Sunday Shotgunning...

...was about all accomplished today at the range. I had planned to do some pistol shooting along with making sure my issued Remington 870 was zeroed in at 25 yards but 30 rounds of the 12 gauge wound up being all I shot. I almost did not shoot that because I have been feeling a bit under the weather lately - just plumb run down. Since I carry the 12 gauge at work, on occasion, I figured it best be sighted in in the event the need for it ever arose. Last time I qualified with it I was shooting somewhat low at the twenty-five. Today I set up two 8 inch Shoot'N C Targets on the backer board and then let loose with 30 rounds that I had with me. I started off shooting standing, unsupported. I got a couple out of the 5 five shots right on target but could not make out where the other 3 went. I figured I was probably anticipating recoil and I concentrated on holding on target and squeezing off the trigger and also supported myself on the bench for the next 2 shots. They were almost dead center. Not the fault of the sights that my other shots, as i saw later when I retrieved my target, had gone low! After that I once again shot while standing, unsupported but using the other target. That time I got 7 out of 8 in the pie plate so to speak, and the 8th just nicking the edge of it.

That left me 15 rounds that I shot alternating back and forth between targets while do reloading drills. I loaded with 2 or 3 rounds, fired them off then reloaded with 2 or three and fired them off all in rapid succession. Most of them hit the 8 inch targets though a few went and inch or so low but were still pretty much centered laterally.

Apparently, when I qualified last, I was anticipating recoil and shot low. I had thought it might have been the rear sight - because it had literally fallen off of the receiver just before I left home to come to Phoenix. When I put it back on, I set it midway on its ramp. I found out today that I had gotten the sight set in just the right spot and that my shooting low during quals was just due to me anticipating recoil - or in other words was due to shooter error. It just took a little practice to overcome that problem. When I did not flinch today the shots were right in the targets in about a large fist sized to 3/4 open hand sized groups. That is okay in my book with a slug gun at 25 yards shooting unsupported; more than good enough for government work, so to speak. They all would have hit the torso of a man sized target. I hope I never need to use it that way but I have one issued to me for a reason - so I may as well be ready to use it and proficient with it if need ever arises.

After a job well done, I quit and headed back to my apartment and took a long nap.

All the best,
Glenn B

Vegas Can Wait - It Will be Shotgun Shooting this Weekend

I figure it this way: I am goiung to Vegas this fall for an NRA Police Firearms Instructor School (Handgun & Shotgun) and will be there then for a week to 10 days.

I may need to depend upon my shotgun as a defensive weapon in relation to my job at any time.

So I can give up a weekend, even to vegas, to make sure that the shotgun is functioning properly and that I am as proficient with it as I should be.

Sometimes I just hate being sensible because it ruins most of the fun, but in this case being less than sensible could ruin the rest of my life. So, tomorrow or Sunday, I will be acting responsibly and putting off the Lost Wages trip and will be at the range, probably Ben Avery Shooting Facility, making sure the issued shotgun is sighted in as well as it can be. Of course, since I will be shooting, I will be having a different type of fun than Vegas would have been while at the same time making sure that I will be ready for the worst case scenario should it raises its ugly head.

All the best,
Glenn B

All the best,
Glenn B

Shotgun Practice or Las Vegas - that is the question!

So here I am in Phoenix, with too long but yet not all that much longer to go, and I am at a loss for how to spend this coming weekend here. I guess I am really at a loss as to whether I should spend it here or not. I was thinking of going to Las Vegas. Then I checked the airfare and it was prohibitive (on only a few days notice). Then I checked a rental car and while the price was okay, the airport location which is open 24/7 only rents to people who flew in within the last 72 hours and the other nearby locations close so early on Sunday as to make it not worth my while to rent a car and then have to try to hurry back to get it turned in on time. Then there is Greyhound. I could not find a bus junket trip to Vegas from Phoenix; instead I found a few forum type posts complaining about how they are not available as they are from places like NYC to Atlantic city so I checked Greyhound. The web discount fare was about $88.00 round trip. Now get this, the regular fare is $59.00 round trip. Try to figure that one out. I double checked - those are the prices - or close to them as I recall em right now. I am tempted but then again I remember Greyhound from those days when I did not own a car and from days when my first clunkers were broken down wrecks and I had to go by bus. Greyhound buses often live up to their names, or did way back when, as they smell like kennels. Not nice but at least someone else is doing the driving. The trip is about 9 hours, I suppose I could catch the one tomorrow night and sleep until arrival sometime between 6 and 7 AM.

