Tag: fun

San Diego: Part II!

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And now for part two of my trip!

I revisited one of my favorite childhood places. I feel as though I appreciate Disneyland a lot more now that I’m an adult. The escapism of the park, its rides, scenery—everything—was fantastic.

Downtown Disney
If you look closely, you can see the Matterhorn near the left!

Every year we’d save up our allowances for our annual adventure down I-5, and of course those adventures included a trip to Disneyland. How could they not? 😉

I remember racing to Thunder Mountain Railroad as soon as it got late, when the crowds started clearing out. We’d zip through the empty line to ride it over and over again until closing time.

Before I jump into the fun, I want to mention my one complaint: the timing. The week after my work event (right after Easter) was Spring Break. Hello, crowd city! I only mention this as a warning. Don’t go during Spring Break if you can help it.

However, I still had loads of fun and STILL daydream about how much enjoyment I got out of the trip! There was a silver lining amidst the swarms of people. I got to see and do things I never did as a kid (kid me was too obsessed with the rides to bother with anything else).

That’s me! I’m riding the raft to Tom Sawyer’s Island.

There were a few things that had changed since the last time I went there. There’s now a second park (California Adventure) and Downtown Disney (a shopping center). Disney has their own version of TSA, and honestly, I’m glad. Times are different.

Disneyland itself is exactly the same except for all the Star Wars stuff in Tomorrow Land. Star Tours has been updated to include scenes and characters from the new movies. Kylo Ren wanted to arrest me! Kid!Me loved that ride, and so does Adult!Me. 

So what did I get to do that Kid!Me couldn’t be bothered with? 

The Enchanted Tiki Room – This now is a forever favorite. I love birds, and the show was so much fun (and not to mention adorable). Next time I go to Disneyland, it is a must!

My Enchanted Tiki Room dress!

Tom Sawyer’s Island – Believe it or not, Kid!Me never went on it because it wasn’t a ride, and anything that wasn’t a ride was boooring. Kid!Me had no idea what she was missing! The island was a beautiful place to explore with gorgeous views. It felt like it was a world away from the crowds.

Scenic views from Tom Sawyer’s Island

The food – Compared to other tourist places, the food is reasonably priced, and it is delicious. People often complain about the price, but it’s honestly cheaper than your standard tourist stuff in major cities.

The décor and architecture – Just walking around and taking in the scenery was amazing (well, minus the crowds—they really were bad). I loved the vintage, 30s music they played in Adventure Land. I loved the costumes the cast members wore for Indiana Jones and the Jungle Cruise. I loved the Jungle Cruise so much that I went to one of those penny machines and had it stamped onto a penny.

Top, left, and center: Scenes from Radiator Springs Racers in California Adventure
Right: Old time Hollywood in California Adventure

For it being shoulder to shoulder bumper cars people, I sure know how to make it look like the parks were deserted! 

I’d love to go again within the next few years. If I play my cards right, I’m going when the crowds aren’t as crazy. Here’s to saving up for it!

I got a chuckle out of the second morning (see the “Hollywood” picture). Our tickets let us get to the parks one hour before they opened to the public. We wolfed down our breakfast and ran to California Adventure so we could go on Guardians of the Galaxy. When we got to the gate, the swarm of people was quickly growing, and I started laughing because it felt like a scene right out of The Walking Dead. *Rattles gate* As soon as they opened the gates, oh my goodness, ha ha! We looked like a pack of wild zombies.

Caricature Portraits Are Fun!

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Animate yourself or immortalize your favorite character!


Get a full color caricature portrait for just $15! 

See the samples below:

Details: A full color bust or profile with a fun background and caption
Dimensions: 1000 x 1000 pixels
Accepted Payment Method: Paypal – Payments are accepted upfront.

I can take up to five commissions at a time. Email me at [email protected] with the following information:

Subject: Summer Commission

Who: Who do you want me to draw?
Description: Tell me a little bit about the character and where they’re from.
Details: What do you want him/her to wear? What color scheme and caption do you want?  List any additional specifics here!

Please attach one or two reference photos of the character or the person you want me to draw.

*Please note that the only building available at this time is the White House (I drew it to use in other images, sort of like my own stock picture). 

Want something else? Send your request via email, and I’ll give you a quote.

Please give me at least one week to complete your commission.

Review – Psi Corps Replica Pin

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I am overdue for a review. I got a little Babylon 5 gem in the mail, so here’s the scoop!

This is my in-depth look at the Psi Corps replica badge you see floating around places like Ebay and Amazon. You can view Amazon’s listing here: Babylon 5 PSI CORPS Replica

Don’t be fooled by the crappy product photo. At first glance, it looks like a cheap, plastic replica not worth your time. I’m happy to say that I scoured the Internet for reviews to confirm that the badge is metal (not that cheap Halloween-bend it-break it metal either).

Imagine the way my heart sank when I pulled this out of the packaging. I was fully prepared for a broken badge.

Phew! A perfect badge.

