Paddy's Wanderings

Into the Wasteland

I'm as corny as Kansas in August, I'm as normal as blueberry pie..

Okay, maybe not normal, as a matter of fact, a bit strange. The boyo got Fallout 3 way back when and I have resisted playing the game for a year an half. Then, in a fit of radiation sickness.. I went ahead and started playing last night. Better 1/2 has been nursing the shoulder injury, so she started playing a few weeks back. Now, I am out of the Vault and into the Wastes.

I do like the game, I dig the music and the whole post nuclear concept. I resisted because I am doing other things, and taking the time to devote to a game like this is more then I want to spend. I have scribbled away while middle boyo and better 1/2 have played, kinda laughing at the music and the whole.. concept. It is a cool game.

I suck at it. To be honest, I suck at xBox games in general because I still cant get around on the controller. That is probably the main reason I don't play video games much anymore that involve a lot of work with a controller. There are too many buttons and bumpers and all that stuff. But, I think this is a game that is worth the effort.

I will say this, games like this are so cool. I started with Pong after all, and thought Donkey Kong at the arcade was the bees knees. I had a Magnavox Odyssey² and kicked it big time. Oh have games changed.

I am off , to wander the wasteland. I need some mindless wandering in a video game environment. To be honest, I am a bit fried. I do need to recharge the ol' batteries. So forgive my transgression into the mutant zone. I'll be here, hopefully after blowing things up a bit, a little more 'here'.

The roads are the dustiest, The winds are the gustiest
The gates are the rustiest, The pies are the crustiest
The songs the lustiest, The friends the trustiest
Way back home

Nello Inkle No Trump

If you understand that title, cool, your in.. if not, well then, google is your friend, clicky the linky.. 500.

Okay then, another card game that was played relentlessly in the Creature Corner and wasted many a study hour. I think during one semester it was class(and studying), work, D&D, grabbing a burger in the cafeteria, occasional sleep, and cards, lots of cards. 500 or as we sometimes referred to it, euchre 500, was always fun. That is the bottom line right? Have fun, and we could do that rather well.

Nello is not taking any tricks, a favorite of us all.. hearts influence I am thinking. No trump is ace high with out the bowers(think euchre were the jacks are just.. jacks). We all liked to inkle something, sometimes even middle of the road garbage. The kitty was always a helpful 3 cards, but you could pass on taking it, if you dared. So then we have this one day..

Player 1 'Pass'

Player 2 'Nello inkle no trump'

Player 3 'It's not there'

Player 2(Moi) 'Yes it is, bid or pass'

Player 3 'I'll pass and set you'

Player 4(The Tim) 'Double Nello'

Lots of what?, are you crazy? and all kinds of over lapping crazy talk... After all, we were rapidly approaching negative infinity in the score department,  then..

Player 4 'Without'

Me? This is too funny, why not go down in a blaze of glory? Everyone is laughing, ludicrous, pure insanity. We played with hidden Nello, not the open misère, but in this case, it was all about grand standing..

The Tim 'I think we'll just lay this down and then we can start a new game.. okay?'

Confidence, mixed with the occasional ballsy bluff, was at war with the sure belief, fueled by intense competition, that in no way could this hand happen. This in turn led to the belief in the ultimate coup-fourré. The chance to hoist , nay skewer, their opponents on their own petard of hubris..

There was no way we could take a trick, not even close. I may call it a perfect hand.. I think it was. You would not think it possible, but it is possible and can happen, and it did. So much for hoisting anything.. petard, Capt Picard, or any other kind of card tard that afternoon. Legendary..

That is now known as the Agincourt Gambit in 500... at least to us few, us lucky few..

Who says card games and blog posts can't be educational?

Happy Card Flopping

Of Dice and Spit Bubbles

The Technotyke is pointing out to Miss O all the cool stuff. Tanks! Ponies! He was on a roll last night. When he saw that red Taurus pull up he was hopping up and down. He was already pretty wired being in a game store, with big guys and there was models and stuff.. add in J & M with the baby.. he was so excited I thought he was going to pee!

