Wooden Progress

 A post where I do minor things somewhat badly.

Fast Times

It's been hectic times over the last couple of weeks here.   Feels like things go at a breakneck pace and then suddenly stop.   Like everyone. You know the feeling.

I lost a few nights of convention prep due to this little known holiday called Easter.  Maybe you've heard of it.  To some people it's a big deal.  In-laws visit.    My wife is sometimes a Catholic and Easter becomes a thing.  Also for small children who like egg hunts and such activities, it's a thing.  For my own part, I needed to make the traditional Easter Egg racing track. Which is a creation of cardboard and masking tape to make various ramps on a large plank, placed onto stairs, and eggs roll down.  

Egg racing in action.
My shirt states my favorite drink,
in case anyone thought I was thirty.

The Monday after Easter Sunday is Ceasar Chavez day.  It's probably a holiday that you've never heard of just like that What's-It's-Name Bunny holiday.  What's important about CC Day is that it's a California State holiday; and I being an employee of the state, had it off.  No one else does.  Kids go to school, and Mexican restaurants have specials.  

The key to a good marriage is communication.  It's what any marriage counselor is going to tell you (there, I saved you a session).  I 'communicated' to the wife about twice during the week that on Monday I wanted some time to do the battlefield project.  Typically, I do all my hobbyness late at night after everyone is asleep.  But this project had to be done during the daytime and EVEN WORSE, done outside. Nothing good happens outside.  

What I wanted was a few hours, what I got was 40 minutes.  Even that was interrupted by her saying "hey, I have to go to the store, can you watch the 3 year old for a little bit?"  

Hubby minutes, like hubby points, have a very low exchange rate.  

Battlefield Fail

In order to make the battlefield for the Wooden Wars, just something that marks out 'this is where we are playing"  I decided the easiest and cheapest way would be to get a painting drop cloth and paint it up like ground.  I have all this left over paint from various painting projects anyway so that's no worry.  At the hardware store I looked for canvas drop cloth, thinking that something around 8 feet by 10 feet would work. 

An exciting picture.

closest thing was either 6x9 or this 9x12.  Being American and "bigger is always better" I got the 9x12.  (only exceptions to bigger is better?  my stomach and my wife's ass).

Set it up in the backyard.
 

I was rushing and didn't really have a plan.  I had a hodge podge of left over paint cans / colors.  I would just throw on various shades of browns / greens, whatever, and see what happens.

DONE!

Well, not done.  I ran out of time and had to do other stuff.  I also vastly underestimated how much paint would be needed and ran out of appropriate colors.  Painting, even with a large brush was pretty slow work.  Got about half of it done.  

So leaving it dry outside while I did other things like pick up the kids from school, hit the grocery store, and hiding my frustration and doing a minor thing rather poorly.

Hooray for French Hussars

The weekend after Bunny Day (or whatever it's called), my family had yet another holiday but only in significance to us; Son #2's sixth birthday.  It's a thing.  There are decorations.  In-Laws visit.  

Blowing out the candle.

But as I am  master of scheduling and late night coloring, I finished the French Cav. for Wooden Wars.

French Hussar
No lie, it took me a solid minute to work out that these guys
aren't actually wearing the little jacket, but it's draped over the shoulder.
I'm SURE there is a good reason for that. 

I did an image search for French Hussar Uniform and got a billion different versions. So this one is what I settled on. 

That the French army complete.  I still have the British Cav to do and the game is this Saturday.  I see some late nights ahead.  Gonna need a lot of my favorite drink.  

Not to mention prepping for the OTHER games I'm running this weekend.  I'm not quite the master scheduler Afterall.

Though to be honest, it's not imperative that I finish the British cav, it'll just be nice.  But what is imperative is that battlefield to play on.

Battlefield Partial Success

Communication is the key to a good marriage.  Anyone will tell you.  I 'communicated' to my wife that I would need some time on Sunday to finish the battlefield.  last Saturday was the kid's Bday, Sunday morning the In-laws left, so Sunday afternoon was battlefield time.  This time I was armed with some brown paint, some green, and some white, and a roller.  

What I said and what my wife heard were different things, as often happens.  I ended having to watch the kids and do the project while she took a nap.  In her defense she was sick. 

starting again.
later in the day than I wanted.
Notice where the shadow of the house is.

Being a Master of divide and conquer, I bribed my oldest girl with a new game on her NIN Switch to stay out of the way.  The two boys, ages 6 and 3, could help me or play in the backyard.

done!
See how far that shadow moved?

Took some time.  even with the roller and extra help.  Everyone knows that when little kids 'help' with something it takes longer.  Still, they didn't get completely covered in paint.  Sure, they got paint on them, that couldn't be helped, but not completely covered.  It was bath night for them anyways.

Once again, I was out of paint, and out of time.

To be honest, I don't love it.  

Kinda looks like bad camouflage rather than ground.  And while the roller was quicker it doesn;t blend as much.  Maybe when I get some troops on it, it'll look better.  IN hindsight, I should of just bitten the bullet and gotten way more paint and done more of a patchwork of fields or something.   Oh well.  It's done.  it'll work.  Not every creation can be a masterpiece.

thanks for reading.

double thanks for writing a comment

Till next time.