Its been a strange time for me hobby wise the last week or two and then I had about the worst 24 hours I’ve had in a long time this week as well. I usually steer clear of stuff going on in my personal life because I’ve always kind of viewed this site as a website about miniatures in the hobby and people don’t generally check these things for other content but my experiences were bad enough, I feel like it is worth sharing this time.
I don’t want to go into great depth but I have the worst neighbors who moved in a month or maybe two months ago. They’re bad enough that its hard to know when the torture began. They do nearly every small thing that would annoy others. Being loud in the hallways of an apartment building, being rude to others who are kind to them, etc.. This week they decided to play music loudly a lot so the bass was vibrating through the walls of my entire apartment which was bad enough as it is. But then they decided to do it at 3:30 in the morning which woke me and my fiancée up. We called the police which is the first time I’ve had to do that in my life. That alone would be enough to ruin someone’s day but then later that day I was leaving to go get my first COVID vaccine shot and I ran into one of them with their dog in our apartment’s courtyard. The dog is a Pit-bull mutt and is a puppy and it ran up to me (because it was unleashed) and started biting on my pant leg and then jumped up and bit my arm. Thankfully, it didn’t break the skin and I was able to get away from the dog and its owner shortly after that unharmed but really mad and a little frightened too. I think the dog is teething but that is sooo dangerous that it is doing that to people, especially if the dog continues that behavior when it gets older. I’m not surprised that their dog is dangerous because they seem negligent in everything they do. Unfortunately, I tried to file a report with the police and they told me they wouldn’t do that unless if I was actually injured which is crazy. I want to PREVENT that from happening. I was so angry and frustrated on the day that it happened because I had to take the day off of work entirely to deal with all of their crap and the end result is basically that my neighbors will get a demerit from the property management company at our building because the police won’t do anything. I was already looking forward to moving but now I’m dying to get out of this place and away from them. My neighbors truly are terrible and unlikable people who pay no mind to anyone around them. I thankfully have rarely run into such people but it is scary to see that some people are this way.
With that horrible event out of the way, I have been painting but I don’t have tons to show off considering I’ve had about two weeks to since my last update. Here is what I have done.
First up, I got another objective marker done. As you can see this one is practically a little diorama with all of the household items to paint. Objective markers like this take a long time to complete because because each item has its own paint scheme that I have to find pictures of online (because I’m an obsessive modeler) and then finally paint. I really like the writing on various objects and the scratches on the red container’s label look very convincing too. Its kind of hard to see in the photo directly above though, unfortunately. The weathering/rust could have been a bit darker on the red parts but that is the only thing I would really change, well that, and I wish these didn’t always take so long to finish. Its hard to get motivated to paint one and then when I finally do, I’m usually like, I’m not doing that again for a while! I was feeling tired and lazy tonight so I don’t have a picture of all my completed objective markers but I will get them out when I complete another one of them. I think I’ve got 4-5 of the 10 done which is not too shabby.
Next up, I completed another Gen 2 Synth. I kind of forgot how I did the previous one so I was making things up as I went along with this one but I’m happy to say he came out well and looks good in comparison with the previous one. Not a lot to say on this one other than, I think I probably didn’t quite match the bone colored armor plates and darkened those too much. I remember when I was playing and painting MESBG, I would really obsess over that sort of thing and trying to stay as consistent as I could but for whatever reason, I’m not at all bothered this time around by it. Here is a look at what I’ve painted for the Institute thus far. I’m halfway through the box now which is nice to say. I unfortunately mostly have Gen 1 Synths to paint now so that will be a little repetitious I imagine but I’ll get through it.
And that is all I accomplished. There are exciting things on the horizon though. I got the Deathclaw mini, which I need for the next Fallout scenario, ready to be painted and I may focus on it next. I also made a somewhat surprise purchase that will be a big project. I’ll give you a few hints to get you excited. It is made by Games Workshop. It is in the fantasy genre. And it is Elvish in nature. I have some great ideas in mind for it as well so I think it has potential to be a real winner and outdo old Drazhar but only time will tell. I may get going on that this upcoming week instead of the Deathclaw. I’m not sure and am feeling a little indecisive the last day or two as I try to ramp up on something.
I’ve also been eyeing some gaming projects outside of Fallout and while I was hoping to get into that in this week’s update, I think I will save it for next week as this post is plenty long enough as it is. I have condo showings on Saturday and Sunday this week so my condo hunting and the wedding are starting to impact my hobbying time a bit more now. I’m sure that is at least partially why I don’t have a lot to show for in the last two weeks too. Hopefully I can make some meaningful hobby progress this week and get caught up on what everyone else is doing hobby wise soon too!
