Chatter Behind The Bike Sheds - A Pause for Thought?

Random archive picture from 2013

I don't normally stay up for New Year, indeed I did not stay up for it this year so much as stayed up watching a film. Our only acknowledgement of the passing of the year was to moan about the fireworks (you have to love the mix of booze and fireworks). However I think it's inevitable whilst painting that you cast your mind over the year if you spend four plus hours just prior to watching that film painting figures ;-)

Last New Years I was still off work sick and not really seeing any change happening soon though I was aware I had turned the corner so I am really grateful I recovered enough to take up work and again and though it's been so very challenging at times I have held on and my hopes and expectations of 2014 are so much higher than it was for 2013.

I have found myself in the strange position that I have much less time to do hobby related activities but still manage to keep this blog well updated and still get a fair amount of stuff off the painting desk, indeed look at the numbers.

28mm Infantry Twelve
28mm Animals Three
25mm Infantry Ten
28mm Roleplay Infantry Four
15mm Mounted Forty
15mm Infantry Two Hundred and Five
6mm Guns Fifty One
6mm Crews Members One Hundred and Two
6mm Limbers Six
6mm Mounted Four Hundred and Thirty One
6mm Infantry Two Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty Three

Not at all bad to say three quarters of that period have included being at work. I wonder how this year will shape up, I have to admit I think I will drop off in the 6mm but watch for the 28mm to jump up.

Project Waterloo and Quatre Bras were new for 2013 and have certainly been kept on track, even if Lee has enough Russian's to fight Borodino! Waterloo has a lot of work but it's more than achievable.

This has been at the cost of all other scales especially the 15mm Ancients which has stalled right up to the Painting Challenge where it has at last started to get attention again.

Playing games has been a disappointment from sheer numbers played but the quality is much up on the past though FoG games fell way off but that changed a few days ago when I played Lee for the first time in a age, the AAR will follow soon as well as some more games I hope.

I also backed two kickstarters (my first) in 2013 both should land this year with Baker Company expected first. This indeed will influence my painting a great deal beyond my commitments to 6mm. 2014 the year of the 28 seems to be the catch phrase.

Expectations for 2014.

1. Close Out Project Quatre Bras finished and put on one demo at least (booked) as well as play it out in the full.

2. Get Project Waterloo to a point it's almost finished so we can go into 2015 ready to rumble

3. Paint up the Western Figures so I can play some games with my kids and if all goes well, invest in more figures and a few buildings

4. Paint up enough of my 15mm Romans to be able to play at least one game in 2014

5. Paint up enough of my Winter War 28's so as to be able to play a game and have sold enough figures to fund the next Baker Company Kickstarter

6. Get plenty of by Burning Skies Planes painted to get games in.

7. Play more, and play as varied as possible, I want every army to get use in 2014

Plenty more things to do and want but those are the top seven I can think of right now.