The only reasons I am thinking of going to Vegas is to get out of here for a weekend and because I have been watching Pawn Stars lately on the History Channel (no not Porn Stars but PAWN Stars, about a Las Vegas pawn shop). I would not mind visiting their shop but I heard they are on the outskirts of Las Vegas and the taxi fare could be prohibitive from the downtown bus terminal. I'll have to think on it.

Now, I also need to recheck the sights on my issued Remington 870. I did qualify with it awhile back but was shooting a bit low. Don't know if that was me or the sights. I imagine I could do this on a workday but I would rather take more time and enjoy myself shooting on a weekend when I do it - so that is another option for this weekend. Thing is - there is nothing else keeping me in Phoenix this weekend right now so a Vegas solo vacation (even if only for a day or two) looks promising. Then again, I just stopped by the Turf Accountant and had an enjoyable dinner. (I forgave them their rude treatment on St. Patrick's Day and started enjoying the place and the company and conversation of the nice people who work there (for the most part they are very nice as opposed to the 2 assholes there on the front door on St. Patrick's Day.) I was served by Natalie - a young lass who is definitely my favorite waitress west of the Mississippi, maybe even east of it. She is a great waitress, pleasant to behold and is just a really nice person. The Turf Account, and the nice folks who work there like Natalie (no I am not implying any hanky panky), are thus another reason for me to stay in Phoenix this weekend instead of making a long trip in an uncomfortable and possibly quite smelly Greyhound bus. That and the chances being I am not likely to lose hundreds of dollars in the Turf Accountant as I might be in a casino in Vegas.

I suppose, as often is the case, time will tell. If I do go to Vegas - I am hopeful I will keep my gambling to a minimum. I used to like taking trips like that but that was when I was younger, a bit more adventurous, and less likely to be uncomfortable while crammed into a bus seat for hour after hour after hour. I'll let you know how it turns out.

All the best,
GB

Lee-Enfield Update 2

I was hopeful this morning when I saw that the Lee-Enfield I wanted was still shown as available on the Classic Arms website and that the site had been update, since I last looked at it, and was dated as current for today. I called them right away only to be told "They are all gone but we have other ones". I did not want another one not in as good a condition as the one advertised.

I called again one more time to make sure that the lady who told me it was gone would realize I had called yesterday leaving them a message asking them to hold it for me. Again I got the same first half of her reply "They are all gone". There was only one shown as a rifle of the day so how they are all gone is beyond me. That was a big disappointment. I do not know if I want one that was not in as good a condition as was the one they advertised, nor do I know if I want to buy from a place advertising something for sale that they no longer have in stock and then have them tell me they have others ones not in as good a condition. That is called bait and switch and it is not a good business practice and I would hope not what they were doing.

Edited to add: When I got back to my apartment after work, I checked the website again. The ad for the Rifle of the Day was gone, so maybe it is not bait and switch after all, at least not done intentionally, and it just took them quite some time to remove the ad. Hopefully they will find another in like condition, advertise it, and I will be the lucky one to get it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Lee-Enfield Update

Well, it is Monday morning, April 5th, 8:37 my time - I called the dealer to make the purchase of the Lee-Enfield I wrote about in my previous post. They are still closed because of Easter and will not open until tomorrow. I left a message asking that they hold the rifle for me but I have no idea how many others may have done likewise. Hopefully I am number 1 on the list and will have first shot at it.

