The Trip West...

...went pretty well, all things considered. I woke up at about 0400 to start getting ready to go and Brendan actually got up after my first knock on his door at 0425. That was nice. We had a quick cup of coffee and Brendan had a quick bite to eat. Then we packed the car and almost headed to the airport. Thank you Brendan for asking me if I had everything. I had to go back inside and grab the shotgun case - jeesh! We were off in no time and got to the airport in little time since there was very little traffic on the road at that hour. The thing is though there still was traffic, not as i jam, but as in people already going to work either in the Big Apple or further east on Long Island.


Once at the airport it was a quick goodbye to Brendan and he was off back toward home, hopefully he could get a few winks before leaving again for school. I headed to the check in counter and man what a line! There were literally hundreds of people in the Delta terminal on one line or another. Luckily most people do self check in and do not require the services of a check in person as did I. Of course I need to let them know I fly armed and then sign the forms, wait to have my ID checked by the police, have the shotgun checked by TSA and so on. When the police officer arrived he checked my ID, then asked me to open the shotgun case, then told me I could absolutely, positively not have ammunition in with the shotgun. I explained the TSA and Delta regulations saying yes I could carry the ammo in the same hard sided case as the shotgun so long as the ammo was in either metal, plastic or fiber (cardboard) containers; I also offered to show him a copy of the regulations for both TSA and the airline that I had in my pocket. he refused to look at them and told me that this airport had special rules telling me I was dead wrong because when traveling through LaGuardia airport things were different. Funny how LEOS and people in general always feel that where they work is special with special rules that supersede the rules for the rest of us. He escorted me to TSA and he immediately told the guy at TSA that I had ammo then asked isn't that against the rules. The guy at TSA took a look and said 'Nope, that's okay because he packed it correctly'! TSA had me lock up the case and I was off with the cop to be walked through security. Luckily for me I had not said what was on my mind to the officer because I still had to have him escort me through security - lol. Actually he was pretty decent and courteous, just misinformed.


Once through security I met a NYPD officer with whom I used to work at JFK Airport when with Customs. That was a nice surprise. We chatted for a bit and went off to our gates. I had only a brief wait and was preboarded, always a nice touch. Then we were off to Atlanta for my connecting flight. Te trip to Atlanta was brief and pleasant. The wait once there was a bit longer tan the one I had had in NY but thankfully I did not have to go through security again. The flight from Atlanta itself was not so good. It was full, and I do mean full. It appeared as if every seat was taken. The seats, all three across, were pretty narrow and we were packed like sardines. It would have been ore bearable had the flight been a brief one like the initial leg to Atlanta, but this one wound up over 4 hours long. Getting on the ground was a relief, well that is until I got my luggage. When my shotgun case came out, i noticed the locks had been broken off of it. Two good locks gone, and then I had to fill out a claim with Delta. I now have 30 days to go to their repair shop to have it fixed or replaced. I imagine it will need to be replaced, but time will tell.

After that I hopped into a taxi and made my way to the hotel. my taxi driver - Miguel - was a great guy, and his driving was great too - nothing like a NY City cab driver. We got to the hotel pretty quickly and the fare was $42.00; he seemed happily surprised to get an $8 tip. I did not think it all that much since he helped me with my bags and all and was a good conversationalist (in English that I could understand). Oh well. Once in the hotel I was checked in quickly and courteously by Ruth the front desk clerk. Shortly after that I was in my room and somewhat disappointed. The room was nice, but had to have the worst layout of any hotel room in which I have ever been. The bedroom door only would open halfway because the dresser was crammed behind it. It opened into the bedroom, and I actually walked into the edge of it while dialing my cell phone. In the bathroom you had to close the door from the bedroom to be able to open the closet door, and you could not stand in front of the door when opening it because you would be backed up against the sink and there would not be enough clearance to get it open all the way.

Later on, I saw a room across from mine was open and unoccupied. The door was left ajar and held open with a chair because they were allowing the carpet to dry after being cleaned. I decided to take a peek. it was a much better layout. I called the front desk and the night clerk Chris helped me out. he told me that after 8 I could change to that room if I wanted. So at about 8:30, I called him and he brought the new card key to my room after changing my room number in the hotel system. I had already repacked my stuff and made the change in a couple of minutes. My new room is nicer and larger than the old, and overlooks the pool area. I like it.