Kuribo's Painting 
Shame about the neighbours but I suspect you will never get through to people like that. The police and the system are generally crap at times like that too which is a pity. The good news is you are down to move soon so hopefully you can weather the storm and move on. The markers and figures look great. 🙂
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I completely agree with your thoughts on the neighbors and police, mate. I will do my best to stay safe and keep my sanity intact in the meantime. Thanks for the kind words on the minis as always too! 🙂
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I hit like but only for the outstanding Institute Synth and objective markers. The Institute is fascinating to me and I love their aesthetics. You do a brilliant job bringing them to life… pardon the pun!
I do not like what you are having to go through with your neighbor. Having been a cop, I am all too familiar with your situation, Policing is all too often about cleaning up messes afterwards rather than prevention. Cops often run from being idealists who wish they could do more than the system will allow to cynical veterans too bitter to really care much about individuals with “maybe, one day” situations. Every department is different to some degree and I respect folks that do the Job but I do not count on policing to prevent much of anything. Nor do I expect much justice from Courts… but the system, as bad as it is, is still better than living in an actual police state or anarchy.
All you can do is stay strong and endure until the move. You have a brilliant future away from those neighbors looming on the horizon.
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I’m really glad you enjoy The Institute minis I’ve been slowly painting! I suspect that many Fallout players don’t enjoy that faction as much as you and personally, I’m hoping they’re fun to use on the tabletop and who knows, maybe I’ll be able to try them out in a game soon.
I work for a big company so I’m used to bureaucracy and I often lament how little control you have over things in your life as an adult and my experiences this week go along with that and what you’re saying too. It can be infuriating to be so powerless and see the police whom you expect to help, do nothing. It undermines your faith in the system when you feel like you’re doing the morally right thing and they don’t want to help you. I think that is why I enjoy the Noir genre so much as it features flawed but likable people doing the right thing which ultimately punishes and dooms them. For me anyway, I’ve always found that to be sadly relatable. It also makes me appreciate a superhero like Daredevil who can follow his beliefs and morals and act upon them directly to make a positive impact in the world where so few of us are afforded such a luxury.
I agree with your final sentiment as well. Condo hunting went really well today and I think we found a place that will be a huge improvement upon where we currently live. Fingers crossed that the next parts of the buying process go in our favor!
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Wow, on both fronts. Bad neighbors are not fun, been there, but at least you are renting and can move easily enough. Another reason to live outside of big cities! As for the objective marker, I really like it. The details are very well done, down to the labeling (I had to blow up the picture to see how good it really was!). The Fallout stuff is still coming along very well indeed!
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Renting certainly allows you flexibility in moving which I appreciate. I do enjoy living in the city though so I don’t plan on leaving Chicago anytime soon 🙂 I’m really glad you like how the objective marker came out as well. Sometimes when you put extra time and effort into a mini, you question whether it is worth but for me anyway, if others like it and are impressed than I say it definitely is!
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Oh man, those neighbours sound like a nightmare. And as a dog owner, a puppy should be on a leash when in public (unless it’s a dog park/beach); puppies have no socialization boundaries at all.
On a happier note, the figures look great and the painting and level of detail on the objective marker is just excellent.
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The neighbors certainly have been horrible thus far in a pretty short time. I completely agree. A dog, and especially a puppy, has to be leashed at all times. You want to be in control of the dog and not the other way around!
Thanks for the kind words on the painting too 🙂
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I think neighbours like that just live to cause as much trouble as they can unfortunately! At least you have a move planned. Nice minis and markers! 🙂
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I would have to agree, John and thank you for the support as always! 🙂
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Look mate, just cool it ok. There’s only so many hours in the day for painting, and only so much money in the bank to spend on miniatures, and my desk is groaning under the weight already. Yet every time you post up more awesome looking Fallout stuff my finger hovers a little closer to the “buy” button. You’re leading me down a dark path I tell you!
Seriously, these are lovely. Very much looking forward to this elven project as well, Drazhar was a triumph. Sorry to hear about your neighbours, I love dogs but you’ve got to train them. Some people just can’t be bothered though, which is at best inconsiderate and at worst bloody dangerous – and cruel to the dog too. Ah well, at least you’re moving, you only need to put up with them for a few more months, they need to put up with themselves for the rest of their lives!
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The Chaos Gods led you down a dark path much earlier than I did, mate 😉 If I were you and you like Fallout: New Vegas (possibly a big if there), I’d wait to see if Modiphius puts out a new starter set for those releases. The current one is affordably priced but the PVC sculpts are a bit too board gamey in quality for my taste. Of course, if you’re more interested in Fallout 4 then, I’d definitely recommend grabbing that one even if you do what I did and replace most of the PVC minis with resin ones instead. Thanks for the kind words on the painting too 🙂
I couldn’t agree more about dogs. They aren’t born or even learn what you want them to do on their own, you have to train them but some people definitely do not get that for some reason. Regardless, the wheels are turning and I might have some really positive news next week on the housing situation so fingers crossed on that!
