Can A German Find Happiness Without the Peng Challenge?

[37mm]

Pull me to victory; versus Stormsebber

After his first lamentable display I expected a severe improvement from this psychotically aggressive serf… his obsession for random QB’s continued so his Soviets were entrusted to defend a piece of Finland. I decided to bring a slightly unusual unrestricted force (for me) consisting of a company, a trio of AA guns, four infantry guns, three mortars & a couple of AT guns plus about 5 vehicles, all but the vehicles (reg) & the AA guns (conscript) were crack troops (again rare for me)

The map was dominated by a large hill whose top would presumably be occupied by Stormsebber… I set up a couple of guns, mortars & MG’s to cover the advance & then cautiously sent two platoons to deal with this hill.

Sewer finally opened up just as I’d set up all my infantry exactly as I liked.

I lost a couple of my crack LMG scouts but quickly drove him off the hill & then proceeded to occupy his warm trenches.

I started setting up my guns further forward & these helped to cover the advance of my leftmost platoon. My rightmost platoon came down the hill (on my side) & then went forward towards the small cut off right flank objective which I expected to be lightly defended.

Sebber then launched an almighty counter attack with… no wait for it… one T-70, a couple of squads and some mortars/guns travelling over open ground!

I knocked out his guns with my crack mortars, mowed down his squads & waited for him to run his T-70 into my infantry (which he dutifully did).

This however had all delayed stuff on my right, my centre had meanwhile been chewed up as they advanced off my hill… though in return his MG’s, trenches & guns had been either located or ‘dealt’ with.

On the left my platoon safely reached & then began to claim the objective copse (Sebber raved that it would be my Stalingrad), setting up more guns & MG’s along the way. It took a little while & some mines annoyed me but I soon claimed the majority of the wood & a key trench.

Sebber then launched another counterattack… this one more successful as it ran into my leftmost platoon at a most inopportune moment practically wiping it out.

Sebber surrendered his few remaining troops when my long delayed right-most platoon crested the central hill/ridge

Battle of the Prams; versus Boo Radley

So Boo sent me this little fecking monstrosity, it’s a Berli scenario called 'armoured perambulators' or sumfink. I had three MG tanks & a British platoon. I advanced my platoon through an Italian town without difficulty until I came across this key Church/graveyard where I knew Boo’s AT gun would be. I moved my three vehicles up to find & destroy his AT gun… he opened fire however with two AT guns (I still have no idea why I hadn’t expected this) brewing up two of my MG tanks & driving off the third.

For most of the rest of the battle my 2” mortar & infantry squads engaged these guns & several squads of really annoying Krauts… I knocked one out yet could only (endlessly) suppress the other.

In the final turns I sent my last MG tank racing into the grave yard… his AT gun missed, my tank escaped behind the Church yet ended up close enough to the objective to turn my defeat into a draw.

I suppose it wasn’t that bad really…

Summary

Three draw’s thanks to ridiculous scabby luck & one victory over a lunatic who can’t tie his own shoelaces… still there’s always that bust up with Noba.

[OGSF]

Sir 37mm, ye are a festerin' git. A warnin' tae tha unwary...didnae click on tha pillock's "new web page" link ain hais sig. At blows bouncy chunks!

[37mm]

Originally posted by OGSF:

Sir 37mm, ye are a festerin' git. A warnin' tae tha unwary...didnae click on tha pillock's "new web page" link ain hais sig. At blows bouncy chunks!

Okay how... I ask how on Peng's Earth does 'it' become 'at' north of Carlisle?

[ September 17, 2005, 06:52 AM: Message edited by: Sir 37mm ]

[Boo Radley]

Probably the same way that haggis becomes food.

In the hands of an insane culture.

Oh, and as a child, OGSF lived in a house dangerously close to high tension lines.

[Seanachai]

Very early this morning — that is, around 2 AM Central Standard time — I remember thinking to myself:

Seanachai, old sod, although we, that is, you and I (I often speak not merely to myself, but with myself; probably because I enjoy intelligent, erudite and witty conversation), still feel that it is Thursday night, it is, in fact, Friday morning.

Which means we should go online and wish our own Old Foul Joe a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. That we should take the time to write out a post to him telling him that on this, his natal day, how much his being around this Thread has meant to us all. How thoroughly, unrelentingly, and, in fact, almost pathologically he has filled the office of Justicar of the Peng Challenge Thread. And that, all kidding otherwise aside, what a great guy he is, what a pleasure it has been to come to know him, and what a delight he's been as a member of this community.

