Do You Know What Day It Is Today?

Happy Festivus for the rest of us. If you are unfamiliar with the holiday of Festivus, I strongly recommend you watch the 1997 episode of Seinfeld called The Stike (one of the best of all episodes and you can purchase it on YouTube here - I do not get kickbacks I am mentioning it as a place where you can find it). It is a blast. 

 

Here is a clip, of most of the episode dealing with Festivus, for those too lazy or poor to watch the whole episode:

 

Then after watching that episode - and I suggest only after watching it - read up on Festivus here. Amazingly, it was a holiday tradition, in rebellion against the commercialism of Christmas, for at least one family for over 30 years - long before being made famous on Seinfeld.

Enjoy your aluminum pole (or clock in a bag if a stickler for the original), Festivus meal, the airing of grievances, feats of strength and Festivus miracles. 

 

Happy Festivus for the rest of us!

 

ETA: Today is also the day, December 23rd, when in 1888, Vincent van Gogh mutilated imself. As some would have you believe, cutting off his own ear was as an act of love. I have always thought though that he was a bit of a psycho (as evidenced by his paintings and due to his self mutilation). We would have gotten along just fine!

All the best,

Glenn B

I Don't Usually Go Christmas Shopping On Black Friday...

 ...but when I do I buy myself something nice. Really, I was not intent on making any purchases yesterday and definitely was not about to go out to stores to do any Christmas shopping nor any other shopping. Black Friday is just too crazy for me; the lines I have seen outside of some stores over the years have been long and sometimes there for days with people camped out in tents while waiting before the sale event. The last time I waited on really long lines for many long hours was for tickets to see Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden and for one of their shows at the Nassau Coliseum in Nassau County NY (I was on the line for well over 24 hours in freezing cold for the one at the Coliseum). That was back in the 1970s. I got great tickets for both shows but had to settle for listening to one of those shows broadcast live on the radio because I wound up in the hospital after an emergency appendectomy; I did not eat Quarter Pounders with cheese for years after that because it was after eating one that I had the appendicitis attack but I digress so...

 

As I said, I usually do not shop on Black Friday but I unintentionally wound up doing just that yesterday and I got myself a nice Christmas present. For a good many years of my adult life,  I have figured if I am going to essentially be Santa Claus for others then I may as well be Santa for myself too. Now mind you, I did not get off the couch to shop at any stores; instead I was scouring the Internet at first looking at some things on the Beretta site (not guns) and then merely looking at Black Friday deals related to firearms. I was not seeking to get myself something but was just killing time and wondering if I should get my son anything else firearms related for his birthday when I came across an advertisement for this at $359.99: 

 

 

 

 

That is a Beretta APX A1 Carry (click on the link for specs and such) 9mm pistol. I was not looking to buy it but it did seem like a great deal. After seeing ad, I checked out the pistol on Gun-Tests Magazine's website. The APX Carry got a best buy review from them and an A rating so I figured its A1 version would be just as good. I was beginning to get intrigued and then went to check on prices for it at AmmoSeek.com. That is where I saw that the Sportsmans Outdoor Superstore was offering it for $60 less. That hooked me.

 

Since the price of this one was only $299.99 and that there is a currently running $100 rebate offer from Beretta on them, I ordered one almost without hesitation. Yeah, I admit, I hesitated a bit because finances are not all that great right now but what pushed me over the edge was that I'd be getting a Beretta at a Hi-Point price. Imagine that a Beretta for $199.99 plus tax after the rebate and I got free shipping too. How could anyone who is a Beretta fan turn down that Black Friday deal! I can only hope (and I guess expect) that the quality of this little gun will be as good as what went into the making of all of my other Berettas. It will be my first striker fired, polymer frame, Beretta pistol but definitely not my first Beretta. I kind of, sort of almost definitely a fan of Beretta pistols - being I already own ten of them, I suppose that probably qualifies me at least as a bit of of a fan.

Merry Christmas, ahead of time, to me from me. My thanks to  Bartolomeo who started it all in 1526, to Pietro who modernized the company and to all the others in the Beretta family who have made & continue to make some of the highest quality firearms the world has ever seen. Thanks also need be given to the big guy upstairs who gave us his only begotten son as the gift that started it all. 

