What have I been doing all winter?

Dang… going on another 2 months of not posting anything. Why? I could toss down the usual “holidays, bad cold, work, yadda yadda…” and it’s all true but I’ve also been lazy. My brain is thinking “what am I even blogging about and what do my blog posts even add to the hobby and community?” and 2017 has had a few shifts in how my mind works for many reasons.

I have not been getting out into the woods and that poses a problem to me. I like to be in the woods. Small fire, cold day, hot cup of coffee, some meat, silence…. things I love. I live in the city and do not have a back yard even. If I did I could do this in a back yard.

I got pretty unhealthy the past few years. I was closer to 400 pounds than anyone needs to be. I joined Weight Watchers and I am now closer to 300 pounds. I’ve got a ways to go but, so far, it’s been good. My wife, Gretchen, is a huge inspiration and my partner in this journey of getting healthier. As it should be we are a team and doing this together. By the end of 2017 I hope to be at my fighting weight of 250. Then I will reassess my needs and get into some more physical things like martial arts (always a favorite of mine) and more hiking.

A lot of things have helped me lose the weight I have lost already. Gretchen, WW meetings and accountability, my own will. The weakest link in that is my will and one that I found that really helped me was a re-embracing of my warrior nature.*

*I could go on and on about “warrior” culture and the spectrum that term calls up. Many will disagree with my opinions and have their own opinions. For me “being a warrior” is closer to literal. My military service is over but I still feel the need to serve and protect. I am not a police officer either, my charges being my family and my work. After that comes my community. Order of care for me is: Me, My Family, My Work, My Community.

I caught the History Channel show The Selection. In A nutshell – 30 civilians go through an abridged version of BUDs (Seal training). They can drop whenever, it is not a competition. It brought me back to my days in the Navy and my regrets about not trying out for BUDs again after my first failed attempt. I recognized I’ve kind of been wallowing in that failure for a long time. I used to be really fit and capable but I’ve kind of let it go since my failure. I’ve had a go at other things since – SCA heavy fighting, Aikido, Kendo. I just really let it all go though. The show had actual BUDs instructors instructing civies as though it were real training. People dropped left and right but what really lit a fire was the dynamic of instruction and it brought me back to my own experiences.

 The instructors were hard. No kid gloves, they lit into students like you would imagine. When one was failing or gave up they gave very honest and calculated advice and uplifting words. When a student was succeeding they’d try to make sure they didn’t get to big in the head. When one failed the real-world advice would come out.

“You did good. What we are putting you through is very difficult. Take what you learned here and use it in life. You know your limitations now just take it one more step next time. Good job.”

 My favorite exchange was:

“I am in Hell Instructor.”
“No you are not. Hell is a construct of the human mind. You are here, right now, in reality. You have choices.”

Enough about my hubris and struggles. What does this equate to? Am I going to slow my wargaming roll? Nope, not at all. Wargaming, for me, is many things. It exercises my mind in both a sporting and martial aspect. It keeps my “craft” busy with the painting and modeling. It allows me access to people I normally would not be around socially, their beliefs and opinions and the variations therein are important to me. Also I learn from them. What I am exposed to, if processed properly, will make me a better person.

After Ambuscade there was an inadvertent long break from gaming for both I and Spencer (organizer of Ambuscade). Many reasons – as noted above we had holidays, weather, and work. On top of that add political turmoil and the resulting protests. Getting around town and hauling 100s of figures about was getting kind of hard among the shoppers, protesters, and ice.

 Spencer solved that by organizing a few games in his basement and a “big” 6 person game of Lion Rampant using his Celtic Dark Age figures and my Viking Dark Age figures. Came out to over 100 28mm figures per side and we had a rousing battle with the Irish pulling out a last round win. Very fun and exciting.

It’s “get ready for Enfilade season” too and that’s lit a fire under my ass. I’m hosting a game named “Fight for York” using Saga. 4 players, Vikings vs. Normans in a winter terrain, based off the historical accounts of William the Conqueror’s Harrying of the North. All I have to do to get ready for it is finish painting up some Bretons and get some terrain squared away. Other than that it’s all about squaring away the funding for the trip and it’s a go. No Saga Tournament from me this year, I do hope someone else takes up the mantle and hosts one.

Speaking of Saga, Saga is my favorite game I am actively playing.  It was the final nail in the “I’m going to be doing this a lot” coffin in that I played some other historical wargames in the past but Saga was the one that made me get the t-shirt. I do like other games but the ones I actively play now I have some pretty big issues with some parts. Of course, what I am actively into right now (meaning I play them regularly and can muster an army to play from my own collection) is 80% skirmish games and 25mm, the only non-skirmish game I am playing is Warlord’s Pike and Shotte.

Speaking of Pike and Shotte I did pick up a copy of Pikeman’s Lament and am looking forward to a first game of that.

I am interested in other eras and rule-sets but right now, pre Enfilade 2017, I am sticking with what I have. I do hope to explore some other games at Enfilade though.