Well hello you fabulous people. I am back, sort of.

It’s been a long journey and it looks like the shitty part is over. I have now quit as Head Teacher (Principal) and have just started in a new role as a trainer for the council. I started a phased return 2 days ago.

So What have I been up to. Well mainly I have been playing Ark on the PS4. So much so that they made me a server admin. I have managed to do some actual creative stuff too. Made a nice deer skull out of foam …

I  also started up the French and Indian Wars again. This time with the British forces….

I have decided to run the Silver Bayonet in 15mm so for me the setting will be along the Ohio River…

Somehow last week I got persuaded into a mini campaign based around Red Dawn… I am invading America with some Russians.

I reckon he put something in my coffee, latest period I am interested in is the 60’s in the Nam.

So I have now purchased Soviet paratroopers and am 3D printing (or about to start) 1980’s vehicles and buildings.

I have also had a go at Watercolour again…

What else… Oh yeah I went to Claymore again and came back with Guards of Traitor’s Toll. Haven’t done anything with them yet.

I also recently bought Five leagues from the borderlands and ordered some spare sprues from Wargames Atlantic to make a force for that. The models will complement the Traitor Toll stuff nicely.

One of the biggest issues I had with being off work was I refused to go out the valley. I am now going back to the club on a Thursday night. So although an uphill struggle I am managing it.

Hopefully I will start posting more regularly now.

TTFN.

Well I am still alive and kicking, but a bit feeble on the kicking side.

Still off work and down to half pay now. I was improving but have now hit some kind of plateau. On the upside I am not regressing, on the down side I am not improving in terms of the fatigue. As I am 59 retirement is becoming a possibility. I just have to do the sums.  So what have I been up to.

Well not much to be honest. Mainly spending my days on the console as it is keeping me sane.

I have managed a bit of building and painting…

I love the horse, but dislike the rider.

My Imperial forces for the Italian Wars are slowly getting there…

Managed to get a map of Northern Italy  from the Game ‘All is Lost, Save Honour’  made some buildings and defences too…

One day I may actually get to use them.

Writing is still a bit of a chore, but I will try and be a bit more regular with my posts.

Until next time look after yourselves.

I am hoping to get to Claymore with my son again this year. I better be able to as it cost a bloody fortune.

Well hello good people, I used to be a regular (ish) poster on this blog…okay not the 900 days straight of daily blogging I managed a couple of years ago, but was usually posting something.

My last post was basically four months ago. It stated I wasn’t feeling too good and had been signed off work with a chest infection… Not to add a spoiler too early, but I am still off with what the Doctor is calling post viral fatigue.

So I did my two weeks, wasn’t getting any better, so had another, then another. Then round about Christmas I went into freefall. I started forgetting  things and had the worst brain fog. I then started forgetting people’s names and it turned out later people just ceased to exist in my brain. All in all it was a bit of a scary time for me and more importantly it really affected my family. I got scared and because I got scared I got angry. They put me in for an MRI on my brain, but it  turned out my Folate levels had gone into freefall and I was super low.  They gave me folic acid to counter this. Evidently some research has been done around Folate and COVID.  So it looks like I have Long COVID, but the doctor no longer calls it that…it is now post viral fatigue, well technically it is. Still waiting for the MRI results.

Another offshoot of my malaise was my balance was totally shot. I kept wobbling all over the place. This has definitely improved, but I still have episodes of wobblyness. I still go over backwards when I stand and close my eyes.

Slowly getting there, still get tired if I do too much.  I walk the dog and it was the case I couldn’t do the 200m track. I can now do 500m each way. The other day I pushed it and went an extra hundred meters and buggered myself for the rest of the day and into the next.

As you can imagine all of this made a bit of a crimp in my painting… I am managing a bit here and there. Over the last month and a half I have managed to get this lot done…

Basically a week’s worth from when I was feeling better.

I also started drawing maps to help with both the boredom and get my fine motor skills back…

My eldest is trying to make money for a trip south so I made some necklaces for them…

There is now a light at the end of the tunnel. To be honest, it has properly done my head in, I honestly think if I had broken my femur I would have coped better, at least I could point to it and say “It’s that.”

One day I will take the cellophane off my Christmas present and actually open the mystery box I got from Warlord Games.

I just want to say a big thank you to the people that checked up on me.

Well yes, I know I am under the weather, but I don’t actually mean me.

I have been 3D printing for years, first with the filament machine and the with the Resin. I am on my second filament and third resin (one died on me so I got my money back. When I first started with the resin I used a turntable and a large UV light. Two pots tor cleaning etc. It worked, but wasn’t the most efficient. Eventually in the back end of 2020 (I think) I went for a wash and clean station. I Am now wondering if it is time for a bit of an upgrade. The spinner still spins, but I am more concerned about the strength of the lights… I honestly don’t know how long they should last, but the machine has been hammered for nearly four years. As Black Friday is coming up then I thought that might be the best time to get a new one. The choice I have is an all in one or a separate light and wash system.

I shall ponder some more, Amazon tell me they will be kicking off their sale on the 21st.

Well you know if your Significant Other, family or even your line manager tell you to take a day or two off instead of running yourself into the ground  then it is a really good idea yo listen to them.

I cam back from the Doctor with a sick note until 30th November..  why, well primarily because I don’t listen to advice but in the min because I have a nasty chest infection. 2 weeks of antibiotics and also I have been ordered to up my steroids again.

So all in all best to listen to advice.

It saves a whole lot of ‘I told you so!’

Still feeling crap, but managed to get a doctors appointment tomorrow.

Well it is that time of year that I force the kids to write to various companies asking for things for the club

Last year The Army Painter and GW helped out. GW have already sent me a box of things.  I will try Army Painter again. They were super generous last year.

I am happy printing things but was considering asking some other companies  for some plastic stuff.

My first thought was Wargames Atlantic. I think more fantasy/sci fi would be better. Does anyone have any other ideas. I will try Greenstuff World for paint again, but they weren’t interested last time.

Spent most of the day in bed today so no painting tonight.

Still feeling crap so I am having a night off.

Well today was the first of the official Geek Club MKII. I had twelve of the thirteen turn up. The other wasnt feeling too good. Pretty much everyone got their mushroom dude either finished or nearly finished. Some decided to add flock to their base and others took them home.

I believe they enjoyed themselves… we will see next week!

Because I am a pillock, I forgot to photograph their hard work. So here is the  sun rising over the hills on the way to work…