loydstuff: It's absolutely, positively, completely and totally FINISHED!! ( For NOW, at least!) The LONG

It's been a slow, sometimes even tedious process! BUT-- at long-last-- the latest version of the 'Loydster-Cave' is FINALLY ready for my faithful-few readers to come in and explore! (by the way--- the pic above is meant to be a copy / goof-spoof, of the one taken for my LONG-ago post (from July 2018!!) about the previous 'Man-Cave'! Time SURE flies, doesn't it? (Well--- SOMETIMES it does!)

What an interesting, bumpy, curvy, twisting road life can sometimes be!! nearly 7 years ago, I was posting about another 'Secret Sanctum', at another location! Through a set of EXTREMELY SUCKY circumstances (a shade LESS than 2 years later!)--- everything in that version of my little hide-out ended-up being put into 'cold-storage'-- for close to 4 YEARS!

If you've been following along with me here as I've been posting these updates, there's no need for me to go over or rehash the gradual, step-by-step process that's been putting this little (and I DO mean LITTLE-- this space is a mere 8 x 10-foot 'DINKY-cube-of-GEEKYNESS'!) room together! I'm just EXTREMELY glad to see all of this stuff back in the same space, on display again!

For those of you that may be asking: 'So Loydster-- what about ALL the comics collection (10 or so long-boxes worth!), the car magazines (several boxes worth also!) and the remaining collection of vinyl / LPs you still have??' For now-- unfortunately-- all of THAT stuff, along with the life-sized stand-ups that I've mentioned here in recent posts-- has to just stay put in the storage unit!

Hopefully, in the near-future--I can figure out some kind of 'auxiliary-Man-Cave' (small storage shed maybe?)-- where all of that stuff can at least be with me here on the same property! 'Til then --- it'll just have to remain carefully stashed away!

Anyhoo-doody-roo--- as I OFTEN do here at the 'ol bloggy-woggy-wing-dingy-thing-thang--- I'll stop with the introductory stuff / opening remarks.... and we'll just dive off into the pics! (With the USUAL nerdy / geek-tastic remarks to go along with each-- of COURSE!) Also-- once AGAIN--Forgive the somewhat 'shaky' quality in some of the pics! The 'ol 'Ferrell-mits' aren't as steady as they used to be!!------

Let's start off with an 'unobstructed' shot (meaning me and my extra-LARGE-sized head being OUT of the WAY!-- Like in the pic up top!) of what you see as you enter the 'Secret Sanctum'! Complete with the LED 'tube-lights' turned on-- of COURSE!

Another little 'side-note'--- The pics in this post will just (mostly) focus on the 'now full' shelves & cases in the 'Sanctum'! (Check out my earlier posts for pics of the stuff on the walls, the lay-out with my various books, etc...) Anyhoo--- here's the 'barrister-cases' to the immediate left of the Hot Wheels shelf-- FILLED with all kinds of crunchy-GEEKY-goodness! (Including 'The Phantom', 'Green Hornet', 'The Shadow'-- even 'Robbie the Robot'!)

The case with all the 'Stooges & 'Toons stuff-- right to the left of my teensy-weensy little desk! I definitely break-out in a BIG goofy grin nearly EVERY time I look at THIS one!

The previously mentioned TEENSY-desk! Hey, it's JUST the RIGHT size for me to do tinkering on my lap-top! That's pretty much it's MAIN purpose! Besides-- if I tried using anything even SLIGHTLY larger, all the shelves and cases couldn't possibly fit into the 'Sanctum'!

Yet ANOTHER little side note!--- This GIANT 'History of The Batmobile' poster, is actually one of SEVERAL items that I'll be 'rotating' out of that space! About every 6 months or so, I'll switch it out with some other WAY-too-NEAT-O-to-STAY-in-storage items! Hey, when you have a TINY little 'Man Cave'--- 'you gotta do what you gotta do'!! In fact, I may do a near-future post about just WHAT the things are, that I'm planning on being 'rotating exhibits'!

