A belated Goodbye to 2011...

Time for a look back over 2011 and whether or not I've achieved my aims from the start of last year...


First, a recap - this post from January 2011 summed up what I had planned for the year.


In general, I had a few different real-life aims;

• Move out of my parents house - done. I moved into an apartment with a friend at the start of 2011, so this one has worked out rather well!
• Build some self-esteem/be more healthy - this has not really progressed over the past year. If anything, I have more access to rubbish food in the town I've moved to. Definitely one of my main aims for 2012. It's about time.
• Get a social life - if I'm honest, I've just about maintained this from the previous year - I had thought that moving into my own place would mean that my friends could visit more often, for Xbox, films, food and drink, but this was not always the case. I'd moved for work, which meant I was slightly further away from my main group of friends. This has highlighted my desperate need for a car - a new aim for 2012. Being out of work for a few months of 2011 and changing jobs a total of 3 times in a year left me feeling slightly isolated (brought about by self-imposed hermitage...). Thankfully, this began to change in the last months of 2011.

Wargames-wise;

• Play more games - this was dismal. That changes this year though, with my main Resolution of 2012 - PLAY MORE. Be it Xbox, Monopoly or Warhammer 40k, I want to play more, have more fun!
• Plan armies before modelling - this is something I explored slightly in 2011 with the 500pts Imperial Guard list I built from the scrap Catachans. I quite enjoyed writing the list and converting figures with a sense of purpose - definitely the way forward in the new year.
• Sell what I don't need - I did sell a few different things during the year - to be honest, I'll probably always be a hoarder (although, I bloody hate mess/clutter!) and my head is always brimming with ideas for multi-purposing miniatures, or recycling them into new gangs/warbands/forces. Definitely one of my favourite parts of the hobby!
• With regards to painting, not a lot has changed. I do tend to use the wet palette that I picked up at the start of the year - that was interesting to work with. I can think of a few things to work on over the next 12 months...

So, overall? I'm fairly happy with that. I absolutely HAVE to finish learning to drive, pass my test and buy a car this year. It's an imperative. I just don't see my family (parents, sister and grandmother in particular) and friends ("The Scooby Gang") enough - I can also think of so many museums and interesting places I'd love to go once transport is better available! So, my main resolutions - PLAY MORE - LEARN TO DRIVE - SEE MORE.

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog - it's been a quiet couple of months, but the next few months will be more interesting! I'm actually planning on going to the local games club tomorrow, for the first time since moving to this town - should be rather interesting!