This morning I had breakfast, cooked to order at the hotel. It was delicious and free. It is too bad the hotel only serve breakfast, it doe snot have a full service restaurant. restaurants might be a problem around our hotel; I was told they are all upscale and very expensive. So i guess I'll be driving a lot to find decent places to eat within a reasonable price range. I can live with that, at least I'll be eating.

As fr work, I went to the Tucson office yesterday. I got a car assigned to me. Its a 2002 with over 90 thousand miles on it, but it seems to work. It needed a jump start at first, but once going ran okay, the AC worked, the good time radio worked, and the brakes worked. If it doesn't rain while i am out here I may never know whether or not the windshield wipers work. I have got to go over to the office soon, so for now that is pretty much it.

I am still hopeful I'll be able to hook up with some local bloggers and shooting enthusiasts, and maybe some local herpers for some fun times.

All the best,
Glenn B

Not Driving...

...but will be flying. Sorry about that but things change. So I will not get to stop by to see any of you as I had hoped to do along my way west.

All the best,
GB

So Just What Do You Pack...

...for a 5 or 6 day road trip and an extended stay away from home (and you thought I was asking about what type of pistol you pack - weren't you). I am of the opinion that one should travel light, but I'll be damned if I virtually ever do it that way. While traveling light is nice when backpacking, I find that redundancy is a good thing if you can bear the extra load in any type of travel situation.

Let me give you a few examples of my ideas along the lines of redundancy when it comes to travel. When I backpack or hike or hunt I take along two compasses - one in a pocket, one in my pack. I also take at least two bottles of water, two methods of fire starting (matches and a magnesium bar with flint striker), and of course extra socks. When I fly somewhere, well I prefer to travel light, and I pack as if I am going to do just that but then wind up doubling things like my socks and skivvies; and I also pack a change or two of clothes into my carry one besides what I have in my checked in luggage.

If I go on a trip for work, well then I almost always pack a second or backup pistol in addition to anything else on which I have doubled up. Sometimes I bring three guns, the third being a long arm.

When traveling anywhere by car I tend to pack most redundantly of all. I mean why not, if the car can take then I can bring it right! While there have been times that I regretted packing too much for a trip when I have flown somewhere, or even when I have gone on a hike up a mountain, the times I have regretted over packing my trunk, and all the other open spaces in my car, have been few and far between. One thing I make certain of when I do pack my car, so as to avoid becoming unhappy about having too much in there, is to always leave enough room for gifts I may pick up while traveling. Other than that I stuff it to the max.

If I was to go on a road trip of a few days duration here are some of the things I would pack:


Car Stuff:

Flares (at least 6 of them)

Emergency reflectors (at lest a few of them)

2 first aid kits one smaller - one larger

Flat Fix (at least 2 cans and large ones at that)

Extra Windshield Washer fluid in the trunk

Maps (yep at least two in case I lose one)

My GPS with charger (another form of map)

Water (a case for me and any passengers and possibly for the car so I included it hear)

Spare cash hidden in the car just for gas money (I once went hunting, got a deer, paid for it to be butchered and had exactly enough cash to gas up to make it home by sputtering on fumes).

A blanket in the trunk (in case I break down and my clothing is not enough to keep me warm)

MREs in the trunk

An old set of windshield wiper blades in the trunk

Battery cables

Jack and spare (no room for 2)

Flashlights, yep 2 of em

I do not bring tools for the car except for duct tape and nylon ties, as I am not a mechanic at all.

I do bring my Triple A card and the redundancy there is I also have towing on my insurance plan, but I prefer AAA.

For my own enjoyment I also bring along as many music CDs as I can. My collection is at about 125 or more, and all I can say it sure is nice to have a wide variety of music that you like when the radio is not picking up a signal or all the stations suck.

Pens and paper - in case I break down and have to leave the car, I can leave a note for the police.

Personal Gear:

Enough clothing to last 10 days without a trip to the laundromat (this is for an anticipated trip of a few days up to a couple of weeks) A jacket for warmth is included as is a hat if I need them or not.

