Since I have been a small child, I have always dreamed of going to Tokyo, the home of Godzilla, anime and video games. I truly thought I would never get there, or at least not until much later in life. It just happened that I had to visit the Philippines for work, another first, and was able to schedule a few days in Tokyo before heading to Manila. I spent the next few days playing games, visiting stores, and experiencing the city of my dreams. My only regret was not having my family with me for the trip, but I know that in a few years we will all go back together.
The next dream that was fulfilled was the movie Avengers. Anyone that knows me knows that the movie was more of an event for me than anything. The chance to watch the Marvel universe fully realized on the screen is beyond my ability to write. Since it was released, I have seen it seven times in the theater and more times than I can count on DVD. The fact that my son has taken a liking to Thor and Hulk and wants to always watch them with me just makes the whole experience that much more memorable.
Another dream of mine was to take my family to Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. I know many people do this, but for my daughter, it was her chance to experience something magical while still being at an age where the cynicism of life has not polluted her ability to fully imagine the world as different from what it is in reality. There were a million great moments from our two week trip, but one of the biggest for me was when we first arrived at the park. As we watched the Halloween themed show under Cinderella’s castle, the evil witch appeared and a series of fireworks went off. My daughter’s response was one of excitement and fear as she grabbed onto me tight and yelled into my ear, ‘It’s real magic’. In that moment, I knew she was having a special moment that she would not experience again until she has kids of her own.
I could share more, but I know folks reading this blog are interested in stuff related to Warhammer and not the ramblings of an old man. With that said, 2012 was really a light year when it came to the hobby. I only attended five events as a player. Of those five events, I won an award at 4 of them, so I would say that I had a pretty successful year in that regard. The total number of games I played was also down from 2011, which I believe was a direct result of my focus on non-gaming activities. I also didn’t accomplish much when it came to actually painting new models. I finished a few things, but not anywhere near what I accomplished in 2011.
When it came to major hobby accomplishments, I really only had two of them. The first was Invasion Kenosha IV. Everything went well and it was the first year that I didn’t really need to kill myself to get everything ready. The portable table toppers I made worked and there didn’t seem to be any major complaints. The other accomplishment was getting a monthly podcast started. I admit that it is not as well polished as many of the other ones out there, but I always intended it to be more of laid-back type of experience.
Looking ahead to 2013, my first major hobby goal is to complete my ogres for Adepticon. I am only playing in one fantasy event at this year’s convention, so I want to give it my all. My next goal is to prepare for A Gathering of Might in August, which is really an extension of my Adepticon goal since I will be bringing ogres to that event as well. Next, I am jumping back into 40K and returning to Eldar. I have a lot more to say about this goal, but I will save it for another article. Finally, I am feeling very aggressive with the new year, so I am going to make this year about taking a more competitive approach to the hobby.