One Tale At A Time...

[WARLOCK]

The hardest part of telling any "Tale" is where to start.
I still have not figured out "where to start" or "what to say".
The "true challenge" is actually "when" to say it and "when" not.
The one thing I do know is "hopefully" what not to say and "know" why.

This is a great hobby, I love it. I have been active in it (and vocal) for several years now.
I was "exposed" to it as a very young youth (perhaps 5-6 or 7) years old by my father. Great teacher.
He could "hustle" anyone at pool, or pingpong, or darts; but he loved "challenging EM" pinball machines most.
He taught me to appreciate "games" in a similar way that my mother taught me cards, backgammon and crockinole.

So, I will begin telling some Tales again. Apparently; that is what I am (and always have been) destined to do in one way or another.
I will tell stories about my friends; (with prior permission) as well as my thoughts on this "neat" journey I have been on for about 4 years.
I will not "quantify" deliberately; but "qualify" when possible and "retract" when neccessary; while "proceeding" as based on life experience.
In the endgame, "this isn't a contest". It is a journey. It is a path. It is a road. We alone decide how we will travel down it. Thank you to all of the participants.

Be well.
More soon.
Thank you all.
All the very best.

 

[kvoxx]

Nicely written.

 

[WARLOCK]

Thank you sir.
I know your "tuning" is great.
I'm particularly "surgical" in what I do write.
Old school collector's know. Time to tell "Tales" to the new. (too)

 

[WARLOCK]

My intent was to write a chapter a week.
Life is good, work is busy and I am happy to write again.
When I mean busy: (well, many of you know what I mean) I will get there.
It may take a few more weeks before I have time to think.

That is all well and good as I should work and rejoice in it all now.
I will tell some "fun tales" when we are snowed in and looking for spring.

All the best. More soon.

 

[WARLOCK]

I returned a while back...
It isn't the same anymore I am afraid.
I have "stories" to tell but they don't "feel" appropriate anymore.
I have to "determine" how to tell these tales in a current and appropriate manner perhaps.

So...

Let's tell the "tale" of the "last hurrah!"
It began in May of this year. Planning. Organizing.

As soon as Allentown ended; (which was 1 day for me this year) I think only of Ottawa.
I arranged a cube van to rent, and I began plans to fill it up and travel as per my regular tales that I have told previously.
This year was different. No one could travel with me for many reasons. None of my friends would make this journey. I was on my own.
Don't get me wrong, I love being alone. I am a lone wolf... I do however also love company, and my wife loves when I travel with a friend. (to keep me alert)
This year I chose one of my son's younger years companions. A 12" tall "dancing Spiderman" accompanied me to QC and ON to reach the Ottawa show. He was quiet, strapped in the passenger seat.

I made the journey to Quebec first as usual, before I headed to Ottawa. I was on "pinball business" that in general, only Drano and I arrange across provincial borders, but several other friends conduct in close proximity to home.
Needless to say, 15-20 pins changed hands amongst friends as per usual. I/We take pins to QC/ON and buy/sell/trade them among friends as has been the "regular discourse" of the "transport" threads of the last several year. LAST HURRAH.

I felt that this year was different.
It was, it is and these days now pass into legend.
I was alone now, just like I was when I first 'hunted" pins.
I travelled all over. Any distance, time and/or space. A few of us know.

Myself, Jason, Drano, Reg, Walt, Rob... We literally go anywhere if we are able to bring them home.
I think these days are coming to an end based on many factors... Actually, they are gone and we all know it.
So, I travelled to Ottawa to the Pinball Show. I provided or "assisted" in arranging the tournament pins as per usual.
It was a fun and a great event as it always is. The stories from this last year are different tales to be told another time.
It was great to see everyone. I owe many people great thanks for this last journey including Josh, Guy, Chris, Robert, Monty, Adam, Jason and Randy.

Thank you my friends. I appreciate your hospitality. I am also grateful and thankful to see all my friends in Ottawa as this really is an event like no other in Canada.
Having said all that, I am hanging up the keys to the "cube van" truck days. I don't require anything anymore.
It is up to someone else to take up the torch for "bulk deal" days and truck runs outside of what Drano/Doug/Walt and I have done.
It is time to move on. Many pins will be sold in the weeks to come. I gave my wife her minivan back after 3 and a half years of "borrowing it".
My little SUV is meant for 1 pin out and 1 pin in. I could borrow the minivan to move or sell up to 3 pins out and I think I have to stay there mentally.

Last October... (time for numbers) MY apologies Robert, but I am a math guy...
I had 120 pins 13 months ago. It was insanity... And so, I quietly sold 60 in 6 months.
No ads, no FS threads... I just thought of each pin and whose basement each one should belong in.
And they all went in due course. Other than SWE1 (which I listed) and it didn't sell; and I decided I wanted to keep it. (P2K!)
So, the last "BIG HURRAH" was the last large journey in 2015 that I am aware of (In Canada) that went in a large truck and finished alone as I started.