 

For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son: that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting. (John 3:16 )

 

Christmas, as I see it, has always been about giving; albeit, maybe not to ones-self but can you blame me? After all it was 'such a deal' (Murry the vendor, personal communication); so, how could I resist. I hope your Christmas shopping works out as well as mine has so far.

All the best,

Glenn B

I Am Going Christmas Shopping...

...and I am going to love it even if it kills me! Really now, I need to go to Costco and that can raise my BP enough to make my head burst so maybe I should take some extra BP meds before I go there. It promises to be a madhouse today based on my past experiences but I need to get some supplies that were forgotten. Then I need to get at least a couple more presents today.

Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, I will do likewise. I have gone Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve every year since I was about 10 - 12 years old. I am virtually certain I have done so without fail although I suppose it possible, though not probable, that I might have missed once or twice and forgotten about it. Anyway, I will be going shopping again tomorrow. It is my tradition and I love doing it although I cannot say I always love dealing with some of the arsehats out and about on Christmas Eve. If you go shopping on Christmas Eve, you like me can wind up running into any of the multitude of arsehats that seem to abound during the last minutes of the Christmas shopping season.

On Christmas, when I was in my late twenties or early thirties, I had the sinking feeling that someone was following me. I stopped by a store and pulled an old movie trick that the director probably learned from a cop. I used a store window as a mirror and after a few stores where I was able to repeat that, I realized two guys were indeed following me. They looked like Puerto Rican (most prevalent group f Hispanics in NYC at that time) junkies. I even saw they peering into a store I had entered to look at jewelry. I made it look as if I was going into another store and came out of its recessed store front at full speed and one of them almost walked into me as he approached. He was frazzled after that; yet, him but he and his accomplice persisted in following me store to store and I went in and out of many. I walked into another recessed storefront and made sure my pistol was ready in the holster with my coat out of the way so it was showing. The guy just about ran up to the store front to try to get a glimpse of what I was buying or maybe if I paid with cash. He was shocked to see me standing there, and saw what was on my hip. I did not see him or his pal after that.

Other times dealing with Christmas Eve arsehats has been much more benign but maybe more annoying. I have had to fight off a woman trying to grab an item I was buying right out of my hands. She said something stupid like she saw it first but she was nowhere in sight when I found it on the shelf, to the pushers and bumpers who think of you as an impediment to move out of their way, to the jerks who don't know how to or refuse to hold a door for you, to those who seem incapable of saying thank you if you hold the door for them or show them some common courtesy, to the morons cutting you off in the parking lot or on the road so they can get there before you or before all the deals are gone, to the drunken Santas demanding you drop a donation in the kettle to the protesting atheists who show up at shopping centers to try to make you and others miserable. Yes, I go regardless and I will love having gone even if it kills me.

And now I had better get going before there are too many of them out and about.

Merry Christmas to all of them in advance because shortly I may not feel like saying it to them at all.

All the best,
Glenn B

FUCK THE HOLIDAYS...

...and all the assholes that come with them. I am happy the so called holiday season is halfway over and am truly looking forward to it being over. Thank god New Year day is the last one for quite the while (no I do not celebrate the year of the many or scaly critter, aka: lunar new year). One more holiday weekend and then there is nothing for me to celebrate until Ground Hog Day. I celebrate that one because almost no one else does, at least around where I live. Ground Hog Day is the definitely the best one - no pressure at all, no gift buying or giving, no big dinner, no asshole relations over for whom you have to act nice even though you despise them, no trips to see anyone, you don't even have to wish anyone a happy this or merry that - there is no anything, unless you want to do it for yourself and yourself alone (well, and maybe for the rodent known as the Ground Hog). Thus the reason I will celebrate it better than all the rest. Even Festivus cannot compare to Ground Hog Day - not in any way, shape or form. Ground Hog day is most certainly the best of all holidays! As for the rest of em, fuck them.

