Urban Saboteur

I'm going through a really rough time of it myself right now, but i have always believed in the power of being a good person, i never like to know my friends are suffering or going through hard times and so i wish you and your family every best wish possible, take care and if you ever need someone to chat to send me a PM.

In friendship

Richard

Awesome news and very well deserved, sorry for being late to the Party

I hope your contributions continue and you enjoy collecting Minimates for years to come

In friendship

Rich

Hey,

I was discharged from Hospital late last night

I underwent some mandatory tests, I will say that given my symptoms over the last week or so I was becoming increasingly concerned with my bodies ability to bring the illness back under control, so going to the MAU to have tests done if anything put my mind at rest.

They took a Urine Sample, done a chest & abdomen x-ray and also took some blood tests, monitored my blood pressure and the doctor assessed me as to whether i should be admitted to a ward. He found that although there is an underlying problem with a crohns flare up, it is higher up in the gut, and the medication i am taking is the best it possibly can be, for the stomach aches i've been getting i am allowed to continue to take paracetamol course as a painkiller, in the mean time i am discharged to arrange an appointment with my specialist Gastroenterology Nurse for a Colonoscopy.

Whilst this isn't immediate success, it sort of is and it sort of isn't. I am relieved the tests all came back positive, that my vital signs, abdomen and chest are showing no signs of strain from prolonged use of an Immunosupressive drug, that there is no obvious serious underlying problem in my blood test results and that this episode is a Crohns Flare up.

At this stage I just have to continue doing what I have been doing, i'm still getting abdomen pain in the early hours of the morning and its effecting my sleeping, whilst this is a discomfort for me it's something i will have to battle through until my appointment is moved forward, I can do that this morning via telephone.

Thanks to everyone for their continued messages of support, you guys have been really awesome. I'm hoping now that with an appointment with the specialist they can investigate this properly (the MAU team aren't qualified and dont have the neccessary means of doing a colonoscopy there and then) so its really down to my resolve and persistence. I did turn the corner yesterday while in the MAU Ward, i didn't suffer from abdomen pain for about 9-10hrs. So maybe the Paracetamol is finally getting hold of the pain properly. I just hope in a matter of a few days i can begin full recovery and come off the steroids and manage my life back to some normality.

In friendship.

Rich

Hey Guys,

well I promised an update so here it is, i'd originally planned to leave this until Tuesday in the hope that i'd be able to turn the corner and not have to go into Hospital. I have been taking Prednisolone Steroids now for about 2 weeks, it's usually brought under control by now and i am still in pain and passing alot of blood. (not usually a good sign) I seem to be alright from the morning until about evening time, when the illness seems to cause absolute havoc with my gut and intestines.

This actually all began around the last week of November, so i've tried techniques and various things to bring it under control, my one big concern right now is that what usually does work isn't working, when i spoke to the Gastroenterologist on the phone before Christmas she explained if it was an infection that caused the Crohns to flare up, Steroids wont touch it and i'd need something else to stop the infection first.

I'm assuming given my current symptoms and what i am now faced with, that is to be the case, i'm still second guessing though and without having a full investigation via medical care i'll not know properly and just continue to deteriorate.

I made the decision last night to monitor things from this morning onwards and if they are no better i'll be admitting myself to A&E this afternoon/evening, from this point they'll put me on the M.A.U (Medical Assessment Unit) here they will keep me and monitor me until a bed becomes available on one of the wards, by which point i am hoping they'll take blood tests.

I wanted to update you all, primarily so that you are made aware of my situation, i dont know how long i will be in hospital for but this forum has become my second home of the last 5-6 weeks and i love it here, when i do get out i'll definately post up and let you all know of my progress. I am guessing it will be 2-3 weeks, but if it's as serious as my first admission it could be longer.

Keep talking and collecting minimates and thank you all so much for your support and get well messages, i hope my absence from the forum isn't for too long and we can all chat again soon.

In friendship

Rich

Hey Guys,

Just an update for you, there may be a slight delay in me getting back to you on forum posts or private messages over the next fortnight or so. For those of you who don't know I suffer from Crohns Disease and have done since i was 18. In the last 4 weeks i've had a relentless bout of flare ups which i've tried to control using various techniques and medications, usually ones that work and bring it back under control.

At the moment i am day to day, i'm able to eat but i still can't turn the corner to recovery so i've made the decision to give this until Tuesday (3rd). If there isn't any significant improvement i'll be admitted to the M.A.U for tests. Assuming they do find out what's wrong and have to treat me i could be in for 2-3 weeks or longer depending on how long they take to sort it out.

I'll try my best to get back online Tuesday morning and update this once i know for certain, obviously i'm hoping it wont actually come to this and the medication helps me recover properly by then, i just thought i'd make a point of posting up here so that people were not wondering why i'd dropped off the face of the earth

I hope everything is well here on the minimate forum and you guys continue to collect awesome minimates, i'll hopefully be more active here again once i'm better.

In friendship

Rich

I had a really great Christmas Day, went to Sisters for Din Dins and opened my Presents, I got a Marvel Minimate 2pack! :tongue:

It had Phasing Vision & Hawkeye, I am most pleased with this present as I haven't actually had toys on Christmas day for years, probably since I was a kid!

