(Painting) Even a Pandemic Won't Move the Lead Pile

Remember the good old days of lock-down COVID, when everyone was stuck inside their homes, learning to knit, or making a sourdough starter? 

Yeah, I don't remember that either, because I was still going into the office (There are somethings that work-from-home staff can't do without in-office support.)  Sure, the hermit like tranquility of the office building  (and the use of executive offices), had it's benefits, but it was business as usual for the last 18 months. 

The first five months of lock-down had me painting an assortment of miscellaneous stuff, stuff I wouldn't normally paint, if I wasn't cleaning things off.  Then my first health scare hit, and despite vision issues, my productivity went up!  Pretty soon I was starting up the Gnomish Space Marines and, despite another health scare in December,  I continued to pump out figures as a relaxed pace to an expert painter, and a crazy volume for dear old me.  

So it's kind of sad to admit that I've barely finished anything on the painting table since my second Hultr halftrack around the July 4th weekend.  

There are a ton of miscellaneous projects in various stages on the bench: OGRE minis, GSM troops, even some 15mm figures, and so far only one thing has been varnished, photographed, and posted for blogging posterity.  And the world is going to get crazier, both COVID and professionally, so I doubt much will come out to end my gaming year (October to September).  

It might also well not that I still have a painting bench after Hurricane Ida.  The remnants of storm that ravage Louisiana worked it's way east and hit us with a healthy 8 inches of rain (Forecast was capping off at 6, and from the radar, we got lucky).  Depsite a new sump pump assembly, clear gutters, and two backs with enough line to get the water off-property, that much rain in less than 20 hours was too much and for about 10 of them, the water was threatening the third shelves of my storage, and the bench itself, and *gasp* the electric lines.  Luckily, my awesome gamer neighbor was kind enough to snag an industrial pump from work and that held off the final onslaught of rain for the last few hours.  I owe him a few nights of playing Magic... and invest on one these heavy duty suckers. 

That being said, a Friday miniature painting update also gives me an opportunity for...

PROJECT 350: After the chaos of #RPGaDay2021, I return to working down my backlog right around where I left off.  Yes, I'm supposed to start this back up after my cruise next week (see Sunday's post for that update), but currently at 490 (316/174) from 497 (314/183)  I've got the never-reducing backlog of Star Wars Actual Plays to work on before I can review all the other projects I'm interested in.

Next: Some unexpected Battle Valor figures, and a visit to Transnistria!