M.L. Crabb's Blog: The Command Deck, page 6

10 Days and Back Again

I am watching through Season 3 of The Man in the High Castle and am feeling the urge to write because I haven’t written anything substantial in a long time—that show has a way of inspiring the muse.

I’m watching the final episode tonight, and the fictional stakes couldn’t be any higher, oh how turbulent my emotions are right now.

I’ve been avoiding spoilers by limiting my Internet access all week, while it is easy to do on days I work, the weekends are another story. I can’t wait until this self-imposed Internet exile is over with. I feel like I’ve been missing all the High Castle action on Twitter, but I just can’t binge good, thought provoking shows. I honestly tried!

There’s just something about the anticipation of waiting for the next episode and wondering about your favorite characters that I can’t resist. I love thinking about the previous night’s episode—What is John going to do next? How will Kido react when he sees something? Will Robert survive the trip home? —until I rush home from work to watch the next one. I wish I could beam that feeling directly into your mind! No other show has ever affected me this way.

The only thing I can compare it to is looking forward to the next chapter of a good book and devouring it on your lunch break because you are captivated by its story (okay, so it actually is a great book, but that’s beside the point!).

Here’s a sample of the great lengths I’ve gone to to avoid spoilers:

Smile and laugh, ha ha!
I couldn’t disappear completely, so I blocked off my monitor each night to tweet about each episode. That’s only some of my efforts to avoid spoilers. And with that being said, The Man in the High Castle is the only show I’ve ever gone to such great lengths for.

...Speak of the devil, my phone just alerted me with my weekly usage report, and my “screen time” is down. That's going to change drastically tonight, ha ha!

After this is all said and done, I might do a how to avoid spoilers in 2018 post. I can’t say my tactics are successful yet since there’s still an episode to go!

Until next time (which will most likely be a review of Season 3), Tschüss!

***
Here is a painting I finished this week in an effort to avoid spoilers. When I break out the paintbrushes, it is a solid chunk of time without being distracted or tempted by the Internet. 

TMITHC S3 is Just Five Days Away!

Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle Season 3 will be here on Friday! THIS FRIDAY!

I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to it. I mean, we’ve had to wait two years for it.
I’m already plotting avoid-spoilers-at-all-costs tactics because anything short of not using the Internet for 10 days is risky.

10 days = 1 episode per day because I like to savor each and every one! No show captures me quite like this one. I know that if I binge watch it, I’ll forget half of it...and then there is the fact that I cannot sit still for that long.

Here’s to hoping my tactics work!

Don’t forget:

 The Man in the High Castle will be at New York Comic Con on Thursday, 4 October!
Details:
October 04, 2018, 12:45 PM - 1:00 PM
NYCC Live Stage - Booth 174 - Javits Center

Guests:
Isa Dick Hacket
Alexa Davalos
Rufus Sewell
Joel De La Fuente
Chelah Horsdal

The Man in the High Castle S3 Trailer!

I’ve been meaning to make a recap post ever since they dropped that badass trailer, but every time I sit down and think about it, I change my S3 theories and have more and more questions.

Here is the trailer for those of you who haven't seen it yet or just want to enjoy 2 minutes of badassary:

Season 3 Official Trailer
I don’t even know where to begin! There are so many things going on in a multiverse of directions, that my head hurts (in a good way)! One thing is for certain: Season 3 is going to differ greatly from the previous two seasons. Is that good or bad? Only October 5th can tell.

My Takeaways:

1. The Resistance plays a huge role in this season with Juliana at the helm, gathering support, sharing the films, and lighting a fire under people who were otherwise complacent.   

2. There is a growing movement against Chief Inspector Kido that turns violent at one point (the clip they played at SDCC made it look like they were angry about fuel prices, but it seems to be more than that).

3. Someone new is controlling things at the Reich now that Hitler’s dead, someone even more insane—or so it appears, because the destruction of American artifacts like the Statue of Liberty looks like it came straight out of the mind of a comic book villain (my other theory is that the "Americans" decide to do this as some warped display of loyalty).

