Boise, ID
Too bad I didn't read this awesome thread earlier. I could have said hello in Tacoma. Your tour missed Boise! I want to sign up for tour 2. I just got my Dremel too! Thanks Nic, you inspired me.
(Topic ID: 179489)
Cool that you documented your trip Nic, glad your home safe and sound to rest until your next adventure. 
Thanks for the stories, they were fun, insightful, and well thought out. You da man! 
Ken
Was just thinking... you know what would be great Nic? If you would consider, at your convenience, doing a full day EM workshop at a pin show of your choice. Entry fees would cover your airfare and expenses and you could share your knowledge without having to kill yourself traveling and as a bonus you could enjoy the show too. Could do a day before a show and cover all aspects of how they work, cleaning, electrical etc.
What are your thoughts?
I think this thread will go down as one of the greatest in the history of Pinside. Thanks again Nic for taking the time to do this and document everything for the rest of us to enjoy.
Thanks for this thread, Nic. Hope you find an awesome new place to live, with people just as nice around you. Peace!
Nic, congrats on the conclusion of your trip. I'm sure sleeping in your own bed, for as long as needed was a welcome change. I also want to thank you for your stop at my place, we have been having a great time playing cross town. You also inspired me to try to get my Dealers Choice working again, which i mostly did, before i pulled it all apart to try to repair/restore it. If you helped and inspired half of your other stops as much as you did me, you were successful. I wish we would have had more time to chat, and grab some food. Hopefully sometime in the future you will pass through here again and we can do that.
You put in long hours, you did tons of work and spent endless hours with not much in the way of breaks. But with all that, dang it looks like there were a lot of fun times and good times. I hope you had as much fun and enjoyment along the way as I did reading about it.
Saskatoon, SK
First things first, in pinball, is the original gangstar, TA. Then the do it up a level in 'social media' which was and is always Mark and Clay, then some folks came in and did other stuff including back story and demos/game play theory TNT, and recently (and I know I'm forgetting some folks) Nic. Nic did a fine job, took a TON of time documenting and having fun, beer and wine, traveling and balanced it all out. He did something nobody had done, and without question brought value. I just wish he had gone into Mexico to see the pinheads there, and survived to tell the story. Now that would have made the trip so epic, so absolutely balls to the walls glory for the US of A, it would have Trumped both TA and Ninja.
Quoted from SuperDaveOsbourn:and survived to tell the story
Therein lies the rub . . . .
Texans likely have a much better handle on the risks of this than most.
Thanks everyone, truly! I've been sleeping a lot and relaxing... just taking my time filtering my thoughts and slowly getting organized for a move sometime next spring. I love the PNW (in summer), but most likely I will be heading to southern California. I have family and friends there and proximity to many of the things I enjoy.
I'd like to experiment with the idea of a touring EM school. Not a rigorous house-to-house adventure like NNAPT, but more like making an appearance in specific cities to do a weekend of EM fixes and classes for about 8-10 people at a time in a hotel/conference room. Ideally, participants would bring a game to be fixed and used as class material, optionally staying at the hotel if desired. Lunches would be catered from a local business.
In the meantime, I have a storage unit full of EM's waiting to be played! Argh... gotta get them in front of people!
Quoted from NicoVolta:I love the PNW (in summer), but most likely I will be heading to southern California.
I am this close to giving your last post a thumbs down.
Deb and the pets will be disappointed, if you chose So Cal.
It is not so bad here in the winter,
I am betting you will eventually end up here,
after you get your fill of Calif.
Quoted from pinwiztom:I am this close to giving your last post a thumbs down.
Deb and the pets will be disappointed, if you chose So Cal.
It is not so bad here in the winter,
I am betting you will eventually end up here,
after you get your fill of Calif.
Good point. He'll have to get collagen injections in his lips regularly if he plans to stay in SoCal.
Quoted from pinwiztom:I am this close to giving your last post a thumbs down.
Deb and the pets will be disappointed, if you chose So Cal.
It is not so bad here in the winter,
I am betting you will eventually end up here,
after you get your fill of Calif.
