I Don't Know

where your muse went...

but I might be able to tell you how it got there.

Should Have Stayed In Bed

Youngest Son and I were supposed to have gone to a CMP Rimfire Sporter match today, but when we got to where the event was supposedly occurring we found closed gates, no signage, no people, and generally no indication that anything of any interest at all was happening.

The NoVa Kids Shoot was better organized.

UPDATE: Apparently this match wasn't part of the CMP Eastern Games...ergo it was held in Fayetteville, which kind of explains why we couldn't find anyone in Butner. I guess we'll try this again in November.

Another Mouth To Feed

I've wanted a 9mm for a while now for a couple of reasons, primarily it's cheaper to feed. The bonus at work paid out and it was sufficient to remove an item from the Guns I Want list.

The 19 is the same basic size as the 36 with the magazine and Pearce +1 extension installed (note, these pictures were taken with an empty magazine in the pistol). Because of that I can use the same collection of holsters for both.

The grip on the 19 (on the right) is a smidge wider than the 36 but not so much so that it isn't a pretty good approximation. It should be a good practice pistol, and Daughter can use it to take her CC class.

And as a side note, anyone who says that "XXX is harder to buy than a gun" hasn't bought a gun lately (probably ever).

Wordpress Blogs

I have forgotten my password to comment on your blogs yet again.

It's not worth it to get a new one. It's a blog FFS, not the grand entrance to Ft Knox.

Doesn't mean I'm not reading, I just won't be leaving any comments.

Ah...

Got it.

You're still my tribe.

Carry on.

Save The Drive-In

Yes, there are still a few of them out there, considerably fewer now than there were. One of them is local to me in nearby Henderson NC, but they are also on the endangered species list. The film industry is going digital so they need a new projector, and the expected cost is around 80 grand.

However, there is hope in the form of a contest where 5 lucky drive-ins will get new projection equipment based on a vote from the general public. If you don't have a local drive-in to vote for I'm sure that Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre would appreciate your vote.

You can vote once a day until September 8th, so vote often!

Thank you.

Cars And Cruising

Car show in Dunn NC this morning, so we were up with the dawn. We left the car show early to go to Lincolnton NC to do some cruising.

We just got home, it's been a long day, and I still get to stay up tonight so I can sleep tomorrow and go to work tomorrow night.


joy...

Note To Lefties

Leave me alone and live the way you want to live. Don't leave me alone and face my squirrelly wrath.

Draw me in and force me to have an opinion and I can pretty much guarantee you that my opinion will be against you.

So to recap...leave me alone and we can ignore each other till we go away, shiny?

EBS Revisited (UPDATED: Now with pictures!)

When last we visited the EBS Project, I said that I was done (with the caveat "for now").

As usual, when dealing with projects (be they guns or cars or houses or whatnot) they are never "done" in the purest sense.

So with that in mind I found one of these while wandering around the local Mart of Walls.

I have not been completely satisfied with the need to add drop spacers to bring the stock down so I could use the sights. I had to put two of them on and when all was said and done the angle was so off that I might as well have just left the pistol grip stock that I started with on instead, but that kind of defeats the whole "EBS" purpose (namely, to give Nanny Nancy fits). Not to mention there was no way I could use the tacticool Mall Ninja Team 5 (I'm not good enough for Team 6 but I'm working on it) Stock Accessory Kit.

So of course I am now the proud owner of said rail, and it went on in minutes following the provided instructions. And now since there is a rail, and since I already had one of these (different brand name but same sight) from the Mosin (when I got it there was a rail installed in place of the rear sights and this contraption was on top of it, the first thing I did was put the iron sights back on it), of course it has a new home atop the Maverick. And since the sights sit up higher I was able to take the drop spacers out and put the cheek piece back on.

And now all of that is done, it will have to be patterned again. Oh darn, I need to go to the range, woe is me.

There are worse problems to have I guess.

Sequester

There has been some pain felt on the individual level, mostly with the military and military contractors (which IMO should never have been included since they are, in fact, one of the responsibilities assigned to the USG by that document that none of them even bother to read), but by and large the sequester has not touched the average American.

This is akin to the lefties chant about having a war and no one shows up.

As the stories regarding cities like Detroit roll in, and as the sequester fails to make any impact on the lives of average Americans, the panic strategy might full well backfire on the politicians who used it as a scare tactic. Not only that, but since the average American is feeling little to no pain regarding the reduction of government they might start to get the idea that it's not such a bad thing.

In my opinion the next target should be politicians paychecks.

Hey Gun Grabbers

You lose.

