A Fun Time was had by ALL!!!

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Attendees AD, Matt and his lovely wife, Christina, Evyl , Jenn and their son, JPG and Holly, LawDog, Chris, Farm Girl, Vine and Phlegmmy who was our gracious hostess with the mostest… There were a couple of others who floated through, and I missed their names and blogs (my apologies). Alan phoned it in, since he was tied up with work, the Nerds (in spirits) were there (and the beer was GREAT)…

People rolled in and out as time permitted, the conversation(s) were varied, the story telling hilarious, and the picture below deserves a ‘little’ more comment than Phlegmmy gave it…


It was TRULY a Squirrel moment…

When you have SEVEN dogs underfoot, in laps, running around outside and they ALL start going nuts, there has to be a reason…
Said squirrel, in fear for it’s life, jumped about 10 feet and disappeared into the eave of the house. That not being a kosher move, suitable weapons were procured; Evyl and LawDog were posted up to take the shot (as you see), Vine was dispatched to light the target, and the rest of us were dispatched into the house to ‘scare’ the squirrel back into the target zone…

Now us ‘short’ people had to make do with finding objects to beat on the ceiling with, Matt on the other hand, was able to just reach up and pound on the ceiling with his fists!!!

Unbeknowst to us, Holly was in the powder room as we started pounding on the ceiling in the adjacent room; when she appeared, there was a ‘bit’ of confusion and words to the effect of WHATINTHEHELLISGOINGONINHERE???

After we told her, she went “Oh, well y’all handle it” and went back to her chair by the fire 🙂

Sadly, the mission was a failure, and said critter never returned to the sight of his indignity…
(note- if something starts smelling in the ceiling, it just might be said critter died of a heart attack with all the pounding)

Evyl had a few of his holsters there, and many ohhs and ahhhs occured over them; and I’m sure a few orders were placed too, I know I’m ordering one!

Guns were fondled, and a “funny” thing was noted (and actually provoked some laughter as we watched others); as people were handed guns, they automatically checked them clear, even if they’d just watched someone check it clear, and if they were going to check the trigger, they checked it again! And not just one or two people, EVERY body, male, female young and old!

THIS is a safe group, because we’re all paranoid; and I’m proud to say I agree with it!

I know others are posting too, but I just want to say I really appreciated the hosting, food, beer, conversation, coffee, and the chance to meet with old and new friends! Happy Birthday LawDog!

Now back to reality… sigh…

More Later…

Posted on by March 6, 2013


S**tty internet connection…

Blogmeet…

Having fun…


Posts to follow, going to the range for shooty fun…

Requiem in Pacem…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

25 years ago today…
The Challenger blew up on launch at 79 seconds, 9 nm high.

We lost seven good people, trying their best to improve our lives.

Take a moment and remember please…

Two Things…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

First and foremost- Julie’s husband is going in for a hip replacement (finally)… They live in Perth, WA, so any prayers are appreciated! Jigsaw Thoughts I’ve met Julie, and she is good people, and a shooter like many of us (but with MANY more challenges down under).

Second- The abandoned car count on the way in this morning was…

Four Dodge Challengers
Three Mercedes (including at least one AMG CL65, and one CL55)
Three BMW M3/M5s
Two Corvettes
One Camaro
So, lemme think about this…
Low ground clearance, high horsepower, rear wheel drive… Yep… Common denominator 🙂
Oddly, I didn’t see a single cheap POS broken down or left on the side of the road…LOL

The ONLY three of us that made it in this morning were driving 4WDs and one co-worker actually brought out Big Red, his old military Dodge P/U with the fulltime 4WD and Hummer sized tires 🙂

On the news, they were saying some people had taken 12 hours to get home, and multiple abandoned cars littered the Interstate, major roads, and some minor roads. I’d guessed 400,000 without power, which turned out to be dead on the money. Schools were closed in mass (as usual up here).
One of my co-workers is from Vermont, he just harumph’ed and said, “Well, Vermont hasn’t cancelled school at ALL this year, even when it was -20 and two feet of snow on the ground! And I went on line in the middle of the last storm and there was ONE home in the entire state without power.”

Which just yet again proves this area is unable to handle even the simple stuff…

Sigh…

Logical…

Posted on by March 6, 2013


I was gonna post about the SOTU, but I got so depressed I changed my mind…

(I ‘know’ I’m gonna catch hell for this one… )

WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED:

Men Are Just Happier People– What do you expect from such simple creatures?

Your last name stays put.

The garage is all yours.

Wedding plans take care of themselves.

Chocolate is just another snack.

You can be Prime Minister.

You can never be pregnant.

You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.

Car mechanics tell you the truth.

The world is your urinal.

You never have to drive to another petrol station restroom because this one is just too icky.

You don’t have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

Same work, more pay. (sorry bout that)

Wrinkles add character.

Wedding dress500+. Tux rental-50.

People never stare at your chest when you’re talking to them.

New shoes don’t cut, blister, or mangle your feet.

One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.

You know stuff about tanks..

A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.

You can open all your own jars.

You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.

If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is 5.95 for a three-pack.

You almost never have strap problems in public.

