Breakfast

Looking in the refrigerator...

"Hmmm,those mushrooms won't last much longer."

"Oh look, half an onion."

I reach for the butter and stop...

"Wait, I've got some cured and smoked Berkshire pork belly somewhere in here."

I quarter and slice some potatoes to cook in some pork lard I rendered from seasoned pork shoulder that I had cooked in the electric pressure cooker a few nights ago.

I dice the onions and mushrooms while the bacon browns in the pan.

I then cook the onions and mushrooms in the bacon grease with the bacon.

This mixture goes in a bowl when done.

I cook two eggs over medium to put over a serving of the now crispy brown potatoes.  The yolk is nice and runny.

I spoon the mushroom/bacon/onion mixture over this,  then adding some ketchup and sriracha sauce.

I wolf it all down and chase it with some orange juice.

The best breakfast that I've had in a long time.

Operation Luttich

Yesterday I finally ran the Mortain scenario.  There was a lot to set-up.  There was a lot to explain.  I forgot to mention some things.  The game got off to a bumpy start.  The terrain was frustrating for both sides, but particularly for the Germans.  Historically correct, but perhaps not making for the best game.  Also 9 people might have been too many.

Still the display pleased me to no end.

Some photos:

The 120th and 117th in the vicinity of Mortain, the Abbey and in Barthelemy.


The Germans do some Aerial recon.


Romagny

The 117th in and around Barthelemy


The 120th on hill 314 and 285.  Their Heavy weapons company is backwards.

Birks on the hill


The Germans arrive


An assault on the Abbey with Panzer IV (F2s serving as Hs)




Panthers attempt to force their way through to Mortain and get close assaulted.  With no Infantry support, they were destroyed.


Panzer IVs moving through Mortain on their way to Romagny


The American 3rd armored division CCB says no..



The "Lost Battalion" is cut-off, but continues to hold hill 314.


Things look grim for the 117th as German forces approach and spotting rounds land.


American Air Support arrives..


The Germans push through Barthelemy



The 119th moves up through the Apple Orchard to support the 117th


















The 119th holding Juvigny.  Edwin Sutherland is on the hill.


General Hobbs is concerned




General der Panzertruppe Funck looks on

The rules were a hybrid of Pulse of Battle:WW2, Oman, and Panzer Korps, Granillo.
They need some stream lining, and I'm thinking of going away from the sequence deck entirely.  I like that both rule systems use the d4-d12 combat system.  I like the general readability of PoBs combat charts.  I like the Battalion assets from Panzer Korps.

I have it that each company shoots as in PoB.  The player then decides which company gets a bonus from their Heavy Weapons stand.  Having Armor assets in Infantry battalions give certain bonuses, and AT guns also have advantages, but their immobility is problematic.  I'm not a big fan of wall to wall trucks and half-tracks, so I use single stands to represent the Infantry battalions transport assets.

A Good Sign

This week I ran my last super long run of 15 miles before the Santa Cruz Half-Marathon.

I held a 9:05 minute/mile pace.

On Friday I did my last long tempo run of 7 miles at a 8:10 or better pace, including one sub 8 minute mile.

On Wednesday I did 4 x 1.5 mile strength intervals, starting at 8:10 and finishing at 7:50 for the final 1.5 miles..

So all of my runs of substance met or actually exceeded what Hanson's prescribed paces for finishing a half marathon in 1 hour 45 minutes.  I hadn't been able to due this for a few weeks now.

So I feel this is a good sign.