Outta Pocket…

Free ice cream machine is in overhaul…

Duck tape in use…

Go read the good folks on my sidebar please…

ONE of those days…

This is turning into ONE of those days…

I was peacefully sleeping when the phone went off at 0430, and after trying to turn the alarm off, I ‘finally’ realized what it was…

So I answer, only to be asked, “Um, did I wake you up?” 

Ah yep, since I’m NOT in the office, and you’re calling me on the cell, what do you think???

“Oh well, what I wanted to know is what time we’re meeting at the airport on Friday.”

Ah, say WHUT??? Don’t ya mean SATURDAY???

“Nope, we’re leaving Friday, we moved the flight up, remember?”

Oh s**t… Lemme call you back in a bit…
Now what the hell… sigh…

The problem being, I’m not, er… wasn’t coming back off this trip till Friday afternoon, but it’s kinda hard to make a 1245 flight if I don’t land till 1545.

So online I go, no success, they want $1400 to change the ticket.  Next stop the reservations line. 

Admit I’m stupid, beg forgiveness, ask for help; say I’m stoopid, PLEASE bail me out… 

After about 30 minutes, she’s able to get me on the red eye, now working a full day today, redeye at 2230, land 0530 tomorrow…

And no charge for my stupidity!!! Tank you, tank you!!!

Now lemme see, if I get home by 0630, SSS, change bags, eat; um… I can be back at the airport at 1030ish…

Send email to that effect, and head for the shower, only to find out I’m getting lukewarm water at best. QUICK shower, dress and realize it’s only 0530, so now I’m sitting here drinking a cup of LOUSY hotel room coffee typing this and waiting for breakfast to open, so I can eat, check out, and go sit in more boring meetings… 

I hope YOUR day is going better!

But the bright side is that I DO have a job.  Y’all have a good day!!!

Good Idea!!!

Gotta love these folks…

Firearms friendly towns in Idaho lure gun makers!

Watch the latest video at <a href=”http://video.foxnews.com”>video.foxnews.com</a>




About 58 companies that make either guns or ammunition are currently based in Idaho, and government officials throughout the state are targeting more. The Commerce Department calls it ‘Rec-Tech’. The state legislature is gun-friendly, passing a law that shields weapons makers from liability when their products are involved in tragedies. The goal is to poach gun makers from states where the industry is heavily regulated.

Potlatch is just getting started. B.J. Swanson, Latah County’s economic development director, has had inquiries from six weapons makers in the past few weeks. She and other officials envision an industrial park on the site of the old mill. Artist drawings show the manufacturing plants surrounded by stores and restaurants catering to gun enthusiasts.

You can read the whole article HERE.
Not a bad idea at all… And it makes perfect sense for those gun manufacturers that are stuck in the Northeast US, especially in light of the regulations and taxation they are facing!  I’m pretty sure the employees would transfer in a heartbeat to get a better (read more affordable) lifestyle, and they’d probably fall in love with the area!
Here’s hoping this works out well for the folks in Idaho, and those employers and employees who are smart enough to make that move!

Where to spend your money…


Election Cycle political donations, as reported by the Center for Responsive Politics.


Shopping

Price Club/Costco donated $225K, 99% went to Democrats

Rite Aid donated $517K, 60% went to Democrats 
Magla Products ( Stanley tools, Mr. Clean) donated $22K, 100% went to Democrats

Warnaco (undergarments) donated $55K, 73% went to Democrats

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia donated $153K, 99% went to Democrats

Estee Lauder donated $448K, 95% went to Democrats

Guess, Inc. donated $145K, 98% went to Democrats

Calvin Klein donated $78K, 100% went to Democrats

Liz Claiborne, Inc. donated $34K, 97% went to Democrats

Levi Straus donated $26K, 97% went to Democrats

Olan Mills donated $175K, 99% went to Democrats

WalMart donated $467K, 97% went to Republicans

K-Mart donated $524K, 86% went to Republicans

Home Depot donated $298K, 89% went to Republicans

Target donated $226K, 70% went to Republicans

Circuit City Stores donated $261K, 95% went to Republicans

3M Co. donated $281K, 87% went to Republicans

Hallmark Cards donated $319K, 92% went to Republicans

Amway donated $391K, 100% Republicans

Kohler Co. (plumbing fixtures) donated $283K, 100% Republicans

B.F. Goodrich (tires) donated $215K, 97% went to Republicans

Proctor & Gamble donated $243K, 79% went to Republicans

Spirits

Southern Wine & Spirits donated $213K, 73% went to Democrats

Joseph E. Seagrams & Sons (incl. beverage business + considerable media interests) donated $2M+, 67% went to Democrats

Gallo Winery donated $337K, 95% went to Democrats

Coors & Budweiser donated $174K, 92% went to Republicans

Brown-Forman Corp. (Southern Comfort, Jack Daniels, Bushmills, Korbel wines – as well as Lenox China , Dansk, Gorham Silver) donated $644 K — 80% went to Republicans

Hungry?