All the best,
GB

Ballseye's Gun Shots 53 - Lee-Enfield No. 4 MK1

As you may know, I have been hemming and hawing and wanting to buy a new rifle for some time now. While I want to get a brand new rifle I am also always on the lookout for military surplus rifles that I can buy using my Curios & Relics FFL License. Years ago I considered buying an Enfield but hesitated then suddenly the market pretty much seemed to dry up for ones in decent condition. The Lee-Enfield appealed to me because it was a workhorse of the British Empire from the Boer War through WWI, up through WWII, and into the 1950 when it was finally given up in favor of a self loading rifle. There were many different designations/models of this fine rifle, the No. 4 Mk 1 beginning to be manufactured during WWII in about 1939 with widespread distribution beginning in 1941. Compared to its predecessor, it had improvements such as a strengthened receiver, heavier barrel and a peep sight built into the receiver that was micrometer adjustable.

In essence the Lee-Enfield No. 4 MK1 is a bolt action repeating rifle with a wood stock that is loaded from a 10 round box magazine. The magazine can be loaded using two five round clips or by hand. The rifle is chambered for the .303 British cartridge. The cartridge is suitable as a military cartridge and as a big game getter for animals such as whitetail and mule deer here in the USA. Some hunters have actually used this cartridge on dangerous game such as the African Lion but me thinks I would want something with a bit more punch when facing one of those beasties.

Recently, an online firearms dealer started to advertise these rifles for sale. At $239.95, I thought they were pretty expensive for Enfields since I remember seeing then for $79.00 apiece some years ago. Then again, all firearms prices have skyrocketed and Enfields are no longer available in good numbers. Tonight I looked at the dealer's web page again and saw they had one in particular that they are selling for $259.95. It looks to be in darned good condition and they claim it has an excellent bore. I am hoping this one is actually a No. 4 MK1 and not the No. 4 MK1* model which started production in 1944 and replaced the peep sight with a flip up sight. If it is the No. 4 MK1 I will probably order it tomorrow if they confirm its condition to be up to my expectations. That is I will order it if they can accept an emailed or faxed copy of my C&R; I hope so.

For more info on Lee-Enfield rifles see:

http://world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl04-e.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee-Enfield

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee-Enfield#Rifle_No_4

http://www.surplusrifle.com/no4/index.asp

http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/forum/view/id/70

All the best,
Glenn B

The Easter Bunny Lives...

...and as proof of that I offer these facts:

1. Late this afternoon I heard a soft pitter-pattering noise outside my apartment door, just like one would expect the sound of furry tiny feet to make if a bunny were hopping its way down the hallway.

2. I opened my door, looked up and down the hallway but saw nothing, and since the Easter Bunny is a mythical beast - would you expect me to actually have seen it!

3. I then looked down at my door step and there on the floor just outside my doorway I found what is pictured.

4. Chickens do not lay green eggs with squiggly white lines, only the Easter Bunny is capable of such a feat.

5. Not only did the egg have squiggly lines but the egg was sitting atop a bed of phony grass which was cellulose green in appearance - the favorite basket filler of the Easter Bunny - and the grass and egg were in a small green Easter Basket - and everyone knows Spring Green is one of the Easter Bunny's favorite colors (maybe it looks blue in the pic but I think that is due to the flash).

6. Besides leaving behind Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny usually also leaves behind chocolate. Hidden in the grass, inside of the basket, were 4 Hershey's chocolate kisses.

I once again believe in the Easter Bunny! Do you?

All the best,
Glenn B

Simple But Sumptuous - Easter Dinner

I decided to cook myself a very nice Easter Dinner today. I planned to keep it simple and I think I accomplished that while at the same time having it come out tasting heavenly. The picture does not do the taste of it justice. The meal consisted of roast boned leg of lamb salted/peppered/and sprinkled with garlic powder then later basted with red wine (1/2 of one, I saved the other half for stew for next week), pan roasted fingerling potatoes (including white, red and dark purple potatoes) that were lightly covered with olive oil/salt/pepper and garlic powder (cooked at the same time but apart from the lamb in their own baking pan in the oven), broccoli steamed in butter in the microwave, and a salad consisting of lettuce, onions cucumber and dressing. To wash it all down, I enjoyed a fine beverage - one of my favorites - Ommegang Abbey Ale. Yes, I guess I also had a small glass of the red wine while I was cooking and using it to baste the lamb but then I am over 21 and am allowed.

