Imaginary Places I'd Like To Visit

Imaginary Places I'd Like To Visit
William D. SIEMER II


Here are a few of the imaginary places I always wished I could go to. There are numerous others (Avatar's Pandora, the planets of Star Wars, The Truman Show's Seahaven (not Seaside, Florida) etc.)

Wonderland from Alice in Wonderland (Fantastical)

The Keebler Elf Tree (Yummy Cooking)

Mister Roger's Neighborhood of Make-Believe (Nostalgia)

Sesame Street (Just one of the Muppets)

Smurf Village (Community)

Emerald City / The Wizard of Oz (Mystery)

The World of David The Gnome (Homely)

 Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory (Adventure)

McDonald's Happy Meal Toys

McDonald's Happy Meal (Smurfs) wdsiemer ii

McDonald's Happy Meal Toys

I have been to McDonald's a very limited number of times in the past decade, mainly for others' enjoyment. Their food does not appeal to me. There is something about the pale and processed look of the hamburgers that leads me to believe they are not made from cows at all. I must be immune/tolerant to the drug they mix in their food. Billions served, so my opinion must not be universal.

But those Happy Meals! I remember the excitement I'd receive in collecting my Happy Meal toys when I was a kid. My favorite series had to have been the McDonald products (like fries/cheeseburgers) that would transform into robot figures. I remember wanting to go to McDonald's just to complete the series. They currently sit packaged in a storage box in my basement. They'll probably never have any worth beyond the flashbacks of childhood nostalgia.

On my most recent visit, we took my niece and nephew. Their Happy Meal toys were Smurfs (I think I still have vintage glass Smurfs cups from McDonald's). I was jealous, and contemplated buying myself a Happy Meal to relive the golden days. However, that would have meant eating more McDonald's food, so I decided it was best to put my Happy Meal toy days behind me.

McDonald's Happy Meal (Transformable Robots)

Bored Studios Tap Board Games

Bored Studios Tap Board Games
From Time Magazine

Having already plundered action figures, Saturday-morning cartoons (Smurfs) and theme-park rides (Pirates of the Caribbean) for material, Hollywood is turning to board games. A film version of Ouija will join already percolating Battleship and Risk projects.

Other movies include Candy Land, Clue, Masters of the Universe, Hot Wheels, and Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots.

What's next?
Magic Rocks?

Magic Rocks Photo from Nostalgia. wdsiemer ii

Childhood Cartoons

A facebook profile collage of some cartoon characters I watched when I was a kid.

A Blast from the Past, Cartoon Characters. Collage by wdsiemer ii