Enjoying and/or Sweating - The Little Stuff

People are often fond of saying: "Don't sweat the little stuff". Well, it is the little stuff that gets me going. I am usually much better when facing a major problem than a small nuisance. On the flip side of that same coin, I also often like some of the smaller good things over the larger ones. I am impressed by folks with good manners like when I hold a door for someone and they say thanks, or when they hold a door for me.

The same thing applies to gifts. Don't get me wrong, I would love to receive a few million as a gift from someone (as in dollars) but I am often very pleased by smaller gifts that I get from loved ones than by big ticket items. For instance, this Christmas, my son got me a few things related to firearms. Specifically he gave me two Remington brand 1911 magazines and a set of rosewood laminated grips, for my Remington R1-1911, with the manufacturer's medallion set in each grip panel. I was more than pleased as they were the perfect gift for me as were other gifts from my daughter and wife.

A very nice looking set of grips were they, that is until I took them out of the package. Then I noted that each had what appeared to be slight tool marks on their backs around the screw holes. I guess that would have been okay by me although the ones that came with the pistol, to which these would mate, did not have those tool marks. In addition though, the right grip had pieces of wood chipped out at each screw hole. For a moment, I though they had been used, returned and repackaged for sale but then I saw the mark. There was a white mark, as if made by chalk or crayon, on the back of the right grip panel, the one with the chipped wood. I am guessing that was an inspectors mark but somehow these got out of the factory anyway. Remington makes sure to note on the packaging not to tighten the grip screws too much or you may damage the wood but seems to have taken little care not to assure the same while making them.

Talk about a major disappointment. Yeah, I know, it is the little stuff but that little stuff made me very happy big time and thus also very disappointed big time once I saw the defects. Luckily, my son still had the order confirmation email in his laptop's trash can. He is not good at saving receipts but still had this one even though he had deleted it. I fired off an email to Remington asking them to arrange for an exchange for the same thing, but this time in pristine condition. Hopefully they still have them in stock. It will put the smile back on my face when Remington makes the switch as I am pretty sure they will do without delay. But oh how it sucks for this to have happened in the first place!

So, for now, no new gun pron as I had planed to post tonight. That will have to wait until they send me the replacement grips.

All the best,
Glenn B