As for those potatoes, the purple ones - yes they really were purple. The skin is either black or very deep dark purple, and the inside is a lighter purple but still pretty dark. They taste great despite looking weird. I once heard there are over 25 varieties of potato native to the Americas and we normally eat only a very small number of that variety. These are delicious, tasting a lot like regular potatoes but just somewhat stronger and earthier. The photo is not edited and is just as it came out.

As I have said before, I love fairly simple meals the best. Today's was no exception from that rule and I devoured it with gusto. I guess it helps that I like my own cooking but it was also a plus that the meat came out medium to medium rare (depending on where it was cut), so it was nice an juicy, there were plenty of drippings left in the pan for added flavor, the fat on the outside of the roast came out crispy, and it was pretty tender. Add to that the delicious flavor of a good lamb roast and it was truly a gastronomical delight. I only wish I had family or friends with me to enjoy it. Sharing a meal like that with special people always makes for a better dinning experience and I would swear it makes it taste better too (not that this needed to taste any better but sharing something that good is definitely the way to go if at all possible). While I may not have had any dining companions with whom to share it I suppose that means I will have more leftovers for myself. That is not a bad thing at all - I love lamb; and did I mention I love my own cooking - at least when I get it right - and this was ever so right.

Hope your meal today was at least as half as good tasting as mine and I also hope you at had good company there with you to share it. If you were really lucky then your company helped clean your dishes; me I had to clean my own.

All the best,
Glenn B

Happy Easter

I want to wish all of you who celebrate it a very happy Easter. I was raised Catholic but have not celebrated or participated in religious services for a long time. I recently realized I do, for a fact, believe in a higher power, in God, though it is likely not in the same respect as do most who are followers of organized religion. Regardless of how I believe, I also believe in many of the bedrock tenets of Christianity. One of those in which I hold a firm belief is to do unto others as you would have them do unto yourself.

Today, as I sometimes have done before, I decided to go out and do unto another as I would hope someone would do for me if I were in need. I drove around downtown Phoenix looking for the most down trodden soul I could find. It wasn't long before I came across a guy walking the streets who was dirtier than any bum I have seen in Phoenix since I got here. His clothes were covered in dirt and somewhat tattered, his hands were literally black with grime, and it looked as if his spirit was just as bad off. He was just standing in the middle of the street (the traffic lanes) on Monroe street (or maybe it was Adams) looking at a large hotel and the people leaving it apparently to go to Easter Services. I don't know if it was hope or despair he was feeling. maybe hope that someone there would give him a handout, maybe despair over remembering better times. As I drove up from behind him he walked onto the sidewalk and past the people standing there, they ignored him just as I often ignore street people.

There was a difference today, for me and for him. drove to the corner and pulled over where I could do so safely and waited for him to walk up next to my car. I called out to him to ask him if he wanted something to eat. This guy was o street savvy bum from New York City. He was not making it living on the streets and leeching off of homeless shelters - this guy was obviously hungry and in need of a meal. His eyes widened and he ran the several feet to my car. As I handed him the bag of things i was giving him, I told him what was inside - a couple of pieces of roast chicken, a few pieces of bread, an apple, a bottle of water and a can of soda - I forgot to mention there was a pair of socks too (I'll get back to them and why they were in the bag). He took the bag, looked into it, looked at me, was saying thanks and cutting him off, I said here is ten bucks to help you. He replied "You're frickin great man, thanks" or something to that effect. I was happy, he was happy and he looked as if I had just given him a king's ransom. I wish I could recall his exact words to share with you but somehow, over the last 15 or 20 minutes since i gave him that meager bit of food and money I have forgotten already. I don't think though that I will ever forget how he reacted, how totally amazed and happy he was to get a small handout like that.

