Satisfaction

I read in the local paper that when the Rolling Stones played in Jacksonville that Mick Jagger ate at restaurant here on Amelia Island called Espana.  My wife and I went to eat there yesterday evening and it was magnificent. 


The place is quaint. The service was fabulous.  Everyone working there couldn't have been nicer.

For our meals, we went with several of the tapas.  Each was terrific in its own right.  I washed mine down with a Killer Whale Cream Ale by Bold City Brewery in Jacksonville...good stuff!  The food was filling and delicious.  I just finished the leftovers for lunch!

Sorry, Mick, despite what you and the Stones have been singing about over the years, at Espana, I got satisfaction!

Sunshine in St. Augustine

My wife and I have been in Florida on vacation.  Staying on Amelia Island has been wonderful.  Yesterday when we got up and saw the sunshine, we decided to take a ride.  St. Augustine is about 90 minutes south of where we are and so off we went.  Great easy drive and boom:  we were in one of the prettiest cities in the U.S. that I have ever seen.  We were instantly in love with America's first city.

We took the tour with Old Town Tours.  It was very informative and enjoyable.  I liked the fact that you could get on and off the trams and explore the sites that you wanted to.  We visited Castillo de St. Marcos and the Pirate Museum (a bit cheesy).  The city is beautiful!  The water, the buildings, Lion's Bridge, the lighthouse...all of it is remarkable.  We are already planning to go back and stay longer.

While in Florida we have discovered a great place to eat.  It's called Mellow Mushroom.  The chain serves, pizza (outstanding!), sandwiches, and other items (try the pretzel bites!) and has a full bar area as well.  We've been to the one in Jacksonville and now the one in St. Augustine and had great experiences at both.

It looks like another beautiful day outside again.  I think I'll head over to the beach.  Later.

Kickin' It Back

I've been on Amelia Island in Florida for a few weeks now on vacation.  It's been great just to be able to chill.  No worries!  The temps have been on the hot side (in the 90s)  but the breeze on the beach has been great and a dip in the pool has helped as well.  We've done some site-seeing and hit a few of the local establishments for food and drink (I'm determined to eat some gator while I'm here.)

Tonight we just kicked back and relaxed.  I had a couple of Kona Longboards and have to say that I totally enjoyed them.  Hoping to head down to St. Augustine in the next few days and maybe hit Daytona too.  We'll see what happens.

Freedom

ameliaislandliving.com

I feel fortunate to have been born here in the U.S.  Despite all of the problems we have here (and there are many), having traveled globally, I wouldn’t  want to be any place else.  It is a beautiful country with wonderful people (for the most part). I love it!

To my fellow Americans, be safe, have fun, enjoy our day, and take a minute to honor all the brave men and women in uniform that protect us and our nation.  Reminder to take pets in tonight.  Our four legged friends don't enjoy the boom-booms as much as we do.  Take care and Happy Fourth of July from sunny Amelia Island!

The Rise of Cobra

I just completed a set of Reaper Bones Nova Corps miniatures.  I did a head swap with some Cobra inspired heads I got from Reptilian-Overlords.  All painted up, they look like they're ready to take on the Joes.  I'm hoping to make a Cobra Commander, Baroness, Destro, and Storm Shadow down the road.  Check 'em out!

A Case of the Blues

Congratulations to the St. Louis Blues.  The newest Stanley Cup Champions defeated the Boston Bruins in 7 games.  All of the games in the series were great.  To watch these two clubs play against one another the way they did was phenomenal for hockey fans everywhere.  Jordan Binnington's goaltending in game 7 was insane!  Loved it!

Hockey  is over for now.  Time to get off the couch and actually do stuff.  (I can't wait for hockey to start!)

Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal was the name of an animated movie that came out in 1981 which was based on the incredible magazine series that was published at the time.  It might have been shown in this little gem of a movie theater back when it had seen better days (less Chaotic times perhaps???) 

This is the Metal Theatre model by Novus Design Studio.  I finally have gotten around to painting it.  The model is very similar to their other Sci Fi buildings such as Combat Burgers.  It is the third of their products that I have painted.  I like them because they are made of resin and are very sturdy,  What I don't like is that you have to scrub the heck out of them to get the mold release off (make sure that you do!!!)  The other thing is that often have warped floors and walls which is a bit of a pain.  Painted up, they look pretty cool overall.