Yes, I told myself that all this, and more, should be posted instanter.

And then, mercifully, I passed out.

Yes, that is what I would have posted had not I been overtaken by demon drink, and clubbed into insensibility like a well-pickled baby harp seal.

And when I awoke this...rather later this morning, I thought to myself:

Best $135 I ever spent. Thank the gods I can buy liquor wholesale.

Happy Birthday, Shaw, you low and especially loathsome fellow.

[Mace]

Originally posted by Seanachai:

I enjoy intelligent, erudite and witty conversation)

Then wtf are you doing here?

Btw it's always great to have one of the old-uns' post here, especially after an extended absence.

[Mace]

and btw, many happy returns to Joe

[Joe Shaw]

Originally posted by Mace:

and btw, many happy returns to Joe

Why thank you Mace ... actually I've very little to return, being a careful and thoughtful shopper I find I that I rarely return items once bought. And, oddly, I don't find it especially pleasurable, the clerks are invariably surly and insist that I can get "in store credit" in lieu of my cash.

YMMV of course.

Seanachai ... Pathological ... PATHOLOGICAL ... is it PATHOLOGICAL to defend the honor of the CessPool ... is it PATHOLOGICAL to sustain the traditions of the Peng Challenge Thread ... IS IT PATHOLOGICAL TO ... {sputter} ... TO ... well, answer me man!

Joe

[Seanachai]

I went away to that Gyrene fellow's site, and I wrote a long bit about how tomorrow is the 1 year anniversary of my younger sister's death. It said a lot about what I'm feeling lately.

But I'm good and drunk, and I closed the wrong window and lost it all. It was so appropriate and fitting that it was almost...magical.

So now I'd normally be almost insanely pissed off, but for one thought that stays with me.

In those last few weeks of her life, I was coming home from the hospital every night, and I was buying a six pack of beer, and cheap cigars (and I'm talking really cheap here...), and I would sit up every night, smoking hideous cigars, drinking far too much, and posting here.

It took me out of myself, and made the world somehow endurable.

And then I would get up the next day, groggy and barely coherent, and I would spend another 2, 4, 6 or more hours at the hospital.

But there was always this hideous, worthless, wonderful place to come to that night, and you lot of complete and utter swine.

Kept me going, that it did.

Stupid bastards.

Take care, and may nothing trouble your days or nights.

[Seanachai]

So, I've been gone. You don't need to know where.

Someone bring me up to speed. What's going on? Anyone interesting been happening lately?

I had a weird dream early this morning in which I met Andreas at a party, and he was wearing one of those 'flaps over the ears' forager hats that even Minnesotans regard as marking the mentally slow. I gave him a big hug, and he gave me this humourless look and asked me to let him go.

I kid you not.

Not sure what that was all about, as I'm not even currently playing one of his scenarios.

[Seanachai]

Originally posted by OGSF:

Laugh ye bastaarrrds.

Don't you owe me a turn?

Wow! Is that irony, or what? I had to ask someone else about a turn!

[SturmSebber]

one victory over a lunatic who can’t tie his own shoelaces…

Recognition at last!

[rune]

Happy Birthday Joebob, nice to see that dirt can age another year.

Rune

[Joe Shaw]

Originally posted by rune:

Happy Birthday Joebob, nice to see that dirt can age another year.

Rune

Ah yes, The Abomination rune heard from ... and I thought the day couldn't get any worse.

Joe

[MrPeng]

How does someone older than the Olde Ones get any older? Just ask PShaw!

Hope its a happy day and a fairly good year for you Old Foul Joe.

[Moriarty]

Originally posted by Seanachai:

Don't you owe me a turn?

Wow! Is that irony, or what? I had to ask someone else about a turn!

Uh, no. Quite the other way 'round, actually

[dalem]

Originally posted by Seanachai:

I had a weird dream early this morning in which I met Andreas at a party, and he was wearing one of those 'flaps over the ears' forager hats that even Minnesotans regard as marking the mentally slow. I gave him a big hug, and he gave me this humourless look and asked me to let him go.

I kid you not.

Not sure what that was all about, as I'm not even currently playing one of his scenarios.

I had a dream this morning where I was walking along the highway and I ended up surrounded by a crowd of circus people.

[Boo Radley]

Originally posted by dalem:

I had a dream this morning where I was walking along the highway and I ended up surrounded by a crowd of circus people.

Family reunions can be fun, can't they.

[Boo Radley]

Originally posted by Joe Shaw:

... and I thought the day couldn't get any worse.

