Happy new year. 2021 was actually pretty good for me in many ways and very bad in others....I'm sure that's true for everyone. I lost 10 friends or family of friends to covid by summer of last year and a couple family members to cancer in the second half of the year so if I lose less people than that I will consider 2022 a success.
Would also like to regain the use of my arm, which I injured in October 2020. It had actually mostly healed then I reinjured it on December 19th. It's not as bad as it was but still not great. My mom is still dealing with the affects of a fall on the stairs in May and that's been a big problem for her and us as a family.
My scale modeling in 2021 was phenomenal. My goal was to build 26 builds...I finished 170. Literally about 1/4th of everything I've built in my more than 20 years in the hobby was in 2021. And not only that but the quality of the builds is the best I've ever done. I don't even know how I managed to accomplish so much...my old record was 62 builds, just last year. I did so much last year that I am not even setting a build total goal for this year. To put into perspective how much my skills have suddenly improved, my goal for 2019 was 10 builds. (And I only finished 19). I also taught myself several new skills and learned a few new techniques over the course of the year. I'm really excited to see what this year brings in that hobby. 2022 is also my 30th anniversary of becoming a NASCAR fan and I will celebrate that with the completion of two long running multi build projects that I started in 2005, although I didn't think about it yet then, that concept came later...but the builds that make it up started in '05.
With all that time spent modeling I had less time to write for Cardboard History and I would like to manage my time a little better in 2022. When I wasn't building this year I was instead looking up things I want to buy for future building or just endlessly going though what I already have and just thinking of building it. I could have used some of that time to write posts but I didn't, and I need to do more of that. I should also hit 1000 posts on Cardboard History this year.
Card wise I'm mostly in a holding pattern. I won't pay the scalper prices but it's not like I don't have lots of cards that need my attention anyway. I was in the middle of a big project when it was too hot to paint in the summer and I hope to work on that more now that it's too cold to work on models. I am not sure if I will finish it before I can work on models again but I can make some effort. With my arm injury scanning is painful now but I can do it a little bit, not like I am used to doing. I scanned for the first time in 9 months in December but none since I reinjured my arm.
In October I'll celebrate my 10th anniversary with the Database and I will be doing a giveaway in regards to that. I thought up the concept of what I'm going to do in 2020 so I've definitely put some thoughts into it.
What I'm most excited about is my adventures with my brother. If you follow Cardboard History you see we try and do a museum or attraction every month or more if my health allows. It doesn't always, and I always want to do more than I physically can...but it's really the highlight of my life now. Just in the last few months we went to the National Lighthouse Museum, the Museum of American Armor, the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Purple Heart Hall of Honor, the Hudson River Maritime Museum and the Den of Marbletown Teddy Bear Museum, which we didn't know existed until we drove by and saw it. We have visited the World's tallest Hummel figure, the former World's tallest garden gnome (now third tallest but tallest at time of construction) the Balanced Rock and more. We also have a project of visiting every town/village/named place in Dutchess County NY which I really love. And of course I'm photo documenting everything which is what I love to do. It's unfortunate that we can only do stuff on weekends but honestly each one takes so much out of me physically that I couldn't do more than one a week anyway. I just want to, lol.
VERY slow trading due to health problems. Not transferrable so safe to trade with, just moving is painful and can't always access the cards.
Cardboard History My COMC
New Collection Website: Cardboard History Gallery (Still under construction)
Tips on how to make your scans look like the card does in hand (No more washed out, fuzzy scans!):
The last time there were three 2's in the year was 1222 and I have no clue what happened throughout the world in that year!!!
