The Rules

Rule number one: ALL guns are ALWAYS loaded.

Rule number two: Don't point the gun at anything you do not want to shoot.

Rule number three: Keep your booger-hook off of the bang switch until you are ready to fire

Rule number four: Be sure of your target and what is behind it.

Violation of any one is a cause for concern, violation of two or more will result in a really bad day.

Smashing!

Yesterday was quite the day.

First one of my unofficial children (I seem to collect them wherever I go) had someone pull out in front of him. Thankfully no one was hurt, but the car is likely a total loss.

As I was driving to work I saw a van that had been torn up pretty bad sitting on the side of the road. The only emergency vehicle was the state troopers and I didn't see a driver. It looked like the van had just run off the road, but given the damage on the side I wonder if there was another vehicle involved that had not stuck around.

When I got a bit closer to work I noticed a van sitting in a yard. I didn't think much of it until I saw the furrows dug into the grass and realized the van had just spun out into the yard. It couldn't have been any more than a few minutes before I got there because the driver was still in the vehicle.

On the way home this morning I saw the state troopers at yet another accident site where again there was no driver. This one looked like the driver lost control in the curve and spun up into the trees.

I certainly hope the wreck bug has been satisfied.

Out And About

Yesterday I rented a Rug Doctor and we went over the carpets. Red juice stains do not come out of tan carpet, but it took the dog stains right out.

Today the Mustang Forums, Carolina chapter, had a get-together in Charlotte. It was rather sparsely attended, but as it was the first of its kind hopes are high that the next ones will be better populated.













As I was driving home I ran upon the tail end of a cruise-in and got a few pictures of that as well.













Tomorrow it's back to work, but it has been a productive and fun weekend.

You Would Think

that if you handed out the highest award that can be given to a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine to the only living recipient since Vietnam that you would at least remember his name.

You would be wrong.

HT: LC Jackboot at The Rott

Blood In The Streets!

Who's the sad panda?

Not me!

One down, two to go.

Issues

Youngest Son has been having some behavioral problems lately, and last night we had it out a bit.

It seems as if he feels guilty about not being home when Mom collapsed, not that there was anything he could have done about it. He was off with Sis at the time and he feels like he should have been here when she needed him.

He has been doing stupid things and then telling his friends about it, knowing that they will tell Sis so that he would be caught and punished for it. His need to be punished is due to the guilt he feels for not being home.

It was kind of rough at times, but I told him a bit about the anger and helplessness that I felt over Mom's sickness at the time so that he would know he wasn't the only one who had these issues. I let him know in no uncertain terms that there were no excuses for the behavioral problems and that those would have to cease immediately, but I think he knows now that he can talk to me about it.

I also made it clear that he was not off the hook. Actions have consequences, I told him, and he will have to work at gaining back the trust he has thrown away, both with me and Sis. He says he understands that, but I'm sure there will be hard times ahead before it's done.

I'm not a psychologist by any means, and the sad fact is that when the professionals get involved it sometimes creates more problems than it cures. I am hopeful that the discussion I had with him last night will be the beginning of the end of the problems, if not we may have to get the professionals involved whether we want to or not.

If it were easy everyone would do it, I guess.

Dog Days

Summer is upon us. Today is officially the first day of summer, the longest day of the year.

Not that it matters much here. It's been summertime in the South for a couple of months now.

47

Happy Birthday Boo.

Changes

Last night as I drove through the gate at my defenseless victim zone - workplace, that is - I noticed two things.

The first thing that I noticed is that they are pulling down the fence around the parking lot. It looks like they are re-locating the fence to the street. Several months ago they removed the arms of the entrance gate so that it was no longer necessary to badge in, but the fence was still there. Now all that remains is the posts.

The second, and most interesting, was the absence of the "This is a Defenseless Victim Zone" signage. The smoking prohibition is still in place as evidenced by signage, but the anti-self defense signs are gone.

I don't know if this will be a permanent change or not, but perhaps they see the handwriting on the wall.

Moving Day

The good Professor has moved. Check out the new digs, and be sure to update your address book.

Happy Father's Day

Call your Dad today if he is still with you and tell him Happy Father's Day.

Even if you don't get along very well, do it anyway. If these are to be the last words that pass between you, let those words be "I love you" instead of anything else.

If he is not, take a moment to remember him.

Happy Father's Day to Dads everywhere.

Time

Wednesday I got up early to take Eldest Son to the doctors. Then I went to work.

Thursday the AC guy was here (the new AC isn't cooling the house very well, but it's working as it should and it's a bigger unit. Quite the mystery here) and Youngest Son got out of school early (it was the last day of the school year) so I was up early again.

Friday was Youngest Son's graduation (he is now officially in Jr. High), and as is normal for the private school he is in I got drafted as the official camera-man.

Yesterday was spent carting Eldest Son from urgent care clinic to ER for endless tests to find out they can't find anything wrong with him. That will be $350.00 please, and we will send you the remainder for the ER visit at a later date.

Please note that work, school and ER's are all unarmed victim zones, so I have spent most of the week unarmed. It's a surprisingly uncomfortable and naked feeling for someone who has not actually been carrying all that long.