Scuppernongs

I have at least a half dozen grape vines scattered about hung on various trees, but only one of them has grapes growing on them.

The grape vines that grow wild in this part of the country are Muscadines, sometimes called Scuppernongs (although from what I've been able to find out the Scuppernong is actually just one variety of the Muscadine). Apparently there are perfect flowering (male and female flower parts) types and flowering only (female flower parts) types. The second kind are not self-propagating, so they have to be co-planted with the self propagating sort. It seems as if I have one perfect flowering type and the rest are pistillate (self-unfruitful), but I don't know what variety they are.

The fruit bearing vine is presently wound about a pine tree, but I'm considering bringing it off the tree and putting it on a trellis and maybe making a cutting or two for replanting elsewhere. I might try creating and transplanting shoots of it with one or two of the other non-producing vines to see what will happen. I have no idea what variety of grapes will grow on these vines but it might be interesting to find out. 

I won't be getting into the grape growing business full time, but it seems like it might be a fun hobby.

Best Laid Plans

Nobody in town has that corner piece that I need. I can have it ordered, it will run about $77 per piece and there are five pieces in a box. I only need a half of one, but I have to order an entire box. That's $385 for the box.

So today was pretty much wasted in running around and finding out that the piece I need is not available. Oh what fun. Tomorrow I'll try to find something to build up instead. Of course that means my plans for today and tomorrow are completely shot.

Men plan and God laughs. But at least I have beer.

A Full Schedule

I got up today and went to the dentist to finally get the crown put on molar number 18, scheduled a cleaning for next week, took the blades off the riding mower and sharpened them, put them back on upside down, took them back off and put them on right side up, mowed the lawn and tried to rip the corner of the house down.

Tomorrow I'll go get the trim piece to put back on the house, then I'll transplant the rosebush from Laura's grove to a sunnier spot and replace it with a plant that blooms in the winter and does better in the shade. I'll also get some trellis for the grapevine I have growing in the tree, pull it out of the tree and put it on the trellis. Maybe I'll even get some grapes off of it this year, there are some growing on it but they are still green.

Saturday I'll go help a club member put the newly rebuilt engine in his 71 Mustang and maybe hear it start up, then I'll go on over to Grill 57 in Garner to end out the day.

I really should try to get some homework done, too.

Yeah, it's like that...

So today on my way home from work I happened to see a redhead in a convertible Firebird.

If you have ever ridden in a convertible...or on a motorcycle with a windscreen either, for that matter...you know the wind comes up from behind you. The wind had blown her hair forward all the way around her head, so she must have really been having some fun in that 'bird. But I digress.

I saw her as she pulled up to the stoplight. When she got the car stopped she pulled the hair back from her face, laughing all the time, and wrapped it up in a knot at the back of her head. As she did so the first chords of this song came over the speakers in the Baja.


An eternity, caught in that one instant.

I couldn't help but think that some lucky bastard gets to come home to her tonight, and he'd better have the sense to appreciate it. If he is a smart man he spends every waking moment making her smile.

I envy that man.

Vexing Issues

So here's a problem for you tech-savvy folks to chew on.

I'm running Firefox on both my Vista laptop and my new Windows 8 machine. When I open the blog on the laptop my navbar at the top shows my email address and all such things while I'm signed in as it should. On my Windows 8 machine it only shows the "Create Blog" and "Sign In" links as if I'm not signed in, but if I hit the "Sign In" link it takes me right to my dashboard.

If I open the blog in either IE or Chrome the navbar shows the logged in info as it should, but I don't like IE for the hacking issues and Chrome wants to integrate every-blessed-thing and won't let me use my Gmail addresses...which I have two of because it seems that every time I open Gmail it won't let me into my own account (keeps saying "that username is already taken"...why yes, yes it is... by ME!!!).

So if I want into my gmail account I have to log out of blogger, and if I want into my blogspot account I have to log out of gmail because I can't be in both at the same time...and if that's not enough...you can't associate a Gmail address (which is GOOGLE, FFS!) with a google account...

Time to move on to another platform, I know, but I fear change.

UPDATE: Got it. You have to enable 3rd party cookies, which I'm not really too happy about.

Squeaky Wheels

Tracey: When you can't run, you crawl, and when you can't crawl - when you can't do that... 

Zoë: You find someone to carry you.

I've mentioned before that blogger Squeaky is having a rough time with medical procedures and bills and so forth. It seems that life, as it will, has thrown her yet another curve.

The bratty little sister of the gun-o-sphere has some worthy stretch goals that have turned out to be not so much of a stretch (for us anyway, maybe not so much for her*). One thing about this crowd, when one of our own is down we're pretty good about gathering together to lift them up.

