Time flies.... November in a large nutshell and December goals

Well, November has gone by so fast, it's just not funny anymore. I've been so busy with work and the kids I had hardly anytime to focus on the hobby! So busy infact, I managed to forget to take my medication on 3 seperate occasions, with predictable results. I managed to lose a week to a short return of my depression, which was only lifted when my wife took a long weekend to Dusseldorf with a friend and I was left to take care of the kids myself. Friday to late Sunday. Toddlers don't care if you have a depression, they just want clothes, food, toys and sleep....and a lot of attention!

Lucky for me, it was just what was needed to snap out of it. I had a blast of a weekend, and a newfound respect for single moms everywhere. And she has already "promised" there will be more weekends, which I don't mind, as I really like spending time with my kids, it actually gave me a lot of energy on one side and draining me on the other. And best of all, I scored an approval for a trip to Ireland in 2015! Piers has welcomed me with open arms, we haven't planned much yet, but he did send me a box with 28mm Mordheim figures in it. Bloody bastard, I love that game, but I don't like painting 28mm's anymore! Seems I have no choice now....

Anyway, November. Wrapped up the sales, only had 1 non replier, and waiting for the money to de deliverd from another but thats someone I know so no problem. One of the last packages is going in the mail tomorrow. I'm shocked I made over a 1000 Pounds just by selling stuff I had no more need of. I'm even more shocked I donated half of that to my family, buying diner in a fancy restaurant, toys, and a iPad for the wife (which shows it pays to nag for over a year, complaining about her iPad clone every week). I've spent the rest on myself, save about 200, and bought a second hand airbrush which I'm having tested on friday to see if it is anygood. The seller was quitting the hobby and sold a lovely Khorne army to one chap and all of his tools, paints, airbrush and compressor to me. Sadly, he quit communicating as well, as the box arrived with everything just tossed in, no padding, brown oil paint everywhere from a busted tube of paint, Spent a night cleaning everything (thank god for slow drying times on oil paint) and sending a polite email to the seller. Only the buyer of the Korne army contacted me, as he too had received a dumped army, with breakages and missing 10 models in total, plus models that didn't match up to the photographs sent. It's been a few years since I was burned like this, and it had made me wonder if putting out 160 euros for a compressor, airbrush and over 100 euros worth of paint was worth it, but we will find out at the airbrush inroductory course I will be taking this friday.

And the airbrush? A Harder & Steenbeck Evolution.....not sure what model (the seller never answered my question what model it was), I'm assuming the Solo but with a adjustable limiter added so you can limit the amount of paint used to a fixed position (sorry if it sounds weird but I'm new at this, but it seems perfect for fine German wiggly camo). It has been used, had some paint smears on it, but nothing that I wasn't able to clean off. Stripped it down several times now to get a feel for it, and there is one part (where the air hose attatches to the airbrush) that just won't unscrew. And according to the explodogram and a online cleaning tutorial, it should. Again, something I want to have checked out on friday as I was planning to reseal everything with new seals, or leave it there for maintenance and let them do it. Whatever works.

Compressor works fine, alas no airtank, and the wife has already told me I can't airbrush when she is asleep, but as she usually tucks in around 22:30 that gives me a average of 2 hours a night to work it. Ton of paint, sadly all Vallejo Air, of which I heard mixed reviews, mostly about clogging, so thinking about starting out with a set of Tamiyas as my mates reccomend me or get some AK Interactive paints. Most of the tools have arrived, stirrers, pots, tape and what not, but for some mysterious reason the cleaner and thinner are already 3 weeks enroute from the UK and still haven't made it. While quite a few other items from the UK have. The seller told me to contact him when nothing had arrived on monday, but I'm giving it till friday before I contact him again. If it doesn't arrive, I'll pick up a pot of Vallejo Thinner first for trying out. Fortunately, in the lot was a last swig of Vallejo airbrush cleaner, so that will come in handy.

Anyway, back to the list!


November:

Main Goal - try to sell as much as possible, even giving away stuff to clear out (only asking for postage) before mid November. Then have the rest of the week to bring the hobby room back into pristine condition and everything stored in the attic till next years sale. Yerr, the selling part went fine, the cleaning not so much, there is still a pile of unmade kits, cleaned models and papers right here in front of me. Need to get that sorted asap.

Side Dish - Do more research on 11th Armoured, find out all of the correct markings if possible, make the list for Battlegroup (Overlord list as well as Fall of the Reich list)  and make a plan what to paint and when. Do I have all of the correct decals? Split the total list in 2, with stuff I still need to buy in the 2nd part. Done. Bookmarked everything useful about 11th Armoured, kept the list as is and have noted what to buy for the sedonc lot in April-May.

Focal points:
-clean remaining Liberation models and sort them. Happily swimming in cleaning fluid!
-build new paint racks. 1 built, notes made, will do a Blog post on them.
-sort and stash all the Crisis purchases. Done!
-when there is time, base technicals that have been washed. Yeah, maybe next time.....not.


So what are my plans for December?

Holiday season means my family and work will take up even more time, so I'm keeping things simple for once.

Main Goal - Clean the table, sort the lot, and take upstairs what you can.

Side Dish - Practice with the airbrush. See what makes it tick.

Focal points:
-Plan a paint purchase for the airbrush.
-Bag and tag everything for 11th Armoured and put it in one big container.
-If you can, sell some more stuff!
-Order a pizza from the newly opened Domino's here in this quite little village of Boxtel. (always lamented that there are no good pizzerias here, and missed these as I have worked over 3 years for them as a driver during my Uni days and know what ones I like and which ones I don't!) Not hobby related at all but man I feel like having a pizza now!