March/April 2013 State of the Site: Vacation All I Really Wanted

The time has come to write.

I feel this on an almost organic level. Normally, I am sitting with my laptop in my family room or in my office with my book cases full books on toy collecting to the right of me and curio cabinets filled with my Star Wars Micro Collection behind me, but this time I am writing the original draft of this post on a legal sized pad of paper listening to thunderous waves crashing on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Writing feels so freeing for me.

Mainly because I don't have a care in the world right now. No orders to get out, no deadlines to meet, no projects to work on, just relaxation. I am surrounded with family as usual, but there are none of the usual distractions.

Maybe it's because I have all day to write and don't have to hurry and bust out a post before I am off to the next task at hand, but I would love unlimited time to write and talk about toys and other geeky things and that has become the goal or more of an obsession as of late.

I am diligently working on a way to do this and make a living at it full time.

A Death in the Family

Followers and friends of the Batcave Toy Room have asked my thoughts as to the fate of Damien Wayne, the latest incarnation of Robin, which I have left answered.

Mainly, because that event mirrors an occurrence that took place with my family back in August. I have some what touched on that occurrence in the past and still won't go into details as to the event that I thought would put my super cool, but non-geek wife in Arkham Asylum and that day will forever dwell within me, but it is time to fully focus on the present. To keep my mind focused on the here and now where it belongs.

I've been committed the majority of my free time to our daughter and being on vacation has been no different.

We've been spending time in the infinity pool that looks over the beach with her telling me stories of adventure with the boats passing by with Captain Hook on board, or the spa doubling for a witches cauldron or her telling me, "Daddy, you Batman. I Robin." I have visions of her one day joining me on my Geek Quest, but I am all about her finding her own path, but I'd love for her to follow in her old man's footsteps. Time will tell, but the pictures above convey exactly how I was feeling last fall.

Batman Shirt A Day

I brought a slew of Batman T-shirts to wear while on vacation. You can see the various Styles below.

501st Legion

As I've written before, I have enlisted in the Vader's First, the 501st Legion. My commanding officer had planned on picking up my Stormtrooper armor while at 2013 Wonder-Con this past Easter, but the molds still are not ready. I do have my boots however and these boots were made for trooping at that's just what they'll do.

My garrison holds armor parties for new recruits and I am looking forward to putting my armor together as soon as it is in.

Joining the Legion is just more than a set of Stormtrooper armor though. It's about giving back. They do tons of events and visits to children's hospitals as well as, being heavily involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. If a can make a sick child forget their illness for awhile then I am all in.

My nephew, who is only a couple of weeks younger than my daughter, has cancer. At just three years old, the poor little guy has been through two rounds of chemo and radiation treatments and after a second go around he is once again cancer free. However, it came back once and pray that it never comes back again.

Farewell to the Batcave Toy Room

With all that has happened over the passed year I had considered throwing in the towel on this site, but I feel it asked to born. To have life breathed into it and I am feeling like it is barely on life support. However, and not to be seem inconsiderate, but life goes on.

We must forget the past, but not forget those who were part of it. I had forgotten what it was like to have goals and the power that they have when they are made and executed. I have shared many of these goals with you earlier this year and so many of those goals have come to fruition. There are many more to come and I expect to begin implementing them here at the Batcave Toy Room as well as, other groups projects I am hoping to get off the ground.

Time to Move On

I feel like I could just rattle on here forever, But I'll save some for other State of the Site addresses. I've felt like a could become a recluse like Bruce Wayne, but enough of that, I've got work to do.

So, to the Batcave! Alfred's been on vacation and it's getting dusty down there.

About the author: John Sholtz is an avid toy collector and the interim editor of the Batcave Toy Room due to the abrupt death of Bruce Wayne. Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter at, Facebook, Google+ and Linkedin.