Where does all the time go?

Battle of Vitoria

Jan and I really enjoy our wargaming, and always manage to get in a few hours at the table at least twice or three times a week. But it’s more than two weeks since we last played.

Almost a week ago I set up our version of Vitoria as a "fun game". For the past few months all of our games have been part of the PBEM campaign, and as such have been closely followed by the campaign players. More than one has been the subject of controversary on the campaign forum, and this has made Jan in particular take the game very seriously.

As a break from the campaign, and to fill time whilst there is a lot of map moving going on, we have developed an occasional series of "one off" games based on Wellington's battles in the Peninsula. This is our eighth such game, and we were both looking forward to it.

Yesterday I realised that the table had been waiting almost a week, and we had still not made a start. We suddenly realised that our week was so full that it would be difficult to find time to start the game. We had planned to walk down to the post office to collect our mail (no house delivery in our small Spanish village) and then have a cup of coffee in the Cooperativea. You can get a cup of black coffee heavily laced with brandy for one euro, very pleasant sitting in the sun and watching the world go by very slowly. Hard not to become a habit.

In the afternoon Jan had her new Mosaic class. Its only one afternoon a week, but then she has to find time to work on her new hobby. Her first attempt was a small square about the size of a beer mat. It took two weeks, and I have to admire it at least three or four times a day.

Anyway, we decided to do without our coffee and start the game instead.

But what about the rest of the week?

Monday – Hill walking with our regular group

Tuesday – Jan visits the local market with a group of friends

Wednesday – Jan Mosaic class

Thursday – Spanish conversation class

Friday – Weekly shop, and “people fix”, in Calpe

Saturday – hill walking on our own, or with a couple of friends

Sunday – Housework and free afternoon to meet with friends.

In between this heavy schedule I spend hours working on the PBEM campaign on the computer and working on my five regular blogs.

When I had to work for a living I remember talking to a friend who had recently retired. He told me that he was so busy that he didn’t know how he had ever found time to work. I couldn’t understand what he meant – I can now!

Of course its a nice problem to have. I will just have to get my priorities sorted out, and pencil in two or three sessions at the wargames table each week.