Beyond the Grave

7/19/2005 - Bored Today

Posted in Photos

So, I'm kinda bored today. I went to work this morning and had to come home because I need to work a split shift today. What it boils down to is we don't have enough equipment to go around sometimes, so I'll occasionally do a split shift and come back in the afternoon to work when equipment is available for me to use. Beats sitting there with no work. Which brings me to this...

The other day I ordered about 200 LEDs from ebay. I got 50 Green, 50 Red, 50 Orange and 50 UV LEDs on the way from Hong Kong so I can make some LED spotlights to help eliminate some of the floodlights I used last year. That should help save electricoty. I think I'll have enough leftover that I could sell some on eBay or even make some more lanterns (again, for sale on eBay) to try and recover the costs of buying them. At least when I have no work to do at work, I can sit there and solder up some LED spotlights to pass the time.

So, I see some people on my friends list posted Halloween costume photos. I think I'll do the same. This is my "Zombie-F" costume that I used from 2000 - 2002, and I think I'll be bringing out of retirement this year. I liked that costume.

It's too steamy outside to do much of anything, so I am DEFINITELY going downstairs to watch my Netflix movies until it's time to go to work. I promise.

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7/18/2005 - Changed Blog Look

I altered the blog's look a little with the edit templates thingy. I thought it looked a little too cluttered and most of the posts seemed to run together because there was nothing separating them from one another. I took care of it by adding some nifty graphics to serve as rules in between posts.

I also changed the hover color, the graphic next to the title, and the names of things. Comments are now called "Grave Rubbings". To leave a comment, you should "Rob This Grave".

Friends are now "Fiends" and my archives are now "Catacombs".

What do you think?

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7/18/2005 - I MUST Be Hyper or Something!

Posted in Photos

I tell you, I WAS just gonna come home from work and take it easy, but sitting around doing nothing is just not me. I get bored and need to do something.

So today I broke out the Columns for the cemetery and made sure the internal thunder and lightning machine in them still worked. I also adorned them with some spanish moss which makes them look completely AWE-fricken-SOME!!!

Photobucket album is HERE.

TOMORROW, I'll take a break. NOT!

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7/17/2005 - So Much For Taking it Easy

Posted in Props

As usual, I didn't take it easy today. I finished the lantern... then I set out about updating my web site with new how-tos for both the Haunted Signpost and the lantern. It took most of the day.

Now I AM gonna lie down and watch TV after I'm done cooking dinner. Mmmmm... Grilled Haddok and fresh corn on the cob. Yum

http://www.unpleasantstreet.com - The how-tos are under "Projects" and are at the bottom of that page.

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7/17/2005 - On the Menu For Today

I think I'm (more or less) gonna just take it easy today. I'll be heading out in a few minutes to grab my soldering iron from work and finish off the Lantern project.

I was going to go and do some more maintenance stuff on some of the older props this afternoon, but I've been feeling kinda tired and beat down lately. In light of that, after I finish the lantern, I'm going to go lie down and watch a few movies I have in from Netflix... namely the Hammer classic "Dracula Has Risen From the Grave" and the Tod Browning classic "Freaks".

ONE OF US! ONE OF US!!

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7/16/2005 - Today's Activities

Posted in Props

Ok, so in light of my crypt catastrophe, I've decided to just put it aside for now until I have more patience and the resources I need to finish it. Lots of suggestions from people, and I do appreciate them, but I have this grandiose vision of what it's gonna look like and how I'm gonna do it all worked out, and I simply don't want to compromise and "make do" with what I have.

Anyway, today I started working on converting a hurricane lantern into an LED operated lantern that looks all old and ratty. I plan on hanging it with fishing line from a tree branch in the graveyard so it appears to be floating. I'll have to redirect some of the floodlights so's not to illuminate the fishing line and ruin the "trick".

To age it, I etched the glass so you can't tell there's an LED inside and spraypainted black, white, and rust colored paint onto it to make it look old. I didn't finish it up yet though, because my soldering iron is at work and my wife, who was out for the day, had the keys to get in at work. I'll finish it off tomorrow. Still undecided as to what color I want the flame to be... yellow or red... or blue? I do have a photobucket album with my progress thus far.

I also took the chains off the good old Monster in the Box and dipped them into some Hydrochloric acid to strip off the zinc plating and cause it to rust a bit. My only gripe with the prop was it's chains looked too shiny and new, whereas the lock was all old and rusted.

I guess you could say it was a busy day!

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7/16/2005 - I'm Heeeeere!

Posted in Photos

Haha! Finially, the Zombie has come back to BLOGGING!

Ok, so I've not been in here yet, but that sounded pretty cool, nonetheless.

Well, since alot of the other bloggers have posted pics their first time around, I'll do the same. This is a pic of me that I actually like. It's from a band performance back in May of 2000. I had RED EYES! EVIL!!!:

Let's see, more about me...

I'm a rabid Halloween nut. Who here isn't, right? I love to decorate as well as read about the history of the observance. I've read "Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History" by Lesley Pratt-Bannatyne, David Skal's "Death Makes a Holiday", (most of) "Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life" edited by Jack Santino, and "Halloween: Customs Recipes and Spells" by Silver Ravenwolf.

I've been hauting my yard since 2001. I started with just two tombstones, a strobe light and a fogger and have since moved up to having animated props and a full-blown graveyard.

I guess that's all for now. I'll probably use this blog as a propbuilding diary of sorts, chronicling my misadventures in propbuilding.

Feel free to say "hi" while you're here!

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