Yeah, that's right something put me in a foul mood this holiday season, the same thing that can put me in a foul mood any day of the year - and she does not even have to try. The holiday season sucks regardless of how bad she makes it though, I am finally convinced of that (the holidays need no help from her at all, but oh how she can make it worse).

All the best,
Glenn B

A Nice Christmas Eve and A Nicer Christmas, all ending up with me cooking a seafood medley for tomorrow (actually for later today)

So there I was, late on Christmas Eve, ever so slightly disappointed that my Christmas Season tradition of many years had not been upheld this year. I did not have the opportunity to make it into Manhattan to make my rounds from home to Penn Station, to Macy’s, to the Empire State Building (the thing I miss most), to Rockefeller Center, to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, to tiffany’s and Van Cleefe and Arpels, to Central Park, to Times Square, back to Penn Station and to home. I was however, as I said, only slightly disappointed. I did spend a few hours with Brendan and my mom at the assisted living facility in which she now lives. Mind you it is not a nursing home, more of an apartment complex with people to help you through your day. She has a two and a half room apartment there; a living room, a bedroom and a kitchenette. I decided that my time this year would be better spent visiting my mom since she has only been in her new living arrangement for about 2 or 3 weeks now. Brendan was nice enough to come along, and that made my mom’s day. We also brought along Pepe (named after the cartoon skink Pepe Le Peu) our 3 ½ year old male Chihuahua. He made a lot of peoples’ day at the assisted living residence, he was a big hit among the residents as well as the workers. Of course he is always a big hit with my family, as he is with most people, but not so much with other dogs (grrrrowl, he likes to be the boss).

After we visited my mom, I was able to uphold part of my tradition of many years, a part older than my going into Manhattan each Christmas Season for the above round, and that was to get my Christmas shopping done. I stopped at a small local liquor store and picked up 3 bottles of Gluh Wein for my wife (a German spiced red wine), and of course I got something for myself. I picked up a bottle of Redbreast. It is a triple distilled unblended Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey aged not less than 12 years in oak casks. It is not much like the extremely smooth Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey I have enjoyed a few times in the past, it being of a more peaty/oak-like flavor along the lines of a finer Scotch Whiskys. I prefer the Knappogue Castle, but this stuff is not bad at all. That triple distilling of Irish Whiskeys has something going for it (note the ‘e’ in the Irish and not in the Scotch spelling of Whiskey/Whisky). After that I made a quick stop at a local Korean market for some delectable seafood and other goodies for a meal to be cooked by me in the near future. Clams, Mussels, Shrimp, Squid, Pork Bellies, Rib Eye Steak, baby potatoes, scallions, Oyster Mushrooms, and Shitake Mushrooms all for one of my special dishes.

After that I was off to the local mall. Once there I headed for Dick’s Sporting Goods to get a gift for my daughter’s boyfriend, who everyone else thinks is that kind of person for whom it is impossible to pick the right gift. I headed right to the knife display and picked out a Benchmade Folding Knife:

http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=10402.

As it turned out, I walked into the store, got to the hunting department on the second floor, and as soon as I got there they made an announcement that the store was closing in 5 minutes. Of course there were no salespeople in sight. I did find a young lass who was arranging things on a rack, and I asked her to help me get a knife – since they were locked in a display cabinet. I asked her how much was the Benchmark I had selected, and she was nice enough to find a scanner and price it for me at – well at a fair price is all I will say for a Benchmark knife. I took it to the checkout without her following me – as is required with most of the knives (and as it should have been with this one), and I made it to the checkout just as they announced the store was closed and that all purchases had to be brought to the checkout counters. I paid with cash and with a $10.00 certificate I had from Dick’s. Not a bad deal, wish I had enough to have gotten one for myself.

The I was off to home where put the finishing touches on our tree. When we had arrived home from my mom’s, Brendan put the lights on it, then headed off to his girlfriends. I was left to put the ornaments on it, and decided to do that after getting my shopping done. Yep, we only put up our tree on Christmas Eve this year, and I only purchased it the night before. A nice tree too at that. Once that was done, I wrapped a few remaining presents, and placed everything under the tree. Then I had a nice glass of Irish Cream liqueur, and then hit the hay.