I sorry. Washington and Oregon made a huge positive impression upon me! However, being close to family is the main driver at this point in my life. I need to cherish those relationships while I can... life is pretty short. But rest assured I'll be making many-a-trip northward for things like PAGG, PPM, NWPAS, etc, so I'll see you and Deb and kitty/pup before long.
Quoted from beelzeboob:Good point. He'll have to get collagen injections in his lips regularly if he plans to stay in SoCal.
HOWEVER DID YOU GUESS? Pfft. So many of my secrets already gone...
Sign me up for school Nic! Since I have to fly out would be cool if it was before or after a show but no rush since you need to take a good long rest - you deserve it! Thanks again for all you've done
What you did was amazing!
I am honored to have met you at Allentown.
Hope our paths cross again someday.
Thanks. Eric
Quoted from NicoVolta:Thanks everyone, truly! I've been sleeping a lot and relaxing... just taking my time filtering my thoughts and slowly getting organized for a move sometime next spring. I love the PNW (in summer), but most likely I will be heading to southern California. I have family and friends there and proximity to many of the things I enjoy.
I'd like to experiment with the idea of a touring EM school. Not a rigorous house-to-house adventure like NNAPT, but more like making an appearance in specific cities to do a weekend of EM fixes and classes for about 8-10 people at a time in a hotel/conference room. Ideally, participants would bring a game to be fixed and used as class material, optionally staying at the hotel if desired. Lunches would be catered from a local business.
In the meantime, I have a storage unit full of EM's waiting to be played! Argh... gotta get them in front of people!
If you move forward with the school idea-please keep Chicago (western burbs) in mind! I have a friend in the hotel management field and could help with hotel logistics. Would love to learn more on em repair!
Cool, you shot right by us in the OC headed down for glamorous San Diego, now come back to SoCal so I can get some lessons!
Count me in for a Chicago area school too. I'd love the opportunity to learn EM repair and to get elbows deep in my Williams 8-Ball with the safety net of Nic's expertise on hand to bail me out when needed (often 
).
Brad
You'd have a full house if you brought that school to Toronto. It would bring in people from all over southern Ontario.
Quoted from nascarrey:If you move forward with the school idea-please keep Chicago (western burbs) in mind! I have a friend in the hotel management field and could help with hotel logistics. Would love to learn more on em repair!
Quoted from bek1966:Count me in for a Chicago area school too. I'd love the opportunity to learn EM repair and to get elbows deep in my Williams 8-Ball with the safety net of Nic's expertise on hand to bail me out when needed (often
Brad
Quoted from PAPPYBALL:Also would be in on a Chicago(land) school! Plenty of us out here, plus the Motherland of all these machines!
I also would be down for pinschool in Chicago!!! Nic- please when you're feeling up for it let us know!!!
Quoted from nascarrey:If you move forward with the school idea-please keep Chicago (western burbs) in mind! I have a friend in the hotel management field and could help with hotel logistics. Would love to learn more on em repair!
That's a-lotta Chicaga. Hmmmmm.
You know what?!? The solar eclipse is on the 21st!!! I was already planning a trip northward to see it. Which means if I'm already heading that way... well... we may just have to do this thing!
Any excuse to escape the Texas heat in August works for me. I also need to bring a playfield (or two) up to Neo in Burlington. Especially since I never had a chance to visit him during the tour... so why not?
In order to make this work, we should aim for the Chicago group meetup to occur on Friday afternoon the 25th and go all weekend until late Sunday evening. That should give us enough time for fixin's and lessons.
On the traveling days (and weekdays) in between, I could make a few stops at individual houses like before. Could go through Kansas City or St. Louis depending upon the responses and route.
I can't guarantee I'll have the energy to do an individual photojournalism piece for every stop this time around, but I should be able to gather enough content for a nice bonus chapter or two.
Nascarrey, I'll collaborate with you to explore conference/hotel options. Already got bek1966, PAPPYBALL, Nascarrey, and penguin22. Did I miss anyone?