Joe

So is this not a good time to come visit?

[MrPeng]

Well well well, in my continuing efforts to be annoying to dalem, I will once again report on the footie game.

It was a late game - 4 pee em and indoors to boot. Strange all around 13 of my 15 showed up (one got an injury outside of practice the first week and has been out of commission all season - with the exception of a single practice at which she demonstrated herself to be the fastest 11 year old female human on the face of the earth... with the best ball control of any girlie her age - so OF COURSE she is hurt and will be out for almost the entire remainder of the season...) and we were flat for the first half of the game. It was awful. Madge let two goals by early in the first quarter. My first quarter line was scoreless, my second line put in a dribbler that should have been stopped (I'll take it!) and at the half we were down 1-4. Things looked fairly bleak. There were some unpleasant sounds coming from the sidelines, and a look that could freeze flowing lava from the wife when Madge sat the first half of the last quarter.

Natalie had another assist on goal 2 to her favorite twin who is not also her sister Caitie, adding to her assist total for the season, and showing what a good combo my Number 2line really is.

I subbed the entire midfield for the second half of the last stanza and the team was on FIRE. They scored four unanswered goals in the last 6 minutes, and my Madge, my dear "I want to be in goal because I don't have to run" Madge scored the winning goal on a feed from her right winger. A defender was screening her own goalie and Madge slipped one by that snuck in the corner. With 2 minutes left in the game they kept the pressure on and kept the ball in the other end, shutting down an offense that had sent us reeling in the first half. Final Score 5-4.

What did I do? Not a whole lot. I pointed out to them that they were playing the other teams throw ins too short, and that the mids needed to get back on D faster on goal kicks, but that was the extent of my input other than high fives and "don't bunch!" and a host of other things that I'm sure that they aren't really paying attention to when I yell them from the sideline. I am lucky to have such a bunch of talented and dedicated girls who kick hard and run like demons.

I love soccer.

[Speedy]

All these goals, are you sure they are playing soccer?

Shouldn't they be having nil all draws and such.

P.S.- Oh and happy birthday to The Shaw

[Speedy]

More at Peng.

Just trying to get this naming convention right:

Madge is to be known as Maddy?

Natalie is not to be known as Natty?

Catie is we can only assume to be known as Catie?

Avidly awaiting the next game report, I need to be barracking for a winning team after the Ashes horror story.

[ September 17, 2005, 07:44 PM: Message edited by: Speedy ]

[MrPeng]

Speedy.

No, Madge is to be known as Madeline, except to me. Her sister Natalie is to be known as N@ pronounced Nat or Gnat if you are her sister Madge known as Madeline or Maddy to N@. N@'s friend Madeline is to be known as Maddy. She is also on the team, and her last name also begins with a 'B' so Madge and Maddy cannot be distinguished even by appending a last initial. N@ and Maddy have been friends since Kindergarten. Although they have not been in the same classroom since then. Caitie is Maura's sister - who is her identical twin. Caitie, Maura and N@ are on the second line, and N@ has all but one of her assists (I think she is up to 5 in 4 games now) from feeding Caitie, either as a mid to the twin's line with Amelia who's dad is my assistant coach or on the twins line. Madge and N@ are NOT identical twins. I can tell Maura and Caitie apart when they are standing still (Caitie has a few more freckles than Maura and is a teeny bit taller) but when they are running down the field I just sort of yell "Move back a bit CaMauratie!" or "CaMauratie! take the trowin!"

Oh, and the previous comment about the size of the scores. We are dealing with a pack of 10-12 year old girls... do you have any concept of what that entails? We are fortunate the scores don't rise to 23-21 or somfink. Balls moving toward the goal that do not go directly toward the keeper pretty much go in the net. Lateral movement by keepers is rare. A diving keeper is almost unheard of. Jumping up high to stop a ball is an afterthought. Being the goalie is terrifying. Volunteers are those who do not feel like running this quarter. And it ain't the kind of league where your best keeper stays in net the whole game. No. We must shuffle the deck and play. Sure, I can put my two best lines in, but there is heck to pay if someone gets stuck on D for two quarters, or is a striker two periods in a row. The authorities frown on such blatant attempts at winning at all costs. Damn them. If I had my druthers and could play all the girls to their strengths at all times we would slaughter the competition (although if the other teams did the same it would all prolly be a wash)

So

All clear, MrSpeedy?

[stoat]

I was referee at a U-12 girls game today. Score: 12-10.

[Boo Radley]

So, this "soccer" of which you speak...

It's sort of like... golf?