Hello Internet friends. I Hope you are all well. Now enough about you and let's talk about me.
I say this every year around this time;
Halloween typical marks the end of my hobby year. Well, if not THE END then at least the sharp decline. In the remaining two months my free time tends to evaporate; so hobby progress is (even more) slow and games get even harder to schedule (not that I've been gaming much anyway this year. Or last year. Or the year before....I need to reexamine my life choices).
It's just that 'the holidays' prep and execution take up a lot of time; especially with the children being young and us wanting to make precious-precious memories for them so that we feel like good parents. And then the children will feel obligated to take care of us in our old age. Which is coming faster than they think.
Gonna Make It
The goal to complete before the year ends is a simple and comes in two parts:
First Part: To finish up the Big Battle Bases (which are just movement trays) for the Vikings. To wit; I happen to have another 6 bases done today. Hooray!
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| Hey look! the Vikings have a unit of archers. |
I'm not sure if the Vikings would really have a unit of archers, but after reading the 'Strong Bows' series by Judson Roberts where Vikings seem to take archery seriously it seems like a nice touch. Plus these guys all have chainmail and helmets which screams to me "not skirmishers."
These completed 6 bases increase the Viking army to 16 bases strong now. Getting close to be doing done. Gonna make it.
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| I only have this many Vikings left. |
Goal the Second Part: Try to squuuueeeze in one more game before the year is out, hopefully taking the Big Battle Bases for a test drive. I'm thinking maybe a refresher of the Hail Caesar rules or perhaps trying out the Triumph! rules that seem a lot of fun.
Confession: I ALWAYS misspell Caesar the first time I type it. Embarrassing.
Bonus:
Spears.
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I also made 4 more of the 'spear in the ground' markers.
For a total of 10, that ought to be sufficient. |
And no more of these little side projects. Time to focus on the last of the Big Battle Bases.
Happy Thanksgiving!
"What did the turkey say to the turkey farmer on Thanksgiving?"
--"Quack Quack."
Happy Thanksgiving to the American readers. If you're reading this from somewhere else then this holiday means NOTHING to you. This has never been one one my favorite holidays; it's usually a lot of work and money for little payoff. I mean, we were gonna eat dinner anyway right?
We have a small vacation planned during Thanksgiving. Nowhere the adults want to go, but its for the kids. Just more of us trying to give those precious precious memories to our offspring.
It's strange how when your children are happy, then you are happy.
Thanks for reading. Double thanks for writing a comment.
Till Next time.
Very humorous post, Stew! If you had taken Latin in school, misspelling Caesar would be difficult.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
Thanks Jonathon. I aim to please. I don't think Latin was an available choice for me. I did take 4 years of German but really only remember the cuss words. :)
DeleteLooks like 5-6 more big bases? Very archivable.
ReplyDeleteAre you perchance visiting the house of the mouse?
And Thanksgiving was and is my favorite holiday, family, food, and limited to just a short duration rather than sprawling about for a month!
Thanks David. yeah, around 4-6 bases depending on how I want to use some troops. as shall be revealed.
DeleteNo, not Disneyland. Some other place much closer but it's like a fun hotel with a indoor water park attached and a bunch of other fun kid stuff. Should be a fun time and not as stressful as Disneyland; and half the price. :)
Hell, Manteca is just down the road from us. Maybe if we could both slip away from our familial responsibilities for a couple hours or three we could get in a game of…. O to dream! Lol
DeleteThat would be nice though yeah, probably not feasible. 😀
DeleteNice to be able to move on quickly with basing systems when a supply of painted miniatures are at hand., feels like a ton of progress without the tedium of painting work. Steve W. On his blog has just rebased 800 x 10mm napoleonics and the visual impact of the re-base is eye catching, as are yours. I want to find something to re-base now :-)
ReplyDeleteThe spears as casualty markers is such a good idea, simple to execute and highly functional as they look easy to pick up. Hope you get a game in before the Christmas rush.
Thanks Norm. It IS nice isn't it? LOL.
DeleteThe main use of the spear markers will be for Clash of Spears, where after a unit throws it's spears it's 'unloaded' until it gets more spears. But I'm sure they will have plenty of dark ages uses. :)
Good stuff Stew nice bases I am really quite Tempted. Your are right thanksgiving means nothing to me, but if it is an excuse for eating and holiday we should celebrate it here too. We have of course done. Lot of the kids memory stuff over the years and in fact still do. It is worth it when they are older and you look back 😀
ReplyDeleteThanks Matt. I make a joke of it, but I actually do like spending time with my children (most of the time anyway). I have nice memories of spending time with parents after all. :)
DeleteGood looking viking big bases,winter is when my painting increases as I do the Analogue Hobbies painting challenge and can use it as an excuse to do more painting! Have fun with your obscure holiday!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks Iain. Maybe when the kids are older I too will come out of the winter with hordes of fighters. 😀
DeleteGood luck with the precious memories thing. I suspect the ungrateful little beasts will conveniently forget, but . . . I secretly enjoy that stuff, so hurrah for holiday cheer. Thanksgiving is more about an excuse to do up ridiculous amounts of food, including booze-laden pumpkin pie, even if you all do it a month late. Finally, I look forward to the BB vikings. Although, you'll need some saxons (or possibly French?) to kick around.