I'll be glad to go back to work tonight. I need the rest.

Wings

I went out and got a new fryer the other day and ended up with this one.

The reason I wanted another fryer is because I had a hankering for wings and the little fryer will only do a few at a time. The kettle does a dozen a pop, and it will also cook stews and rice. It's a multi-talented little unit.

As a serendipitous discovery, this is a great wing sauce. Good flavor and just the right amount of heat.

Definitions

Dicknose.

Definition II:

Doubling down on dicknose.

Definition III:

Full of win.

Yes, I am just trolling about the interwebtubies today, why do you ask?

Questions and Answers

Jennifer is asking, in her head, how all of us became gunnies.

I grew up in a household that had guns. My Dad had a .22 Marlin (strangely similar to the one I have, they didn't change much) and a 12 ga pump shotgun (his has wood furniture and mine has plastic, otherwise again strangely similar...you stick with what works I guess), he also had a semi-auto pistol that looked like, and may have been, a Luger P08 and a .38 snubbie.

UPDATE: The semi-auto in question was a High Standard Model H-B .22 semi-auto.

We used to go hunting with the long guns but really didn't do much with the pistols. Dad didn't carry one and we really didn't fool with them much. I think my brother has all of the above mentioned firearms now, I'll have to ask him about the semi because now I'm curious.

While I was in the Navy I had a buddy that owed me some money. Instead of paying me cash he gave me a Taurus .357 revolver. I shot it a couple of times at the base shooting range and kept it for several years until I found out he had stolen the gun from his mother-in-law. I gave it back to her when I found out.

After I had retired from the Navy I had a co-worker that was a gunnie. That is when I really became interested in becoming a gunnie myself, because of his enthusiasm. A bit later he fell on hard times and had to sell off some of his collection, and he offered them to me at a good price.

I bought an EBR (in Saiga form, not AR-15), the Marlin and the pump shotgun from him and looked at a Glock 36. He told me I would have to have a pistol purchase permit to buy the gun in NC, even from an individual. I thought that was outrageous, that one would have to ask the Sheriff for permission to buy something. But, that is the law here.

(Side note here, my state Senator has introduced a bill to do away with pistol purchase permits. Please do notice the "D" after his name. Blind hogs and acorns.)

He also said if I had a CWP I would not need a pistol purchase permit, and then I could buy as many as I wanted with no questions asked. This sounded more reasonable to me, so off I went to class for a day with the borrowed Grok.

When the permit came in I bought the Grok and a holster and started carrying it. I wasn't sure at the time that it would become standard practice, but since then it's something I don't even think about; when I get up in the morning and get dressed the Grok comes out of the safe and goes on my belt (unless I'm going to my unarmed victim zone...I mean workplace).

Since that time I have become more and more aware of gun related issues. I didn't intend to be a gunnie, but slowly and surely I have become one, if only in a small way (so far).

So that's my story. What's yours?

Reviewing the Tuck N' Go

Last Tuesday I finally became the proud owner of a Galco Tuck N' Go holster.

Even though I have only been using the Galco for a couple of days now, I have to say that I am pleased with it. Two of my concerns were that the holster would ride too high and that the J hook would not function adequately. I'm very happy to say that my concerns were unwarranted.

The J hook works extremely well. First off it is very nice to be able to tuck the shirt without having to bunch it around the belt clip, although the tight fit between the J hook and the leather means you have to work at getting the shirt into the gap. This might change as the leather softens a bit.

What I really like about the J hook though is how it fits behind the belt. I was a bit hesitant at first, worried that the weight of the holster would pull my waistband down and make the belt ride up. Since the hook is usually in the vicinity of the beltloop this is not an issue, but what is really nice is the way the J hook hooks under the belt and does not allow the holster to ride up.

The Uncle Mikes holster would occasionally ride up and detatch itself from both pants and belt, and then the holster with the gun inside would try to fall out of my waistband. With the Galco Tuck N' Go J hook this is no longer an issue because the belt clip goes behind the belt and has a tab that hooks underneath it, preventing it from riding up and off of the waistband.

My concerns about the holster riding too high has actually turned out to be a feature instead of a bug. The concern mainly came about because of the Uncle Mikes unfortunate tendancy to fall off of the belt, but since the J hook prevents this it is no longer a concern. What is nice is that the butt of the gun now rides a bit tighter to my side and closer to the arm, meaning it conceals better.

I would eventually like to try out a Crossbreed Super Tuck, but until that day the Galco will be my regular carry rig.

Dear Judiciary II Committee Member;

Today I almost became a criminal.

It started innocently enough. I went to get my car washed, and since it was a nice day I ended up being a couple of cars back so I had some time to spend. I thought that I would go get something for lunch. The nearest restaurants were a Sonic fast food and an Olive Garden. Deciding that I wanted some pasta I walked over to the Olive Garden.

Just as I grabbed the door handle two things occurred to me. The first was that Olive Garden served wine, and the second was that, as is usual since I have a concealed weapon permit, I was carrying. Two steps is all that separated me from being a law abiding citizen and becoming a criminal.

