Well, here we are at the final days of 2020. So step up to the counter with me for a look at the year gone by. I can honestly say that I am glad to see this year move on and bring in 2021. 2020 has challenged us like no year that I can remember. 2001 and 2009 were rough...but 2020 beats them both. COVID-19 has taken lives, jobs, our health and sadly our hopefulness for a return to normalcy. The last time that I sat in a restaurant with my wife was for her birthday on March 11th. Haven't been in one since. Of course Culvers, Hardees, Burger King, McDonalds, Arbys have all benefitted...if I can't say the same for my cholesterol. My wife and I adapted and ate take out, walked frequently, wore our masks everywhere and generally stayed at home. My wife loves to read and I of course love to play ASL. We were never social butterflies and so COVID-19 didn't really hurt us too badly in that way, except to the holidays, which we spent alone and not with family. COVID-19 did finally inflict some harm on me this past month, when my company made the third reduction in force of the year. I had survived the previous two...but along with 41 other co-workers was shown the door on December 4th. Mentally, I haven't been the same since. Sadly, even ASL has not pulled me out of my funk. Hopefully my efforts to land a new opportunity will come to fruition and I can regain a bit of my old spark.
My game record as shown on the always awesome ASL Scenario Archive shows that 2020 was a monumentally good year for ASL. With two more games scheduled before the end of the year, I should finish the year with 92 games. That is a staggering number. I never...ever imagined that I could play that much ASL. And I was able to maintain a winning record for the year...even if Dan Best beats me these last two games, I'll still have more wins than losses. And speaking of Dan Best...I cannot thank him enough for his amazing dedication to playing ASL. Dan will finish the year with nearly 150 games played. That's 60 more than I played...and 60 by itself would be an awesome year with 5 games a month. Dan managed to more than double that. You would think that he would be exhausted...but you'd be wrong. Dan's passion for ASL is the same now as it was in January when we began this most amazing of years.
I would be remiss if I didn't also give a shout out to Dave Mareske, Paul Works and my St. Louis Opponent - Scott Waites for all the games we played as well. 2020 was a record setting year for all of us. Dave, Paul, and Dan (pictured above) all became adherents of playing ASL via CARDBOARD via SKYPE. They also played VASL, but proved again that Cardboard via SKYPE is an awesome way to enjoy ASL. For those of us who love using our KIT...this is the absolutely next best thing to being in the same room. And as I have said before...you really feel like you are in the same room when playing via this method.
As for Grumble Jones - the blog had an amazing year. The blog is read around the world with the US, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, Russia, Spain and Italy leading with the most readers. The blog averages 4000 views a month, which is a testament to how strong and vibrant the ASL community really is these days. 2020 challenged me...more games...meant more AAR's. By the end of this year...I was truly exhausted. The AAR posts normally take anywhere from 3 to 6 hours to complete. It's a labor of love to be sure, but I'm tired to my bones this year.
2020 brought kind reviews of the blog from the Illuminating Rounds and Stew's Replays. Their kind words made all the work of so many years so worthwhile. Stewart pointed out that all we really need is a thumbs up. Thank you my friends for giving me that thumbs up. I am honored to stand beside such giants in the ASL social media community.
Of course 2020 was not without a misstep. My efforts at scenario design moved into new terrain as I tried to adapt the movie Where Eagles Dare into a special Grumble Jones Halloween Scenario. I gathered together some amazing talent with Rich Reinesch, Dan Best, Jackson Kwan, Zoltan Gose and Dave and Jeff of the 2 Half-Squads. It was a project that resulted in some amazing maps, but the scenarios themselves were a bit of a flop. I tried to design a bridge too far. While, I won't be as ambitious next year...I sure enjoyed putting it all together this year.
Dr. Rollwright contributed his insight and game analysis for yet another year. With so many games...I had to think long and hard about which game stood out this year. For me it was On Silent Wings. It was the one victory of which I was personally the proudest. I saw my pre-game planning and focus pay off with an amazing victory.
Of course, I enjoyed nearly every game this year even when I was blinded by dust in North Africa...impaled on Panjis in the Pacific or caught in one of Dan's FFE's. In spite of all the horribleness of 2020...I played a lot of ASL...and I had a lot of fun.
Happy New Year's everyone!
The Beacons are lit...Gondor calls for aid...
Fantastic man. Great stuff. All our love.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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