Ho, Ho, Ho.......

.......Green Giant??

Another christmas almost gone. The weird way that the days have fallen this year have been quite kind, giving ten days off for three days leave. Mucho grande!

So after yesterday with the family i've had a particuarly pleasent cave-day.
Watched most of the first day of the second Test against the Saffers (translation: Cricket) and then later Northampton giving Worcester a good shoeing (Rugby).

In between I've got the cellophane off of the newly acquired Wolfenstein and finished off Security Team Zeta.

I'm a big fan of WWII first person shooters and have always enjoyed the Wolfenstein license with it's Nazi-Occult storylines with an excellent Hellboy look and feel.

The latest incarnation has moved on significantly, picking up a lot of features seen in the top titles. There's a large Stadt to roam around at will and enough extra missions parrallel to the main story to add variety.

By earning rewards you can upgrade your equipment but with limited resources you have to choose carefully. The main departure is the development of occult powers for our eponymous hero to go with his exceedingly strong jaw-line.
Not got too far yet, but with ancient medallion in hand I now have the ability to slow time.
Good stuff.

Meanwhile in a galaxy an indeterminate distance away, if you need hired goons on a budget and everyone else is busy then maybe, just maybe, you'll be forced to hire; Security Team Zeta

Sourced from Heresy the investigation team lines up as follows: (l-r) Dwayne B - Tech, Alysa - Logistics, Quimby - The Chief, Quade - Interventions and Hudson - Demolitions.
Sgt Blok, centre, leads the Strike Team, who are highly trained in laying down indiscriminate firepower to minimum effect. Bonnet catches and bar optics beware!


So another 20 painting points in the bag just in time for thier potential deployment.
Off to Twickenham tomorrow for Wasps vs Quinns. Not too shabby :)

Aussie, aussie, aussie......

Quite unbelieveably i've failed to mention England regaining the ashes.

Australian sport, or at least the bits that I pay attention to Rugby Union and Cricket, seems to be having a bit of a hard time at the mo.

The Wallabies are having a torrid tri-nations against the imperious Springboks and even the stuttering All Blacks. I watched last weeks game as they were kept bottled up for the first three quarters, spilling possession, penalties and making error after error.
Makes a change from teh blokes in white doing the same.

During the Ashes, the convicts scored many more centuries than England and finished with the three top wicket takers in the series. But somehow England, with Broad's timely purple patch at the Oval, took the honours.
With both sides inconsistent it came down to taking the chances that presented themselves, which England did twice and Australia only once.

The first ODI is currently in play so we shall see if I can jinx proceedings and for whom.

Meanwhile, in a galaxy far far away, my intrepid band of players have completed thier first assignment fairly well unscathed. Despite a few blaster burns certain merchandise was recovered and delivered to some rather terse young men of the hooded variety.

More importantly, for me, several plot points were established as well as the openess of the format. I've been impressed and pleased at how much the players have put in and the tenseness of atmosphere that has been generated at the relevant times.

Two new jobs have been offered up from different employers and a number of decisons need to be made. Overall i'm really enjoying the experience after a long break from GMing.

Tomorrow meanwhile is the start of the new Rugby season and a day at Twickers for the double header. My beloved Wasps taken on the nefarious and evil Harlequins.

Oggy, oggy, oggy..... Wasps, Wasps, Wasps......... :)

Schnell, schnell, kartoppel-koffen!!

HUZZAH......, for this evening I have finally completed the German 105 howitzer platoon, namely four 105's two spotters, command and staff teams. I've also finished the pioneer platoon which also needed minimal highlighting and some varnish.

As mentioned previously this was a very easy hit but a good starter for ten and a bit of camera time :)

I've also finished the pioneer platoon which also only required basic highlighting. These have to be some of my favourite whermacht figures. A full platoon list exists........ somewhere!

Probably a bit keen to be claiming any painting points towards the 2010 total, more another time, but it's a start. No where's that, singular, ogre.

Whilst on the topic of jack-booted oppressors, I popped into GW Plaza this afternoon and spent £14.45 on a can of black spray and three paints :( As much as i've been assured that car spray will work fine, six years previous service within GW, more at a later date, leaves its foibles.

The blue shirt was a decent enough guy and I got got some good info on putting together and painting up the Valkyrie kit which WILL be happening once the current clones are done.

Anyway, a day of cricket at Lords tomorrow and then an evening of toys :)

I love Lords, an Middlesex vs Essex four day which will now feature Ravi "the big bopper" Bopara released for "time in the middle". Not sure that the Middlesex attack can offer too much of a challenge though.

We're playing through The Uncharted Seas for the first time. Should be good, will post.

What a difference a day makes

I hardly dare type this but as an apparant new man me and the LADY went and had manicures last night. First time for me and despite being told that I look scared I rather enjoyed all the pampering.

On the way I happened to pass Orc's Nest and being slightly early I slid in and picked up a couple of packs of Copplestone's Future Wars scavengers.




