Well I'm flying out for Los Angeles first thing in the morning, so I won't be posting on the blog much over the next few weeks. It's possible that I will get the chance to post something while I'm away, though I won't be doing anything related to wargaming other than thinking idly!
We've got two days in LA, during which the lovely A intends to hug a few cartoon characters, before picking up my brother and his girlfriend from the airport and driving to Las Vegas. We're heading there to a wedding of a highschool friend of mine, and will be there a week. There will be some pretty epic piss-ups there I'd say - it's not every day you get to have a stag do in Vegas after all! We'll be doing all of the usual things, including a token bit of gambling (I'm not a gambler), a trip out to the grand canyon, and going to a show of Cirque du Soleil. Should be fun! I'm just really looking forward to some time off work and being able to relax and blow some money without a conscience. I've been saving for quite a while for this trip so have really been skimping. It'll be a relief to just let loose. Fortunately I'll be getting paid while I'm away (this working thing rocks - paid annual leave!) and the back pay for this year's pay review will also be deposited into my bank account while I'm away. I'll be coming back more flush than when I leave! Not a bad place to start with some purchases for my wargames table eh?!
So after Las Vegas we're flying to Oaxaca for 4 days (splitting off from my brother and his girlfriend who are spending some time in Mexico City). We're doing a cooking course with a local chef and will hopefully make it out to see some of the local artisans. After that the girls are heading home and my brother and I are heading to the coast to a place called San Agustinillo on the Pacific coast. I gather it's relatively secluded and totally relaxing! Should be a nice change of pace before we get on the long flight back to New Zealand.
Anyway, back to wargaming. Not too much has been happening, though I have made a bit of progress over the last week. I've started basing my mortar platoon. I've built up the bases with a polyfilla product, glued grit on top of that and sealed the grit on with another coat of watered down PVA. Now that the PVA has dried (and when I'm back from holiday) I'll brush undercoat it with primer, apply a base coat or two of green ochre, and dry brush light flesh over the top (see Garth's photographs below for the effect of this paint scheme - I rather like it). I've got various flocks, static grasses and shrubbery to apply to finish it off.
I've also started cleaning my first Commonwealth Platoon. Sadly I didn't meet my goal of having the whole platoon primed before I leave - I've just been too busy! I have really got back into the bug over the last week and I guess the opportunity to do some more painting is something to look forward to for when I get back from my holiday.
I've made a few more purchases towards my NZ rifle company over the last few weeks. My 2nd and 3rd Commonwealth Rifle Platoons arrived, along with a pack of snipers. I've subsequently ordered and received a blister of Royal Engineers (with the intention of incorporating them with the sticky bomb figures from the commonwealth platoon to form the company pioneer section) and another pack of PIATS. I should have enough to really flesh out the infantry part of my company as well as some of the optional choices.
In other news, in a moment of weakness I went and ordered Infinity: Human Sphere while Maelstrom still had it in stock. It arrived about a week later which is pretty impressive! I haven't had the chance to look at it yet; it's now waiting for when I return from holiday, after which I'm heading straight to Wellington for a work seminar - perhaps I'll take it on the plane.
The only thing I'm waiting for now is my order from Warhammer Historical. Garth's has arrived; hopefully mine hasn't gone astray.
Anyway, I'd better go and get a bit of sleep before the long flight tomorrow. I've just returned from a dinner at a great Japanese restaurant, complete with Sake - so I've got a bit of a glow on so I probably need the sleep, and a bit of hydration!
Take care guys, cheers!
