59 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

59 days until the premiere of An Unlikely Fandom in New York City! I can hardly wait!

I was thinking back through my Thomas memories and I remember the time, I must've been about 11, that Dad accidentally spoiled a surprise for me. He'd purchased an Ertl die-cast toy of Lady (pictured) on eBay and thought he'd been low key enough about it, and that I wouldn't find out. But he left feedback for the seller right in front of me, even naming the item!

I was able to persuade him to give it to me early, even though he'd purchased it to be a Christmas gift.

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For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

for the rest of these blogs - click here! 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

Click here for that!

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums, 

if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion.

Dad Finally Comes Home, Crazy Day at Work - September 30th 2023

I slept in, as I didn't have to be at work until 11 (the time when I usually get out of work). I got ready for work and Mom stopped by so I could program the GPS for her. Dad is supposed to get out of the hospital today and she has to be there to pick him up. I'll be working until 5pm. Mom gave me a ride to work and I clocked in on time and got started. The boss told me she made a mistake not having me come in earlier in the morning and that breakfast was hectic without me. Lunch continued to be hectic, it was an absolutely insane shift. I made it through, but was extremely burnt out. I texted Mom and Dad to see how things were going and they did in fact let him out. I stayed awake for awhile, because they were planning on stopping by my house for Dad to get a shower (they don't have a shower in the old farmhouse). Unfortunately, Dad was too tired, so I ended going to bed - completely exhausted myself.

60 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

With 60 days until the premiere of the An Unlikely Fandom documentary... I decided to post a Thomas the Tank Engine character from the books and the early seasons of the show that we didn't see enough of. Most of the characters in the show are based on the steam engines of British Rail - but this one is based on a diesel engine, first created 65 years ago (a fun fact that Ken brought to my attention.)

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For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

for the rest of these blogs - click here! 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

Click here for that!

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums, 

if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion.

Will He Come Home Today? - September 29th 2023

Mom picked me up after work again and we headed up to the hospital, hoping that Dad would get out today. It was not to be, as they wanted to observe him a little longer, due to his vertigo and his blood sugar levels - he has been ignoring his health for awhile. We walked the halls with him for awhile, as he was anxious to be up and about again. My brother Nathanael said he was going to stop by and see Dad, so we were all looking forward to seeing him. We ended up having leave, as it was getting late. We did pass Nathanael in the parking garage. I texted my boss again to see what I'm supposed to work tomorrow as there was a change in the schedule. When she texted me back, I learned I'd be working in the afternoon for a change and so Mom would have to drive up on her own tomorrow. I told Mom to stop by my place before my shift starts tomorrow and I'll program the GPS for her, since she's not good with tech.

61 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

Last night I didn't post because I spent the day in the hospital with my dad and forgot my phone charger... I've still been thinking about the 2005 era, and in addition to the DVDs, these 3 toys were a big deal to me at the time. Each of these was packaged with a DVD and was a special, limited edition for the 60th anniversary of the Thomas franchise. I made sure to get them early on in their run, and was rather disappointed when they remained on the shelves for some time after the 60th. Not as limited edition as I'd thought. I'm not sure if I still have these. Might have given them to a child who wanted them back in 2014. Definitely want to replace them if I don't have them anymore.

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For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

for the rest of these blogs - click here! 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

Click here for that!

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums, 

if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion.

Getting to Visit Dad in the Hospital - September 28th 2023

After work, Mom picked me up and we made the drive up to the hospital Dad is in. He was doing pretty well, all things considered. He has a broken scapula and two broken ribs and a huge bruise. He told us all about the accident and how a van ran him off the road. Thankfully, another driver captured the whole thing on a dash cam and turned it into the police. We sat with him for a few hours, but since they weren't letting him go tonight, we eventually had to go. My paycheck was deposited around the time we left, so we stopped and grabbed something to eat at Applebee's on the way home.

62 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

Tonight, we're just two months away from our November 27th premiere in New York... I can't wait to see An Unlikely Fandom on the big screen and meet up with fellow Thomas the Tank Engine fans. See ya'll in New York! :)

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For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

for the rest of these blogs - click here! 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

Click here for that!

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums, 

if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion.

Dad Wrecks his Motorcycle - September 27th 2023

So I'm at work as usual, and around 9:00 Mom tries calling me multiple times. Naturally, I become very concerned - because Mom never bothers me at work. 

Unfortunately, the district manager was there and watching us, and there was no one to cover for me, so I was stuck in position until 11. I did peek at my phone and saw a message from Mom saying to call when I get the message. 

I told one of my managers that I was worried that Dad had fallen down or something.