Christmas Day was a nice one to which to wake up after the more recent days of inclement weather. It had snowed the past weekend, then we had some freezing rain, and then of Christmas Eve it was cold and rainy. Christmas Day, on the other hand was sunny when I crawled out of bed at about 0700, and it had warmed up considerably, probably into the 40s. Now I like a White Christmas more than do most folks, but I did not want to have to drive 85 miles to my sister’s place in the snow, and as it turned out it was a grand day for a drive. First things first, I made a pot of coffee (half French Guatemalan and half Tanzanian Peaberry) and then started on the bacon for breakfast. Linda cooked the eggs and biscuits, and Brendan helped us finish it all. Then we opened presents. Celina was away with her beau. Then it was off to Brendan’s sweetheart’s house to pick her up for the ride to my sister’s place where we would enjoy the day with my sister, my brother-in-law, my nephew, my brother, my sister-in-law, my mom and 8 dogs. Now back to the day being a grand one for a drive, it was actually even grander than expected since Brendan drove there and back. The day at my sister’s place was great, her cooking was absolutely delicious from the shrimp/crab spread she makes from scratch to the rack of Prime Rib for the main course to the chocolate birthday cake we had for my mom.

After we arrived home, Celina and her beau showed up and they opened their presents. After Celina departed, Linda cleaned up. Then she was off to bed, and I set about cooking up the seafood I also had bought yesterday. Once things were cleaned up and Linda was off to bed, and I headed to the kitchen for that seafood meal I was going to cook. As it turned out the mussels had keeled over. The clams were okay as was everything else except maybe the squid which was questionable. I tossed out the mussels and the squid and took it from there. I just got done making the whole meal, with the exception of the clams, which are in a basin in salt water cleansing themselves and waiting, unbeknownst to them, to be steamed. They may or may not be added to the dish tomorrow; I am debating on having them steamed plain. Things I added to my other ingredients in the pot and from the home larder were a can of tomato paste, a can of tomato sauce, lots of garlic powder, lots of black pepper, sea-salt, and some crushed hot red pepper sauce that I picked up in Chinatown. Oh yes, lest I forget, I added two bottles of good German Octoberfest bier to the mix, and a few dashes of ground Cinnamon and a dash of ground cloves. I have got to say that my creation of no name is tasty. I am sure that all will love it for tomorrow’s lunch or dinner.

It is now about 2:25 on the day after Christmas, and I think it high time I get my ass to bed and try to catch some z’s.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!

In 1818, on Christmas Eve, the words to Silent Night, Holy Night were put to music for guitar. The words had been written in 1816 by Josef Mohr. Then in 1818 Mohr, who was then an assistant pastor at St. Nicholas Church, asked fellow church member, and organist and choirmaster, Franz Xaver Gruber to put it to music for guitar. The next day, Christmas 1818, the song was sung in St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria for the very first time. It was sung by Mohr and Gruber to the music of a guitar, and they were accompanied by the church choir. Can you imagine that, a Christmas Song sung to the music of guitar back in 1818! All this supposedly because the two men had been struggling with a broken church organ on Christmas Eve in preparation for Christmas Mass; or so the story goes - and I like the story. Actually, the fact of its authorship, and of its musical score have been fairly well documented, and so have the date(s) of its creation (words/music thus dates), and so to was the date it was first sung in church. The part about the broken organ is possibly a stretch, but I guess we can make allowances for it being the Christmas season.

See:

http://www.visit-salzburg.net/surroundings/silentnightchapel.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Joseph_Gruber

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night_%28song%29

Enjoy the song when you hear it or sing it; and Merry Christmas to all.

All the best,
Glenn B

Dear Santa...

I know I have not been the best boy all year long, but I have tried to be pretty good; and I think you know I have gotten better than I have been in recent years. I have not written you a letter in at least about 45 years or so, I guess mostly because I always figured others who needed or wanted things more than me should write to you. This year though, I am writing to ask you for something I would like, and I would like it just for me. I know I likely am not going to get it, but I figured it wouldn't hurt just to ask you for it anyhow.