Toiletries to last the trip, and an extra comb because I always seem to lose or forget them

A few pairs of shoes as in: one pair of running shoes or sneakers I am wearing, another pair for running or in case the first pair gets ruined, and a pair of boots for getting out (also dress shoes if an anticipated need)

My personal cell phone, and my work cell phone

Chargers for the phones

My credit cards, with one in the glove compartment in case I lose my wallet, and that stash of cash for gas, and my ATM card

Regarding prescription meds, enough meds to last me a week beyond the anticipated length of my trip

Two pocket knives

A day pack and a Camelback style day pack with emergency first aid kits and other emergency supplies and enough room in the main compartments for other stuff

Pocket flashlight, usually 2 of them

Extra car keys

Extra batteries for the flashlight

Extra bulbs in caps of flashlights

Camera with extra batteries.


Food and Drink:

A case of water like Poland Spring in the trunk.

A 6 pack of water in the cabin.

At least a 6 pack of soft drinks or juice.

A cooler with lunch and fruit.

Snacks including more fruit.

MREs in the trunk for an emergency.


Work Gear:

At least two extra magazines for my primary pistol

A backup pistol with at least two extra magazines

Extra pistol ammo to the tune of a couple hundred rounds

Shotgun with plenty of ammo (depending on the nature of the given assignment)

Gun Cleaning kit (usually a spare one is in my trunk and then I bring yet another)

Extra handcuffs and keys and two sets of leg irons

Flex ties

2 sets of binoculars (not just for work but also brought along on vacation trips)

Portable radio with 2 extra batteries

Body Armor with additional trauma plate and soft trauma pad, and two body armor carriers (the outer garment in which the Kevlar is placed) - one carrier nondescript for concealed wear and the other which identifies me as an LEO for outer wear.

Outer garment identifying me as a LEO (this in in addition to my body armor carrier) that is labelled likewise.

Large MagLight type flashlight and extra batteries and extra bulb.


The above is not at all inclusive list, but it covers a lot of the stuff I bring with me on a road trip. Remember one thing about redundancy, you can always lighten the load if need be, but if you don't have it in the first place - well that can be a big problem when you need it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Westward Ho

As it stands right now, I should soon be trekking off to Arizona within the near future. My method of travel will most likely be automobile, and I figure it for a 5 day trip from my home to my destination. I am hopeful that along the way I may be able to stop by to meet one or two of you who read my blog; just a brief get together for a cup of coffee or lunch at a local diner in your neck of the woods as I pass through. So if any of you might be along a likely route from NY to AZ, and are not afraid to be seen in public with a middle aged geezer like me, let me know.

All the best,
GB

Bizarre Foods...

...with Andrew Zimmer is fast becoming one of my favorite television shows. Not only that but it is kind of stirring up that long dormant but still smoldering desire within my soul to start cooking again. I used to love to cook and bake, but I never loved cleaning up the mess, and neither did my wife if only because I made such a mess! Nowadays I am better at cleaning up the mess after the wife cooks - well not all the time but I am definitely better at it. If I could only combine my delight at cooking, with my willingness to clean up the mess, it would definitely benefit my love to eat that which I cook.

Now I did start this off taking about Andrew Zinner and Bizarre Foods, so maybe I ought to give them some time here too. The show is on Monday nights at 9:00 PM eastern time in the USA. It centers around Andrew's love to eat almost anything, and his world travels to accomplish just that. He goes to some fairly far away places, and then takes delight in the local cusines. In tonight's show, he visited Peru where he ate everything from Lemon Ants, to Pirahna, to Coconut Grubs and finally roasted Guinea Pig. In another show he ate roasted bats, and in another a lamb's eye. Of course, he eats things not all that bizarre too, like suckling pig, broiled fish, and on and on. If you have not already noticed, he likes the meaty parts of the meals best, although he does eat a bit of everything. It is an amusing show to say the least, and one that whets the appetite for guys like me who love to travel and try some new foods while getting around.

Nice show, I highly recommend it. Now where is my cook book, I need to see if it has a recipe for calves' brains, or Pig's feet, then maybe a trip to the German butcher again this weekend, and who knows what might wind up on the table for Sunday dinner...

All the best,
Glenn B