Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!
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TIM’s Mid Week Miniature
A return to Knuckleduster. Keeping up with new releases is proving difficult with so many great figures being made available but I am trying my best. Clearly modeled on Clint Eastwood this is in my opinion a great sculpt.
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Understanding Women
A wise man once said …
“Only when you accumulate the understanding to know why a pizza is made round, to be put in a square box and then eaten in triangles, will you then be able to understand women”.
… which leads me neatly on to …
Modelling Retirement Planning – Step 2
Get your jobs list done and out of the way. OK, OK this sounds like a contradiction but there is method in the madness so let me explain.
When you are newly retired you are still very much in work mode which is to say you are used to working at a certain pace and with a certain discipline. The good news is it wares off when you realise you are not on holiday for two weeks but for the rest of your life. So while you are waiting for reality to kick in get the jobs done but don’t work all day and only do indoor jobs to start with.
If you went about Step 1 properly then you should have 4 days a week to call your own. Having allowed the 4 day routine to settle into normality you now need to agree that on your 3 “working” days you plan to work on the remainder of your jobs list in the morning and have time to call you own in the afternoon. Having been a good boy and done most of the indoor jobs you were assigned this should not be a problem if you time it right. You might also try explaining that once the list is eventually complete you will then be able to share her household jobs. Encourage your other half to work in the same way and insist that she takes a break too. She probably wont of course because she has her own routine but make her a cup of tea every now and then and show her your caring side.
All being well you now have 4 day and 3 afternoons for painting and modelling. However, for at least half the year in the UK it is wet weather. Nobody likes working outside when it is pissing down so as long as you have concentrated on doing only the indoor jobs as mentioned above then on those wet days there is nothing to do but either help your other half (as “promised” above) or spend more time painting and modelling!
You are now on track for having 4 days, 3 afternoons and 50% of the working day mornings to call your own. Next week we will start on how to deal with “helping” your other half so that you can claw back the other 50% for yourself.
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This week TIM has been listening to …
Shotgun by Georg Ezra.
This years holiday song which I am dedicating to all you folks in Australia!
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This week TIM has been watching …
Band of Brothers.
This series completely passed me by and despite being told how great it was I still never put myself out to watch it … until now. Two parts in with eight to go. Great stuff. Should have got my arse in gear and watched it sooner!
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Until next time.
TIM
The Imperfect Modeller 
Looking great! Did anyone else whistle the tune to the Good, the bad and the ugly in their head or was it just me. Sage advice again oh guru, people (men) will soon be flocking to your door having walked many miles to hear your pearls of wisdom.
Band of Brothers a most awesome series.
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No you weren’t alone, I watched the film as well why I was painting just to capture the atmosphere! As for retirement tips, you’ll be pleased to learn there are more to come! 😉
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Nice work on Clint there. As for the retirement tips I’m enjoying this course immensely, but do you have any suggestions for a young chap many years from retirement? Specifically I’m looking to apply these techniques to my boss instead of my partner, with the eventual aim of getting the whole week off but still being paid. Any suggestions on how to achieve this holy grail would be much appreciated! 😁
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Without knowing more of what you do that’s a tough one but one idea springs to mind. Involve yourself in a key project which is crucial to your boss but only you have the details and indepth knowledge of, should strengthen your negotiating position quite a bit. 😉
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Dave Dave, over here, we would listen to your tips ,have a laugh, pat you on the shoulder and call you a dick head !! .
Nice work on the poncho really captured it ,if I remember rightly.
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I’d like to think you would also buy me a beer or two as well! 😉
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Oh golly mate ,that goes without saying ! you know you’ve been here all Aussies discussions about women take place in the pub, and we would make sure you left in a suitable pissabled state !
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I’d like to say that Pat’s comment was maybe a bit harsh, but I haven’t stopped laughing yet! 🙂 Excellent mini of Clint, really is! As always, the retirement advice is most welcome!
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Personally I thought he was quite subtle for an Australian. That said words will never hurt me unless SWMBO gets to read them and then I’m a dead man! As for retirement I’d like to think you will be fully prepared for it by the time the step to step guide is finished! 😉
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Actually, if you could come up with a date for when your on-line retirement guide is ready, I’ll let my boss know so that he can also prepare for that day (i.e. get in the bunting, coloured flags, party food etc.)! 🙂
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I reckon you will be fully prepared for leaving by the year end which will allow for everyone to get off to a fresh start in the New Year. 🤗
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As Mark Twain (supposedly said): ‘If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.’
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Nice job on Clint mate, lovely mini & great paint job. As for your retirement tips – I’ll keep them in mind… 20 years to go for me, though I might get some time knocked off for good behaviour 😉
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Trust me the years will fly by mate. Sad but true.
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Love the way you painted old Clint, I can hear the rustling of tumbleweeds and the movie whistling. Spectacular as always and glad to see him. As for retirement, I’m in limbo. Been laid off as you know for a second time in 6 months. Nobody is interviewing or hiring right now but I am looking. Still, I have looked at the math as to whether or not we can make it if nothing shows up. We most likely can, but I’m still going to look. In the meantime I am practicing retirement and your advice is good. Plus I’m trying to walk 4-8 miles a day to last even longer!
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Thanks Mark. Sorry to hear still no joy on the work front but you aren’t the kind of guy to give up so I am sure you will get there in due course. Exercise is good and a good walk is far more enjoyable than the gym as far as I am concerned. I’ll keep the retirement tips coming so you can start to practice! 😊
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Between your tips and IRO’s podcasts on long walks I will be all set my man!
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Great model of not-Clint there, it looks fantastic, and the moody lighting certainly helps as well. I’ve got a trio of western figures that have been sitting on my desk for some time that I really need to get working on. Maybe I can get them finished this year? Keep up the knuckleduster models to keep me inspired!
I’ve got to watch Band of Brothers again. I started watching it years ago, but I honestly can’t recall if I finished it, or if I got distracted by something else… maybe I’ll get onto that as well, though I’ve got most of Preacher still to work through.
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Thank you. I have an army of Knuckleduster figures to do so hopefully they will serve as a reminder of those you have in your neglected pile! Preacher is a new one on me, will check it out.
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