I know that the intent of the law is not to keep law abiding people from enjoying a pasta meal, but that is the effect. Even though I had no intent of consuming alcohol (which is also prohibited while carrying) at the restaurant, the mere fact it was available prohibited me from entering.

At least the ice cream at the Sonic was good.

HB 111, "Handgun Permit Valid in Parks and Restaurants" has been stalled in your Committee since April. Please remember that our neighbors in Tennessee and Virginia have already passed essentially the same legislation. The "blood in the streets" fears of the anti-self defense crowd have failed to materialize. Don't you think that North Carolinians deserve the same measure of trust that citizens of these other states enjoy?

Statistics show that concealed handgun permit holders are among the most law abiding citizens in North Carolina. It's time to stop treating them as if they will suddenly start ignoring the law if they happen to be eating at the local Applebees. Calling a committee hearing for HB 111 is the right thing to do, so please do it immediately.

V/R
Larry P. Card
Franklinton NC

HT: An NC Gun Blog, who has been tirelessly tracking the legislation.

Added note: I have also now become a member of Grass Roots NC. Is this how one becomes an activist?

UPDATE: Wow, that was quick! H111 and H650 both get their hearings on Tuesday.

RICE

Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

Long story short, taking the dog out this morning, stepped in a low spot.

Looks like I won't be doing much this weekend.

Gunleather

I had ordered a Galco Tuck N' Go several months ago and it finally arrived today. Apparently Galco had to wait for the cow to die naturally of old age before they could get the leather.

At any rate, delivery times aside, the holster itself fits the Grok rather well, a little tight but that is to be expected right out of the box. Galco uses a patented J hook design for concealability, I don't know how well it will work but I will be finding out soon.

I have been using an Uncle Mikes nylon holster and I like it just fine, but you have to tuck your shirt around it so it can look sort of odd. I wanted something that would allow an actual tuck, and I thought I would like something in leather. The Galco looks like it is going to ride a bit higher than the Uncle Mikes, I don't know if that will end up being a problem or not. I think I will end up liking the leather a bit better, time will tell.

I was told when I started thinking about getting my concealed carry permit that I would end up with a box full of holsters. It looks like I'm well on the way to doing that.

Stock Galco Tuck N' Go photo from Galco Gunleather

Random Thoughts

Carpe Diem is how the Romans expressed the idea that it is better to live with scars than regrets.

D-Day

The beginning of the end.

Sixty-seven years ago today.

Thank you, gentlemen.

SYNC

One of the options on the Mustang is called SYNC.

With this option one of the things you can do is pair up your cell phone for hands-free operation.

I had not attempted to do this until this past weekend, and trying to get the cell phone and the car to communicate with each other was an exercise in frustration. All of it due to operator error, I hasten to add.

I finally got it all to match up, downloaded my phone book and made my first call to Eldest Son while I was on the road.

This is not such a great option in a convertible, for what it's worth.

Once Upon A Time

INTP

And it would work just fine if you would leave it alone.

HT: Ambulance Driver

Contacts

An old Navy buddy that Laura considered a brother has made contact via Facebook.

I had to tell him the bad news. We had not talked to him in many years.

I think he summed it up well when he said "I just can't believe she's gone."

Neither can I, Ope.

Essential Personnel

Youngest Son and I are in Florida. We are traveling to Bushnell today to lay flowers for Laura and her mother.

A couple of months ago I conceived of this trip, and had originally planned to make it alone and un-announced. Flying without a flight plan, as it were - which is completely legal, by the way, as long as you don't cross any international borders. I was just going to jump in the car and hit the road, leave the cell phone off, take the computer and check my messages when I got to the hotel.

Many years ago (a bit over seventeen and a half, to be precise) I might have been able to get away with this, but those days are long past. These days my kids would have the National Guard out looking for me (oh, look...helicopters!) before I even cleared the NC/SC border.

Back in the days when I could have done such a thing I had no attachments closer than a half-continent away; all the family I had was in Iowa and I didn't have to make a set schedule or check in with anyone. These days I have to plan my trip in advance (this one was only a day's notice, so it's not all that bad) so that those along my route can arrange for visits and keep track of me so I don't get lost.

I was planning on stopping in to see Pop all along, but I didn't plan on going through Jacksonville so I wasn't going to stop at Eldest Daughters. When I plotted the course, however, I saw that the shortest line between Raleigh NC and Bushnell FL goes right through Jacksonville, so I had to stop in and say hello at least.

As far as going alone, that wasn't going to work for one reason - Youngest Son. He stays with Sis for the week since she is also his school teacher, but on the weekend he comes home. She would have kept him for the weekend I'm sure, but it wouldn't have been fair to her. No doubt he would have been upset with it as well.

It's funny how we complicate our lives as time goes on. It grows out of the desire to make a lasting impression on the world, I guess. I complain about it, but it's nice having people to care about me.

One

It's been one year.

The bed gets made in the morning and stays that way.

I haven't had to open the hood of any of my cars for any reason more serious than checking the oil.

I don't get scolded for not going to get stitches when I cut myself.

I would trade it all back in an instant.