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 Nevelon wrote:

Grats! That box was a lot of fun to build and paint. Still working though my copy, but it’s a gem.

Cheers; I was pleased having a look through the sprues. Can't quite get my head around the character sprues though, those maniacal strips that have a foot, shoulder and forehead all connected by a sword sheath... Hopefully my eyes will still be up to the challenge

 JamesY wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:

Grats! That box was a lot of fun to build and paint. Still working though my copy, but it’s a gem.

Cheers; I was pleased having a look through the sprues. Can't quite get my head around the character sprues though, those maniacal strips that have a foot, shoulder and forehead all connected by a sword sheath... Hopefully my eyes will still be up to the challenge

Yeah, those are the intersection of wanting to maximize detail, minimize parts to keep it all push-fit, and the limits of plastic molding tech. No undercuts, so detail needs to be on the “face” of the part, but you don’t want the sides of the model to just be smooth mushy detail. So you need a separate bit. But you can’t just glue accent parts on wherever; they need to be solid enough and connected so it can have a peg/hole connection.

Considering the limits of the technology, I think they did an amazing job.

Even if some of the individual bits on the sprue look odd.

Yeah they will definitely be worth the effort. Moulding has come a long way from when I started in the 80's. I am building the chaos dwarf blood bowl team at the moment and thought that they looked more like some kind of puzzle rather than a miniature, but these sprues make them look simple

The cost of my Health Insurance for 2026 went up less than I was expecting/fearing....

ccs wrote:
The cost of my Health Insurance for 2026 went up less than I was expecting/fearing....

Same. Prices went up, but they (almost) always do.

But to be fair in my case, I work for a branch of one of the giant insurance companies. So we have an edge when it comes to negotiating our rates.
—
Most companies are doing their annual enrollment now. Be sure to crunch the numbers and work out what plan works best for you. Assuming your employer offers choices. It’s a hot mess of confusing numbers, and differers from plans/patients/needs, but take the time to figure stuff out.

Not such a little win, more of a big one, but I finally, finally got out of retail work and got a new job doing patient transport at a large local hospital (I am what used to be called an orderly). Not only does the job pay better, but it is way more interesting than working at a large US retail chain. The work is much more physically demanding, but that's exactly what I wanted, it'll help get me back into some kind of shape. The schedule kind of sucks right now, but hopefully as I continue to work there better shifts will become available.

SCORE!

Just found a copy of Darkhorse’s AvP Omnibus Vol 2 for a not totally insane price.

Hurrah for random googling at random times and patience!

Paid £77, which is not cheap. But compared to the usual asking price of £400?

 ZergSmasher wrote:
Not such a little win, more of a big one, but I finally, finally got out of retail work...

Good for you!

 ZergSmasher wrote:
Not such a little win, more of a big one, but I finally, finally got out of retail work and got a new job doing patient transport at a large local hospital (I am what used to be called an orderly). Not only does the job pay better, but it is way more interesting than working at a large US retail chain. The work is much more physically demanding, but that's exactly what I wanted, it'll help get me back into some kind of shape. The schedule kind of sucks right now, but hopefully as I continue to work there better shifts will become available.

Grats! Hospital scheduling can be brutal. Hang in there!

 ZergSmasher wrote:
Not such a little win, more of a big one, but I finally, finally got out of retail work and got a new job doing patient transport at a large local hospital.

Congratulations. I was stuck in retail for 16 years. 11 years later and the novelty of weekends/ Christmas not stuck in a shop still hasn't worn off.

Been out of retail for 16 or so years. And it’s been heaven.

No more “sorry, you’re working 10 days in a row because the assistant-manager absolutely must have her Fridays off”. Indeed, no more only one day off at a time harshing your social mellow.

I had a bit of a win last weekend, but has a bit of a run up narrative-wise...

So about 20-25 years ago I was very into Clive Barker, and due to not having the internet until around that time (being a poor student and it not being in every household then) I was late to the party that was the Tortured Souls figures that he did with Todd MacFarlane (being at the time a bit of a Spawn fan too), discovering them in Forbidden Planet in Derby on the 2nd wave of figures. I managed to get a couple, and one of the first set from ebay. Absolutely horrorshow, but that was a part of their charm.

A couple of years later, living with a girlfriend meant that these toys 'had to go', and so they went, swapped for two tickets to a gig that we walked out of before they'd even arrived (flipping rockstars arriving 3hrs late.)