Again-- forgive the 'kinda-CRUMMY' photography! ---The 'Bats & Supey-shelf' to the right of the dinky-desk! Also FILLED with PLENTY of 'Man of Steel' and 'Caped Crusader' - COOLNESS!

Elvis-goodies, MORE 'Supes-stuff' and a few NIFTY 'Lone Ranger' items, now reside in the cases above the scale classic car & truck models. 'The Lone Ranger & Silver' model, was a vintage UNBUILT kit I snagged off of E-bay a couple of years back! It's JUST like the one I had when I was 12 years old! The AMAZING part?--- I won it in an auction-- for UNDER 40 smackers! There's NOTHING like getting something THAT cool, for THAT decent a price!! It's now FULLY built (I just painted & assembled it a couple of weeks ago!) and on proud display-- as it SHOULD be!

Now here are some not ONLY very neat-o, but ALSO very PRICELESS items-- to the 'ol Loydster anyway!--- Coloring-pages, recently done by (top-to-bottom) : my Daughter Shelby, daughter-in-law Chloe, and son-in-law Trent, PLUS: a 'Warhol-influenced' pic of the McFarlane toys '66 Batman figure (doing the 'Batusi', of COURSE!), given to me by my nephew Caleb!

The 'curio-shelf-in-the-corner'--- now housing even MORE 'Bat-stuff'! As well as 'Ironman' and 'Captain America' figures

Just for 'grins and giggles'-- another peek at the 'media-nook'! Items that've been added in there, include the 'lapel-flower' / boutonniere --that Shelby created for me, for her wedding! (crafted with 'Batman'- patterned cloth, of COURSE!) It sits PROUDLY on the center-top of the CD shelves!

ANOTHER look, at the combo-Bat-ride-display and book-shelf! Not much different going on there, except I've added a few 'graphic-items' to a couple of the shelves.

'Green Lantern', 'The Flash' and even MORE 'Supes and 'Bats figures-- join the miniature 'Bat-rides' in the case near the door to the 'Cave!

Among the MANY items that were previously displayed in the former 'Man-Cave'--- here's one of the MOST nifty!-- an unusual, cast-metal 'Man-Cave' sign! I just HAD to find a spot for this! I managed to squeeze it onto the top of the door-post. You can see it on the way out! The 'little hidey-hole' just would NOT be the same without THIS little doo-dad hanging-up somewhere in it!

As I was saying up above--- the effort to get the little 'geek-zone' put together, sometimes got to be a little TOO much like WORK! But--- now that all the thrashing-away is over, and everything is set-up where it needs to be.... 'WHEW'! I've gotta say.... ALL the work and time was WORTH IT! It's SO cool to just come into the room, look around-- and get that BIG goofy-geeky-GRIN' on my face--once AGAIN!!

A shout-out to my VERY special-lady, number ONE gal, and (VERY patient!) life-long-best-friend--- Mrs. Debbie! Thanks SO much, honey! Your encouragement (to get another 'Man-Cave' going in the FIRST place!) and helpful suggestions along the way-- helped make this all happen! Loved you then, love you now, will love you ALWAYS!

a couple more pretty EXTRA-COOL items, before I sign-off for this month folks!--- For Christmas, my kids surprised their 'ol daddy-o with--- well, I'll just let the pic below tell you a good CHUNK of the story!----

Believe it or NOT--the t-shirt I wore the day of our family-Christmas-get-together-and-wing-ding... was a pure coincidence! Pretty appropriate though, don't you think?!?

If any of you have ever put together one of these Lego 'build-sets'.... you KNOW how INVOLVED and kinda complex they can be! So--- the 'ol Loydster took his sweet time putting THIS one together! Because I wanted to make SURE to get it RIGHT--- and-- it's an EXTRA-special / unique gift from a couple of the MOST special people in my life!

