack and The Sci-Fi Fanatic was captured and is undergoing assimilation.

We Survived The Everglades!

Everglades catfish. They were big, but not as big as the Alligators that came up to eat them.

Well, I'm back friends and thought I'd share a bit of the Florida experience with you. Funny, I picked up Time Magazine on my return and Page 9 even has a shot of the Everglades and a story on how the state of Florida has done its damnedest to preserve what is left. I'm here to tell you, it deserves saving. It is a treasure indeed. You won't find Mickey Mouse or Pluto, but you'll find the beauty of nature like you ain't never seen it before.

After arriving in Bradenton on the West Coast we were fortunate enough to have a wonderful Aunt and Uncle who invited us to stay with them for a few days. We were greeted by their own personal greeters: Coco and Pepe. I'll let you figure out which one's which. Every time we got out of the pool Pepe would bite Coco's ear, hang on him, nip at his body and then hump his leg. Good Lord. Poor baby. We had some terrific barbecue and some great laughs. We had a plan to make it happen and we did. I'm thankful for them. Oh and we had the good fortune to see my other Aunt who was visiting as well as my cousins. I'm grateful for all of them. I happened to catch a little Arrested Development in my down time and man that show is whacked but funny.

The Dizzy Peacock Deli, Bradenton, Florida.

My uncle and cousin are roofers in town there and often stop by this local sandwich shop for a little yum yum. I just love the name of this little gas and sip. It kills me!

This is the menu from the Beach House Restaurant at Bradenton Beach. Absolutely delicious fish. We tried a little flounder and some super grouper.

Bradenton Beach, Bradenton, Florida.







A storm came sweeping in while we relaxed outside. This is the calm before the storm and the skies begin to darken here. Lightning bolts follow. People were still swimming right up until the winds arrived.

They say the car is the safest place to be in a during lightning. It was really coming down and the wind was whipping. This was the biggest one we saw on the East Coast. Though, Naples had a mighty big one too, but we hit the hotel and laid low through that one. I tried to reach out and get my Aunt a Jelly donut but I was afraid for my life. In the end I get really wet and they were all out of jelly donuts. We love our Aunts.







Michelbob's Ribs. Naples, Florida.

This is hands down the best rib joint on the planet. They are the tastiest things ya ever had and they've won all kinds of recognition in Florida for having the best ribs and sauce. Outstanding. Looks like they also serve those catfish you saw from the Everglades. I wish I had a chance to try it.

Everglades City City Hall, Everglades City, Everglades, Florida.

Ummm, note the traffic. Yeah, there isn't any. This is about as close to a ghost town as cities get. Terrific looking City Hall though. In fact for such a small population it's one of the nicest I've ever seen. The One To Be Pitied begged me not to turn this into a road trip. At this point, I turned and said, "feelin' like a road trip! Yee Haw!"

The dizzy pelican [that would be a good name too]. These pelicans loved to travel on the swamp rats. We actually saw quite a few of them when we went out on the Naples Pier in Naples. They are just one of God's many beautiful creatures. Unfortunately I never did get a shot of that pier, but it's really cool and at sunset you can see the dolphins swimming.

This is a great shot of one of the waterways completely surrounded by Mangroves. We shot down inside of it and it felt like we were going 50 mph through the root system. If you look carefully you can see one of the swamp rats way in the distance.

These are gorgeous Mangroves. You could see their seed pods float all around the glades. They eventually anchor and take root. This plant life is essential to preserving Florida and protects it during hurricanes like Wilma.

More mangroves. I like mangroves. I like saying mangroves. It's cool.

This is one of the many alligators that pulled up out of the murky depths right next to the boat. You could touch them. We opted not to do so. The One To Be Pitied really didn't want to go on this journey and she was fairly terrified. The One To Be Pitied Jr. was in tears. At the end of it all, they actually loved it. You see there really is more to life in Florida than Disney World. They gave the whole adventure an A+ [well a B- from The One To Be Pitied only because she was frightened a little].

This is one of the local fisherman traps out in the Everglades set to catch those tasty Blue Crabs. The Captain swore by garlic butter and beer with them.

This is a closeup of the Blue Crabs and the big difference between them is the female claws have a reddish/orangish color while the males have blue. Close to where we picked these traps up we spotted remnants of an old railroad that once began development in the Everglades believe it or not.

We didn't actually see any Manatees, a.k.a. the Sea Cow. The population is thin. They have no natural enemies except for man. Sharks and Alligators don't bother them. Too big, but the blades from motorboats really do a number on these sweet creatures of the deep.

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Scary Yellow Spider eating something, West Palm Beach, Florida.

You gotta love Florida wildlife. It can be big and it can be scary. This was outside the house and it was also interesting to note that the geckos seemed bigger than those found on the West Coast. There was an iguana on the sidewalk to boot.

This isn't my house. I wish it was, but it sure was nice to hang here for a few days. My apologies for not being completely steady with the camera. If you aren't already aware, Florida is the lightning capitol of the world. No joke. Lightning hit Florida wherever we were every single day. It is really a site to see and this was the water/wind storm that quickly ensued those mighty, dark clouds each afternoon. I loved it.

We had a great visit with my mom. She's the best and was super kind and generous as she always is. We love her.

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All in all it was a great journey and to quote Spock, at times, "fascinating." The Everglades is one of those last bastions of untapped hope in maintaining mother nature's beauty. Remember, you can always click on the photos to really get up close on the details for each photo.

Okay folks, back to the science fiction...

Destination: Everglades City

"Vacation all I ever wanted/ Vacation had to get away" -The Go-Gos

That's it folks. I need a break from it all. So I've decided to head to the Everglades. I thought the kids would get a kick out of the gators. Actually, I think I'm looking forward to them more than they are. Pelicans, snakes, racoons, maybe even a rare Ghost Orchid. Should be cool. Well, HOT as HELL, but cool. The One To Be Pitied is dreading the whole thing. Look, I'm tired of fake plastic Disney.

Anyway, it's probably a good moment to take a break. I'm at the half-way point of the Babylon 5 series and it's been a helluva viewing experience. So I will return in about a week to resume with Babylon 5, Season 3, Episode 11. From what I've been told the last three entries work in collaboration as a kind of 3 parter so it's a good point to break. I may try and post something remotely but in the event I can't get to it because I fell off a swamp rat [air boat] in the middle of the Everglades and I'm swimming for my life I just wanted to give my fellow sci-fi fanatics a head's up.
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I totally geeked out in preparation for my trip and designed my own T-shirt with my blogspot address on the back of it; a little shameless self-promotion. So keep an eye out for me if you happen to be in the sunshine state.

This T-Shirt business was a total experiment just for fun. I'm making some for my kids. Anyway, funny thing is I actually made a mistake when I ironed on my advertisement upside down. You should have seen me with an iron in hand. I was like "Oh no. I just spent 6 dollars on a T-Shirt and I've ruined it." So I had to reprint it and try to make it work otherwise my shirt was a complete waste. So now it's like Mirror Universe Spock. I know. I'm dorkin' it. It was a good effort. Hey, I betchya never thought you'd see me in a Babylon 5 shirt based upon my initial skepticism for the show way back in Season One. I sure was kidding myself.

Have a great week guys!

T-Shirt Design: B

T-Shirt Execution: C-