4. Joe’s loyalties remain ambiguous, but that’s the strength of his character.

5. John has a much more powerful role now (not that he wasn't powerful before).

6. John is directly involved with the multiverse machine and may even travel to one of the other realities.

7. What is this possible war John mentioned? You could hear the fear in his voice as he spoke to Helen. Is the Japanese empire going to head for war after all? 

8. A nuke explodes in the trailer, and my guess is that it is a test because of its location. The Japanese empire got the blueprints for building nukes all the way back in Season 1.

A book based theory:
If you’ve read the book, you know what happens to Joe Blake at the end. I have a gut feeling that Jason O’Mara’s character ends up being like the book version of Joe. It makes so much sense from clips of him I’ve seen.

1. He’s very friendly with Juliana
2. He knows she can get to the Man in the High Castle
3. It makes sense that someone would send a spy into her circle

Here’s to October 5th! 
I want to go back and look at my theories after S3 airs and see if I’m spot on, barely missed the mark, or am completely and utterly off base.

Sketching Through Those Hot Summer Days

How is everyone’s summer so far? I feel like Summer is always the shortest season—probably because it’s my favorite. Time flies when you’re having fun!

I’ve done a lot of drawing over the past few months. It’s crazy to look at art I’ve done just a few years ago last year!?!?!? and see how different my style is now. And no, I didn't realize I did that Kathy drawing last year. I thought I did it in 2016! Mind blown.


I don’t know what spurred the change. I just remember having a severe case of art block sometime last year. On a whim, I started sketching a photo as it appeared because I couldn’t think of anything to draw (I can’t remember which one, but it was probably High Castle related. I’d bet money on it, ha ha!).

I enjoyed shading and sketching like that, so I kept doing it! It's honestly therapeutic, especially after a long day's work. I'll normally find a documentary on YouTube, have my reference picture up beside it, and start sketching.


Other things I’ve been up to over the summer include expanding my antiques/WWII era collection (albeit, very slowly) and working on Sisters. I realize those aren't the most exciting things in the world, but hey, I'm happy.

What have you been up to this summer? Finish any exciting projects? Travel anywhere?

High Castle Awakens

After two long years, we finally have a release date for Season 3!October 5th, 2018
Before I delve into the panel at SDCC and the trailer, I want to give a huge thank you to @nerdeeklife for live tweeting it.

As I sat down to put my thoughts together (with High Castle, there are always a million different thoughts running along side each other—sort of like the multiverse!), I decided to organize them into three parts:
Takeaways from the panel
Takeaways from the trailer
Thoughts, theories, and questions

Takeaways from the panel
Smith is in a difficult, dark place and commits even further to the Reich. He finds out about the multiverse, and it becomes an obsession (remember the clip from NYCC? The expression on his face says it all). The resistance plays a prominent role.When asked to describe Season 3 in three words during his takeover of @AmazonVideo IG stories, Jason O’Mara said, “Resistance. Twists. Turns.” Juliana becomes a leader and a fighter within the resistance. We will see a lot more of the neutral zone (I mean, it goes without saying since the Resistance will be heavily featured throughout S3). There will be a larger sci-fi element because of the multiverse. We’ll learn more about Hawthorne. High Castle has been renewed for a 4th season!
Takeaways from the trailer
Watch the trailer here! I was speechless after the first time I watched it. I don’t want to admit how many times I’ve seen it since! The Pacific States are mobilizing their Navy (you can see the Yamato with a fleet of ships near the golden gate bridge). There is a fuel/gas shortage in the Pacific States, and it is so bad that the citizens are protesting and lashing out against their occupiers.A lot of action involving Juliana and the resistance (guns and explosions).The Reich has a multiverse machine of some sort that Juliana wants to destroy. Joe says something in favor of the Reich expanding in one flash, and in another, he’s taking a swing at Smith’s aid, Erich Raeder. Smith is rewarded for his actions in S2. Smith is shocked beyond belief at the end of the trailer. Juliana is in a prison cell.Thoughts, theories, and questions

I don’t even know where to begin. After two years of silence, we were showered with news, clues, and clips of Season 3 all within the span of an hour!

I knew Smith would get obsessed with the multiverse from the clip shown at NYCC. My theories for him still stand.

