Christmas and Bday loot!

I'm catching up on blog posts from the winter holidays still, and today we talk about the greatness of gift giving...

Fun Fact

The closer your birthday is to Christmas the better person you are.  It's true!  Think of all the worse people you know, and they're probably born in June. Trust me I know, because several people in my family and extended family have birthdays in June.... Conversely, the best people in your life are likely born in December and January.

Da Booty

Did I mention that my birthday is the same week of Christmas?  It might of come up. 

Sometimes this works out for me because people double down on the gifts.  Other times I have to buy myself gifts because I know I am unlovable (you don't have to tell me).  If the last part of that sentence now has you singing a Morrissey song that came out in 1986; then our brains are frighteningly in sync.  

Wargamers are indeed hard to shop to for, especially by non wargamer types.  I always tell people that gift cards are perfectly acceptable, though gift cards tend to result in purchases of large amounts of miniatures that just increase the lead pile (I still have stuff from last Christmas yet to be painted).    This year I must of been loved because I got some excellent and exciting birthday and Christmas loot.  Here are the highlights! 

Daughter #1 (age 5)  made me an activity book from pages of here coloring books.  Super cute and I plan to spend an evening completing it so she'll know it was appreciated.  maybe we can do it together.

Son #2 (age 9 months) made me a promise not to spit up on me which he later broke, but also promised me not to eat my wargame stuff as long as I kept it off the floor and out of reach and behind a closed door.

From the wife:

brushes and wet palatte that keeps your paint from drying out.  Seems cool.

Rocks and sticks.  I use these rock clusters a lot in my ACW games to denote...(wait for it)... rocky ground.  I'm not sure what to do with the sticks but I'm sure something will come to me.

I also got a gift card to the the Warstore.  Always something to buy at the Warstore.


Since I've taken my over my father's life and caring for him, moved him from southern CA. up here to Northern CA and he'd be around for Christmas, I decided that it be a good idea that he have some gifts for the family.  He wasn't up for shopping with me so I took care of it all; naturally this resulted in generous gifts for his dear oldest son.  I got these and had the wife wrap them so I didn't see the actual stuff until Christmas or my birthday.  So from him but really from me to myself:


A Frontline Gaming Ocean Mat.  A lot of the times when I view Age of Sail games on TMP or blogs I would ask what ocean mat they were using; and the answer was usually from Tinywargames or Frontline Gaming.  Tinywargames is based in the UK and the shipping across the ocean to America was too much (probably because of the size), while Frontline has a US presence.  Previously in my AoS games I've been using some blue calico fabric which seems to work well enough, but I wanted a mat to see if there was an improvement in appearance.  Time will tell.

Bonus points for Frontline Gaming that the Mat comes with a carrying case
The size is 6 x 4

Timecast Latex fields.  I can always use more fields.  Also based in UK (the UK always has the cooler stuff..) but the shipping for a small box was much better priced.  While I have made my own fields with some success, the plowed fields never come out quite as I picture them in my mind, so I'll give these a try.  These are the medium and large fields and require painting.

Though my favorite gift has to be this knit cap that is shaped like a Viking helmet..(also from the wife).

YAAARRR!  I'm ah Viking! 

I swear the next post will have some actual content.  Promise!