Well, we are now well into my favorite month of the year. October has SO much going for it. First, it’s the beginning of Autumn. The weather gets a little bit cooler, so I can actually wear some of my clothes that have long pants and sleeves. (Although I grew up in a state that had 4 different seasons, I currently reside in the southwest, where any sub – 100 degree day is a treat!) I take the doors off my Jeep at just about every opportunity.
Secondly, it’s football season, so there’s a game to look forward to on Sundays. And Monday nights. And sometimes Wednesdays. And every Thursday night. And occasionally a Tuesday or Friday. And if you like high school or college football, Fridays and Saturdays count, too. Basically, there’s always a football game somewhere.
Halloween is just around the corner – another HUGE perk for October! That means I’ll be catching up with my old movie friends, Boris K, Bela L and Lon C, Jr off and on throughout the month. And I’ll play the “Ballad of the Headless Horseman” from Disney’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (the Thurl Ravenscroft version, of course,) at least 3 or 4 times this month.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwx3q0gBc70
Samuel Adams releases its best offering of the year – the elixir of the fall gods- Octoberfest! 
I look forward to it every year. It starts making select appearances in late August or early September, but by now, it’s everywhere. And sometimes, it’s even on sale!
And then, there’s the final thing on my list. (There’s a lot more about October that’s cool, but I’m ending my list with this one.)
ORCTOBERFEST
Yes, you read that correctly. ORC-toberfest. Fantasy and gaming nerds probably know exactly what it is I’m referencing, but for those NOT in the know, it is a celebration of all things ”Greenskin.” Orcs and goblins get their own month. Probably for no better reason than “Orc” sounds like “Oc,” but that’s ok. If we had a month called “Gorvuary” we would celebrate Dwarves. Sorry, Gimli – you win some, and you lose some.
Most sources credit J.R.R.Tolkien with creating the orcs. (Actually, HE gave credit to Morgoth in The Silmarillian, but that’s a story for another day.) Orcs have been adapted and re-imagined in Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, World of Warcraft, and Games Workshop’s Fantasy games. (They spell it “Orks” in the sci-fi settings. They’re the same guys, but with crude futuristic weapons instead of crude antique weapons.)
I haven’t played Warhammer Fantasy Battle (or Warhammer 40K, for that matter) in many years. Truth be told, I wasn’t really a big tabletop wargamming guy. I just like painting toy soldiers, and Games Workshop have made a lot of really cool ones over the years. Since then, a lot of creators have designed excellent models. I had my 3D resin printer running on overtime earlier this year, and I have a horde of greenskins just itching for a fight. I have about 90 goblins, and 25 or so boar mounted orcs, printed, and awaiting completion. I’ve made it my goal to complete the army this October..
Now, I said it’s my GOAL to complete them. That’s really not accurate. It’s more of a cool sounding idea that is highly unlikely to come to fruition. I’ll actually do a little bit toward it. I’ll paint a few, and look at them for a while, and then re-shelve the project for a few weeks, until I again proclaim that I’ll finish it. But that’s ok. It’s the thought that counts. I thought about it. So that counts.
So, here goes – lift your Sam Adams, and make a toast to the special fantasy guests of the month…
“WAAAAAAAAAGH!”
–Toph