Sonic Corporation donated $83K, 98% went to Democrats

Triarc Companies (Arby’s, T.J. Cinnamon’s, Pasta Connections) donated $112K, 96% went to Democrats

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. (chicken) donated $366K, 100% went to Republicans

Outback Steakhouse donated $641K, 95% went to Republicans

Tricon Global Restaurants (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell) donated $133K, 87% went to Republicans

Brinker International (Maggiano’s, Brinker Cafe, Chili’s, On the Border, Macaroni Grill, Crazymel’s, Corner Baker, EatZis) donated $242K, 83% went to Republicans

Waffle House donated $279K, 100% went to Republicans

McDonald’s Corp. donated $197K, 86% went to Republicans

Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Smokey Bones, Bahama Breeze) donated $121K, 89% went to Republicans

Heinz Republicans $64,000 Democrats $21,300!!!!! John Kerry’s wife’s company!!!

Traveling and / or Dining

Hyatt Corporation donated $187K of which 80% went to Democrats

Marriott International $323K, 81% went to Republicans

Holiday Inns donated $38K, 71% went to Republicans


h/t JP

Gun Show/Blog Meet…

Met up with Andy, Murphy, and Proud Hillbilly this morning at Dulles for the “Nation’s Gun Show”.  We wandered the aisles, and noted (as usual), different (high) prices especially on pistols depending on which table one walked by.   Also as usual, there were the ‘overpriced’ collectibles, pistols, rifles, shottys, pieces/parts; AR-15 uppers/lowers (both stripped and complete) and multiple tables selling Magpul accessories, ammo (some decent, some overpriced).  Hillbilly is going to learn how to reload, so she bought the basics to start, and some pieces/parts for the loader she has.  She was also “looking” for a lever gun, but no joy today.

Andy was looking for AR pieces, and found ‘some’ of what he needed, and ended up with something else too (but that’s HIS story to tell).  Murph was just looking like I was, and ironically, there was a S&W Model 76 (which he’d blogged about a couple of days ago).  I walked by a table of S&W pistols, with a couple of Colts off in the corner, and kinda glanced at them. The Python was ‘high’, the Diamondback I ‘thought’ was missing a digit on the price.  So we wandered aisles, and I wandered back by that one table (for once I remembered WHERE the table was), and sure enough, the pistol was still there, and apparently the tag was NOT missing a digit.  So I jumped on it… 🙂

Turns out he also had the original box, AND it’s a 1975 pistol!

Original box and papers


Probably 98% gun, target sights

No muzzle wear, no holster wear, shot very little

Grips are a ‘tad’ loose, but not unusual


Timing and lock up are dead on, and this one is in MUCH better shape than my beat up shooter… But it will get shot too!

After a bit, we adjourned to Hooter’s for wings and things and lunch.  Hillbilly was not exactly happy, since ‘we’ had something to look at and she didn’t, but what the heck… Sorry Lady! 🙂

Conversation was, as always, varied and swung wildly between subjects!  Sadly the day ended early, as all of us had ‘other’ things that we needed to complete this afternoon, but as always it was good to see folks, and get a bit of down time.


Good Idea!!!

I like this idea…

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com



Of course all the left wing loonies will have the kids killing each other and all the adults… Sigh…


Screwem… Too bad more ranges don’t/won’t do this on a regular basis!!!

The "Old" Country…

One of the sidelights of the Italy trip was a chance to have dinner with an old friend who is on ‘assignment’ to Italy for a couple of years with his company.  I met with he and his wife at a little pizzaria (like they don’t have any of those…) and she is just bubbling with happiness.  I asked what was going on, and her hubby rolled his eyes, so I knew I was in trouble…LOL

She proceeded to tell me she was trying to track down family, and had found out her Grandmother had emigrated from Yugoslovia (now Slovenia) around the turn of the last century, just prior to WWI.

So she had decided they were going to go on ‘vacation’ and see what the place was like. She had managed to find her Grandmother’s original address in this little town/village, and on a lark wrote a letter to that address…

Low and behold, two weeks later she’d gotten an email from the town, from a person with the same last name as her gran, and saying he was her cousin twice removed!

She and hubby were invited to come visit, etc…

And that morning had gotten a letter from her Grandmother’s former address, again a relative who still lived there, and was the Chief of Police for the town/village.  The family still owns the house, and they are invited to stay there, and there would be a party for the “lost” (e.g. American) part of the family!!!

So she’s getting to really dig into her family’s history, and meet relatives she didn’t know she had, and how she’s frantically trying to learn a few phrases of Slovak, and… and… and…

And O.M.G, they leave in two weeks!

NOW I see why hubby was rolling his eyes! 🙂

I’m truly glad for them, as it’s not often today one gets chances like this; much less the ability to travel semi-freely to what was once behind the Iron Curtain.  I can’t help but wonder what her impressions will be…

And I can’t help but wonder how they will be received, considering the ‘curiosity’ many have about America.

Sheesh…

What is it with my family and teeth??? 

Many moons ago, I got one knocked out and one chipped playing sports, oldest daughter got three knocked out in a fall, youngest daughter lost two playing sports, grandson already chipped one playing football.

AND…

Got a call from oldest daughter, and my 13 year old grandson managed to knock out his four front teeth while they were out in the boat… Crossing a wake from another boat, he slipped and hit the rail. 

I swear, ‘somebody’ doesn’t like us… Sigh…  And the Dentist says he’ll have to wait a month for the swelling and other damage to show itself before he decides how to ‘fix’ this…

Needless to say, grandson is NOT happy that he’s gotta walk around for a month with no teef, and sounding funny…

Poor kid!