I do something similar now and then up in NYC and sometimes give a twenty to a homeless guy but doing that has never made me feel like what I did today. Only one guy in NYC ever really came even close to the appreciation shown in this guys eyes today. Most have never shown anything even close. I think that maybe because the homeless in NYC are used to begging, used to leeching and used to receiving. This young man today, and my guess is he was around 25 years old, did not seem used to anything but despair and dirt and certainly did not look like he had been expecting anything good to come out of today or tomorrow. When he walked away fro my car, he walked away with a look of sheer anticipation on his face, anticipation of enjoyment, or of a full belly, or of the sweetness of can of soda or for whatever he might use that ten bucks. I think I walked away a different man myself and in that there is something i don't think I will ever forget either. That something else I will not forget is how I felt after giving it to him. I felt a little less burdened, a little bit happy, a little more Christian (in a idealistic manner) - and and certainly a little bit better for it. It probably made me feel as happy as almost anything else since I have been here in Phoenix.

Now, I am not telling you this to blow my own horn. I am not patting myself on the back. Neither am I preaching to you on what you should or should not do. What I did today was minimal and was certainly no great effort on my part and no great expense to me. I guess the reason I am telling you this at all is to suggest, that you too can go out an enjoy your celebration of Easter, or of your Christian heritage, or of any religion that believes in goodness and doing unto others as you would have them do unto yourself, by going out and helping someone in need. To tell you the truth think today did me more good than would 100 visits to church. I can tell you without a doubt that going to church never did anything to uplift my soul like that little bit of charity I did today. Imagine if we all went out, maybe once a month, or a few times a year at the holidays, and did something like this. We and they we help would be better off for it. I'll be doing it again - now and then - but I doubt very much I will ever feel the same as I did today. Today showed me that maybe I ought to be helping more. I count my blessings this Easter in that I found someone I could help even if just a bit and that in so doing I am sure to have helped myself too.

Oh, before I forget, I did promise to tell you about the socks. The socks,r at least a request for them, is what prompted me to go out today and look for someone in need. You see, yesterday there was a guy begging outside of the entrance to my apartment building. He asked a couple of young ladies for food or a dollar. one of the gave him some money. As I walked into the building he asked me if i had any socks i could give him. I just ignored him and walked into the building. he was pretty bad off looking but I was not about to give handouts to a homeless person outside my apartment building, I think it is a dangerous thing to do. Something funny though happened as I walked by him. I guess my shirt had ridden up a bit exposing the badge on my belt. As I walked by he asked "Hey are you with Customs?". That almost floored me, how could he know that - most people who see an ICE badge would ask if you are with Immigration or with ICE. Being that I came from the Customs Service and was merged into ICE when it was created after 9/11, I just kept wondering how he had arrived at asking that question once I had gotten inside. I was curious and keeping thinking about that got me to thinking I ought to help out the poor slob with something. After about 10 or 15 minutes inside, I decided to give him something and got together my little care package including the socks. I only was going to give it to him if he first assured me he would leave the area. This guy looked pretty rough and was apparently scaring other tenants with his forwardness as they approached the building entrance, thus the reason the cops showed up showing so much interest in the building entrances (you will see what I mean in a moment). Well, he was not there when I went to look for him. I drove around a bit and dd not see him but did see two police officers on bicycle patrol probably also looking for him as they drove around the block a few times paying close attention to all the entrances to my building. I decided to put the food into the fridge still in the bag I had it in and then to go out today to look for someone needy. The socks were still in there today and though they might have been a little bit cold from having been in the fridge, I am sure they will help warm up the guy I gave em to. For all I know, the guy today was the same guy as yesterday. I really did not pay attention yesterday but am happy that I paid attention today in that I went out to look for someone needy to help out even if just a bit.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gun Shots 52 - Firearms Training For This Year

If you shoot, and shoot well, then you know that you cannot get enough practice and neither can you get enough training. I shoot four times a year to qualify for my job and usually at least a half dozen times to many more than that for fun and practice and training. The thing is though, when I shoot away from work - any training I do is self taught. It's not bad, basically it is practice of things I have learned over the years with some new innovations or twists that I add now and then. This year is going to be a bit different for me, the reason it will be different is because I am planning on retiring at the end of the year (if all goes as planned). Once I retire a lot of the training that is available to me now as an LEO will not be available. I am not getting it for free or at a discount, it is just that some training outfits require you to be an LEO to take their courses.