Then he was telling her about dice.. He got to roll dice and get the bad guys and, and, and... He is already a fast talker! He wanted her to roll dice and help him get the bad guy models. Oh and did she want to share his popcorn? He got popcorn and soda and he was rolling dice! She made a spit bubble and looked at him. That was good enough for him. He cant wait for her to grow up and so they can play with the models. They do grow fast...

Well, it is a crappy pic, but it is me, with a phone camera.. But this was the big bad guy Cam was battling in his game with Josh. The tehnotyke kept telling Cam, take that bad boy down! It was an epic battle, lots of dice rolling and a great game as far as the tyke was concerned. Good guys and bad guys, dueling it out on the tabletop. 

Needless to say, the tyke is already, at 4 1/2, a total gamer geek. He loves video games, board games, card games, and miniature games. No surprise really. He comes from a family of gamer geeks. If given a chance, Miss O will be rolling dice long before she can walk and talk. I happen know the tyke has some large soft, plush dice he used to play with all the time.

Time to dig them out again so they can play.

Monopoly 75th Anniversary!

It is hard to imagine Monopoly is 75 years old. What a fantastic game! It has to be, to have lasted all these years. Let me take a minute to tell you something super cool.

Jennifer Hudock at Kid Wonderful is having a super neato giveaway to help celebrate the anniversary. I love being a part of Kid Wonderful and I wanted to help out. I like contests and giveaways and Monopoly and kids. It is win all around. Here is the link. Head on over and enter the contest! Not only can you win the Monopoly Deals Card Game, but the Disney Pixar Monopoly Game!

When I was a wee lad in the Fashioned Challenged Seventies, my family played a lot of Monopoly and my brother and I would argue over who got to be the car. My wife played when she was a wee lass. Monopoly is a favorite on game night with our kiddos. My brother even collects all the different special edition sets. Yep, we love Monopoly.

So dont be shy, its fun! While your there, if you have not checked out Kid Wonderful, take a look around, there are some excellent parents writing there. Every day there are new articles that cover a wide range of kid stuff.

Did I mention its fun?

'Hey Lightning, you ready?'

'Oh yeah...'

Thundering Hooves

There is nothing like a Bretonnian Knight, charging through a field of enemies. Since the Roaring Nineties, I have been pushing miniature Bretonnian models across a table top. The thunder of a charge would shake the table legs and strike fear into opponents. I am a big fan of Knights and Damsels and the Lady of the Lake. Mix Arthurian Legend and Norman Hedge Row Knights and it is awesome.

So what happens when you mix Warhammer, Knights, a tournament, and a penchant for Rocky? I am so glad you asked.. here is the Paddy version. Oh what a convoluted mind it can be.

Many, many moons ago, I played my beloved Brets in a league tournament. Through much luck, hotter then hot dice and the Blessing of the Lady, I won the division championship. Off to the tournament I go to play against three of the very best players in the land in a bracket tourney. Phew.. this was going to be tougher then a three day old ork hide, stretched over an iron spike.

So what do I do? I make a joke of course..

I started posting online about the training I was going through. Chasing chickens in the back alley, punching slabs of meat, working the speed back in the back of the store.. Enter the Rocky. Seriously, I felt like the biggest underdog in history. And of course, I love the Rocky movies, so it was like peanut butter and chocolate. I was blaring the theme music in the store and then all the way down during the two hour drive to the tournament.

And from the department of further proof that the better 1/2 is indeed truly cool beyond words, she looks at me just before it starts and says.. 'Win'

For the record, I pulled a Rocky. I got the tar beat out of me, stood back up, and won each match to carry home the belt. I guess all that training helped, even if I could never catch that stupid chicken. 

