SITREP

 
I remember buying my first Airfix Magazine. Late sixties, possibly 1969, maybe 1968. I continued buying it with my pocket money through to 1971. Then again between '74 and '75 but it finally ceded to Military Modelling, which I bought fairly regularly up to 1984.

One of these early Airfix magazines had a photo article about Harriers on exercise in field hides. From that point on I was smitten.

A week or so ago I managed to win this fine GR3 on eBay for a tenner. It was about my fifth attempt. I'd actually been after a SEPECAT Jaguar but that finally sold for over £20, but  the guy also had this Harrier for sale. Put a bid in, forgot about it and out of the blue, I win. Result!

So now, in addition to my planned proxy Pebble Island raid, I have an idea for a game based around a rebel air force Harrier hide in a Tesco car park, inspired by Tony's card model.

Work is leaving me with little energy in the evenings for the hobby. Rightly or wrongly I enjoy my job (mostly) and am emotionally tied to my project. I am taking some negativity that's going about personally and battling to keep the project alive in a time of a multitude of demands vs reducing resources. All the while the shadow of out sourcing looming ever closer. I know I shouldn't let it get to me, but easier said than done eh.

Dr Vesuvius made a great point in a comment attached to my previous SITREP, "At times like these we most need our hobbies to help us unwind". Which makes it even more frustrating when purchases are delayed, damaged or incomplete.

Arriving at work in the dark and leaving again in the dark doesn't help either. Im really not engaging with Christmas this year. The christmas lights and throngs of shoppers are just a blur on my way to the station in the evenings. This has partly come about because I 'lost' so much of my year, but also this year feels so much more commercial than any other and seems to me to have started earlier. I guess if there is such a thing as 'christmas fatigue', I'm suffering from that as much as anything. Looking forward to Christmas Day with family. I just want all the guff to be over.

Going to play out a smallish game this week if Maff is up to it, set on the rail line approaching Abergavenny. Must remind muself to buy some track from Model Zone tomorrow.
 
Cheers
Mark