I used to be an alcoholic. I could stay up all night drinking at a party, with a partner, or solo if I really didn’t want to deal with my own humanity.
Part of the problem was my natural energy. I was capable of holding together an apparently functional life because I could drink all night and still show up, at least physically.
Not drinking was the easy part. Finding homes for that seemingly useless drive wasn’t all that difficult either. My life is filled with people and activities and I’m passionate about being my best.
I still wrestle with compulsion. I can get obsessed, but I’m learning to direct it.
Yesterday was the last day for me to build our ship for Kalmar Nyckel’s Lego Shipbuilding Day. My sons had contributed their expertise in minifigures and One Piece lore, but I had a lot of boat to finish.
I stayed up until past 2am to get the Going Merry ready and it paid off. We won 1st place in the 16+ division against some impressively large ships.
That strange energy carried me through a busy day and I’m looking forward to a well-earned sleep.
Delaware’s reigning First Lego League champs ran demonstrations of their robotsThe Wreckage
This year, my sons and I committed to creating a LegoOne Piece build every day for the month of October.
Chew Chases UsoppArlong Park
This was our most collaborative year participating in Delaware Fun-A-Day.
My eldest son (Westen, 14) and I don’t know much about my younger son’s (Isaac, 12) favorite manga. Isaac was our guide in choosing subjects, finding referencing pictures, and providing narrative context. It was encouraging to see him take on the role of project manager while also putting together a couple of our most impressive Lego scultpures.
Westen’s specialty is minifigures and scenes. One Piece has many wild ships and islands, but the characters bring the world to life.
Vinsmoke Judge Battles SanjiCrocodileLuffy Battles KaidoMonkey D. LuffyDrum CastleShanksCharlotte KatakuriPandamanThe Execution of Gol D. RogerRed Leg ZeffPearl, Don Krieg, and Gin
I thought a “raft” would be a simple build, but Blackbeard’s Raft grew into one the month’s largest.
Blackbeard’s Raft
Capone Bege captains Nostra Castello, an amphibious castle.
Capone Bege and Capone PezNostra CastelloRoronoa ZoroZoro Clashes with Dracule MihawkAokiji Battles Akainu
The Big Top was a fun challenge from the color scheme to the main tent and clownish insignia.
Westen completed the build with an almost-to-scale Captain Buggy.
BuggyThe Big Top
Westen’s imagination shined on his dynamic depiction of a One Piece game feature.
Brooke’s Soul Guitar Attack
Isaac’s re-creation of Torino Kingdom is one of my favorites. His waterfall effect is exceptional.
Torino KingdomThe HitsugibuneWhite BeardBlackbeard vs. AceRoronoa Zoro
The following builds were from my own imagination. When I was stuck on a One Piece build, I would clear my head with another nautical build.
The orange hydrofoil came out of a challenge to use Lego separators and a single color. I had to bend the rule for a couple bushings.
The Hitsugibune is coffin shaped and adorned with green-flamed candles. This was the last detail I added and was an extra joy as we own just two green flame elements. I’ve never seen much use for them, but they are perfect in this build.
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This is Arlong Park, an amusement park commandeered by Arlong, a pirate fish-man.
One of our Lego Unschool Club visitors helped me find the right shark head for the peak of the pagoda. There should be shark heads on the ground level guard houses, but I scaled them down to grey pyramids, each with a single, sharp tooth.
