Happy New Year

We have just returned from the UK, having spent Christmas and New Year with our son and his family.

This was our first visit to the UK since December 2019, due of course to Covid

It was also the first time since then that I have been separated not only from my computer, but also our wargame

This will explain why I have not posted on the blog for three weeks

It is not a bad thing to have a complete break from our normal weekly routine

This includes, of course, not only the 1813 campaign but also the wargames table.

However I found that I really missed the weekly routine, though not so much the Wargaming and campaign

In fact it was a relief not to have to meet the weekly deadline to post on this blog and the 1813 campaign blog.

 

For the past 16 years our weekly routine has been dominated by Wargaming and our hill walking group

Jan and I have been walking in this part of Spain since we moved here in 2006

Having gained a comprehensive knowledge of the local walks we formed a walking group through the local U3A

Membership is mostly British ex pats, but also Dutch, Belgian and German.

Strangely no Spanish members.    This is not intentional on our part, but none have applied to join.

 

Over the years Jan and I have developed a pretty strict weekly routine

Monday we lead the hill walking group

Tuesday we visit the local town (Jalon) for the twice weekly shop

Wednesday I post the weekly walking blog and also the U3A and Jalon Facebook

Thursday I plan the next Monday walk and send an email to all members

Friday we visit the larger coastal town (Calpe) for our second weekly shop

Saturday I collate replies and prepare a map of the Monday walk

Sunday I rest!

 

The wargame fits in between the daily routine

Most afternoons we spend an hour or two Wargaming

When a game is completed I then spend the best part of one day updating the campaign

The next day I set up the next game

 

The above had resulted in a busy, but not hectic, weekly routine which suits us both very well

It is a good mixture of physical and mental activity

 

A year ago I started a new project, which has been very time consuming

I start the walking blog in 2009, and I take about 20 photos on each walk for the weekly blog

A couple of years ago a friend suggested that I make YouTube videos of them

At first it was intended to be an annual review, with about two photos from each walk

But gradually it extended and I am now making 6 to 10 videos of each month

At present I am up to 2018 and have done 131 visdeos.

I really enjoy making the videos, which are then available to friends and family to watch

Jan and I also watch one most days.

However this resulted in even less time for our Wargaming activities

 

Three months ago Jan went to see our doctor about increasing back pain

X-rays confirmed a couple of herniated discs

It is not life threatening, but it is very painful

The doctor confirmed she must take it easy until she can see a specialist

This meant she could no longer do our weekly hill walking, at least until her specialist appointment

This was a serious problem, because the walking group are our main social group

 

I didn’t want to stop the hill walking group, but I decided to start a second group

This would meet on a Thursday, and do easier three hour low level walks on good tracks

It has been very popular, and now has a membership of 20

For Jan it offers both regular exercise and a new set of walking friends

However it does double the amount of time I spend on administration.

 

The main casualty has been the 1813 campaign and this blog

We do try to fit in as much Wargaming as before, but it is very difficult

I find that we have to make a real effort to Wargaming each afternoon

And I never seem to have time to update the campaign.

 

I have always maintained that we find the time to do the things we really want to do

It is, of course, always a matter of priorities

And at present Wargaming has slipped from equal first priority to poor fourth priority

 

There is no chance that I will abandon my Wargaming entirely

But it may take a few months before I can find sufficient time to do it properly

At my present rate I should complete the backlog of the walking videos in about March

I will still have to produce two or three videos each month, but that will only take as many days

I should then have sufficient capacity to give the Wargaming the time it requires and deserves.

 

This problem is, of course, entirely self created

But I do enjoy all four projects and I am reluctant to give any of them up

And I am confident that I will be able to solve it by better time management

 

I plan to keep both this blog and the campaign blog going

I hope to post here each week, and at least once a week on the 1813 campaign blog.

You will be the first to know if I fail to do so

 

Happy New Year one and all