At the panel, Alexa Davalos said that she loves playing Juliana because everything she does is from a place of love. I hope this means that she will change the resistance and mold it into something worth rooting for. I have a gut feeling she will because of the teaser trailer where we see someone sewing a Reich flag into a symbol of peace instead of just tearing it apart like we’ve seen in other shows/movies a million times. Juliana destroyed the films about Thomas’s illness, after all!

As for the scene at the end of the trailer where it looks like John walks into Juliana's cell and is shocked to see her there, it it is either a clever editing combo of two very different scenes or something more. I can’t help but wonder if Juliana dies and then a Juliana from another universe travels to his, or he sees her disappearing into another reality before his very eyes--I have so many questions!

With all that being said, it is clear that the resistance will be one of the major players (right up there with the Reich and Pacific States). TMITHC thus far has been a unique, creative show which paints characters in realistic shades of grey. I have high hopes that they will continue to produce great content—that teaser trailer.

They could have just had a resistance fighter burn it and shout something cliché like “Freedom!” but no. They showed someone sewing it into something that represents good. I’ve never seen that done before, and that, my friends, is why I have high hopes for Season 3.

I couldn’t fit everything I wanted to say in one post, which means there will be more posts in the future!

After two long years, I look forward to what is in store for us.

I’ll leave you with a bit of fanart I drew ages ago when I thought they were going to announce S3’s release date (you don't want to know how long ago that was, ha ha!):

Which one do you feed?

High Castle is Coming to SDCC!

I have been a bad blogger as of late! My apologies for the lapse in posts. Part of it is due to no news on the High Castle front (but that just changed!) and the fact that I haven’t finished my WWII era wall yet. Shame on me! ;)

Let’s dive right into the exciting High Castle stuff! After months of silence, we finally have a whisper of news! I was beginning to think that we might not get a Season 3.


There will be a High Castle panel at San Diego Comic Con with Alexa Davalos, Rufus Sewell, Jason O’Mara, and Stephen Root!

Panel info:
Saturday, 21 July
4:15 to 5:15
Room 6A

Rumor has it that Amazon will drop a trailer, but don’t quote me on it. I can only hope. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us. There are bound to be some good Season 3 hints and maybe a release date. I look forward to watching the panel online (and of course, coming up with my own theories based on what they say).

And so, I leave you with my latest High Castle drawing:

DIY WWII Era Wall

Last year I made High Castle themed shelf (which grew and took over an entire wall of my dining room!).

In that same spirit, I’m working on a WWII/1940s era display. I’ve started posting work in progress (wip) photos on Instagram with how and where I got everything I have so far.

You don't have to break the bank to make something unique. It doesn't even have to actually be from the era you're going for (although that would be nice). I am posting my progress in the hopes that it helps someone else out there who is trying to create something similar.

Uncle Sam & Wooden Crate


The tin U.S. Army recruiting poster is a replica, but it was only $8.99 on Amazon (who can beat 2 day shipping?). I got the crate at Home Depot for almost the same amount.

Awesome Fanta & Coke bottles


I picked these tasty gems up from the import aisle at the grocery store. They look antique and were only $1.25 each. Did I mention that they were delicious too? If you're going for a 40s/50s vibe, these are a cheap and easy to get prop. These ones were imported from Mexico, so check the Hispanic aisle if your store doesn't have an import one.

Giving the Crate a Makeover


I did a quick google search to find ideas for the crate to make it look and feel like it belongs in that era. Once I had a good idea of what I wanted, I opened up Word and used the Stencil font to type everything out and arrange the words. Once I was done, I printed it out.

I flipped it over and rubbed the charcoal pencil (orange) on the backside of the letters. I flipped it back over and laid it over the crate. I traced the letters with the regular pencil to make a charcoal imprint onto the crate.

Now all I have to do is paint over the imprint! Just remember, charcoal smears easily, so if you're going to do two sides of something, you'll have to fully complete one side (ie, finish the paint job) before starting the other.

Thanks for tuning in! I’ll be back again with more updates.

San Diego: Part II!

And now for part two of my trip!