Score for me, 2 more characters knocked from my wants list Hope everyone else got what they wanted!

Thanks! :biggrin: Domo is stood ontop of the Mince Pie, when the picture was taken he ate it all and didn't leave any for Mario or Luigi

Anyone notice Woody looks like he started celebrations early? LoL!

I hope everyone has a relaxing Holiday, get themselves plenty of good presents, and have a Safe and Prosperous New Year!

Thanks for the last few weeks it has been amazing, I look forward to the New Year!

In friendship

Rich

I'm playing a couple of games atm.

Call of Duty: Black Ops, I usually play this on co-op with my bro, it's a brother bonding experience of being on the same side and covering each others backs while shooting the crud out of anything that moves :biggrin:

Skyrim.

FIFA 12.

That's pretty much it on my videogame playtime, I still have Assassins Creed 2 and MUA 2 to start and play, i bought them on sale and they've been sat on my shelf

I was thinking this one repainted, the short sleeves and collar seem to suit the Hawaiian shirt design, all i'd need to do is repaint and re-app the lines on the shirt, just miss out the pockets.

Expo Tony Stark

If anyone can think of a better idea, or knows of a better torso please post up, i'd like to hear your suggestions.

Hey,

Now that I am back into Minimates i'd like to resume this project.

Here is what I have so far:

Head: Jack Bauer - 24 Minimates

Hair: Agent Zero - Marvel (Wolverine Wave 1)

Arms:

Torso:

Waist, Legs & Feet - Detention Marty (Back to the future)

I haven't actually got the pieces and parts yet, it was suggested by Punisher to paint on the Hawaiian Shirt, is there any Minimates you can think of where they are wearing a loose fitted shirt, it doesn't have to be Hawaiian but i'd like it to be short sleeved so I can use that as the guide. I've painted it before on my previous G.I.Joe custom. Is there also any Minimates released that came with an LMG MP-5? Similar to the one Tommy uses in the game?

Any help given would be greatly appreciated. :biggrin:

Rich

Wow.

Thanks for the replies guys, yeah i think the wonky mask one I got made me dislike the figure, I don't mind the character too much and i know she is included with Green Lantern for a reason. I will probably try and pick her up again at some point just to bulk up my DC side. I'll just have to becareful when buying that she doesn't have a bad paint apps like this one.

At least i know it wasn't something repeated on every figure, that's promising. Can anyone post up an image of their own Star Sapphire for comparison?

Thanks guys.

Hey,

Welcome to the Minimate Multiverse, this place is incredibly fun and everyone i've spoken to on here so far is really helpful. :biggrin:

I can try and help with some of your questions.

Regarding Lego and Minimates merging to make scenes, I am undertaking a project very similar to this right now Shamrock has passed you the link, it might be a little time after new year but i also plan on doing Xaviers Mansion, Baxter Building, Tony Starks Enterprises Office including Suit room. Alot of these ideas are in my head but i've been using a free application you can get online direct from Lego themselves called Lego Digital Designer: Ldd/Lego

As always just be mindful about Cpu speeds and system requirements before downloading it, using the program and having other programs open drasticaly reduces the O/S speed. If you do manage to get the free software it is really alot of fun, the advantage to it is that you can build digitally and try ideas out before buying any bricks, as well as not having hundreds of bricks scattered on your floor, lets face it when the door bell goes nothing hurts quite as much as standing bare foot on a 2x4!

If you get to the stage where you want to buy the model, be warned it can soon get quite pricey, it's sometimes a good idea to order lots from Bricklink it's an online marketplace like ebay but strictly for Lego Parts ordering and can sometimes workout easier than ordering from Lego directly.

*Phew*

As for buying cheap Minimates to scavenge on, try individual sales links in the marketplace by someone looking to get out of the hobby or ebay, i've seen some small lots on ebay for 5-10 figures and i recently picked up Cyclops, Magneto, Sabretooth and Wolverine in a small bundle for £3.99

As for future Minimates I saw a thread/section off from the main index called Minimates of Licenses Future where people discuss what they would like to see, I am not sure if the manufacturers patrol the thread or forum to get sense of what fans want but this seems close to what you're asking, aside from that keep an eye out on the news section for official released news from the manufacturer.

Hope all that helps, and i hope you have fun with your collection, I just got myself back into Minimates after regrettably selling what i had a year and half ago. I'm so pleased to have them again. :biggrin:

In friendship

Rich

I always liked the idea of having more Videogame Minimates, they fit perfectly with the scale of the toy, The Halo Ones seem pretty decent.

Some others I'd like to see.

Mortal Kombat. Scorpian, Sub Zero, Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Goro, Quan Chi, Kung Lao, Sonya Blade

Street Fighter (more releases) Ken, Blanka, Balrog, Zangief, Dhalsim, Dan, Fei Long, Sagat, Vega.

Metal Gear Solid Minimates, Raiden, Gurlukovich Soldiers, Solid Snake. etc.