This was an officially sanctioned purchase under the "Current Projects" clause that we all know, love and abuse. Specifically the Star Wars: Clones project. The nails were entirely different and are very nice and shiny!

10 days leave from tomorrow which will feature a wedding, gaming, lots of cricket and SOME painting.

The German Artillery project has been selected for completion as it is the easiest / quickest hit available. The recent Star Wars purchases, thats a whole 12 figures folks, have also been selected as this is where my main enthusiasm lies currently.......... currently :)

Meanwhile I have recently ordered an Uncharted Seas Bone Griffins starter fleet. I really like the galley look to the ships and the destroyers are actually undead whales. Couldn't resist.
As, technically, they haven't arrived yet they're not, technically, on the list and should replace the kraut guns.

No project creep at all then.... technically :)

Sing while you're winning!!

Life has been a bit random recently.

I went to Brugge over the weekend which is a lovely place which I heartily recommend.
Brugge has moules, frites, waffles, stunning architecture and this place......... awesome!!

While I was away messers Strauss and Flintoff were busy winning the seconds Ashes test at Lords though checking the score repeatedly via my phone almost got rather costly.

Whilst travelling home on the Eurostar I got some prep done for "Send in the Clones" the first installment of which was supposed to be this evening. Unfortunately I got stuck at work, in Weston Super Mare until six and everything has had to be postponed.

This sucks bottom, especially as i'd actually written 90% of the background material and the entire first mission. For those who know me this is in contrast to my "wing it and see" method of gaming.

On the up, it'll let me get a bit more done and some of us will get some form of Star Wars gaming in Thursday night instead....... honest!!

Toys R Me

Steve + TOYs = HAPPY

Okay, yesterday's domestication got a bit big on me but I did get lots of STUFF done. I then got in some sofa time with the cricket and spent the evening communing with the x-box.

Gears of War is an old one but a bloody good one, emphasis on the bloody! Very slick given the visual "chunky" feel and a subtlelty of mission variation that I hadn't expected. Top Marks.

I then had a quick go with Fable II, until about half two this morning, starting a new "evil" character to continue my recent anti-hero theme. Due to the awesome scope of the game i've quickly established a cross-dressing goff boy with pig tails and an apparant Adam Ant fetish!

Awesome, awsome game. By taking a few different turns this time round i've already seen substanatial differences within the game. Who needs WoW....... not me!!

Actually, I do have a missus but she's away for the weekend so i've been unsupervised :)

Today has actually involved little men, in between the GP and the test.
I've finally set up my work area and got hold of my new camera:

I've also dug my 'waggid White Russians out of thier case and checked them over in preparation for some PULP style back of beyond games with the Ambush Alley rules that Rich J has been involved with.
Here's thier site http://www.ambushalleygames.com/ and here's the figures:

The glorious leadership of Baron Vladimski, Olga and Yuri "the Bear".

The ladies, "The White Doves".

In the rear, with the gear, "The White Warriors". Soap optional.

Anyway, back to the test. It's got very tense all of a sudden. A draw for England is as good as a win today!

TFI Friday!!

So, England have been thrashed to all corners of Sofia Garden by the Convicts.
Middlesex's batting line has been torn apart by a Paddy for barely 150, with Shah scoring 12 from 8 balls including 3 fours. Stunning!!

In all honesty, the Aussie batsmen have shown good discipline whilst England's bowlers simply haven't earnt the rub of the green. The pitch at Grace Road seems a bit of a shocker, Steve Finn picking up four cheap scalps.
Just seems to be a bit deja-vu.

Meanwhile, I spent the afternoon trying to get my brain to work sufficiently to write a coherent report. It took an extra-ordinary amount of furrowed brow.

However, tomorrow is the weekend and I have it all to myself :)
After killing a few necessary chores I shall paint figures sat in front of the cricket, commune with the x-box, vaguely follow the grand prix and eat steak. For two whole days!!

I LIKE TOYS............

Cardiff blues??

With great anticipation the Ashes starts today, weather permitting, on an apparantly dodgy track that's never hosted a five day game before...... in WALES.
Nothing against the taffs, obviously, at least they know how to play rugby...unlike the sweatys!

So productivity today is likely to be linked to the weather and the quality of BBC Sport's text service, which never fails to entertain in a myriad of manners.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/8138912.stm

Maybe I could get loads of work done by 11???

UPDATE:

After a bit of a morning wobble are at 215 for 3 with KP and Colly well set......huzzah!
But as a hard bitten Middlesex fan, the pain is often overwhelming, i've seen the flashing blade of Phil Hughes at it's most dazzling. Admittedly this was against second division bowling almost as tepid as Middlesex's. Surely Flintoff & Co can offer sterner fair.

UPDATED UPDATE:

As I was typing that last bit the call came across the office "Collingwood's out!". All after I spent a whole tea break this morning printing out a Panesar facemask and sticking to the wall........