2014 Review

Not really a person for doing this kind of stuff on my wargaming blog - the sailing one is a little different as I keep a pukka ships log - but my wargaming blog is the retreat. It's where I come to get away from the results orientated, text driven, target fixated, email sapping, meeting focussed, real world... no way I want to do the same here....

Still, while I wait for the effects of the flu to wear off a little more so that I can get up in the (loft based) man cave (where the paint and wargame tables are); the following should be seen as a joining up of the threads, and a bringing to a close...

So how did I do against my expectations [clicky]??

I've got to say it wasn't a stand out year; one of my poorest in some time in fact. The entire year was largely one giant paint funk, and I spent a fair amount of time wondering where the mojo had gone [clicky].

Having said that, however, this is a hobby, not a job, I come here to relax not stress, and I still managed a fair number of good things, with a definite up turn towards the end of the year... I only get so much "me time", and last year I invested a fair amount of that precious 'capital' in the boat, and would do so again quite happily....

The painting totals for the year turned out at 12 () diabolically bad compared with the 172 in 2013 (and even the 120 in 2012)!

Stand proud, chaps - the entire painted output for 2013, it's a lot of responsibility on such small shoulders....

68 posts this this year (c/w 84 in '13, 85, in '12, and 93 in '11!) which is OK given the general level of engagement in the hobby last year (I'm surprised I was so prolific - it didn't seem like it at times...) what was a bit of a surprise is that 1 of my top 5 posts of "all time" (by page views) were written during 2014... nice....

Three table top games this year (same as last year)! Something still needs to be done about that, or does it, I get my gaming fixes through a number of different ways these days, on-line, Skype, face to face...

• Action at Trois-Bras
• Annexation of Chiraz - Game #4 - Return to the Arsenal
• John Corrigan Memorial game 2014 - "The Bridge Demolition"

I work long hours, I still find it very difficult at times to summon up the enthusiasm to set the table up.. much easier to open a beer, light a cigar, and read a good book!

Speaking of which, 48 books were read last year, compared with 36 in 2013 so there's a definite feeling that was what I was mostly doing... favourite books this year? Fiction would be "Dominion" by CJ Sansom [clicky], non-fiction "Waterloo" by Bernard Cornwell [clicky]

No resolutions were made, no targets set, no projects defined, so once again I can report that all targets and goals were achieved ...!

This year?? Well I can report a thawing, the green shoots of mojo have been seen, and once I can get back into the loft I can varnish and then base up the latest crop of troglodytes and misshapes to leave the paint table... I intend painting more this year (it would be difficult to paint less)...

I have also purchased a new super dooper web-cam-thingy with which I intend to challenge DG on Skype to our first table top game of the year soonest... it's HD (so I'm hoping the broadband is up to it) but should give a clearer view... I am not unconvinced that the reason I won the Chiraz game above wasn't because DG missed my cavalry moving!