How about a Team America Pack? :tongue:

Hey Guys,

I got thinking about my previous collection, I particularly remember being disappointed with the Wave 1 Star Sapphire. It's not a figure that I miss, and to try and show you why i'm going to post a photo up of the Star Sapphire I used to have,

I was quite happy with most of the figure, all apart from her Mask, now I know I don't have the pointy bit of the mask near her nose lined up with the centre of her Lips, but even if I did, the eyes don't seem at centre or straight. It's like she has a wonky mask or something.

So I wanted to ask those of you that have Star Sapphire, do you have this issue? I can't imagine she's meant to have this flaw, or do you simply not care so much about this Minimate?

If possible can you post up a picture of yours, so i can compare, I'm thinking i just got a bad one out of the factory last time. Just got a little unlucky.

What do you guys think? am i being overly picky?

In friendship

Rich

Todays Geography Lesson is sponsored by Oingyfloingyproducts and presented by Buttheadsmate!

*applause*

Well we have something in common! infact, we have two things in common!

1. We both like to ramble and talk alot about our new obsessions. :biggrin:

2. We both got into collections involving comic book history without ever actually being that involved or tied up in comic books or the characters initially. We both got interested in the coolness first before delving into the actual history of the characters.

I'm really pleased you decided to come out of lurking and introduce yourself. I'm a second time rounder here having stupidly cancelled the idea and sold my collection last year, lost a slew of good minimates in the process, so this time round i wanted to start by rebuying what i sold off. Luckily i got some awesome assistance on this forum. I think it's a refreshing place to visit and alot of the members seem to have great humour and a friendly welcoming atmosphere.

I hope you enjoy your time here in the Multiverse!

In friendship

Rich.

Also, quick question you say it's rumoured for Max - Wave 3 next year, where would i get the best scope on finding this out? I assume someone here will cover it?, will it be in this section of the forum with them not being DC or Marvel?

Ah ok. I thought they might of been limited release.

I'm hoping then that they release the Wave 3 next year and make it easier to acquire them. Awesome Avatar btw!! :biggrin:

Hey Guys,

I was wondering about the readyness or availability of the Elite Heroes Special Ops Pack?

Elite Heroes Special Ops

A quick ebay search under Toys & Games from the UK shows only a handful of listings, and some of the sets commanding starting BINs of £11-£15 per pack. Whilst I don't actually have an issue with the price there doesn't seem to be many readily available to buy. Were these an unsuccessful wave and didnt distribute much? Or is it more the opposite, did they do so well they sold out?

The Special Ops pack looks really nice, that and the platoon one. :biggrin: You can tell I used to collect GIJOES! Haha. I know I posted this as a new topic but i couldn't find it anywhere else when i searched for Elite Heroes from the main forum. So if there is already a suitable topic (mods please move on my behalf)

In friendship

Rich

Off topic a little and not to do with the Batcave, but you could totally rebuild that castle if you wanted. :biggrin: you could build just bout anything with Lego.

I measured up the bricks compared to Lego Minifigures and Minimates and found the difference in adjustment was only by about 1 brick or so in height. When I first got into Minimates I built a Minimates Medical Centre (these were for hospitalised minimates) i'd either got them in ebay lots or were unfortunately broken out of packet.

I collected all my white bricks and used a Paradiso Baseboard to build it. I'll throw up some pictures.

The Medical Centre had two floors, on the first floor was reception, then the staircase leading up to the medical ward where the beds were. Obviously these are old pictures, I no longer have the medical centre or the figures but it does emphasize my point about the castle. You could look on Bricklink for the actual castle and instructions to build it, just build one brick extra under the window so that it is to scale with Minimates. :biggrin:

I'd imagine the base itself is either from the castle or pirate sets, they usually had a fort of somekind built on top of it. :biggrin:

The crime lab area looks really interesting, and nice use of Lego Pieces

Hopefully people will post up their own Batcave W.I.P as well.

For some reason I neglected to hit send before on my reply, so i'll give this another bash. haha.

I really like that you've got the sufficient land and space to do something you've always wanted to do. The name has a really nice ring to it, In you mentioning Linda was the name of your late sister it is a lovely tribute and i'm sure it means alot to you.

The pictures of the development of the lake are interesting it shows over a period of time since last year what it took to build it, i'm sure it was a little more complicated initially than just dig a hole and fill it. I'm also sure that in time when nature takes its course it will look quite spectacular.

Even though i live in a small town inside Manchester, we have some great wildlife spots just 10 minutes from where I live. You mentioned Canada Geese in the thread earlier, it's probably best i show you this rather than explain it.

Canada Geese at Tame Valley

This video was shot with my Panasonic HDC SD60 last year, I hope you don't mind me sharing it on your thread, i'd imagine the wildlife you will get over time will be very interesting.

That's quite a project you've undertaken but never the less a worthwhile one. :biggrin:

The larger batmobile, can you count the stud width across from panel to panel? How many studs is it? I'd imagine like you said that if it doesn't fit the process of just shifting the pillar over by 1 or 2 studs will be easy enough to do.

Today, I managed to go up into the loft for the blue, black and white lego coloured boxes. Once i've finished assembling the parts list i'll be in a position to retrieve the bricks i need to build it.