Blather, Waffle and Poppycock!

[d_Guy]

Nice explaination. 
Although "hold down the fort" makes sense if threatened by a tornado (although the presenter makes a general reference to that idea)

@ 19th century octopus - I could not have said it better 

[Last Hussar]

"The presenter"? That's David Ruddy Mitchell!

[d_Guy]

Imagine my surprise when I just now looked him up and his middle name isn't "Ruddy" 

[pierre the shy]

That one really chaffs

Must be the final straw?

[pierre the shy]

Must be the final straw?

Actually as far as correcting pronounciation goes maybe this takes the cake....

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2lkjd2kmdo

struth cobber! 

[Last Hussar]

Sympathy please... (no chance here)

I have sciatica - any pain management tips?

[Techno 3]

Apart from painkillers from your Doc, the thing I'd try is a TENS machine.
I've not used mine for a while, but it has always helped with lower back pain for me.

Might loosen the muscles around the relevant nerve ?

Just a thought.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Hope it clears soon

[Raider4]

Clearing up my desk area. Found these:



25 'bolter-shell' pots and 43 newer ones, none newer than 2009. All dried up of course. Some well used, some clearly never even opened.

[Last Hussar]

Couple of colleagues chatting about how quiet the "customers" are.

I am now expecting an attack against a plucky British Outpost...

It's quiet, too quiet...

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Thought that was the line in a tatty B WEstern just before grizzeled Sgt is hit in chest by an arrow.

[steve_holmes_11]

Thought that was the line in a tatty B WEstern just before grizzeled Sgt is hit in chest by an arrow.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

            

[steve_holmes_11]

Nobody was surprised when Sean Bean got "arra'd".

[fsn]

Spent a few minutes looking at my productivity this year. So far (to the end of November) I've painted 3,713 figures. Mostly Napoleonics - Franco-Confederation 1810, la Romana's Spanish 1810, Joseph's Spanish, Hanoverians 1815, and an assortment of top ups to Russians, Prussians and Danes. Also painted a few SF and some Border Reivers.

This figure is a lot lower than previous years. In the previous 4 years, I've painted over 5,000 figures. I don't have a target, but I did feel that I'd not done as much this year as previous.
Yes I have December, but I'm not likely to paint 1,300 figures in a month.  Since 2018, my max in any month has been 594 figures, with an average of 330. 

The standard is "arms length wargames table." They won't win competitions, but they make a brave show en-masse. "Quantity has a quality of its own" as someone who I assume was a lovely person, once said.   

2018	2,108	#####################
2019	4,569	#############################################
2020	3,382	######################################
2021	5,717	#########################################################
2022	5,433	######################################################
2023	5,718	#########################################################
2024	5,331	#####################################################
2025	3,712	#####################################

I've just finish the mini Joseph's Spanish. Next up will be either the chunky Anglo-Portuguese 1810, or the mini Westphalian division. Then Saxons, Dutch-Belgians, Italians, Neapolitans, and Badeners (?) (All minis.)  Then that's it. That's all I have planned.  I average about 360 figures per month, so will probably complete a mini in 2 months and the Anglo-Portuguese in 4 months. That means I have only about 16 months of hobby left. 

In other words, I really, really need those Squidlings, Amazons and Ancient Indians.


Or, I could turn something mini into something chunky.  

[Last Hussar]

The standard is "arms length wargames table." They won't win competitions, but they make a brave show en-masse.

Ditto.

Managed 40 Pendraken musketeers this weekend. I may have been replaced by aliens, given that breakneck speed (for me)

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Since I gave up Facebook, I also gave up counting how many figures I've painted.
Plus the new job has certainly cut down on numbers.

[fred.]

fsn - that is certainly quantity indeed!

From some rough adding up getting on to 40,0000 figures painted - wow!

You will likely hit 4000 by the end of the year - which whilst a bit down on the last few years still feels like very very good levels of production!

[fsn]

Since I gave up Facebook, I also gave up counting how many figures I've painted.

13.1% of the fun of the hobby for me is maintaining an accurate record of my purchasing and painting. It probably stems from doing a degree in applied statistics then working as a project manager for many years. Who doesn't enjoy performing a time series regression on their efforts, or seeing how far they are through a particular project? More practically, I have been able to track and so curb (sorry Leon) the amounts I spend.

Oddly enough I don't track my gaming. Probably because it's English, not Maths, and I'm not big on recording the minutia of a game; I'd rather play it. Games can also last weeks or months (I still have Brenda on the table) as I like to devote a good chunk of time to them. Painting is my de-stressor after a frustrating day at work. 

[fsn]

fsn - that is certainly quantity indeed!
From some rough adding up getting on to 40,0000 figures painted - wow!

Getting there . From 2013 to 2018 I only painted about 2201 "figures". This was the WWII period for me, so lots of those "figures" were tanks, aircraft and ships. I didn't start Napoleonics until 2020 and that's when painting became a distinct hobby for me.

You will likely hit 4000 by the end of the year - which whilst a bit down on the last few years still feels like very very good levels of production!

I am on leave from the 18th December until 2nd January. That will give me plenty of time to paint.   Last year I did a Napoleonic Knock-Out game competition. I think this year I will set myself the task of painting the Anglo-Portuguese. 978 infantry, 90 cavalry and 8 guns. Having an objective helps me focus. Thanks fred!