So, I get off work and call Mom. She assures me everything is alright, then tells me that Dad was in an accident on his motorcycle. I freak out a little, but she assures me that he's okay. Our only problem - we don't have a vehicle to go get him and he's in a hospital in Cleveland.

The only reason he was on the bike in the first place was because the minivan broke down. We don't have any other running vehicles and no one else to borrow a vehicle from unless we ask Grandma.

I waited for news for most of the afternoon, walked back up to Wendy's for some food and finally got word that Grandma was loaning us the car and we were going to be able to go see Dad tomorrow.

63 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom

I remember most of the Thomas the Tank Engine VHS & DVD releases from the late nineties through around 2015... but these ones stand out because they were all released during 2005 - early 2006, and my mom was sick and we were staying with our grandparents. I was 12 at the time, and if I did good in school, dad would buy the DVDs for me. I would watch them again and again, until dad would make me take a break. 😂

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For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

for the rest of these blogs - click here! 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

Click here for that!

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums, 

if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion.

Another Day, Another Dollar - September 26th 2023

Still very tired today, and I woke up with a headache for some reason. But I got up and got going, put in my shift at work. It wasn't bad, we had more than enough people. District manager was there,  watching, but having a full crew definitely goes a long way. 

Drank more water today. Managed to get rid of the headache eventually. I shut off the AC, and I might be able to leave it off this time.

After I got home, I watched a movie and some shows. Got all my daily posts done early and then took a nap. 

Got back up and watched some more shows, prepped some stuff for my projects that I'll try to complete tomorrow. 

64 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

I was going through old files and realized that a lot of my old artwork (what has survived anyway) is Thomas the Tank Engine-themed. I'm not the only one who's derived inspiration from Thomas the Tank Engine... learn more about the fans of Thomas the Tank Engine in An Unlikely Fandom - premiering in NYC on November 27, just 64 days! 

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For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

for the rest of these blogs - click here! 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

Click here for that!

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums, 

if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion.

Just Chillin' - September 25th 2023

 Got up plenty early, still feeling weird from sleeping all day yesterday. Got to work on time, but the manager didn't hear me outside, so she fixed my clock-in when I did finally get inside 10 minutes later. 

I only had a short shift, 5:30 to 10:00, as I often do on Monday. We're still geared up for inspections and the owner stopped in for an inspection of his own today. Plenty of staff and a trainee today, so I didn't have to worry about not having enough. Did have to beg people to stay in position a couple times, but I guess I can't have it all.

After work, I came home and watched some movies. Worked on my blog. 

Did venture back up to Wendy's to get some cheese for the tacos in my fridge. 

Still kinda tired. I spaced a bit while I was watching Psycho (Hitchcock), but it was a good film. Have watched The Birds and now, Psycho I think I'll be watching some more Hitchcock in near future. 

Going to call it a night soon, hopefully have some more energy tomorrow. 

65 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

Very tired from my trip to Kentucky, as I was awake for over 24 hours. I slept most of the day today. So for today's countdown post, I'm just going to share some pictures of Ringo Starr during his time with Thomas the Tank Engine, so enjoy. 😊

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For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

for the rest of these blogs - click here! 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

Click here for that!

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums, 

if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion.

Recovering from My Trip - September 24th 2023

We almost finished listening to Petra's work on the way home. We had two songs left on their studio album and their live Farewell album from 2005. I skipped the Spanish language albums and the compilations, because even with almost 9 hours down and 9 hours back, the band had produced enough music to keep us busy!

We arrived at my house at just after 8:00, 24 hours from when we left. 

I went immediately to bed and was thankful I'd taken the day off, even if I only worked 30 hours this week. I was out for a long time, 6 or 8 hours (I can't remember honestly). 

When I got up, I watched some movies, ran to Wendy's to get something to eat with the last of my money + coupons and then I settled in for the night. I was a bit restless due to having slept all day, but I eventually fell asleep. It's important to reset back to your normal routine after an adventure like that.

66 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

I've mentioned how I enjoyed watching Thomas during some rough times in my teens when Mom & Dad were in and out of the hospital, Mom with cancer and Dad with his motorcycle wreck injuries. I was living with my grandparents when some new episodes were broadcast and I was particularly excited about this new character, Freddie. He's based on a real engine from Wales, called Russell, and I think they're both really cool. I really hope to visit the various heritage railways in Wales someday and photograph Russell (and a lot of other cool engines) myself. 📸 

Just 66 days until the premiere of An Unlikely Fandom! A documentary about adult fans of Thomas the Tank Engine around the world, in a special one-night only-screening in NYC on November 27th.

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For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

for the rest of these blogs - click here! 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

Click here for that!

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums, 

if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion.