Covid - second lockdown

Things had been getting progressively worse here as cases kept spiking. They finally locked the province down again in mid November. It is set to be locked down for another month.  Just prior to the lockdown, Gee and I zipped out to pick up some gloss coat and a few Christmas presents.

 Some people, especially on social media, keep posting the memes that "If it worked the first time, why are we doing it again? If it didn't work the first time, why are we doing it again?"

 The simple answer is, it did work the first time. Shutting everything down helped to keep our case numbers low. When we opened up, people were very casual about getting together in groups.

 When schools started up again in September, and the inevitable cases started up, instead of shutting back down as we should have, we tried to ride it out to allow businesses to catch up. Left unchecked, the infections increased until we finally had to admit that we needed to shut back down. 

 It's frustrating. It's sounding more like we'll be working from home through the winter. Halloween was all but cancelled. We set up a few decoration and gave out candy but only five dedicated kids showed up in the chill rain. 

 Christmas will be rough. The local stores will have a hard time as people will either have to rush together to get their gifts in the final two weeks before the holiday, or will have already bought their gifts online. So far we are still doing well. 

 There are two or three good vaccines that are close to being released, probably early next year, but I wonder how many people will not bother taking them. Our neighbors to the south finished their election. With the final flurry of campaigning as well as their refusal to not gather together for their Thanksgiving, their numbers continue to rise. With the expected crowds for the Black Friday sales, I fear the following weeks will be rough for them.

Figure Painting Total - October 2020

In October I picked up a few more sets for the DC Universe Game, as well as a few more single figures.  I assembled and primed them all.  

I also bought a few more figures to use with Dracula's America.  The Red Hand Coven set I ordered from Italy in July ended up being shipped to the Netherlands and has been sitting in a shipping warehouse since then.  So we will see if it ever shows up.

Bought

BM – Talia Al’Ghul – 1

BM/DCU – Catwoman – 1

DCU – Justice League Dark – 7 (Black Orchid, Constantine, Deadman, Jason Blood & the Demon, Swamp Thing, Zatanna)

DCU – Lexcorp Army – 6 (Lex Luther power suit, Metallo, LexCorp Heavy Trooper, LexCorp Troopers – 3)

DCU – Suicide Squad – 6 (Bronze Tiger, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Katana, Killer Croc, Killer Frost)

DCU – Amazons of Themyscira – 4 (Queen Hipollita, and 3 Warriors)

DCU – General Zod & Guild Warriors – 3 (Faora, General Zod, Nam-Ek)

DCU – Black Adam

DCU – Doomsday

DCU – Mera – missing arm

DCU – Superman (Elseworlds) – missing arm and shields

WizKids – Timber Wolves – 4

WizKids – Winter Wolf – 2

 

Painted

BM - Batman (Afflek) - 1

BM - Suicide Squad - 2 (Deadshot, Slipknot)

Wizkids - Dullahan (headless horseman) - 1

WizKids - Shadows - 2

WizKids - Timber Wolves - 5

Oct total – figures bought 38, figures painted 11

Running total 2020 – figures bought 162, figures painted 90

 

 

 

More paper Disney

 After a break of three months, the Disney Go Blog finally released another four in their paper Disney series.  I have only managed to finish the first three so far.  The two blocks of Main Street were easy to assemble.  The parade floats were a bit more fiddly.  The castle was more difficult to put together as some of the steps weren't very clear.  I still have to finish the Carousel.

In the new sets, they have added some extra Halloween themed crafts as well as more parts to the Paper Disney Park.

In Happy Haunts set 1 you get the Entry Gates with some extra pumpkin decorations as well as some decorations and shadow puppets.

There are no paper park pieces in Happy Haunts set 2.  Instead they give you a placemat, cup sleeves, napkin rings, place card holders, decorations, and a doom buggy snack box.

In Happy Haunts set 3 you get a Haunted Mansion facade on too big a map (9 sheets!) with a stretching portrait chamber.