What I would like is a brand new Beretta Over/Under 12 gauge shotgun. I am particularly fond of the Ultra Light Deluxe, but if there is any chance you could swing something like this for me any of their models would be fine by me.

Of course I'll be leaving you some goodies, as I always do each and every year, I just hope you like Irish Whiskey, German Bier, and a good wurst sandwich.


All the best,
Glenn B

PS: Here are the specs, just in case your elf's need to whip one up in a hurry; or just in case any of the firearms enthusiasts out there are interested:

Model: Ultralight Deluxe, Cat Code: J687575, Gauge: 12, Barrel Length(in): 28, Choke: Modified Choke, Chamber(in): 2 3/4", Rib: 6X6, Weight(lbs): 6.3, Carry Case: Yes, MSRP: $2,350 (yikes). I can only wish Santa could do his magic for me and I find one under the tree (and I do mean only wish) because I surely would have to save my pennies for a long time to be able to buy one.

GB

Started Christmas Shopping Tonight...

Yes folks, I honestly started my Christmas shopping tonight (well since it is almost 0100Am as I write, I guess I really started last night) Wow that is kind of early for me to start my shopping; but I guess it is a good thing. of course I have been thinking about what to get everyone, but as usual I have no clue. At least this is true with regard to my family. I have been trying to figure out for weeks now just what to give to my wife for Christmas. I have no clue. Of course she would like to go on a cruise to somewhere nice, but I think that will be out of the picture until after I retire next year. Who knows though, maybe we can swing one of those 5 day cruises to the Caribbean or something like that. If I do that though, we may not have any cash for a month or two. Oh well,m such is life in the big time. Really though, beyond a cruise, I have no idea as to what to pick out for her. Time will tell whatever I decide upon.

As to the kids, they should be easier. I got the birthday presents for both Brendan and Celina this year (Brendan just turned 18, and Celina is about to turn 23). So I probably can get away with dumping giving the task of Christmas shopping for them onto my wife. Linda is good like that, but I will hold off giving her the chore for a while yet as I look here and there for a good idea of what to get the young ones. I guess half the fun is trying to figure out what to get them and then tracking it down.

The shopping I started tonight was of a different nature than for the family. First I bought a couple of small but nice gifts for one of my doctors and his receptionist Ashley. Then, I stopped at a liquor store and picked up a few bottles of spirits. I got two Irish Cream Liquor sets, a bottle of Irish Cream Liquor with 2 glasses; and I also got a couple of bottles of wine, and an Amaretto set (a bottle of Amaretto and a couple of fancy glasses) as Christmas presents for co-workers. I like to spread the Holiday Spirit by giving out spirits; and what better way to do so that to give something that allows the receiver to enjoy a warm glow to the cheeks and some relaxation to boot all while enjoying something rather tasty. (Drink responsibly.) Now that I think of it, I forgot to get myself a bottle of something; and maybe that was because I was busy talking to the young lady behind the counter and just forgot everything else once I started ogling her curves and pretty face we started having a nice conservation. Somehow the conversation got to guns, she thinks they are cool, and would like to learn how to shoot. It seems I may have a new student shooter on my hands after the holidays when time allows.

Maybe all that was a portent, and I should wait for mine own bottle(s) of spirits until I get to go to the beer distributor and just pick up some fine ale for myself and the jolly old elf who will be visiting. I hear Santa and his helpers have an affinity for finer ales. Of course I also happen to know for a fact, based upon past experience, that they also just love Irish Cream Liquor, Irish Whiskey, Scotch, Gin, Vodka, Jaegermeister, and quite a few others - so I may have to head back to the liquor store too.

By the way, I was not kidding above when I wrote: Drink Responsibly. Drinking can be a pleasant experience but not if you get smashed and then screw up. Jail and a guilty conscience are not worth the few drinks you had to get there. So don't drink to excess, don't combine drink and drugs (I am talking legal prescription and over the counter stuff - don't even consider taking illegal stuff), never drink to excess if you have to drive, handle machinery, watch kids, be responsible for something important, or do any other task in which someone could be injured (and so on...); and don't drink if it is not legal for you to do so. If under 21, have a coke or a root beer.

All the best,
Glenn B