Gonna Fly Now

Freeland 40k Free For All

Okay then, its like this see. In the wide world of gaming, there is nothing like watching a new player start in a game you love. My motto has always been the more the merrier. So when a new player comes along and starts down the gaming path I have tread for so many years, its a cool thing. And you know what? We need to document some of the 40k action from last night and the new figs on the table.

That my friends, are freshly primed space marines right out of the starter game Assault on Black Reach. Ahh, there is nothing like walking up to the game store and getting a whiff of primer. Even better? Those virgin space marines got a chance to be blooded on the table top.

So whats a game with out the bad guys right? Orks, fresh from the box, glued and primed and ready to take on the marines. A bit of ork blood got spilled on ye olde game table as well.. A classic battle of marines versus orks!* Can you imagine the carnage they will produce and how cool they will be when fully painted? I can..

The followers of Khorne rushing to chop down the Tau! Cry Chaos! and let slip the Bloodletters.. Mid picture, hiding in the trees, are the brave men of Tanith. Led by Gaunt, they had happened upon the battle of the forces of Chaos and the Tau. Choosing the greater of two evils, they rushed from the trees to cut down mankind's most fearsome enemy. The Tau, having survived the onslaught, slipped away in the skimmers to fight another day..

Then the Tau, the lesser of two evils, fell afoul of the Space Wolves.. and this time, the Emperors forces had them in a trap they would not so easily escape!

Having broke upon the rock of the vaunted Space Wolves, the Tau soon found themselves between a rock and a hard place. That hard place was Ibram Gaunt and the men of Tanith. The alien was purged from the tabletops in the city of Freeland Friday night.*

In the end, it was a good night for gaming and what playing 40k across the tabletop from your opponent is all about. This, my fellow wanderers, is fun

*No actual demon miniatures or followers of chaos, Wolves, Tau, or Tanith were harmed in the battle. Also, the orks and space marines tipped a few mugs of ale after their 'battle'. There was that awful sound of minis hitting asphalt out in the parking lot as a box fell open, but all pieces parts were saved and all that was needed was a bit of glue.

Fight Night Podcast

Hey folks, I got to do something way cool a week ago. I got a chance to do a podcast interview with my good friend Bio, a.k.a. The Librarian. He does the Official Podcast for the 40k Fight Club and I got to chat with him here in episode four. First up, The Librarian chats with Hornblower, and they talk 40k. Then I come in at the 50 min mark and The Librarian is kind enough to let me talk away.

Of course I was fighting a raging cough and I sound pretty rough. The techno-tyke wanted to chat too, you might even hear a Dad in there. It was pretty fun though. You gotta love the power of Skype.

That was just a couple of guys, shooting the breeze about Warhammer and gaming. I still love to push minis, I just don't do it as often. It's a good hobby and we had fun running the game store. Those were good days, a lot of fun. I want to thank Bio and the 40k Fight Club for having me on the show. I was pretty good too, I stuck as close as I could to 45 mins.

Everyone knows I talk too much. Take a listen..

Fight_Night_Episode_4_Beware_the_Flase_Prophet

Gluing my Fingers

Good day fellow wandering gamers!

I have to report in on the gaming front and to share a bit of laugh at Paddy time. Last night I dug out the Bretonnians, my Warhammer mini army of choice to spruce 'em up. Some of these figures are from the late nineties and if you have set across the table from me, you probably faced 'em. Well after ten plus years of constant play and very little upkeep, they are lookin' kinda beat up. Okay, very beat up, what with missing heads and arms and broken lances, etc.

I have been playing with the little guy, Simon, and we have been having fun playing with the ponies. The other day he says 'Dad, this pony lost it's head'. I say, well that's okay, we'll just have to fix 'em up. Of course, I did not have any super glue, so here we were with a headless pony. Drats! I hate it when that happens. Yesterday we bought some glue and started fixing the ponies last night.

