Monthly Archives: August 2023

I painted a Knight (mech)!

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May, June, and July – 2023


I painted a Warhammer miniature!

It’s been years since I’ve put together a miniature like this… and for years, I’ve wanted to put together one of the new line of mechs that Games Workshop’s made. They’re cool, they’ve got lots of guns, and they look like they stepped right out of one of the video games I played as a pre-teen and teenager.

Now… I know they’re hard to paint right, and assembly isn’t simple either, so I took my time. I mean, I took my time choosing to buy one in the first place, didn’t I? But hey – right time and right place… when I saw that a new game shop had opened in town, I figured this’d be a great way to support a local shop AND get started on something I’ve been wanting to try!


I took my time. I watched a few youtube videos from one of the guys who paints the model on the box. I picked out colors, and reviewed what I should do in what order. I bought paints, brushes, and even 3D printed up a new base for it to match the vision I had in mind.

Then, I started in.

It started with dissassembling the big bits and pieces from the plastic sprues, and assembling the basic main subsections. For paint, Priming came first – spray painting it all before applying the main layer.



From there, I did the base coat – a rough silvery metal coloration, followed by some golden / bronze highlights. Then an oily wash, to give it a working and “real life” feel; something that was well maintained, but still walks around a battlefield… instead of something straight from a museum.

I also painted the details of the pilot – small and intricate, but that’s why I was taking my time (three months… seriously!), and using a very small brush.



With the base paint set up, came the armor panels. I painted it bone white, from the Deathwing group of the Dark Angels chapter… Space Marines, instead of Imperial Knights (Warhammer 40k stuff), but they’re the faction I used to play, and I wasn’t planning on ever gaming with this, so… I can do what I want!



With the armor painted, and the highlights completed, all that was left was the final assembly of the Knight and the baseplate it would live on. Carefully applied glue, some aged wreckage, and a small mech model that an old friend had gifted me were all applied, alongside some small trees and grass bought from another nearby hobby store.

I can’t express how proud I am of this. How thankful I am to those who taught me the skill (and patience!) to paint something this intricate… and how excited I am to finally have it ready for display!

A jaunt up toward Elk Meadows

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Saturday, 15-July-2023


The original plan for the weekend was a light and chill backpacking trip up to Elk Meadows – nothing heavy, but nothing too light either… that’s the joy of Elk Meadows, yeah? Simple and short backpack, but then if you’re still energetic there’s the whole meadow, on top of that trail around the ridgeline with all the fallen trees! Stages and levels to the hike galore!

But… we didn’t quite make it that far.

See, it turns out I’m not the only one prone to injury. Maybe that’s one reason Jess and I get along so well – we both break various bits of ourselves with concerning regularity.

This weekend was, unfortunately, Jess’s turn. An injured back, combined with an injured hip, made carrying a pack not the greatest plan out there. At least for Jess – I’d already packed my bag, and… well, no reason to leave it in the car, right?



The plan was simple and clean – we grabbed my traditional brunch at Pine State Biscuits, then headed to Elk Meadows.

“But Ben, didn’t you just say that wasn’t a good idea?” Quite right… quite right. But bear with me.

Then, instead of doing the full ascent, we did the simple part – the flat section up to the steep bit! A little over a mile each way, with basically no elevation change to speak of. Enough to get some healthy motion into the limbs (and some good training for me with the full pack), but not so much that it risks exacerbating any pre-existing injuries.

We hiked, we spent some lazy time relaxing by the rushing river, and I even flew the drone around a bit. Then, we headed back – made a nice dinner, relaxed, and… flew the drone around a bit! Nothing huge, mind you, just straight up far enough to get a nice view of the Portland Skyline, and even a few of the Cascades nearby!


A good day, and a lovely light hike.

(Pancakes from the next days breakfast included!!!)

A pre-birthday Sushi dinner

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Tuesday, 11-July-2023


It’s almost my birthday!

I’d planned a simple and relaxing day – just hanging out, having a nice breakfast, catching up on things, gaming, and then doing a fun dinner with Jess in the early evening. On Tuesday, though, I’d aim to climb and have sushi! Climb hard, eat well, get lots of rest… not a bad start to a Birthday, right?

Bri and I climbed hard – I don’t remember details, but it was at the usual climbing gym, and I do recall that I put up a good number of routes… But what I do remember was sushi afterward!

We went to a spot that Jessie and I had been, ages back, called Yama. There, we ordered… basically everything. Quail eggs, sushi rolls, soup… I’d climbed hard, and it was my birthday.

Afterward – Ice Cream.

#worth_it.