For example, I have registered, paid for and been excepted for the NRA Law Enforcement Instructor for Handgun and Shotgun course being given in Las Vegas, NV this coming October. While they will sometimes allow a non-law enforcement person to take this training, it is much more likely that you will be excepted if currently in service. I am taking it now in anticipation of being able to supplement my income once I retire by training others - both LEOs and non-LEOs. How I talked my wife into letting me go to this one is easy to explain - she is coming along for the trip. It is a 5 day course and I expect to be in Vegas for 7 or 8 days. I have got to start making reservations for shows now, last time we were there we did not see any of the headline shows because almost all of them were sold out 6 months in advance.

Another course, that I just signed up for is one that I was taking at the moment of the attacks on 9/11. I was not in my office at the WTC but was instead in CT at Glock Armorers' School. A coworker and I left once we heard the news and headed back to the Customs office at JFK Airport to see what we could help with. he was lucky enough to go back to another school, I missed out. So now, I will wind up paying for it myself. That is okay by me, it will be another feather to add to my cap in retirement - something else that might help me turn a buck now and then. The Glock Armorers' School is being offered just a fairly short ride from where I live up in Peekskill, NY. Basically it will be the cost of the class, gasoline and tolls and maybe lunch.

I may sign up for a couple or few more firearms' training courses throughout the course of the year. I am especially looking toward instructor qualification courses so more courses along those lines will be sought out by me as time goes on. Maybe something line Home Defense Training Instructor, or rifle instructor and so on would be called for. I may also look into something like Front Sight, although that one may be a bit too expensive for me. Time will tell.

All the best,
Glenn B

Letter To U.S. Congressman Ryan Causes Brouhaha

Well, maybe it was not the letter as much as it was the envelope. It seems an angry constituent mailed a letter of complaint to the Ohio Congressman in an envelope marked "critical information" and "requested information" on the outside, while at the same time omitting a return address. See the article here.

I think the man or woman who sent the letter without a return address may have hit on a great idea without realizing it. I will give the idea some serious thought before acting if I decide to do so at all. If I decide to take some action on this, I will begin a letter writing campaign to my elected Congressmen/women, maybe even to the Senators of all 50 states. Each letter I write will be sent in an envelope marked something to the effect of: Read Immediately & Response Required & Tea Party Supporter on the envelope and, of course, I will omit my return address from the envelope (but probably not from the actual letter it carries). By the way, my letter will express my concerns that we are becoming a socialized nation and that such things as the health care reform bill are unconstitutional. It will be quite proper and respectful (at least with all due respect) but it will insist that Congress and the president start representing We The people instead of trying to rule us as if we were their subjects instead of their employers!

Would my doing such be illegal? I do not think it is illegal to send letters without a return address.

What would the effect be? Would I be denounced? Would I be investigated? Would the cops or FBI check every letter I sent in this fashion? Would some moronic politician demand that I stop doing such or that I be arrested to stop me? Would a less than sharp politician say something to the effect that I am overstepping my Constitutional rights and liberties?

What would be the media coverage? Think of it, a good number of Congressional representatives and senators receiving such letters - pretty much all at the same time - would it cause a stir? Would there be a massive over reaction by both politicians, law enforcement and the media or would my letters, sent in such a manner, actually be taken for what they actually would be - correspondence from a citizen of the United States of America to elected government officials?

I may have to give this a try. It certainly seems like it could be one way to make certain that politicians pay attention to letters I have sent them. After all, with all the media attention it could potentially spark, wouldn't it be likely that at least one journalist with half a brain would ask the question: "So Senator Schumer (I use him as an example because he is the senior senator for my state), what exactly was it that was in the letter(s)?"

Now imagine it on a larger scale. What would happen if a few hundred or even a few thousand people did this all at about the same time? Would the media be all over it. Would there be an attempt at by the government to officially put an end to such mailings? Would the socialist and communist tendencies of our current administration be brought fully into the light? Would politicians actually start reading our letters and paying attention to the content. Would our message be more likely to get across.