To add even ANOTHER level of coolness to this ALREADY oh-SO-nifty gift-- my son even added a pretty SWELL 'go-along-PERFECTLY-with-it' item! It'll sure keep the dust and spider-webs off of the 'Lego-Bat-ride'!!----

This 'assemble-it-yourself' display case-- was given to me (as stated above!) by my son Wade! It's made from NICE, fairly thick acrylic-- and it bolted together in around 15 - 20 minutes! Super-easy-peasy! A 'gift-to-help-protect-the-other-gift'! Thanks, son-o-mine!
Thanks also, buddy-- for the 'Batman '89' -related items! A large-scale '89 Batmobile-replica (with removable panels, so you can check out it's engine and weapons-systems! NEAT!), and a 1/3 scale replica of the '89 Batman's cowl! WICKEDLY-cool 'Bat-stuff' INDEED!

AND--- after the careful-clicking-together of over 1800 PIECES--- it's FINISHED! In ALL of it's 'Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed...' GLORY!!-- Here's a couple of images-- of the Lego-version of the CLASSIC TV Bat-ride! Finished, and residing in it's 'place of honor'!!!---

Another shout-out to BOTH Shelby and Wade! Thank you guys! THIS will INDEED be one of the 'Crown-Jewels' of your 'ol dad's 'collection of Bat-guy-related-stuff'!

Yet ANOTHER surprise arrived on my door-step-- less than a week ago! My life-long buddy, Mr. Jeff Arnold had sent me THIS very SLICK item!---

This '4D-Bat-puzzle', arrived as a surprise 'late Christmas' / 'Man-Cave-warming' gift from my long-time best buddy, Jeff! Despite the EVER-shrinking amount of room in my little (and I DO mean LITTLE) sanctuary--- I simply HAD to squeeze out some sort of space for this! It's just TOO darn COOL!

So-- once AGAIN-- I set aside some chunks of time here and there over this weekend just past! And-- like the 'Lego-Bat-ride-build'-- I took my time in putting the 200-piece '4D-'89-Bat-ride puzzle' together. Here's the result!---

The assembled '4D' Batmobile puzzle! SO wickedly COOL!! Now... I had to find a spot to display this bad-boy!!

It took a considerable amount of thought, and a little trial-and-error (the FIRST place I tried was just TOO 'cramped'!)--BUT-- a PERFECT spot / display-space was FINALLY found! The former-closet / now 'media-nook' turned out to be an IDEAL place to show-off this unique gift from my 'brutha-from-another-mutha'!---

A couple of pics of the new home for the '4D' Batmobile! I cobbled together the little shelf it's sitting on, from some odd-ball pieces of cardboard and some wooden dowels. It leans out at a slight angle, so more of the puzzle can be seen! Yet ANOTHER thing in the 'Man-Cave' that brings a BIG goofy-geeky-grin to the 'ol Loydster's face! A big THANK you to my buddy Jeff! You ROCK, amigo!

Needless to say, as you can probably see in the pics above--- I had to do a bit of rearranging of a few items-- to make a home for BOTH the 'plastic-brick' -version of the 'Caped Crusader's ride--AND the '4D-puzzle-version' of the '89 movie-ride! It was worth every bit of the (slight!) hassles though-- because WAY-cool items like THESE have just GOT to have prime spots in the 'Sanctum to be on display!

These 'Christmas-(and LATE-Christmas) surprises' have ALSO made me realize, that even though for the MOST part, the 'Secret-Crime-Fighting-Headquarters' is CURRENTLY in pretty much a 'finished' state--- this little room is going to have to be kind of an 'organic' - type of space! With the occasional necessity of the 'rearranging' of stuff! (I may also have to do as the wifey has suggested, and 'rotate' out not ONLY posters, but some OTHER items / doo-dads as well!)

There's just gonna be a need to make room --for gifts from family and friends ---and-- yes-- the 'once-in-a-while' times when I stumble across something that's just 'oh-SO-very-COOL'-- that I can't possibly pass it up! That's just the kind of HOPELESS nerd-tastic guy that I am!!

See you NEXT time gang! 'Til then--- stay safe, sane and HAPPY!