WAMALUG

Washington Metropolitan Area Lego Users Group

Archives

Archives for all of 2007.

DECEMBER 2007

Testing our new home (this month anyway) at Arlington Central Library, the room was nice, the lighting and tables good, but we were packed in there. 35 people attended; a group record we think. And with the shorter meeting (1pm to 5pm) we were all there together at one time!

Alas, a few people did not get the message, and the apparently held an "unofficial" wamalug meeting at GMU nonetheless :)

NOVEMBER 2007

After brief online banter about pending GMU construction, we arrived this month to find all tables and chairs gone :( They were eventually located in a locked room. We were granted one last stay at GMU, in the small storage area.

Peter tucked away in the corner.

Jeff showing off his castle to Rich and others. Lunch apparently starting.

The smallest room we've ever occupied; Rich brings the largest Lego set ever produced.

Cramped tables become floor space for Magnus.

Visitors enjoy a Lego surprise at the University.

Various people, various projects.

Abe follows directions as tiny visiting fingers help build his set.

After wamamlug meets, many members stop by Tysons Lego store for shopping and sharing.

More photos available at
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=284652

OCTOBER 2007

At long last the cooler weather returns and we can build in comfort! But recent news of renovation suggest this may be our last month parking at the school lot, and we may even be evicted from the school annex :( Time will tell.

Galen hobbles in with his massive Millenium Falcon, to the delight of others. Galen also brought several more cool movie vignettes he has completed.

Todd built an eye-catching set by BrickGuns.

In an unusually organized room, AFOLs line the walls with building projects.

Happiness is finding someone to marry who does more than just tolerate your Lego habit.

Magnus, as always, playing with motorized toys.

When one AFOL has a birthday, we all get Lego cake! The boy in this picture, it's not his birthday, he's simply smiling for cake.

Mike and the boys check out a Mindstorms vending machine.

The birthday boy and Robert study a vehicle.

More photos available at
http://scrope.com/PhotoGalleries/WAMALUG_Meeting_20071014/

SEPTEMBER 2007

One last warm day in our GMU annex. Many returning-new faces and even some new-new faces.

Michael Crafts brought in a couple military-focused mosaics. This one made out of Lego 1x2 bricks.

A nice McDonald's brought in by I-dunno-who.

Magnus showing off another tank. This one a bridge-layer.

Philip's Batman sets. In the background several AFOLs chat it up.

A blurry something zipping between legs.

Our sign-in sheet entitles members to discounts at the Lego store. A tin of candy brought in by Ken Rice, Y-Fighters, old and new, brought in by Galen for comparison, and some lunch.

Father and son sharing a build.

Galen's own personal Star Wars "set" which could easily fool anyone.

Gang playing some non-Lego related board game. Shame on them.

More photos available at
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=274973

AUGUST 2007

A surprising cool front in August made GMU less hellish. At lunchtime faces started showing up, including a few new ones. For the 1st time, that we know of, every single member simultaneously left for lunch, leaving our room of Lego, laptops, and more free for the taking. We chuckled at ourselves over it.

Early in the day everyone is sitting in the respective places, hunched over, clicking away.

Abe's street scene poised to take over the Tysons window display later in the day.

Kunie quietly idling away at a small classic NASA set.

Derek, buried in a sea of buckets, and with the aid of computer, creates a mosaic on the spot.

Ken Rice and his dump truck.

Motorized monster plays among feet.

Magnus building a castle set.

By day's end people straighten their backs and stretch their legs, get up, walk around, and inspect others' creations.

More photos available at
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=271834

JULY 2007

July we moved into the backroom at GMU. There was less furniture stacked there and it was "cooler." The summer heat sapped the energy out of many.

The Mindstorms cuckoo clock begins with instructions downloaded via laptop.

Abe brought in stacks of spare tubs and instructions to give away. This is the before-photo.

Dan Rubin and others. Many projects underway in the background.

In the afternoon the group crowds into the small hot room.

I have no clue what Pete is doing here, but it's animated. I wonder if the Legos are fighting back.

The completed cuckoo clock chirps on the hour.

Grand Prix raceway. One of many Lego sets completed today.

The kids corner. Mostly orginal MOCs appearing here.

Abe and Robert chat. An eager young visitor from the school watches closely.

More photos available at
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=266265

BrickWorld 2007

Several WALALUG members made the trip to Chicago for Brickworld's innaugural event. It was a blast. The weekend was smooth and successful, comparable to last year's DC BrickFest.

Joe Meno speaks, along with other Brickworld organizers.

Todd Thuma listens, along with everyone else there that first night.

Todd Webb's World Trade Center.

Todd won "Best Vignette" for his Twin Towers.

Michael is this tall in Lego bricks.

JUNE 2007

June was an "off" meeting, as the usual latecomers arrived early and the usual earlybirds never showed up. The train club held an event down in Potomac Mills which ate up some of our members.

But the weather was nice, and the temperature control of the school has much improved over last month.

