There is probably no hotter Scape figure than Otonashi. Sure the Ashrens and Nikitas are gorgeous but they have too much attitude for me. The down to earth yoga outfit and pony tail of my favourite girl ninja have always moved my bokken. I admire strong women who are good with weapons- some men don’t like that but I prefer relationships that are based on equality. Who doesn’t want a woman who’s got their back?

That said, you can imagine my delight when I was recently at a friend’s Heroscape costume birthday party and there was an Otonashi in attendance. I don’t know too many Scapers in my area except for Ken. He’s divorced and in his forties but really he’s just a big kid in a balding middle aged pot bellied body. When I’d heard he was doing a Scape costume theme I suggested he go as Krug, but he wasn’t impressed. I almost got uninvited.

Ken had this ridiculous white blond wig and he was going as Ervan Sunshadow. A sort of older, overweight Ervan...

Currently I have three weeks of work left, and then I am unemployed. It may be that I will be extended, or I may not be. I’m pretty sure that no one knows what they’re doing.

But I was here yesterday when a possum came to the front door. We had a large winter storm the day before- supposedly the biggest in a decade. (but nothing compared to the ones I remember as a kid). We received a pile of snow and some blizzardy winds and the whole city sort of shut down. The schools were closed but I still had to go into work.

It was a quiet day, most of our clients didn’t show up and by afternoon the place was empty. And that’s when I noticed the possum. He was standing in front of the two big glass doors- it looked like he was wondering how to come in. He wasn’t that big- a juvenile I’d say- and it may have even been a she.

I gathered all three of the staff that had made it in that day and we slowly moved closer to the glass door- maybe...

People have been asking me what the highlights of my holidays were. I’m hoping it’s not because I’m usually long-winded. I guess they’re still speaking to me so they can’t hate me that much.

There were a lot of good things and a few bad things. The bad things were mostly old people and old cats getting sick and trying to die. Fortunately none succeeded.

The very best part, for me, selfishly, was tobogganing. I’m sure you don’t think that I’m too old for it. I don’t think you’re too old for it. But do you know some people actually do get to old for tobogganing?

My sweetie’s sister has two young sons and when she was forty she was going to go down the hill. Her husband told her she was crazy and that people her age don’t toboggan. She tried anyway. Going down the hill, she thought she was going too fast and she tried to slow herself down by sticking her foot out. She broke her leg. Her husband said “told you so”, and she will...

It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas.

They say that smell is one of the strongest senses. It is certainly underused, or underdeveloped or just plain ol neglected in humans. We don’t really trust our nose that much anymore. Too many centuries of living in close quarters with others of our species perhaps has dulled our appreciation of all things olfactory. Surely anyone who has lived with a group in confined quarters has learned to turn off the nostrils due to the everyday odours of feet, sweat, farts and bad cooking.

Years ago I read about an experiment where a piece of rancid meat, about the size of a hot dog, was buried under a foot of earth. And then the scientists- who were no doubt on a government grant- sat around and waited to see what happened. They were probably unhappy that it unfolded so quickly. Within twenty minutes the first vulture appeared and then more and they quickly zeroed in on the spot where the meat was buried,...

For some time we have been hallucinating about buildings that could be used in Scape.

Not just facades but actual destructible structures that most figures could go in. They’d have to have roofs that you could stand on, windows you could shoot out of, and doors too. Maybe it sounds easier than it is- I guess I don’t have a lot of spare time and I was at a loss at how to proceed.

I used to be a wood and screw guy. Working on miniatures over time has changed me to a glue person, and working on Scape stuff has expanded my imagination to work with whatever is small, cheap and easy to work with.

Initially I’d considered using the thin wood from those Clementine orange crates that you can buy in the winter. You know the ones, they usually come from Morocco, I think? (do you think they cross the Atlantic by boat or plane?)

I thought maybe I’d construct something with slots that the wood would easily fit into. I still consider...