You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.

Everything on your face stays its original color.

The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.

You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life.

One wallet and one pair of shoes — one colour for all seasons.

You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.

You can ‘do’ your nails with a pocket knife.

You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24th in 25 minutes.

It’s Official…

Posted on by March 6, 2013



Monday Sucks…


I stumble out of bed at zero dark 30, paw my way to the kitchen, find the light switch and pour the first cup of coffee…


As I stagger back toward the shower, I glance over at the remote temp unit in passing… Stop… Backup…


‘Tink, Tink… This thing CAN’T be right…” NINE !@#&* degrees… This is Virginia, not Maine!


Turn on the TV, the bright cheerful and bubbly announcer/weather guesser is prattling on about how it’s a ‘bit’ chilly out there this morning.


Well DOH…


Sigh…


Revise what I’m wearing to add enough layers to stay warm, trot out to the truck, and off I go…


3/4 of the way to work, the truck FINALLY starts warming up.


Get to work, I’m the first one in, so NO COFFEE dammit… make coffee… Wait for coffee, tap… tap… tap…


Get a cup and get started with the day, only to have a co-worker come in still bundled up an say, “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, we moved the meeting to XYZ location, so you ready to head over?”


Grumbling, I get re-dressed to go back out, slurp down some coffee and off we trudge…


I idly ask, you DID add me to the access, right? Only to be met with a blank stare. This is NOT good, as I really don’t want to sit in the lobby all morning.


Get to the meeting, low and behold, they actually FIND my access, and I’m allowed in (which is nice since I CALLED the meeting)…


Three hours and no coffee (their coffee machine is broke) later, meeting is done and back we go. Now I’m only three and a half hours behind in the work due.


I get back to find a note from my travel folks, I need to redo a one time training package, since ‘management’ decided we should redo it every two years; and OBTW, you’re now expired, so you can’t travel until you complete it…


Now this training package is online, and supposed to take SEVEN hours to complete, but I have to finish it today. And it’s noon…


Well, I was trying to lose weight anyway. MORE COFFEE…


Finally get the @#&( thing to load, and start in.


Next, next, next, lather, rinse, repeat… first of 12 modules complete at 1300 (This is gonna take FOREVER, unless….)


Next, next, next, next, next, next, next, next, next, next, next, Ohh… questions… got em right, 2 down, 11 to go… Coffee…


Four hours later, print completion and leave it on the travel person’s desk (who apparently left at 1530)… Must be nice.


Now eight hours behind on work, but I’m done… Out the door to go play in traffic, and as usual there is a backup from hell… sigh…

Finally get home, starving, go rummaging the fridge and find a fruit cup! Well, it’ll tide me over IF I can get the thing ope… damn, all down the front of the jacket I JUST got back from the cleaners…

Now sitting her finishing this post, still hungry, afraid to walk in the kitchen, as I’ll probably spill, knock over, break something, and wired all to hell on the multiple cups of coffee I drank all day…

Yep, Monday SUCKS…

Now back to your regularly scheduled blogging!

I am TJIC

Posted on by March 6, 2013


“1 down, 534 to go.”

That was what blogger TJIC posted immediately after Gabrielle Giffords’ shooting. If you’ve ever read Dispatches From TJICistan, you know he’s an outspoken, perhaps even extreme advocate of smaller government. Now, his blog has been taken down and his guns – all legally owned – seized in Massachusetts.

ARLINGTON (CBS) – A blog threatening members of Congress in the wake of the Tucson, Arizona shooting has prompted Arlington police to temporarily suspend the firearms license of an Arlington man.

It was the headline “1 down and 534 to go” that caught the attention. “One” refers to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in the rampage, while 534 refers to the other members of the U.S. House and Senate.

Police are investigating the “suitability” of 39-year-old Travis Corcoran to have a firearms license.

What he said was crass and ill-considered, and in exceedingly poor taste. I don’t agree with it; but I spent 22 years defending AMERICAN’S right to freedom as elucidated in the Bill of Rights…

This was a political statement, not politically correct, maybe not morally correct, but a POLITICAL statement… Speech of ALL types is what the First Amendment was written to protect.


I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
– Voltaire

This man has committed no crime, and now his Second Amendment rights are being infringed without due process of law because he dared to exercise his First Amendment rights.

This is, to my mind, a ‘classic’ case of over-reaction; no charges were (to my knowledge) ever filed, but yet the Arlington PD saw fit to revoke his license to own guns in Mass…

Is THIS the future we face? We know the current administration and selected individuals within it want to take away ALL our guns, or put us in a position to get us convicted as felons (The McCarthy bill over magazines), then take away our guns under the “political” cover of ‘safety’ for the congresscritters ( the King bill) and others…

I have a better idea, make all of them wear day-glow Orange with a range reflector hat and give all of us range finders so we can make SURE we are 1000 feet away…

And limit their routes to/from any event, office, etc. so as not to inconvenience the public.

