Podcast, New ink and a race around Battalion!

So due to holiday bologna, silly contests and a plethora of other things that no one cares about… I have neglected my audience (but seeing as most of them are crickets I am not too worried…). So now the thing to do would be to slap said offending blog owner repeatedly despite his assertions that he likes it.

Ok…So where were we? Ah yes… So there I was, having an otherwise good morning at my job as an MP, when all of a sudden I get a call from the 1^st Sgt.. Like a good sub-sergeant I ran into his office and found out that I had the next competition for soldier of the year. I had won the Brigade level competition (yea…me!) and was going to the state one. Unfortunately for me no one had told me the date for the state competition or even the fact that I had to go that morning. Apparently everything got all turned around and backwards and they (the four sergeant majors and the first sergeant) had been waiting for us (myself and the NCO of the year…who was also from my company). We had to zip home and superman on a dress uniform and hurry back down to sit in front of the board. I was not a happy trooper. In fact… I almost made a no-no and told off some one way above my pay grade because of it. In the end, we did ok and represented our unit well. The down side to it is that I wanted to win so not having any prep time killed it. I haven’t found out yet whether or not I won but I doubt it. At least I don’t have to do it again and that gives me time for other stuff.

Now, onto some good news… My wife is home from basic training and everything is going well. She had a touch of pneumonia when she got back but it is almost cleared out now. I am very proud of her for what she has done and expect big things from her military wise. She reported for her first drill last weekend and was well received. She ended up working with some good folks and I look forward to seeing her do well (translation: Riding down a firebreak in a HMMW-V[hummer], shooting up the neighborhood with her tongue hanging out and her hair on fire!).

So that’s right ladies and gents…the next project that we did for Steampower is OUT!!! Future Battlefield Soldier: Tunnel RAT just hit the stands and it looks sublime! Not only did I get to do the art on the inside…they gave me the cover as well!!! I am so excited about this because Steampower is a great crew and they put out top-notch stuff. I love their FBS line and use them myself. It is especially fun to be able to draw for something that you have fun with and this definitely hits the spot! Steampower has some great things planned for 07 and HAZARD studio plans on making sure that they have everything they need from us to make the new year STEAMY!!!

Speaking of Steam!!! A while back I wrote about how I went to the Steampunk game after being invited to do so by Tom (Gospog). I have been to two of his games now and I have to say that as a GM this guy is top notch. A fantastic gaming environment coupled with great people and storytelling (and props that are second to none) make this game one of the best I have ever been in. I am having a real blast with it and when the game night gets announced I get all warm and fuzzy! One of the great things about Tom’s game is that he creates his own minis for them. Talk about have game will travel!

If you get a chance, make sure you stop on by to the Accidental Survivor podcast. While I am not a huge fan of podcasting, I did give a good number of them a spin this weekend and a lot of what I heard were people rambling at this table or in that basement and it really didn't turn my gears, game wise. By and far the best one that I have listened to is the Accidental Survivors. The podcast has an excellent and clearly designed format supported by a knowledgeable staff of guys. Nicely done! Please visit their podcast as well as their forums as everyone can walk away from this site with information to use in their games.

Well, on the down side of things this time I might have to close up shop here at HAZARD Stds for about two months. My unit (Army National Guard) won’t promote me until I get reclassified and I don’t want to remain an advanced private forever. The only way to duck said school is to re-enlist for the infantry instead. While part of me misses being all High Speed, a part of me wants to learn how to conduct Military Police operations and see what it is all about.

I’ll keep everyone posted…

Regards,

Walt