Everyone else, if you're interested in participating either at the Chicago class or somewhere "within the lasso" between Chicago and Dallas, fire me a PM.
So... I guess... we're already getting the band back together. 
Quoted from NicoVolta:That's a-lotta Chicaga. Hmmmmm.
You know what?!? The solar eclipse is on the 21st!!! I was already planning a trip northward to see it. Which means if I'm already heading that way... well... we may just have to do this thing!
Any excuse to escape the Texas heat in August works for me. I also need to bring a playfield (or two) up to Neo in Burlington. Especially since I never had a chance to visit him during the tour... so why not?
In order to make this work, we should aim for the Chicago group meetup to occur on Friday afternoon the 25th and go all weekend until late Sunday evening. That should give us enough time for fixin's and lessons.
On the traveling days (and weekdays) in between, I could make a few stops at individual houses like before. Could go through Kansas City or St. Louis depending upon the responses and route.
I can't guarantee I'll have the energy to do an individual photojournalism piece for every stop this time around, but I should be able to gather enough content for a nice bonus chapter or two.
Nascarrey, I'll collaborate with you to explore conference/hotel options. Already got bek1966, PAPPYBALL, Nascarrey, and penguin22. Did I miss anyone?
Everyone else, if you're interested in participating either at the Chicago class or somewhere "within the lasso" between Chicago and Dallas, fire me a PM.
So... I guess... we're already getting the band back together.
I had really enjoyed this thread & knew JUST the pics and making post updates was a big chore on it's own. I would imagine those at the individual locations would like to shoot video and snap pics and could be edited later.
or find a kindred spirit as a traveling par-d-ner / videoographer
... in other news I recently saw this and thought of you Nic,
I learned of this thread too late, but what a great documentary this would make. Keep me in mind if you make it back up to NY. it's especially beautiful up here in the fall.
Quoted from NicoVolta:I was already planning a trip northward to see it. Which means if I'm already heading that way... well... we may just have to do this thing!
"On the Road Again".
"Like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway".
"We're the best of Friends"....
"Just can't wait to get on the Road Again"
Super excited Great final write up! Congrats on starting a thread that just had pure positivity going in it for over 1,000 posts (a rare thing on pinside!). Wish mapquest hadn't cut me off the tour, being so close to Allentown, I feel like I missed out big time. The thread was a great follow. Good luck on your move, that's awesome!
Trondheim
Quoted from Whysnow:If you just want to hang and play pinball, you are always welcome in Madison.
If I have time, definitely! Still haven't seen your arcades. Need to rectify that.
Quoted from oyvindmo:If you just want to hang and play pinball, you are always welcome in Trondheim, Norway.
Yes would like to do that! There are tentative plans of getting me over there for a group class as well... a mini-Norway/Germany/more? tour.
Nic, on behalf of all Ohio pinheads, we are sad your route circumnavigated our state.
Though clad in persistent clouds, perhaps you would consider trailing along some of your Texas sunshine for a visit?
Really enjoyed the tales of your travels, your descriptive wit, and how many smiles were left behind.
Cheers,
Rody
What might make sense is the art of duplication. The hardest thing to do successfully, but worth a try. Mobile Team EM resurrected? Have Slick Nic's Chicks properly attired with a Poirier Wonder and promote. Maybe a skin calendar to help raise money for local charity. I recall a few years back, junk slings for pinheads were in fashion (bad memory and image). Finally get "NickoLickoLess' Wicked EM Legions" heading out to the four corners of the globe to ensure all pingames have 3 to 6.5 obliquity of the ecliptic. Do this all before Aug 21st and its a very successful follow up tour.
Quoted from NicoVolta:CBS filmed a segment last night about the pinball tour at Shawn Christian's place (dallaspinball). Will post the video once it airs.
Oh nice!!!
Quoted from Chosen_S:Oh nice!!!
Any idea what the taping was for? A local news broadcast or possibly a segment on some other show? Either way we'll probably get to see it, all that stuff gets posted on the internet nowadays.
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