Anyway, fast forward to last Sunday, and I am on the top seat of a bus with my son, 2 nephews and a few other family members, on a trip into town in which I picked up Cursed City, as mentioned above. We stop at a bus stop, and my wife pointed out to the boys a few toys that had been thrown on to its roof. And slap bang in the middle is a series 1 tortured soul figure, in all its grisly splendour, as yet unbleached by the sun! Obviously, it played on my mind throughout the day. Fate had cruelly taken them from me, and had returned to torment me with the reminder.

Unfortunately for fate, I have a ladder, a litter picker, and an absence of the sort of care that might have prevented me from returning in the dead of night and climbing the bus stop. So I have a cracking new addition to my hobby room, and my wife has yet another terrible insight into the person that she married, as obviously I dragged her along for the adventure

Congratulations on your new cursed object ?

It was a terrific figure line though.

Eye test in an hour. Pretty certain I need readers and VDU.

Still a win though, as we need to look after our peepers. Also, regular (every year or two if you don’t need specs or contacts) eye tests are still beneficial. There’s a shocking range of illnesses and diseases that an eye test can first spot.

Had my final day of my uni course yesterday, now only two more assignments to finish and upload before my placement in a few weeks. After that, with any luck, should be able to slide straight into a new, better paying, job.

Specs ordered, VDU and Reading.

Eyes are otherwise apparently super healthy, so just middle age doing its thing.

Middle age sucks... After years of pretty unchanged vision, my eyesight is degrading on an annual basis now :(

Very much at the stage of lifting glasses to see things clearly close up, and thats even with boosted close-up power. Proper Vari-focals are very much in my near future.

I should count my blessings. 45 years old, and only now needing glasses.

I can manage without, but as it’s the eye muscles being knackered that requires readers? Best not to push it.

I've needed glasses permanently since I was about 9 :(

Roll on full body replacement, is all I can say.

 Flinty wrote:
I've needed glasses permanently since I was about 9 :(

Roll on full body replacement, is all I can say.

I remember the high level of denial I was in when they put glasses on me for the first time.

Adults: You can see better, right?

Me (In Denial): Nope.

Sadly, I got mine at the precise day and time that coincided with asking a girl to the fall dance.

Go Go Self Esteem Destroying Spectacles!

Dog sitting the Nephloof today.

He’s a good boy! Yes he is!

Was a super good boy last night. He’s allowed in my bedroom, and on the bed. He came up for a fussing, then decanted himself onto his bed, and slept through. His glorious presence has also confirmed my back garden is Dog Suitable. Not massive, but enough space for a good sniff.

If the weather was better, I think I’d just leave the back door open, allowing Pupper to come and go.

Kitchen floor needs a good mopping though!

Also? New tattoos are healing super quickly. Got them done on Saturday. Hurt loads as there was plenty colouring in. But already at the itchy stage, with the dead skin peeling.

Which is just as well. As I’m back in the chair on Monday, this time for the dreaded inner elbow.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Also? New tattoos are healing super quickly. Got them done on Saturday. Hurt loads as there was plenty colouring in. But already at the itchy stage, with the dead skin peeling.

Which is just as well. As I’m back in the chair on Monday, this time for the dreaded inner elbow.

Ehh.... what are you getting in that sensitive part?

The Trapdoor from The Trapdoor to complete the Trapdoor elements of my sleeve.

It’s gonna look awesome and tie it all together. Just need to wear my extra big boy pants!

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
The Trapdoor from The Trapdoor to complete the Trapdoor elements of my sleeve.

It’s gonna look awesome and tie it all together. Just need to wear my extra big boy pants!

I have no idea what Trapdoor you are referring to...

Alright you uncultured oik!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGZja-jjuHk

So almost a decade after I moved out of home, my mum come across my old money tin stashed in a cupboard. There was a surprising amount of coinage contained therein.

A nice little windwall just before christmas, let me tell you.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Alright you uncultured oik!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGZja-jjuHk

Ohhhhh. I thought you were referencing the 2011 Horror film. I didn't understand the love of such a bad movie...

But the nostalgia of a claymation series from 1986 I can understand.

And Christmas shopping is complete.

Found the perfect gift for someone tricky to buy for - Stranger Things Care Bears. Got a two pack of Elle and a Demogorgon.

The work Christmas do had a ceilidh. It was fun