Now the tyke is four, so I was explaining that we don't touch the sharp knife, nor the super glue. He understands sharp so we were good there, but I thought I should explain super glue. It just so happened, like usual for me, that I had gotten a small bit of glue on my fore finger and thumb. I said see if you get glue on your fingers, you will stick to stuff, and showed him how my fingers were sticky. I got the ohh and the nod so I figured we were good to go.

Then I could not get my fingers apart, it had set that fast. Pretty good glue really, but bad for the fingers cause they were really stuck. Of course, we didn't have any nail polish remover, best stuff on the planet to dissolve super glue and the cheaper the brand, the better. Oh bother.. The pads were stuck, so sawing em apart with the knife? yeah good thing to teach the tyke, right.

I pulled them apart, lost a bit of skin and today those fingers hurt quite a bit. Lesson learned for the tyke. Me? Nah I still haven't learned that lesson, cause well.. this is about the zillionth time I have done that, that is why I keep nail polish remover around. As a side note, nooo.. better 1/2 doesn't paint her nails so she doesn't use the stuff.

Good news is, we fixed some ponies and we also found a bunch of figs I forgot I had, so we put them together to paint. The tyke has been painting bowmen, I have a metric butt load of those and you gotta start somewhere. Today, we are gonna do some more and the tyke said after lunch he would help with the ponies. That is what we are gonna do, paint some figs. Hopefully, I won't glue anything together that shouldn't be attached and we'll survive the experience until mom gets home from work.

I love doing this kinda stuff with kids. I enjoyed it with the older kiddos and their friends and I get to do it again with the little guy. This is quality kiddo time and a chance to teach the little guy all about gaming, cause its cool. I am ready for pony repair duty!

High Noon at Kochville

I had a blast yesterday, playing the games we love with good friends. It is always a good time, hanging with Paddy's Heroes. I think we will be having another big game day get together soon, we just have to do that more often. Look at how goofy we are..

Playing some Warhammer..

and The Tim being.. well.. The Tim. You can see the xbox corner which was going full swing all day as well.

What a geeky crew.. and there is the tyke, Simon is slo-mo, cause I am here to tell ya, he was go go go all day long. We are training him for future geekery-ness. In most pics he is a blur, the kiddo moves that fast. This game, Big Jeff spanked my poor Brets while behind us, Blake was stomping on Brian's rats.

 and of course, Mr. Piddles showed up with his shovel in hand to dig into better 1/2's cooking ~ that was some yummy dip!

So yeah, we had a good time, foraged some food, played some games and talked non-stop from noon to midnight. It was a very long day, but seemed too short. We just don't do that enough anymore. At one time, when we ran the game store, it started Friday about noon and but for the brief 6 hrs of sleep Friday and Saturday night.. er morning, it was go go go. Good times man, good times.

The Continuing Story of Mr. Piddles

And there he is, in all his glory. That's right game fans, Mr. Piddles has hacked the wandering blog. I can't go anywhere without this gnome following me, not even in my own blog. Well.. it was bound to happen sooner or later, so let's get it over with, shall we??

Mr. Piddles is a bit of a wandering gnome, and often dresses for the occasion. In the above picture, it was apparently cowboy day at the old store. To know the mind of Mr. Piddles is to shake, rattle and roll. I remember when he first showed up one day in the midst of a warhammer campaign I was running. There he was, shootin' from the hip, doggin' everyone's footsteps. He has stuck around since then. For the longest time, he sat on the front counter, surveying his gaming kingdom. Today he sits by my T.V. at the foot of the bed.

He is a bit of a saucy gnome, and a prankster of the highest order. I believe that is why he has showed up here, to torment us all. But hey, that's okay, he is pretty fun. He also holds the title of Official Mascot of Paddy's Heroes. Along with the Oggity-Boggity Stick, he is one of our fun loving, game playing tokens of jocularity. And that, my wandering friends, is about all the introduction he needs. Sit back, laugh, and enjoy the show, cause Piddles the Prankster is in da house!