Robert has an infatuation with the ladies of Deal Or No Deal.

Eight months later, Todd still buried in his World Trade Center.

Clock tower by... some late-comers.

These latecomers. Discussing the WTC facade with Todd and also their plans for a Moon-orah.

Jim Saiya. He came late.

The mom waits nearby, every week, letting her kids have their Lego fun.

Magnus demonstrating one of his copters for Robert.

Philip and his Tie Fighter. Parts well sorted.

More photos available at
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=258967

MAY 2007

May's meeting was unusually small, and the room was crowded as the school used the space to store stacks of chairs. The train club WAMALTC shared our space for a dual get-together. They had 5 or 6 folks themselves. Let's hope next month that GMU has remedied the air-conditioning issue. It was awful hot.

Philip, who is usually behind the camera, at his typically crammed table.

Galen and Bob Hayes chatting.

Two busy tables with Ken building a 10-year-old set, Todd and his slowly growing WTC, John and Peter in the background, Robert, Galen and Magnus lurking.

Trains whizzing around the back room.

New members, Michael and his whiz kid Matthew. Next time they'll remember to bring something to build. Rookie mistake.

Three active tables. Up front: Magnus, Robert, Michael and Abe. Middle: Ken and Todd. Back table; John and Peter. Galen on floor.

Jeff, Abe and Robert checking out Jeff's grand collection of PABs.

The kid collection.

Who?

More photos available at
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=253198
and
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=253169

NASM 2007

The National Air And Space Museum invited WAMALUG back again to display space exploration-related MOCs. We also bring a K8 box of random bricks for kids to enjoy.

Joe Meno stands in front of a NASA rocket, hosting WAMALUG's giant build pit for the kiddies.

Parents watch while the kids build. Some parents reach in and participate.

The WAMALUG display table, front and center at the museum's main entrance. A space monorail weaves around Galen's NASA logo mosaic.

Dan and Derek watch over the display table, including Derek's observatory which was rushed together in 6 hours for a previous year's NASM event.

Many small MOCs on display, including the Space Shuttle, various satelites and ships.

Small landing module MOCs. A sign asks visitors to "Enjoy the displays but please do not touch." Good luck.

More photos available at
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=248980

APRIL 2007

April was a smaller meeting with only about a dozen people. The rain chased away some, plus the train club had a show in Timonium at the same time. This meeting was marked by crashing cars with excessive crumple zones and instruction booklet give-aways.

Half an hour into the day, it's a slow start.

Several members brought in instruction booklets to give away. We all hate to discard anything Lego related.

Robert presents another song lyric acted out by minifigs.

Sometimes there's more talking than clicking.

Magnus shares his latest creation, an Osprey model with functioning propellers.

Abe builds a Boeing.

Todd tests the impact floors of his World Trade Center.

Sam, Norm, Cliff.

More photos available at
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=247914

MARCH 2007

March held a surpisingly crowded group. The classroom was void of furniture, so we swiped tables from the GMU break room. Someone supplied free instruction booklets that were eagerly grabbed up.

Many classic old sets brought in by Ken. His friend gave them up for sale. Ken (mostly) assembled them. They were (mostly) bought up quickly.

Lego Tyson's newest employee, Alex, brought in the new, the much anticipated, the beloved, Cafe Corner. All assembled. She was a beautiful sight.

Margaret and Ken chatting.

One apparently very happy Galen.

Dan Rubin and Derek(?) chatting. _________ and ________ in background chatting.

Lego candy.

The room got rather crowded this month.

Several emails just days before the meeting prompted an impromptu minifig swap. Army forces of all types were plentiful.

Room full of people.

More photos available at
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=239818

FEBRUARY 2007

Some gawking was done over the soon-to-be-released new Millenium Falcon. A lot of old faces returned and a new face or two showed up as well. The group is alive and well.

Discussions included the wamalug.org and wamalug.com website, and how to proceed now that the old .org domain has been lost to pirates. And there was some griping of disappointment over the loss of BrickFest this year.

Tony Perez showing off his large street/subway MOC to Abe and Margaret.

At the other end of Tony's town, a giant red-headed monster looms.

A close-up of Tony's street scene above the train tracks.

Chess set MOCs were also brought in for show.

Robert and _________ have a go at it.

Then Peter has a go at it.

And Magnus gave it a try.

_________'s massive yellow Tonka-style truck.

Constantine's fleet of vehicles including one really cool school bus.

John Bledsoe and Kunie chat it up. _______'s dad in the background reads the paper and Constantine up front dispatches his fleet of city vehicles.

New guy Andrew Albosta with his cool custom sweatshirt. Jeff on right. Constantine and Magnus in background.

More photos available at
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=233715

JANUARY 2007

Ryan brought in his game of BrickQuest as promised and Magnus immersed himself in it.

Todd brought in the dustiest and dirtiest of his Lego collection and raffled them off. This led to an hour of swapping, gifting and bargaining to try to pair up matching parts.