Take a peek and see how my version turned out.  As always, I am honored that you take the time to check out my humble little blog.  Take care and have a great day!

Sweet Home Alabama

Statue of Vulcan

Went to our friend's daughters' wedding in Birmingham.  I've been all over the South, but had never been to Alabama.  You folks in Birmingham know the meaning of Southern hospitality.  I met some of the kindest friendliest folks there.  We truly enjoyed ourselves and are already planning to go back.

The wedding was fun and we had a good time.  It was nice to reminisce with old friends and to meet new ones.  The bride is my wife's godchild and she looked beautiful.

We stayed at the Marriott Colonnade/Grandview Hotel.  The place was clean and exceptionally nice.  The staff was warm, friendly, and extremely helpful.  Great stay!

The Summit is nearby the hotel.  This is a fabulous place for drinks, dinning, and shopping.  We made our way over there several times.  Try the pizza at the California Pizza Kitchen...superb!

You have to go over to the Big Spoon Creamery while you're in Birmingham.  Amazing ice cream!!!   Plenty of flavors to choose from.  Fast excellent service!  Fun 50s theme.

I have to say that Birmingham is truly a magical place.  The weather was great.  The scenery was beautiful.  The people that we met were wonderful.  What more could you ask for?

Spring Fever

After nearly two months of being down with an injury, I managed to knock out three figures from Reaper Bones Miniatures.  The Clockwork Dragon turned out decently well.  I really like how the gold on gold paint scheme looks.  The Ghoul Queen was challenging to paint to say the least.  I enjoyed painting the Red Mantis Assassin.  I do apologize for the pic.  Someday I'll get a decent camera.

Family Matters

I saw Avengers: End Game on Sunday.  While I didn't like it as much as Infinity War, I still thought that it was good.  I thought that the story got off to a slow start and then seemed rushed at the end.  I also feel that sometimes too much was done which may or may not lead to other movies down the road.  Well, that's my gripe.

What I enjoyed was that most of the entire film was about family.  In the end, what mattered most was loved ones.  They were what was most important to nearly all of the characters.

Tony Stark finally realizing that he had to sacrifice himself to save all the loved ones for the others ahead of his own family's needs has one of the most amazing things that I have ever seen on film.

To see Steve Rogers finally able to be with his one true love, Peggy Carter, warmed the heart.

And the list goes on:  Clint reunited with his.  Natasha referring to the Avengers as her family and then making the ultimate sacrifice for her friend and teammate.  Bruce trying to bring Natasha back, knowing that she had loved him.  Scott risking everything to see his daughter.  Thor's reunion with his mother and Tony's encounter with his father.   Peter's excitement at seeing his father figure, Stark, still alive.  The sadness Clint and Wanda felt knowing that loved ones would never return.  Other Avengers are also reunited with family.  It is tremendous and it drives the film.

Rocket acknowledges that the Guardians are family.  We even see the family dynamic between Nebula, Gamorra, and Thanos (as dysfunctional as it is!).

The theme of family and love permeates the film.  It also involves friendships: Bucky and Sam with Cap, Happy and Tony, Clint and Natasha.  But even those are based on the characters love and caring about one another.

With all of that love, family, and friendship, how could I not like this film.  In the end, that is what won the day.  Kudos to the directors, Anthony and Joe Russo for a film that can be enjoyed by all (especially, we long time fans of Marvel Comics and characters).  As Stan the Man would have put it, "Excelsior!"

Need To Get Organized

My miniature wargaming hobby is getting a tad out of control.  With all of the miniatures, terrain, vehicles, and accessories that I have, storage and organization are becoming a bit of an issue.  I keep going back and forth as to how to categorize things.  I can do it by genre, manufacturer, good or evil, or perhaps scale.  I'm really not sure about which way would be the best.  I'm not even sure about whether I want to display them or just store them.  Since I have so much of the stuff, I only want to do it once and not have to do it by trial and error.  Wish me luck!