All quiet on the blogging front

We mainly like sleeping on each other. 

I may have mentioned that there is preciously little blogging going on at the moment.  Quite a bit of that has had to do with working all the hours that God sends at the moment. I will be very happy when by mid May when this rush of stuff is over.  In other news, we are looking after some foster kittens again for the DSPCA. Now we have a rule that we never take fewer than three kittens, mainly because we're well aware that five cats is just too many. At least if we have three, we know we have to give them back. 

Now as it happened when I explained this to the new girl at the DSPCA, her ears pricked up and she said "So you'd be happy to take more than three?"  

Running, jumping, climbing humans - the days are just packed!

And that ladies and germs is how we ended up with six foster kittens - they are

Hillary - who likes climbing things. 

Myrtle - who moans and cries all the time. 

Louis - (short for Richelieu) because he has a black spot on his chin. 

Louis is their leader. 

Mary - who cleans things mercilessly. 

This is definitely not a reference to my mother in law. 

Spike - because his fur will just not stay down. 

Monty - short for "The Comte de Monte Kitten", so named because 

we couldn't come up with a name for him after the first few days. 

But also sleeping. 

...and occasionally washing. 

We will only have these chaps for five weeks, but they're already proving a hit. They are also much cleaner than the previous crew. 

Niiii-arrrrroooo!

But lest you think that there will be no wargaming at all in this blog, I present you with a picture from our Kursk campaign on Sunday. My semi-finished Stuka taking the fight to some Soviet lend lease armour in the final game.  This was a great success and went well.  This was one of the first times we've used the air rules in an Overlord game and they made for some interesting play. I was very happy with it, but that's for another post. 

Those demmed politicals!

Sir Harry Flashman VC returned from his secret mission

One of the problems of being a cat that is also a national hero, beloved by millions, is that you will occasionally be sent on secret missions for HMG, which will sadly necessitate putting your precious pelt in harms way. Those demmed politicals will think up hideous schemes to ensnare a chap. 

Which is of course, how Flashman came to lose his eyebrow. 

I suspect that while he was on this secret mission, someone threw a banger (an M80 to our trans-atlantic chums) at him or threw one and Flashman chased it. At least that's what I gather from the lack of eyebrow and the black marks on his face when he came in the other night.

All I can say is God help the young gentleman I find throwing bangers at animals over the next few weeks. 

Addendum: Posting it likely to be sparse for a little while, I have some posts written, but unfinished. Work and life are simply demanding a little too much of my attention at present.  

Battle Report

My apologies gentlemen - a run of things at work are preventing me from indulging in my usual blog related antics.

In the mean time, please enjoy the above battle report. The cause is obscure, the sides immaterial, but the result is clear.

I'll be off then.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Kittens

Kittens!

Relatively recently, we discovered that the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have animals that need foster homes.  We took three kittens off their hands five weeks ago and they're to be returned in Friday. It's been a wonderful experience and one that we will definately be repeating.

These chaps were part of a litter of six whose mother had a fatal encounter with a car.

The three musketeers are...

General Gorman - so named because of his disdain for episcopacy. He is often covered in food.

Johnny C - a quiet, watchful kitten with an interest in toy soldiers.

Savage - the smallest and fightiest of the kittens. Savage is definately their leader.

Running, jumping, chasing your brother, hiding behind the couch, playing with string - the days are just packed.

And then sleep.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Merry Christmas

My favourite Christmas music

I've been off the radar of late as this is a very busy time of year.

This is our first Christmas in our new home and it's wonderful. Mrs Kinch has worked very very hard to make it as good as it can possibly be and I can't tell you how happy I was to arrive home to her, bearing our first Christmas tree over my shoulder. The cats have been enjoying a feast of low hanging baubles.

Another treat was being finally able to open a wedding present from my Mother in Law*, a beautiful hand painted Nativity from Germany, a country which celebrates Christmas very well. It's on the pianola in the hall and I'm eyeing it with definite plans for expansion. I forsee a sort of triptych arrangement for next year, with three painted backdrops. That said, thus far it is one of only three cribs in the house. Plans for expansion indeed.

It's been a very surprising year and I can't begin to list the things we have to be thankful for. I've weathered another year professionally, without being found out as the fraud I sometimes feel myself to be. Mrs Kinch (mainly her and her father to be honest) and I have managed to turn what was a real fixer upper into a home. Admittedly, a home that has some way to go - but a home nonetheless. There are a hundred and one other things, but I won't go into them now.

I'll be working over Christmas, but I'm due some time off afterwards, so you'll hear more from me after.

Firstly, Christmas is a wonderful time, but not for everyone. If like me, you're bad with money, I recommend thinking of a small discrete unit of money. For me it is the price of a gin and tonic, it could be the cost of a cup of coffee or a packet of chewing gum. Try and think of something that you buy everyday. There are twelve days of Christmas, try to give that much every day of Christmas. I won't advise you where to give it, there are plenty of homeless shelters, charities and other organisations that could find a good use for those few coins. There are some sacrifices so small, that it is shameful not to make them. Pick something different everyday. It's a good feeling.

I guarantee you'll get greedy for it by the end.

Secondly, for those you who like to drink at Christmas, I raise my glass to you. However, I would beg you to please stay off the roads. Delivering bad news at Christmas is never easy, it can certainly spoil the day of the deliverer. Receiving it is far far worse and can blight lives for years, if not longer.

I missed the Messiah in St. Patricks this year as I was working.

But this is still good.

Lastly, Mrs Kinch, Sisi, Sir Harry Flashman VC and I all wish you a very, very Merry Christmas, be it sacred or profane, and hope you all enjoy a peaceful and prosperous New Year.


*She and my wife are very much of the opinion that setting up the tree and the cribs are "boy jobs".

Latest arrival

On a non-wargaming related note, here is some footage of our latest

arrival; Sir Harry Flashman VC. He's just all tuckered out.

You get some strange looks at the vet with that name I can tell you.