SHOWCASE: Trip’s 2020 Year-end Recap

So... 2020. What a goddamn nightmare, huh?

Would have posted this sooner, but I moved to Japan in mid December, and literally all my personal belongings were on a ship crossing the pacific for two months. And, as it turns out, establishing your life in a new country requires a lot of time and energy. 

With all this time on our hands, it should have been a banner year for hobbying, but you can only make so many toy soldiers to stave off despair. Let’s see what I managed.

JANUARY

A new year dawned. 2019 sucked, but at least 2020 could only get better, right?

FEBRUARY

I completed my Azrael conversion. Finished my apothecary and turned a $30 chaplain into a $70 chaplain. Have you heard about this thing from China? Hope it’s not too serious.

MARCH

I finished the inceptors from the Dark Imperium set, completing my starter Dark Angels army. I posted a tutorial for getting marines on the table fast, using speed painting techniques, and I even completed my long assembled but neglected Death Watch HQ - a converted Zachariah. Holy shit, this Corona thing is dangerous. We’ve all got to stay at home for a couple weeks...

APRIL

I painted Lazarus, posted a tutorial on getting the most out of the Eliminators kit and bought “Know No Fear” to get me through the short lockdown.

MAY

Sat painting quietly. Learned how to home-school my children. Began to sense something I hadn’t felt since the “Red Scare” of the Reagan era... if I remember correctly, it’s called “existential dread “.

JUNE

Finished up “Know No Fear” rather quickly. Sure hope things get back to normal soon! (Began making escape plan with wife in case things didn’t get back to normal soon.)

JULY

Completed six eliminators and purchased Indomitus. That should get me through the next few weeks while this all blows over! (I think maybe this isn’t going to blow over. Escape Plan set in motion.)

AUGUST

Posted the definitive tutorial on stripping miniatures. Rebased some of my Death Watch Kill Team models to unify them, and painted the assault intercessors from Indomitus. Internal horror intensifies. Escape plans in full swing.

SEPTEMBER 

Completed the Eradicators from Indomitus. Holy shit, THE GOVERMENT HAS NO PLAN AND NEVER WILL AS LONG AS THIS ASSHOLE’S IN CHARGE! 250,000 people are dead! Time to pull the ripcord.

OCTOBER

I posted a review of the McFarlane assault intercessor figure. The house is on the market. 300,000 people are dead.

NOVEMBER

The house is sold. The movers are scheduled. 350,000 people are dead. America narrowly avoids falling into literal fascism and autocracy.

DECEMBER 

The house is empty. The keys are turned over to the realtor. We boarded a plane bearing proof of negative test results and VISA exceptions allowing me into Japan. We quarantine in a hotel for two weeks. We celebrate Christmas in our room. I loaded a suitcase with pre-wrapped presents to make sure Santa would “find the hotel”. In America, 400,000 people are dead. We are safe.

So, how was your 2020?