I revisited one of my favorite childhood places. I feel as though I appreciate Disneyland a lot more now that I’m an adult. The escapism of the park, its rides, scenery—everything—was fantastic.

Downtown DisneyIf you look closely, you can see the Matterhorn near the left!
Every year we’d save up our allowances for our annual adventure down I-5, and of course those adventures included a trip to Disneyland. How could they not? ;)

I remember racing to Thunder Mountain Railroad as soon as it got late, when the crowds started clearing out. We’d zip through the empty line to ride it over and over again until closing time.

Before I jump into the fun, I want to mention my one complaint: the timing. The week after my work event (right after Easter) was Spring Break. Hello, crowd city! I only mention this as a warning. Don’t go during Spring Break if you can help it.

However, I still had loads of fun and STILL daydream about how much enjoyment I got out of the trip! There was a silver lining amidst the swarms of people. I got to see and do things I never did as a kid (kid me was too obsessed with the rides to bother with anything else).

That's me! I'm riding the raft to Tom Sawyer's Island.
There were a few things that had changed since the last time I went there. There’s now a second park (California Adventure) and Downtown Disney (a shopping center). Disney has their own version of TSA, and honestly, I’m glad. Times are different.

Disneyland itself is exactly the same except for all the Star Wars stuff in Tomorrow Land. Star Tours has been updated to include scenes and characters from the new movies. Kylo Ren wanted to arrest me! Kid!Me loved that ride, and so does Adult!Me. 

So what did I get to do that Kid!Me couldn’t be bothered with? 

The Enchanted Tiki Room – This now is a forever favorite. I love birds, and the show was so much fun (and not to mention adorable). Next time I go to Disneyland, it is a must!

My Enchanted Tiki Room dress!
Tom Sawyer’s Island – Believe it or not, Kid!Me never went on it because it wasn’t a ride, and anything that wasn’t a ride was boooring. Kid!Me had no idea what she was missing! The island was a beautiful place to explore with gorgeous views. It felt like it was a world away from the crowds.

Scenic views from Tom Sawyer's Island
The food – Compared to other tourist places, the food is reasonably priced, and it is delicious. People often complain about the price, but it’s honestly cheaper than your standard tourist stuff in major cities.

The décor and architecture – Just walking around and taking in the scenery was amazing (well, minus the crowds—they really were bad). I loved the vintage, 30s music they played in Adventure Land. I loved the costumes the cast members wore for Indiana Jones and the Jungle Cruise. I loved the Jungle Cruise so much that I went to one of those penny machines and had it stamped onto a penny.


Top, left, and center: Scenes from Radiator Springs Racers in California AdventureRight: Old time Hollywood in California Adventure
For it being shoulder to shoulder bumper cars people, I sure know how to make it look like the parks were deserted! 
I’d love to go again within the next few years. If I play my cards right, I'm going when the crowds aren't as crazy. Here’s to saving up for it!

I got a chuckle out of the second morning (see the "Hollywood" picture). Our tickets let us get to the parks one hour before they opened to the public. We wolfed down our breakfast and ran to California Adventure so we could go on Guardians of the Galaxy. When we got to the gate, the swarm of people was quickly growing, and I started laughing because it felt like a scene right out of The Walking Dead. *Rattles gate* As soon as they opened the gates, oh my goodness, ha ha! We looked like a pack of wild zombies.

Wonderful San Diego: Part 1

I’m back!
…And so ends travel season for 2018.

Before I get into the fun, I just want to say I’m relieved that my favorite show (take a guess, ha ha!) hasn’t aired Season 3 yet. With people live tweeting spoilers as they happen nowadays, I’d have had to do a complete withdraw from the Internet for the duration of my travels and then some! How did I survive the 80s and 90s? ;) I fully admit that I’m addicted!

I don’t have to worry about missing out and avoiding the Internet for goodness knows how long anymore, and I am glad. Let us hope we get #HighCastle Season 3 before 2019!

Wonderful San Diego: Part 1
Exploring the USS Midway This was a chance I was not going to pass up. I’m still researching my grandfather’s WWII journey, and what better way to discover what life was like on a Navy ship than to walk around on an aircraft carrier. Reading stories and books is one thing, but being in the actual thing (well, close enough) is another!