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Sorry to hear about your neighbours Jeff, unfortunately bad people can live in good places, we have two in our area, thankfully one isn’t here so much now, just one to deal with. Not controlling their dog shows how inconsiderate they are !
The marker and synth look excellent, and can really appreciate all the extra work you have put into the marker. The difference in the bone colour adds interest between the synth’s.
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That is well said, Dave. Much like you can’t pick your family, you can also be stuck with lousy neighbors unfortunately. Thank you for the kind words on the latest minis as well. It is always nice to know that the extra painting time and effort paid off!
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Will focus on the positive – well done on the objective piece! What is the screw type piece on the top and is that really a beer stein on the bottom?
I actually think that the Synth looks better not being an exact match with his “brother”, different units would age/degrade at different rates so a slight difference is expected.
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The screw type of piece is “Wonderglue” which I guess makes sense when you think about it but it took me a minute to remember/figure that one out. The beer stein is an oil can. I imagine it is meant to be a retro style since Fallout has a retro 1950’s style sprinkled throughout.
I completely agree on the Synths having some variation. They all are battle damaged to an extent too so a little more grime makes sense. I think even in LOTR it would be totally fine but you know me, always striving for perfection 🙂
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I missed the spout on the oil can! Of course a spout on a beer stein might not be a bad idea….
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Haha, I actually didn’t know what you were referring to and went back to look at the mini initially but the oil can really does bear a resemblance to that very famous and important German invention 🙂
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Nice painting on the synthetic and the markers. Your fallout collection is really taking shape!
Personal stuff has a way of creeping into blog posts. Especially when you have regulars like myself who read every post and we start becoming more like pen pals than strangers on the internet. Least that’s the way I start to feel. I like hearing some personal information now and then. Though I’m sorry that in case it’s frustrating Nieghbors. Should fuel your house hunt nicely though. 😀. Hang in there. It’ll get better.
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You’re right! The Fallout minis are getting done quicker than I expected and I’ve got a nice amount of them to play around with now.
That is the truth about personal information creeping in. Writing is therapeutic too so that doesn’t help keep it separated from our hobbies either. I will have good news to share this weekend so once again, more personal life creeping into my updates 😀
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First off, some great painting as always, and I love that objective marker.
Secondly, sorry to hear about your neighbours; it’s so frustrating and there seems so little you can do.
As for dogs (and I’m a dog owner myself) I had a similar instance myself – two collies attacked our dog and I had to fend them off, but because they didn’t actually bite me they wouldn’t do anything. Unless they do physical damage it’s a civil matter!
I also rescued a dog from a busy main road, no identification on it and causing a nightmare to the road users. I called the local police. “Has it been removed from the road and no longer causing an issue?” they asked.
“Yes”, I said, ‘But I don’t know who the owner is”.
“Well, if it’s no longer causing a problem there’s nothing we can do”.
“So,” I said,” If I let it go again and it goes onto the road then it would be your problem?”
“Oh, yes sir,” I felt a but coming, “But then we’d have to arrest you for releasing intentionally the animal and causing a traffic incident!”
Sometimes you just can’t win!
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Thank you for the kind words on the painting! One thing I honestly didn’t expect was for others to have similar experiences to my own. What you described seems to be common across countries which really surprises me. I initially thought, oh its a Chicago thing, the police barely monitor the trains too so it is just my bad luck, but to hear of it happening in England too (where you guys have a different kind of policing or that is my impression anyway), has made me realize exactly what you said. You really can’t win and that law enforcement is not an ally when you’re in tough situations like this unless you’ve been physically harmed in some way which is already a bad enough on its own. Thanks for weighing in and sharing your thoughts on this, mate!
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Amazing isn’t it… what a sorry state the world is in!
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Read this the other day, but was on my mobile at work, and well, that’s not any use for anything beyond pressing “like”. I had a case with some crappy neighbours in the past while we were renting. I caught one of them peeking in the front window, they got into our yard and stole all our new clothespegs off the washing line, I found a homemade bond in our back, and also an unflushed turd in the toilet that was in a back covered porch thing. There was more but I won’t bother typing it up. I did what I could for a little while as I had to hunker down, but as soon as we could we got out of there. So yeah, a certain number of people are crappy, and people are everywhere, so…. you just have more guns as an extra risk factor than most of the rest of us.
So… uh… the Synths and scatter looks good! 😀
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Jesus. That is scary, mate. My neighbors are thankfully more on the really dumb and clueless side and I haven’t had any major issues with them since this post. At this point, I probably have about a month or a month and a half left in this place so that should keep me mostly sane in the meantime. Thanks for the kind words on hobby progress too 🙂
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Sounds good that they’re mostly clueless and you’ll be out of there soon! 🙂
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