Actually, what I think is going to happen is we will see less and less interactions between the public that elected the congresscritters and the public themselves under the ‘guise’ of security (and then they can’t be asked those pesky little questions they don’t want to answer)…

YMMV, IANAL, and I didn’t stay in a Holiday Inn last night… so there…

H/T- AD, Borepatch, Newbius and many others…

FIle That One…

Posted on by March 6, 2013


Under the I never expected that label, and the color me embarrassed label…

Myself and a retired Marine that works in the area (and shoot with at Quantico) were taking a smoke break in the ‘lounge’ (aka the side street), when one of the PHDs we work with wandered out. We were discussing redoing the rifle dope for our next shoot, and “Ken” asked what we were shooting.

Now you have to picture this guy, he’s late 60’s maybe 70, hair going every direction, glasses stuck on top of his head, about 5′ 6″ and ‘maybe’ 140lbs; and perpetually grouchy…

We both said .308s and he promptly gave a full blown lecture on .308 ballistics, the differences between national match and M2 ball ammo, and how ‘little’ impact the temperature had in comparison to altitude…

We were both standing there with our jaws on the ground, when he then announces that he is a former “designated marksman” in the Marines, and shot expert with both the M-1 and M-14 and LOVED the M-14!!!

We both just kinda looked at him, and both of us burst out laughing… Which, of course, pissed him off (imagine a banty rooster strutting here)…

I ‘finally’ got him calmed down after I told him the reason I was laughing was that explained SO much about his attitude and dealings with people around the office (which it does).

He then proceeds to tell us about his Marine ‘career’ and how he made sergeant (once), and got out in 67 after a Vietnam tour. He also talked about Pendleton, shooting the SUPPORTS for the 600 yard KD range targets so they wouldn’t pop up and fire team qualifications and (other) stunts he pulled…

And how he ‘decided’ maybe the Marines were not a good choice, so he went to school and here he was. And now he wants to come shoot with us…

This should be interesting… And I’m REALLY ticked that I’ve had an expert sitting three doors down from me for 7 years, and I didn’t know it… GAH!!!

Texting and Tweeting for Seniors…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Not that I’m there (yet)…
But a list for all those seniors who can’t remember what all the letters mean…

ATD: At The Doctor’s
BFF: Best Friend Farted
BTW: Bring The Wheelchair
BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM: Covered By Medicare
CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center
DWI: Driving While Incontinent
FWB: Friend With Beta Blockers
FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
FYI: Found Your Insulin
GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!
GHA: Got Heartburn Again
IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL: Living On Lipitor
LWO: Lawrence Welk’s On
OMMR: On My Massage Recliner
OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas.
ROFL… CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing… And Can’t Get Up
SGGP: Sorry, Gotta Go Poop
TTYL: Talk To You Louder
WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?
WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again
WTP: Where’s The Prunes?
WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil

Note- The rude, crude, foul and abusive ones don’t change with age 🙂

Sumdood was here…

Posted on by March 6, 2013


Or how good is your security, really???

I live in a ‘supposedly’ secured apartment complex, which really isn’t…
Yeah, it has gates, keyed entry and all that stuff, but it’s only as good as the last person through the gate or into the parking garage…

Sunday evening, Sumdood showed up at the door (now realize I live on the 4th floor, never got the first beep/call/nothing). I couldn’t see much through the peep hole, so I didn’t open the door fully, just enough to see who was there. And there he stood, in the flesh- Sumdood!!!

It was the old, “I’ze lookin for Latesha/Latasha (something like that) man.” As he tried to peer around the corner of the door and see who else, if anybody was in the apartment…

I said, “Don’t know anyone by that name, sorry, can’t help you”.

Since I hadn’t opened the door fully, I sorta had him blocked and he couldn’t completely see me, but I wasn’t liking what I was seeing, and I squared up a little bit more behind the door and got my foot braced against it.

He started in again, “Well she used to live here, hey man can I” and I saw him look down and I’m guessing he caught sight of the .45 I had on my hip, because he suddenly decided to be elsewhere…

I closed the door, went back to what I was doing, then decided to go check the truck just in case… (as some of you know, my truck was broken into a week after I moved in here). Got out to the parking garage, and who do I see?

The Police!

It appears Sumdood had talked his way into an apartment in the other building that accesses the parking garage (saying he needed to use the phone) and got chased out by the girl’s boyfriend who happened to be there at the time. She called the police, and they were taking a report/checking the garage too! The officer happened to be the one that had worked my truck break in, and he kinda chuckled when he saw me, never saying word one about the pistol on the hip. When I told him why I was there, I got to fill out the usual witness statement, etc…

5’10” BM, est 200 lbs mid-20s either dreads or cornrows, black hoody (hood pulled all the way up), some kind of blue jersey hanging out the bottom, jeans down to his ass, a big R on the right rear pocket, high $$ sneakers on, and a black puffy ski type jacket.

In reality, I shouldn’t even have opened the door, I didn’t know this guy, he shouldn’t have been there, and I was stupid…

I just got off lucky since he apparently didn’t want to try me…

Security, even in a ‘supposedly’ secure place is STILL up to you, and just because you are sitting fat, dumb and happy in your home, doesn’t mean there are those who will take the opportunity to make it a bad day for you.

Don’t let your guard down, practice good physical security and use common sense when you answer your door!