ReplyDeleteThanks Markus. I actually enjoy the holidays too and a time to focus on the important things that aren’t miniature battles. And there are plenty of Saxons waiting. 😀
DeleteNice work there Stew and you should be able to achieve your modest goals with six weeks still to go. I am still making memories for my kids and they are 20 and 22 - its getting a bit tiresome - if it wasnt for bloody Covid, I might have a couple of spare rooms to use for solo games or something useful! May daughter only moved back home because she thought she would lose her job as a flight attendant and would not be able to afford the rent where she lived from age 20-21 and my son has had the same girlfriend since he was 15 and would possibly have moved out of home to set up independent living with her, IF we weren't in the middle of a @$%@ pandemic! They better look after me in my old age, I am telling you - or I will leave whatever minor residual wealth I have left over to a dog shelter or something!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kieth. That’s the spirit! It is tiresome. Such a long road. The baby boy won’t even remember the fun stuff we do this year.
DeleteGood luck when the pandemic ends and your children move out. 😀
Fab work those Vikings and there bases look marvellous. I know what you mean. The dark nights and mornings I find it hard to motivate myself when I do have spare time to actually do some hobby stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks Simon. For me it’s not a question of motivation but just so many other demands on the free time. I can’t let the wife do everything. 😀
DeleteThe Turkey-Day to New Years period is a special time of year (sometimes for the better and sometimes the worse, hobby wise). Enjoy the time with family and friends. Love the Vikings (when I see such figs, I'm always tempted to add Dark Age figs to my collection...must resist!). By the way, I gather that you don't look at your blog on a PC, but what is up with the Kuribos blog Thumbnail: it's monstrous! Just an FYI.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ed. I’m surprised you’d be tempted by dark ages. There are no minute uniform details to research and convert…😀
DeleteKuribo’s thumbnail is huge bc it’s my favorite.
Actually, I don’t know why it’s like that. I’ve tried to fix it and it always displays like that. My guess it’s because it’s a Wordpress site versus a blogger and the pic format is different.
More bases and almost an end to them as well, bravo sirrah! Will the Normans be getting similarly bigger-basery?
ReplyDeleteMaybe for your bday you might have a day to yourself for some hobby time during these colder NorCal months? Regardless, I’m sure your daughter is now old enough to get harnessed into the sweatshop batch painting business surely?
Hope the family trip is fun tho! If where you’re going involves a soggy large Lupus house, then color me envious. That place looks lots of fun!
Thanks Dai. Yes, that is the place. My wife found it online and it’s been years since we’ve taken the kids anywhere super fun so it seems like a good time now. 😀
DeleteMy pesky Normans will eventually get the same treatment but I haven’t quite figured out yet how to get the cavalry to have the same frontage as the foot troops. One project at a time. 😀
Well, I try to check your site every week because I don't get notifications when you post for whatever reason and the one weekend I forget, I miss your post and am really late to respond. Shame on me!
ReplyDeleteThe bases continue to look great! When I do get into Hail Caesar, I know who I'm hiring to do all my basing work ;)
I hope you have an excellent Thanksgiving and enjoy your trip as well, Stew!
Thanks Jeff. I wonder if Wordpress makes it hard to subscribe to a google blogger site. I have been posting kinda midweek these last few times but you should be safe till December. 😀
DeleteIt’s easy to make trays look good; just throw enough flock and tuffs at them to cover any mistakes. 😀
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ReplyDeleteWow Stew the big tray looks awesome! And O am pretty sure the Vikings, at least the Danes for sure, did have archer contingents for pitched battles. Not so much for raids.
ReplyDeleteKnow what you mean about making memories for the kids. Our two are six years apart so the youngest doesn't remember a lot of the stuff we did early on while her older sister does.
Fortunately both have been able to move out on their own during this pandemic economy. As a matter of fact the youngest graduates today with her BS in Nursing. Both are going that route so hopefully we will be covered for the diaper changes in a few more years.
Regarda,
Vol
DeleteThanks Vol. my oldest daughter is 8 and the youngest boy is 1. It can be hard to cater to all the children.
Cool that your daughters were able to find some success in the hard pandemic times. 😀