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

Road Trip 2008 - An Epilogue

Before we set off on our road trip on Father's day 2008, Brendan gave me a nice Father's Day card and a few gifts. The gifts were all fishing lures. As it turned out we caught a few fish with the new lures, and lost at least one of them on a snag. Those fishing lures along with that road trip were one great father's day gift.

When we got home from the trip, I noticed that there was a receipt on our dining room table for a barbecue grill. I looked outside and saw the old one missing with nothing in its place. I got a bit upset that my wife had gone out to buy a fairly expensive grill without letting me know, and when we did not have the money for it; heck even the road trip was an extravagant cost right then what with our recent unexpected expenses to replace a water heater, have an oak tree cut down, and so forth.

The next day, I awoke at about 0815 when the phone rang. It was a deliveryman from Home Depot calling to tell me he would be there within 15 minutes. When he showed up, he rolled a really nice new, and fully assembled, Charmglow barbecue grill off of the truck and around to the spot at the side of my house where we had kept the old one. It was really nice, and I am sure you can tell from the picture I have posted here. Still though I was not too happy about it. When I went back inside, I noticed a an envelope attached to the receipt for the grill. I opened it and found a funny and nice Father's Day card from my daughter and her boyfriend. There was a small note in it from her that said: "Enjoy the grill". I was dumbstruck, and I guess pretty ashamed of myself for having assumed my wife had bought something for us we could ill afford. She has had a habit of buying things when I travel, and I guess I figured this had been another case of that. As you can see - it was something totally different. Then I remembered Celina, my daughter had visited us the day before father's day. When she found out I would not be home, but on the trip with Brendan, she wished me a Happy Father's Day and said my gift would be there for me later. I never imagined for a moment that she and her boyfriend had bought it for me until I read the card.

Our first barbecue with it was yesterday. Of course Celina, Kevin (her beau) were there, as was Brendan and Julia, one of Julia's sisters, and Linda and myself. Everything cooked on that grill tasted better than anything we had before. I don't know if it was the food, the grill or the fact that Kevin grilled it all. I do know it was great.

What a lucky dad am I to have 2 such thoughtful and wonderful children (young adults now) as I do.

All the best,
Glenn B