Another grand to the next stretch goal. That's 40 people donating $25 each (actually that's 39 more people donating $25 each). Squeaky needs a little lifting up. The lifting-up details are here, go do what you can.

*One of the things is to have her picture taken for publication. To hear her tell the tale even introverts consider her to be shy and withdrawn (once upon a time certain cultures believed that one's soul lived in pictures, and to have a picture taken was to expose your soul to mortal danger), so for her to do something like this is a Big F'n Deal.

On The Itenerary

The first thing I did after coffee time was get the car washed. They always do a good job with it here. I'm bringing it back in another week or so for a hard-wax, there's a car show at the end of the month and I want her to look her best.

After that I needed some flour and wanted some Drifter Pale Ale, so off to the store I went. Imagine my discombobulation to discover that in the spot clearly marked "Drifter Pale Ale" was this instead. Search as I may, there was no Drifter to be found.  So I got this instead.

I was not disappointed. In fact, I will have to compare it side-by-side with Drifter to see which is preferable. Either one is a good brew.

This afternoon I have this to keep me busy.

Tonight Boy is dragging me off to skating rink hell, where I will likely do some homework and then wander about the internets on my newly-batteried laptop while he pretends that I am not there until such time as he wishes his friends to see him in a convertible Mustang.

Life is good.

Mission Accomplished

I’m usually not one to wear my activism out where everyone can see it, in fact I’m a bit of an introvert and if I can avoid attracting attention I do so.

There are a few things in which I believe passionately, however, and in the cause of freedom I am most ardent. I have a North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permit, and if you see me out and about you can rest assured that, if it is legal to do so, I am carrying. North Carolina just passed legislation expanding those areas, in fact, and I am joyfully awaiting the time that I can enjoy a pasta dinner without having to become a potential defenseless victim.

Despite all the hype and hysteria regarding guns and concealed carry we, as a group, are more law abiding than policemen. You have nothing to fear from those of us who have jumped through the requisite hoops in order to exercise a Constitutionally guaranteed right unless you intend mischief on us or ours. I am therefore pleased to support Starbucks in their decision to honor local laws regarding the carry of weapons regardless of the shrillary of the antis.

They support other causes that I disagree with, but it is refreshing to see a corporate entity who does not cave, and they deserve our support for this at least. They are not pro-gun, they are instead steadfastly neutral. They have the right to support causes that I do not agree with, and in turn they agree to support (or at least not oppose, which amounts to the same thing) my right to causes in which they may not agree.

This is the very definition of tolerance in my lexicon and I can only hope that other corporate entities will eventually choose to join Starbucks in this decision.

Huh...

I'm gonna have to try this.

It's close to the house (closer than Fayetteville, where the VMBAR matches are held) and I know I can do well with either of my Marlins, plus Boy can shoot with me if he wants to (and I'm pretty sure he will want to).

And even if I suck at it, a bad day shooting (or a day of bad shooting) is still a pretty good day.

Again?

The last time it didn't work out so good, so once more in the manner of their kind, the gun grabbers are going to do the same thing expecting different results. It may be a different group, but it's the same mindset.

Tomorrow I'm going to the Starbucks in Wake Forest, NC for a white (RAAAAACIST!!!) chocolate mocha. I'll be carrying, as usual. If you are in the area please join me, and if you aren't in the area drop into a Starbucks in your area.

Lets give them the same results as they got the last time.

Mantis

No sign of tigresses or pandas.

Book Report

I recently finished Glenn Beck's book Control: Exposing The Truth About Guns. Not a bad read, full of facts and figures, until the very end...where he trades blaming one inanimate object for the ills of youth to blaming another, namely violent video games.

When I were a youngster it was that damnable Dungeons and Dragons, and after that it was the evil rock and roll music, and before that it was demon rum, or maybe Mary Jane, whatever she has to do with anything.

There may be many factors, and video games might be one of them, but I think everything from upbringing to medication to the fact that some people are just born bad plays into it. Ultimately it is up to each and every one of us to decide what path our lives are going to take.

Sorry Glenn, you were doing so well...

Crusin'

Saturday was a car-filled day. First Boy and I loaded up and went to Cars n Coffee in Cary NC:

Then we went and enjoyed some shooty goodness with Range Partner where I patterned the EBS Project (an inch high at 10 yards, I can live with it) and shot up the reloads that I had run back through the dies again, with surprisingly few issues this time.

After that we went on to Lenoir NC for their monthly cruise-in:

And now, after being up all day Saturday I get to be up all night so I can sleep in the day and work all night Sunday.