These were good and great times. I don't think they will happen again anytime soon for myself or for anyone else due to the changing nature of this neat hobby.
I will miss these good times and great travels. (in bulk)
It will be different moving forward. I am quite sure of that. (much smaller)
Times change, and so do we all...

Cheers.
Salut.

More soon.
All the very best.

 

[WARLOCK]

Those who know me well...
Know that I am always very busy...
I don't mean "busy" like others use the word...
I mean "insane", "out of my tree", "consumed", busy...

I fit "everything possible" into my schedule. All work, family, friends.
Then this hobby came along and I "attacked" collecting pins in the same fashion.
At first, I didn't want new friends, new acquaintances and new events to attend or participate in.
I ONLY wanted Brewmanager to keep me "uninvolved" from forums and other humans and let me "collect pins".

Needless to say, my friend of 25+ years was relentless. He insisted upon travelling with me to "unknown strangers" basements far and wide.
He travelled with me in Canada and the US. He was concerned my "internal organs" may be auctioned off one day from 1 of these unknown basements.
Needless to say, after a while, due to the great people we met in this hobby, we gained friendships where we travelled, and I joined the online world reluctantly.
However, as I look back on the almost 4 years I have spent running around chasing pinball machines like a madman, I may have gained some machines, but learned something else.

If pins was how I measure the success of this endeavor, then it was a grand and great success.
What I didn't count on is what Walt made me do from the first moments that I began this trip.
He forced me to participate, join in and to meet the good people that I have been fortunate to.
This has defined the journey that I have been for which the machines themselves are catalysts.

Physical, mechanical, electrical devices that form a bond among those who follow the silverball.
This simple pastime that was meant to take our money in years past has profoundly changed us.
Once you are bitten, you can't ever go back. You can't pretend the connection you have is gone.
These machines touch us in a way that we cannot fully explain to the non-believer of their merit.

So, such as in life, so to is there in this hobby; a set of circumstances that exist that gives success.
I don't want to say these are rules as that is far too formal or concise a statement for our purpose.
Rather, it is a pattern or system of "knowing the rules" that leads us to some form of an awareness.
It is the consistency or constant of "effort" put forth to achieve success that has led to this position.

At first, you do what you do to "try and get it right". 1) Educate yourself. Improve hopefully. 2) Try - Fail... Practice - Do, or don't. 3) Learn. Gain wisdom. Gain skill. 4) Practice until you get it right.
5) Do it over and over and over until you become successful at it. 6) Work. Do. Learn. Practice. Do. 7) Do what you do well repeatedly until you are well known for what you do and are sought after.
Repeat this process again. I have learned this in business. I have learned it watching some of the best repair people in pinball. I learned it from some of the best hunters and gatherers of pinball machines.
I have learned it from my friends. And; I have learned it from watching casual pinball players and competitive pinball players alike. Thank you to my friends for making sure I learned the important things.

In business, success is many things, but the common denominator is to do what you do well repeatedly.
In this truly "Americana" hobby, by applying this same "circumstance" of consistent effort, I feel success.
Not in # of machines, not in a quantity of friends or in parts accumulated or even in kilometers travelled.
I set out to "quantify" everything in Tales: While it was a great journey and set of stories, it led me to here.

The pinball on the playfield may seem like a random process.
It is not.
It is a patterned function that is predictable when studied and practiced.
I love it.

And so I thank all those on this journey.
Thank you for all being consistent as expected.
And thank you for changing as we now all go along.
It is going to be a great ride ahead for us, I guarantee.

More soon.
All the best.

 

[WARLOCK]

(From Dec.11-12 or so) Part way through a couple of big sleeps.

Tales continue to be written. (or chicken scratched at the best)
Difficult to do on little or no sleep. Certainly not presentable here just yet.
I just can't describe to those who do not understand (or know) what it is that I do and am required to do.
All my own doing; (or my partners) and I am on hour 22 or 23 of a likely 34 ish hour run before I get done work and go home.

3 big sleeps required before I can "think straight" minimum.
Likely about a week later before I write anything of consequence.
I anticipate that will start Dec.14-17 for the sleeping part and Xmas for the rest.
So, let's say New Years for a decent tale then, shall we?

In bookstores by the end of January and a sequel by Valentine's.
All the very best. More soon.

Cheers. Salut.

 

[WARLOCK]

Well, I must admit, I am distracted "doing" things lately which leaves no time for writing.

http://www.pinballrevolution.com/threads/bpl-bluffs-pinball-league.4226/page-2

Since Brewmanager and I are busy with our friends getting pins on legs for a new league, I had this thought...

I will start documenting and posting 10 pin fixes on 10 machines in the next 10 days until our first league night in 10 days or so.
1st pin on deck is a very nice Firepower II that just had a quirk or two and is happily running. Super great pin from a friend in NY state.

More soon.
All the best.

 

[WARLOCK]

It was quite a day today no doubt.
20 pins on legs in the new shop. 3 on deck to go.
14 tournament quality ready pins. (many would say more)
However, great day and more to come very soon... documented