A special thank you to my mother (whom I haven’t seen in two years due to living on the opposite side of the coast) for coming with me.

It cost roughly $23 to get in (I’d look at my receipt, but that somehow ended up in my work binder on the way back and is now displayed on my bulletin board as a souvenir there). (✿◕‿◕)

The fare includes a self-guided audio tour, which you pick up after getting your photograph taken (you are led to a photographer and a backdrop before you can explore the ship. Purchasing the photo set is optional). Did I purchase it? YES, a loud resounding yes because it supports the museum, and it is a wonderful keepsake.

As we walked around the various areas of the ship including the flight deck, I took in as much as possible—the sights, smells, and the sheer vastness of it all.


I went inside the Flight Deck Control to get a feel for what the Aircraft handling officer [Info!] would have been seeing and doing on a day-to-day basis. There was a long, metallic model of the flight deck on display with markers representing important objects. In front of it was a chair and an old phone.

You bet I sat in it and looked out onto the flight deck!



The USS Midway museum is run by volunteers, most of whom are older veterans. As we were following everyone out, I ran over to the information desk to grab a map (yet another keepsake because spending a bunch of money in the gift shop wasn’t enough. ;) ).

Two veterans manned the desk and smiled at us as we approached.

Now anyone who knows me in real life knows how utterly shy I am. I avoid talking to strangers as though the mere action will douse me in burning flames—just picture me running from a giant flame thrower, and there you go. That is what my brain normally does when presented with strangers.

I paused and went against my natural urge to quietly scurry away. I looked up and said hello because one of the veterans with his white hair and wizened face looked to be from the Greatest Generation.

They are passing away.

They are leaving us for the next life, and one day the last one will leave us forever, and their generation will be forever gone from this world.

It is up to us to listen to them and to make sure their stories live on. We must not forget them.

I didn’t ask for any accounts of the war (war is an ugly thing that I only bring up if they bring it up first). My mother proudly announced that I was a veteran, much to my embarrassment (mothers…;) ). We chatted about Turkey, for I was stationed there and he had visited it at one point. He made us laugh with a military rivalry joke (he was Army, and I was Air Force). Want to hear it?

What does a soldier call his bathroom?
The latrine
What does a sailor call his bathroom?
The head
What does an Airman call his bathroom?
The powder room

I chuckle as I type this because there is no humor like Service humor, especially the rivalry sort!
I am so glad I went against my instinct to be shy. It was a fun chat, and you learn a lot from moments like that. Just chatting with them (even if it isn't about the war) opens up a window into their world, their humor, and their lives.

If you are ever in San Diego, visit the USS Midway. It is well worth the fare. And before I forget, if you're a veteran, you'll get a discount on the photo set.

Here are a few more pictures from the adventure:



Stay tuned for Wonderful San Diego: Part II (Disneyland!)

Snow Day: 5 Things I Did Last Wednesday

Wednesday brought an unexpected snow day in my neck of the woods, so here are five things I did with the sudden surprise of free time!

1. I worked on Sisters

I finished rewriting the ending—this alternate universe story now has an alternate ending!

I’m still looking for a Beta Reader if anyone’s interested! Look at the goodies that are in store for you in this post: Call for Beta Readers



2.  I took in the waistline of a skirt I ordered online

Heaven forbid women’s’ sizing be consistent even within the same brand! The skirt is beautiful, and I’ll still buy from them, but I’m just a little disappointed that the comfort I had in buying the same size all the time is gone.

What is women’s’ sizing? We just don’t know.

3. I kept checking Twitter in hopes that there was a little announcement from the official HighCastleTV account regarding Season 3…

Hey, I had to include this because it’s true! I kept checking!

4. I started a painting

The mood fit, and I had nothing else to do, so I worked on a snow scene as it fell from the sky and blanketed the yard. It's not finished yet. Who knows, there is a strong possibility of another snow day on Monday ;)



5. I caught up on Social Media: browsing, liking, following, commenting, and messages. 

A snow day was the perfect time to do some catch up!

What did you do on your last unexpected day off?