Childhood and adult building blocks A few models made with Lego bricks As a kid, I had many sets of construction sets, but never Legos - they were just gaining in popularity about when I was outgrowing building blocks. In 2014, I finally became addicted to the building blocks as a 'kid' in my mid-60s. I was working on the branding for JRW consulting and explored the option of building the logo out of Legos (a Lego Logo). I ordered hundreds of blocks from the website and had fun snapping the blocks together. The JRW Lego logo Legos, from the Danish leg godt, meaning "play well," and one of the simplest and most iconic toys, were created by Ole Kirk Kristian-sen. Early Lego "Automatic Binding Bricks" were hollow and could only be stacked (not locked together). They've twice been named "Toy of the Century". Lego bricks are beautifully engineered with very tight tolerances. The snap when sticking blocks together is quite satisfying. The first project was to build my logo out of Lego bricks: From the Architecture Studio After building my logo out of Legos, I got hooked on the blocks. I was tempted to get the Architect's Studio once at Barnes & Noble in Union Square - it was on sale but still expensive. I vetoed the notion at that time. Not long after that, I splurged and ordered the Architect's Studio online. The blocks are either white or clear, no other colors. A Broadway Theater That's a ballroom, cabaret theater, or restaurant above the seating area. A marquee is on the front wall. The ubiquitous NYC water tower is on the roof. A stadium with Party Decks An intimate thrust theater or theater-in-the-round Grandstands for a major parade Lego Therapy Because I ordered hundreds of dollars of bricks from the website, Lego had me on their mailing list. I regularly received the catalogs and perused them at the table while eating (I love to read stuff while I eat). I had admired the series of Victorian era buildings that might line Main Street in a Disney park. They were a bit too expensive for casual purchases. But, after selling a Manhattan apartment and while Manhattan, my favorite dog, was living with a terminal aggressive cancer, I needed a diversion. I had become a canine caretaker and stayed home a lot to feed and med dose the dog. Another catalog came. Uh, oh, now may be the time to order one and see how I like it. The kit arrived in just a few days and, I loved it. I was hooked. I set up a work area in the office and immersed myself in construction. The detail and engineering was impressive and surprising. Manhattan would lay on her bed in the office and watch me work. She stayed by my side a lot at that time. As the time to put her to sleep approached, I drove in the rain to the mall to buy a second building set. I worked on it that night. The next morning, she took her last nap. As therapy for grieving, I continued to work on the model. And bought 4 more sets. Months later, in September, I needed more therapy - I had total shoulder replacement surgery. The Lego kits gave me projects to work on that could do with 1.5 hands. The therapy, while successful, led to another affliction - SALA. Severe Adult-onset Lego Addiction. I don't plan to seek treatment, medicine, or therapy for my case of SALA. I transformed the Fishing Store (above e left) into a modular Sports Bar with a fishing theme. Interior rooms Apple Store MOC. I ordered the kit above left to get some appropriate pieces and stickers. Below: Incorporated the Apple glass front, blond wood tables, counters, and display wall. Remodeled Central Perk and apartments into a modular with open side for cameras and lights. The Daily Bugle is featured in Spiderman and Marvel comics. To add it to the modular town, the cartoonish characters and explosions were a bit out of place. I transformed it into a mid-century mid-rise office tower. Major changes: • Removed the fire escapes (those are more appropriate for older and shorter buildings. The railing pieces became a balcony rail and a rooftop crown. • Moved the tower placement from the center of the modular base to a corner to create more room for a small plaza in front of the building. I also needed more corner pieces for the existing modular town. • Removed the overly large sign and the massive water tank on top of the building. • Turned the second floor around so the balcony faces front, creating a better streetscape and more human scale and helping the tower relate to the other buildings on the block. • Changed 2 solid walls to glass window walls. • Added more floors - changed some sections from 1 floor into 2 floors. Lobby is still extra tall. Project dates 2014 • JRW logo: Febuary-April; ordered online • Architecture Studio models, seen at B&N Union Sq, bought at mall 2017 Manhattan surgery to remove tumor: November 2016 • Detective's Office/Pool Hall: January; ordered online • Parisian restraunt: January; bought at mall on rainy Sunday, Manhattan's last full day Manhattan died: Monday, January 16, 11:10a Santa Fe with Brooklyn, Friday-Monday, January • Palace Theater: January; bought at mall • Brick Bank: January; ordered from car driving from Santa Fe • Assembly Square: January/Febuary; bought at mall • Holiday Toy Shop: Febuary; bought at mall • Pet Shop: March; ordered online after BrickExpo downtown • Wine shop and crane: August; from China. Shoulder replacement surgery 1: August 29-31 • Barnes & Noble/Starbucks: September • Remodeled crane and cottage: November/December; from China. • Nutcracker, City Bus, Holiday train station: December • Winter Village, Santa and Rudolph: December 2018 • Diner: January; ordered online • Newstand/Bus stop: January • Bodega: May, remodeled; from China • Posh Store: June ; remodeled; from China • Misc building parts: July; ordered online • Old Fishing Store: October; remodeled into Sports Bar: November • Holiday fire station: December; remodel: January 2019 2019 • Corner garage: January • Disney Castle: March Shoulder replacement surgery 2: March 12-13 • Roller Coaster: April • Statue of Liberty: June • Built display table, set up streetscape: June/July • Disneyland Train: August • Disneyland Main Street Train Station: September • Steamboat Willie: October • UFO Carousel: December, queline: March 2022 2020 • Book Shop: January • Food Trucks - Pizza, ice cream: Febuary/March • London/Commuter bus: March/April • Empire State Building: April/May 1 (anniversary of building dedication, 1931) • Old Pub: June; remodel: June • Brickheads: Donald, Goofy, Pluto: June • Bakery Coffee and remodel: September • Corner Store: October • Teal 2x4 Brick, Desk Calendar: November • Charles Dickens Book: Thanksgiving November • Haunted House: Thanksgiving November • 7-11 store (remodeled Bodega): December 2021 • Apple store China: January • Apple store modular, MOC: January • Police headquarters: January • Botanical Garden: Febuary • Bakery Coffee window, plaza seating: Febuary • Friends Central Perk (freeze therapy): Febuary; modular remodel, studio light truss: May • Hotel Urge: March; roof terrace remodel: March • Friends Apartments: May/June 3; modular remodels: June/August • Flower Bouquet, in Alto vase: July/August • Tulips, dog: July/August • Blacksmith shop: October • Daily Bugle: November; RG mid-rise tower: November/December 2022 • Boutique Hotel: January • Ferris Wheel: Febuary; queline: March • Flower Bouquet 2: March • Typewriter: May • Space Ride Truck: June; remodel, queline: June/July • Ann's Art School: July • Starbucks Modern Cafe: July; remodel ground floor: July; from China • Loop Roller Coaster: July; purge excess pieces: July • Bowling Alley: September; remodeled • Sanctum: November • Cube Modern house: December; remodeled rDecember; from China 2023 • Havana Coffee House: January • Harry Potter: January/Febuary; revised Febuary • Recycle Truck: March • Grimmauld Place: March • Jazz Club: April • Parisian Alley Cafe: June • Christmas Store, Music Store: September • Hocus Pocus: September/October; fence landscape: October • Disney camera: October • Museum: December 2024 • Disney 100: January • Disney Parade Float: March • Music Club; remodel: July • Upscale minifigure: August www.jamesrobertwatson.com/lego.html