Robot Claw – Page 167 – “Life In The So-Called Space Age”

Fireworks 2022

July 5, 2022

We went to Rochester to visit the parents and once again we brought fireworks with us for a July 4 extravaganza…

As you can see that’s an impressive haul (and yes everyone was amused at me arranging them for a photo) ranging from tiny little things to monsters that go boom in the night!

The box designs continue to be creative, featuring multiple points from which the sparks/projectiles fire. Although not visible in the photo above the Pyro Engine is mounted on rotating base for a dramatic effect when lit! We also bought a lighthouse with windows that light up. You can see both in the video below.

The two fish were different prices and the most expensive one (about $25) was longer and much more spectacular than the other. The tiny Saturn Missile Battery shot all 25 of the little missiles into the air and only cost $2! Far more impressive was our 196-shot Roman candle (the big black tube in the top photo) which was only $13 and didn’t disappoint!

As with previous years much of our fireworks were fountains like the above. These are what are legal here, and sold in local shops in the month before July 4. It’s always a mystery what these fireworks will actually do when lit, but most of the ones we set off last night were very pretty 🙂

We had a lot of hand-held items this year, and they seem to be a little bigger and… dangerous… every year!

The weather was beautiful and the temperature just right. We had a delicious grilled dinner immediately before the fireworks, although I’d been setting off a lot of the smaller ones all afternoon!

That handheld one was like a portable lightsaber! The flames roared as they came out, and I could easily feel the heat holding it as I was. The theme of this item was the Statue of Liberty, and the flames changed between red white and blue.

Of course the more dramatic ones are better suited to video, so here’s a little montage movie I put together of some of the highlights:

Happy Independence Day 🙂

The Big City

June 29, 2022

Only seven days after returning from Oz, I went to New York City!

I had to visit for a passport renewal appointment, and stayed the night so the day wasn’t too frantic.

The city is very busy and life seems to have mostly returned to normal. Shops, restaurants and even the train I came down on are stuffed with people.

It’s interesting comparing NYC to Sydney, which was easy since I was in Sydney only a week ago. NYC is bigger and busier and louder and smellier and in general life seems to move at a much faster – even frantic – pace. By comparison Sydney is relaxed and quieter and more modern. NYC is a diesel truck; Sydney is an electric car.

Of course I took the time to shop as well. I brought two small suitcases with me – mostly empty – and with no trouble managed to fill each to bursting. I bought books and toys and many blind boxes for KLS. If I had ten suitcases I could have filled them all!

When I was in Australia my activity levels were unprecedented, and I theorized it was due to the cool weather allowing me to walk endlessly without tiring. By comparison I was extremely tired at the end of both days in New York (my train home was late on the second day) despite ‘only’ walking for about 6 hours, and this was no doubt due to it being very hot and sweaty. If you’re ever planning to visit NYC, come in cooler months!

On the morning of the second day I decided to do something I’d always wanted to do. I got up somewhat early and shops weren’t open so I walked to visit a famous NYC landmark that you may recognize:

Yes it’s the Ghostbusters Firehouse! As you can see they’re proud of being featured so prominently in the films, and there’s a mini museum inside of ephemera from the films and dozens of patches the firemen have used over the years that feature the famous ghost logo. There was also a fireman happy to show people around, but I passed on the tour and left it to a largish group of what seemed like mega fans 🙂

Although I stayed the night it seemed like a whirlwind trip since I was shopping like a madman and walking dozens of blocks to visit all the stores I love in the city. Plus I renewed my passport! A successful trip 🙂

What Came Back

June 22, 2022

I’m back home. My suitcases were stuffed like never before, and actually slightly overweight. I get 50 lbs/case, and combined the two were about 104 lbs, although the check in lady let it pass. Many many things came back with me, and here I’ll showcase a few.

I discovered LOZ bricks in Australia, and have been amazed by the quality of these LEGO competitors. I invested heavily, and eight sets came back with me. If you see these in shops, pick one up!

Sydney now has (at least) 5 Gacha machine stations, and as you can see I partook. My usual modus operandi for these is to keep them closed until I return home, lest I keep sinking money to get the particular item I wanted. We’ll open these over the next few weeks.

A couple of figures came back with me, both won from the same machine (at a cost I won’t discuss…) at the ufo catcher shop in Sydney. I’ve already opened them and both are high quality and look good on my shelves.

Yes I bought two Star Wars figures! I was surprised by the high cost and easy availability of these in Australia. While they’re considerably cheaper here, they’re almost never found in shops and the two above I’d never seen. The main reason I bought them though is that the elimination of plastic from packaging ensures the future of these figures is clouded, and the above may well be the last I ever buy.

I love the manga series Quintessential Quintuplets so when I saw an entire box of ‘wafer + card’ sold at the anime shop on Pitt Street I jumped at the chance. This was one of my most exciting purchases in Oz!

If you’re glancing over the photos so far and thinking ‘But wasn’t he in Australia?‘ then I’m not surprised. Much of my cases were full of Japanese stuff or old magazines (thanks AW!). But rest assured I have left the best for last, and the majority of the weight in my cases was this:

Behold chocolate! This isn’t even all of it, but can you believe all that candy?!? There’s even more:

Astonishing I brought back about 40 pounds of candy! Some of it will be gifted, but the remainder is for me and Kristin to enjoy over the next few months.

Other stuff not shown here: money (collectible coins mostly), coffee (for kls), kitchen goods (plates, tea towels), books, shirts and probably other stuff I’m forgetting due to jetlag. 🙂