... well almost.  I've pretty much decided on Brigade Games Spanish mansion and three building set, walls, and a box of Victrix British Foot Artillery for Peninsula War.

I've got a little time so I'll let it percolate a bit.

(and there is still no spell check)

I have $150 bucks buring a hole in my pocket and I've decided to blow it on miniatures! This money is tied into two gift cards that are not redeemable for cash, and after several months fees are taken from them.  So it's not like I can bank them or wait for an emergancy.  (not that I needed to justify you understand)


Anyway I can't decide what to get, I have three different ideas rolling around in my head, to whit:

          1)  Dark Age Arthurian
          2)  WWI
          3)  Pig Iron Sci-Fi

Finally an decsion that's not such a ball buster.

EDIT:

Shoot, another thought...a piece, or several, of scenery for Peninsula War!

I've been watching Dowton Abbey and its fantastic! Someone told me the WWI scenes were "ok" with just a few with a few issiues. But he failed to mention the aggresivly gay footman, the Turk dropping dead in the really wrong place, and the interplay cut and thrust between the three elder "upstairs" woman! And that's all in the first three episodes.  I suspect the new Irish driver is a damned subversive and a bolshevik to boot!

Apart from the interaction, I love the little touches, ironing the papers, pre-warming the teapot, heart proceedures without anesthetic, you know the little things that but you in the moment.

As I'm watching on Netflix and only have access to the first season please don't give anything away, thank you.

On Saturday winterbadger and I made the treck into Washington D.C. to the National Geographic Society to see the Anglo Saxon Hoard .

It was really pretty cool. The hoard itself was most likely either stolen by theives or plundered from the dead of an unknown battle. It consists largly of small pieces of things, most notably over 100 sword pommals. One of these pommels is the oldest object in the hoard, belived to be already 100 years old when it went into the ground. There is a large gold cross that was bent and folded to make it smaller, probably to fit in a sack.

Several pieces may be from a Saxon helmet. If so these would represent the most valuable part of the hoard as there are only four other Saxon helmets that have been found in England. These parts also appear to have been smashed flat.

What I, and I belive winterbadger as well, found most amazing was the workmanship of the garnets ans gold. The garnets, that may have come from as far as India, were worked into small designs and shapes smaller than your pinkie nail and set in the dozens into hilts and pommels and broaches. The gold was worked into thin wires which was woven into complex repeating patterns that would rival anything made today. All of this with no known way of magnification!

My only complaint was the abcense of little mirrors to show the back of the pieces. Most importantly the oldest piece, that pommel, had a pair of boars on the "backside" and I couldnt see them !!

--and by the way--why no spellcheck Frank?--

Well so far so good. I would not recommend Root Canal for a lazy Sunday afternoon, but so far the tooth ach that brought me to the dentist in the first place was much more painful than the proceedure, so far. I've had to gargle with a medicated wash which leaves a bad taste, and advises that you eat first as it will change the taste of food. Yesterday was the first half of the proceedure, Friday will be the second.

Edit:

Second half went just as well as the first. I've been shocked to learn that many of the people I work with think it's better to pull the tooth. I've had fillings hurt more frankly.

(this was originaly written last week, but LJ would not let me post so you have it now)

There is, I suppose, some sort of irony that today being Valentine's day I've had to call the Endodontist and set things in motion for a root canal. As I've gotten another infection in the same tooth there seems to be little choice. There is cold comfort that the pain comes not from the procedure, but the underlying problem.(whatever that may be)

With some luck I'll turn this into a three day weekend.

Gray overcast, rain, rumbling thunder, and the dimness of the office. I hate days like this.

This past Thursday I took mom to Howard County General to have her gall bladder out. It went as well as can go for a year old. Unfortunately she is sensitive to just about every pain killer know to man and became nauseated when anything, including the anti-nausea meds, were introduced into the IV line. We spent the night and I took her home around 5pm on Friday. I spent Friday night, and most of Saturday at the house, and picked up a Mickey (her brothers mother in law) at the airport at 8:45pm.

She's doing well, walking and not using her core, eating and well the other stuff is "moving" as well.

My first draft of this post was, well, a whining diatribe about all the things I hate about Christmas. Both in general and this one in particular. Let's try again...it's Christmas after all.

This year was a small quite affair, just the way I like it. Went to mom's for brunch and presents. Spoke with aunt Vikki (mom's sister in TN), and aunt Sallie (dad's sister in FL). Watched what felt like 2 hours of "The Greatest Story Ever Told", and in general had a nice visit with mom. Monday went down to winterbadger and had a very nice lunch and chat. We also watched the fantastic Christmas movie duo "Zulu Dawn" and "Zulu", in the correct historical order. On thursday mom is having an open house for the Sherwood family, and I should be able to attend and see several cousins that I've not seen in a year or so.

All in all much better than I anticipated.

"Badder" Santa!