My thoughts:
1. As I said before, it’s made of a decent metal and has a good weight to it which makes it feel like a proper badge. Sign me up for the Psi Corps right now!
2. The clasps in the back are just as the descriptions say: military style.

3. The size is perfect. It appears to be as large as the ones seen on the show. I couldn’t be happier with that aspect of it.
4. The casting/mold has dents in it to give the badge a realistic worn feel, but not to the point of being ugly and unwearable (see the large image above). 
5, There is a slight deviation from the badges on the show (I can see why this would anger people, but the product image–as crappy as it is–shows you this). The psi symbol in this badge is curvy, whereas the ones seen on the show are blocky. 
The difference between psi symbols got me curious (hey, I *am* a huge fan, after all!) Where did the curvy version come from? Take a look at the collage of screencaps I gathered below and click on the image to enlarge it:
I looked in my Babylon 5 Images folder to see if I could spot anything obvious. There was one possible deviation from the blocky version (circled in bright green). It’s hard to tell if the badge in that picture is an instance of the curvy psi, or if just looks that way due to the angle. If it is the latter, where did they pick up the curvy version from?
There it is. 
So why did they mass produce the curvy version instead of the show’s more prominent blocky version? I can only speculate…It could be that phantom badge I circled in green, an early prototype that was nixed in favor of the blocky version, but was somehow sent to the manufacturer instead, or maybe Alfred Bester didn’t like the idea of exact replicas being mass produced for Mundanes…I don’t know!
If there are any Babylon 5 fans who know the answer to this, I am all ears! 
There you have it! More than you ever wanted to know about the Psi Corps replica pin!
Conclusion
4/5 Teeps – The only reason it gets docked a point is because it is not an exact replica of the ones in the show.
Would I recommend this to a friend?
Unless you are a stickler for something that is 100% true to the original, then yes. If you are a fan of Babylon 5, it is a fun replica to have and a nice little addition to any collections you own. Get on Ebay, Amazon, or what have you and purchase one right now! 
*Tosses in more photos just for fun*

In a Parallel Universe…

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I’m knitting socks for my 15 cats. What are you doing?

Who is my alternate universe self? How many parallel universes are out there? Yes, these are questions that keep me up at night. Maybe I read too much sci-fi, or maybe my imagination is far too active, but…well, who is my alternate self?

*Warning!* Humor ahead!
~ All in good fun ~
Alternate Self #1
Senior Airman Me has been stationed at the same, stateside base for 10 years, never deployed. She slips through the cracks and does a mediocre job at best. Her uniform is never ironed, but is never crinkled like a ball of foil. She knows how to touch the line without crossing it. Getting promoted or noticed is not on her priority list. Nope.

Her priorities are Legolas, Misty, Bastet, Elrond, Haldir, Princess, Midnight, Thranduil, Tux, Minx, Binx, Pepper, Salt, Katniss, and Spock–her 15 cats. 

SrA Me is getting anxious…she has to get promoted soon, else it’s a set of civies for her! Uh Oh! Looks like it’s time to clean up all those cat toys and half finished knitting projects!

Alternate Self #2
Where SrA Me is an apathetic cat lover, Master Sergeant Me is awesome. She’s seen the world, knows jujitsu, and looks out for her subordinates. Her uniform is always pressed as though she had just walked out of the dry cleaners.

Right now she’s staring out a window in some far off place contemplating writing a novel (hey, this *is*  me, after all!). Uh oh! The phone’s ringing. It looks like she’s going to have to work late.

Who is your alternate self?

What is your alternate self doing right now?
Tell me and the world all about your alternate self on Facebook or Twitter! 

Off to work we go

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My faithful bag companion has a +5 Holding attribute, but a – 15 Fashion detractor, and you’re about to see everything!

What do you carry? Do you carry a backpack? An awesome satchel of hipster proportions? Or are you a bold soul who carries nothing? If you’re brave enough to share, join me on Facebook and make your bag take a selfie at The Command Deck’s Facebook Page!
Bonus points if you post your bag’s stats! 
Top to bottom, left to right:
Wallet
Lock (to secure my bag at work)
A notebook
A book (I mean…that one is hard :P)
A leather bag of change–I needz coffee!
Yes, that is an Ipod Classic (5th Generation)–mandatory for my commute!
An Umbrella–I told you it had a +5 Holding stat!
Hand sanitizer I’ve never used. Hey, it was free!
Lipstick and chapstick. The lipstick is just in case my chapstick gets sucked away into the void (it has happened on occasion). My lips get extremely dry. 
I need more pens. I do not have enough.
Old Dart passes–I always end up tossing them into my bag when they are used up!
** Not in my bag right now, but is always a part of my work commute **
My lunch
An extra shirt 

Need to cure the incurable cubicle boredom? 
Click on the image to expand it, right click, and then select “Print.”
*Fixed!
Yes, that is my handwriting. 

 Find the answers here: 
Click on the image to view full size