Lambasted across the interweb...

Wocha,

Well it would appear that I don't blog enough. Hurrumph!

If you've done the tour of my favourite blogs you'll see what I mean. Well gentlemen and (unlikely as it may be) ladies it's time to change that!

First things first. Salute was pretty dull, okay maybe not in general but mine was. I still look forward to this show with the kind of anticipation usually reserved for kids at Christmas and every year recently it's been a let down. To extend my metaphor I seem to be a reindeer now and not the kid. Working the show kinda keeps you trapped in an 18 foot box with only the occasional fag break for a change of scenery. Working the GB stand is probably the best substitute for being a punter though for, it seems, everyone I would normally seek out for a chat pops by. I managed to hob and or nob with about half a dozen fellow sculptors including someone I believe to have been Don Featherstone (sp?). He appeared to be a proper old hand in the industry and seemed to think I would automatically know who he was. I didn't have the balls to ask his name for fear of being struck down as a heretic. Having trolled around a few forums and read the odd Salute thread DF is the only name that has come up more than once that I vaguely recognise. He had a fair old chat with Darren and may have revealed his secret identity to him. Must check. Along with the sculpting chums (shout out to Bill, Chris Vega, Duncan Patten, a pair of Perrys and Robbie Baker) I caught up with some industry chums (who all said lovely things about the Welsh and Picts) and loads of punters enjoying the day. If it wasn't for a nasty scratchy sore throat I'm sure I'd have been much happier.

I'm a bit narked at not getting to see all the fab games a shiny new trinkets everyone was flogging. About the only thing I did see were the Nazis. Haven't they caused a stir! Much has been made elsewhere of the Hitler youth kiddies and dubious merchandise but they were robbed of any kind of credibility for me as the first thing I saw as I arrived in the morning was one of the re-enactors going arse over tit on the shiny excel concourse on account of his hobnail boots. Most snigger worthy. The only thing I did object to about their 'display' was the infant child being wheeled around in an authentic period push chair which seemed to consist of nothing more than two bits of wood covered in vinyl mounted on a wire frame and four tin wheels. The poor little mite seemed to be bawling every time I saw him. Anyway...

So what have I been up to since Salute? Well to be honest absolutely nothing. I've sat on my backside for the last five days and watched DVDs. Damn Asda and their bargain clearout! Actually, tell a lie I did go off to the mother in laws last Sunday to re frame the shed windows. They seem to think me some kind of handy man based on the fact my work-a-day life involves interacting with 'tools'. The jump for clayshaper and pin-vice to hammer and saw went well and I may have shot myself in the foot by doing a bang up job. Got a free dinner out of it so all's well that ends well.

Sculpting wise it's been quiet. I've got a 40k army to paint for the WPS club challenge at the end of next month and due to my strike policy I have given this top priority. Problem is I really want to get started on the Saxons so the painting feels like a bit of a bind rather than the welcome break I had hoped it would be. Isn't it always the way, grass is greener and all that. Ah well.

During this period of especially work-shy foppery I haven't even been able to get at the PC much. For some reason the wife seems to think that her exams are something of note and she should get sole access to the computer for the purposes of revision and background reading. I'm not entirely sure she understands how important it is that I read the entire history of the Daleks or understand the intricacies of the command structure of the East India company's army in the late 17th century. I'm sure all of this book learning is going to her head. Anyway it's three in the morning and finally there's no competition for the PC so I've managed to catch up with my forum reading and blogging. Such as it is.

I seem to have run out of vaguely interesting things to say, which is unusual as generally I can babble on for hours, so I'll leave it there and sign off now. If you're interested this little lot has a word count of around 860 and the time you've spent reading it you're never getting back. Bwa ha ha ha!

Stay lucky,
Soaps.