Welcome back to the DadCrafted Newsletter! What a time to be alive!

I learned that when you have a choice before you to go so something that could but cool, but you know you'll be inconvenienced by the irritational and expense of travel, just go to the thing. I drove to Chicago this past weekend for a Maker Meetup, and I had a blast. It was hosted by Oscar from Pastence Woodworking at his beautiful shop in Glenview, and Festool had a tent setup with all their tools and demos. But the reason I went and the fun of the event were the people.

I got to meet several people that I've known for a while on Instagram, but finally in person for the first time. The main reason I went to this thing was because Dave from 3D DIY announced he was going and brining his 3D scanner. Dave's been working on his Makers Scan Project to scan as many makers as possible so he can have the ultimate library of makers. I knew I wanted to get scanned from the second I saw this, and I figured this was probably as close geographically that he was ever going to be to me (by the way, this 3D scanner is freaking amazing, and I am about to get my hands on one, but more on that in the next issue). I also knew that I'd get to hang out with Luke from Luke in the Garage. I've been chatting with Luke on IG for quite a while, and it was great to finally meet him in person. I also met Alma of Pink Soul Studios, and she was nice enough to host a small after party at her house and shop.

I also got to meet several makers I hadn't met online and talk about their projects and tools. I said a few times, "What a time to be alive," pointing to all the amazing tools that are affordable for us to put in our shops and that afford us the ability to make these crazy things.  Overall, the entire thing was just a great experience with a bunch of like-minded people. Definitely worth the drive to Chicago, and hope to go back and do it again some time!

This also segways into what I'm reading. Or what I'm listening to in audiobook format, really. On my adventure to and from Chicago, I've been listening to "Pappyland" by Wright Thompson. I've always enjoyed Wright's work for ESPN the Magazine, and have been meaning to read this book for a while. I just have to say what a brilliant storyteller this man is. The first few minutes of the very first chapter I found myself smiling and shaking my head, muttering to myself alone in my car that this is going to be great. It is great. Nothing short of brilliant. It's a story about bourbon, but also about family, legacy, and the things we do as we age and begin to realize this is truly the one shot we get at this thing called life. It's a great listen or read, and I can't recommend it enough.

What a time to be alive! Not just for shop tools, but for Geekdom! First of all, I must admit I wasn't super-pumped for the Game of Thrones prequel show "House of the Dragon." But that was then, and not I'm all in and it's great to be back in Westeros! The first episode was a great reminder that GOT is pretty brutal! But I feel like they've done a great job of building the characters and making us care about what happens to them. I still have no idea who's really the good guy, but is there really such a thing as a good guy in this world?

As of this newsletter being emailed out, Andor will be out in the world for a few days. Expect my full breakdown in the next newsletter. So stoked for this show!

I still haven't watched Rings of Power. I need to find more time in the day!

Tyler Childers has new music out in the world! And a whole new album coming in a week! Normally they drop a single and you've got to wait a few months before the record.

An example would be we got new Trampled By Turtles music, which is awesome! But we still have weeks to go for the record. But in meantime, I've been playing "Burlesque Desert Window" and "On The Highway" on repeat. Check 'em out!

If you haven't already, you've gotta check out the latest masterpiece from When Geeks Craft. They made a giant stained glass window inspired by the video game, Horizon. The amount of time they took has probably scared me away from doing any stained glass project ever, but man, did this thing turn out awesome! And it's a great video on the process as well!

My latest YouTube Video chronicled the making of my Marvel corner box art pieces. As of the finishing of the video, I had made 8 unique pieces for the wall. I've also given away a couple and I've sold a handful as well. I have a few available, so if you're looking for a Christmas gift, or just want one for yourself, hit me up!

And since the video, I can't really stop, as I've added Daredevil to the wall, and am currently trying to finish up the Silver Surfer, Black Panther, and Wolverine!

LEGO! I'm been firing the laser all day, making panels to covers some shelves to display our Lego sets. Hopefully this will get about 10% of the sets we own out of boxes and on display. I may need a bigger house for the rest. And then there's this…

Knowing what's next is half the battle. And if you don't understand that reference, it's GI Joe time! My brother and I will actually have a booth the GI Joe festival in Des Moines called Assembly Required. It's put no by Codename: Iowa, and all the info can be found here. It'll be November 4th and 5th at HyVee Hall in Des Moines (which is large), so I've got some work to do to get some product done in time! YO JOE!!!