Happy Haunts set 4 includes more parts around the Haunted Mansion including more rooms.

Figure Painting Total - September 2020

I lost a bit of momentum but was able to paint a few more before the end of the month.

Bought

DCU – Justice League International – 6 (Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Dr Fate, Martian Manhunter, Mister Miracle, Shazam)

DCU – Lex Luthor (Classic Costume) – 1

Savage Worlds – Stone – 2

Reaper – Wereboar – 1

WizKids – Dullahan (headless horseman) – 1

WizKids – Grizzly – 1

WizKids – Shadows – 2

 

Painted

Dracula’s America – The Forsaken – 9

Reaper – Wereboar – 1

WizKids – Grizzly – 1

WizKids – Timber Wolves – 1

 

 

Sept total – figures bought 14, figures painted 12

Running total 2020 – figures bought 124, figures painted 79

 

 

Covid – Back to School

Our province started getting some cases in August due to people travelling.  Despite this, most of the schools opted for back to classes in September, with predictable results. 

Having graduated, my daughter is now attending online classes for university.  It’s not quite the same experience but she is making due with it.  Her classes are all online.  It was a bit tricky getting her school books due to the conditions.  She seems to be settling in but is certainly missing out on a lot of the university experience.

My wife and I have both have been told to not expect to go back fully before November.  She is going in one week a month already. 

We have now watched all the Netflix Marvel shows.  With a lot of our regular shows not scheduled to come back until January, we are getting around to some of the other shows that we had missed – like Titans, Doom Patrol, and Umbrella Academy.  Shan has watched Mad Men, Dynasty, and Frankie and Grace.

We were able to make it out to the Stardust Drive-In to see The New Mutants.  It was odd seeing a movie away from home and good to make it to the drive-in.  The staff seemed friendly, and the menu was wide and good.  If it was closer than 90 minutes away, we would probably go more often.

 

I didn't get anything painted in August.  I was mostly focused on papercraft.  I did pick up a few figures though.  

I had been looking at the Fallout: Wasteland Warfare at my local game shop for a while now.  My son is into Fallout and the game can be played solo if he is not interested.  It's been marked down 25% for a few months now and I keep picking it up and looking at it.  No-one has bought it as it has a huge gash in the bottom - like it had been dropped on the edge of a counter.

I had ordered Fallout Shelter and they brought in the Fallout: Wasteland Warfare: Survivors - Vault Personnel in error.  They saw that it was an error and offered it to me for $30 instead of the $40 it was.  I picked it up.  

The next week when I went back, I picked up the Wasteland Warfare starter and they gave me a further deal down to $55. 

Bought
Unmatched Cobble and Fog – 4
Dracula’s America – The Forsaken – 9
Fallout: Wasteland Warfare – 13
Fallout: Wasteland Warfare: Survivors: Vault Personnel – 4
Chronoscope – Horace ‘Action’ Jackson – 1
Chronoscope – Pulp Era Professor – 1
Reaper – Willow Greenivy – 1
WizKids – Timber Wolves – 2

Painted


Aug total – figures bought 35, figures painted 0
Running total 2020 – figures bought 110, figures painted 67

Books Read - May to August 2020

May

The Fantasy Trip Companion by Steve Jackson Games

Gaslands Refuelled by Mike Hutchinson

DC Universe Miniature Game by Mark Latham

 

June

Stitch ‘n Bitch: The Knitter’s Handbook by Debbie Stoller

Cooking Price-Wise: A Culinary Legacy – by Vincent Price

Cheapass Games in Black and White by James Earnest

French Musketeer 1622 – 1775 by Rene Chartrand

This Will Only Hurt A Little by Busy Phillips

 

July

Blood Bowl 2019 Almanac! By Games Workshop Limited

The Enemy by Lee Child

Night School by Lee Child

Rick Mercer Report: The Book by Rick Mercer

 

Aug

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton

The Manual of Aeronautics by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

Fletch by Gregory Mcdonald

Confess, Fletch by Gregory Mcdonald