I think I will give it a try. What do you think?

All the best,
Glenn B

04/02/2010 at 2150, edited to add: I guess a return address is not mandatory nor is it a legal requirement on your mail. I say this because I just checked this page at the U.S. Postal Service site and as you can see for yourself they recommend using a return address so if your mail is undeliverable it can be returned to you. They do not say it is mandatory.

You Picked A Fine Time To Lead Us Barack

A fairly new video from what I can tell - one that hits it on the head. Nice to see the young folks of America realize that our government \ leaders are so flawed. Hopefully the message will go a long way to make some change in November. Thanks to Rich M for giving me the heads up about it.



Funny thing about Barack Hussein Obama being our president. I now own more guns and ammunition than ever before in my life and plan to buy more. I also plan to restock my survival supplies quite possibly doubling or tripling the amount I have on hand. In addition to that, I just recently started doing something I have not done in years - go to church. I have also been rethinking a lot of what I do with a goal in mind of trying to become a better person and all of that has me becoming more and more conservative. He is bringing about change indeed - change that seems to be turning more and more people back toward conservative ideals; I guess I am one of them - not that I was not already somewhat conservative but I surely am more so now and so it seems are lots of other folks. God Bless America.

All the best,
Glenn B

Gone Shootin...

...but before I did that I enjoyed the Arizona Game & Fish Department's sportsman's expo today at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility. The first thing I did after parking the car was to head to the tent in which the National Muzzle Loaders Association had their table. Nope, I do not shoot a muzzle loader, don't even own one though i have had one in the past, so you may be wondering why that was number one on my list. Well, a gentleman with whom I have communicated - via emails and forum posts (at The Gun Counter) - was going to be there until 11AM. I got there around 10 or so and headed right there to meet him. That gentleman is Dana D., also known as Rumpshot over at The Gun Counter forums. Once there Dana introduced me to another gentleman manning the NMLA's table by the name of Ben B. All three of us had a nice conversation for 25 or 30 minutes about this, that and another thing. I am very happy to have met Rumpshot someone I have known from The Gun Counter forums for some time now but had never met before. Meeting his fellow association member Ben was also a plus.

After that, I said farewell and took off to enjoy the rest of the expo. The expo consisted of several tents housing various outdoors organizations such as hunting organizations, fishing organizations, boy scout troops, wildlife funds, conservation groups, and so on. One of these was the CouesWhitetail.com table. There I met, Amanda Moors. I asked her a few questions about the Coues Whitetail Deer. I had only heard of them, that I remember, this past Friday when I stopped in at Cabelas in Glendale, AZ. They had the usual Cabela's natural history display of game animals and that included several mounted Coues Whitetail Deer. I read an informational plaque there saying they are found in southeast AZ. Hmm, that got me to thinking that the small whitetail deer I had seen while I visited Madera Canyon several times over my 4 month stay in Tucson, last spring and summer, were probably Coues Whitetails. Ms. Moors said I was right. She said they are fairly common there. That made me pretty happy since I had seen several of what, according to the info at Cabela's, is a hard species to get close to during a hunt. I walked up to several of them while hiking and got as close as 30 feet or so to ones that were off the beaten path, closer still to ones that were used to hikers near the parking area. There were also any commercial displays by companies such as Dick's Sporting Goods and so on.

Outside the tents there were various shooting events going on where folks could plop down anywhere from $2 to $5 to shoot a variety of firearms from black powder arms to Glock semi-automatic pistols. These events included events for young shooters and I saw many children enjoying, along with their parents, what were probably the first shots fired by many of them. There were also other displays out side of the tents that were dedicated to shooting events. One of these that I watched for awhile was a competitive shoot from horseback. The shooters rode around cones in a corral, several of the cones having balloons tethered to them. As the shooters rode past the balloon they shot them, or tried to, with single action revolvers. Most of them hit every one, i think there were about 10 balloons set up for each shooter. This was no easy task as it combined not only shooting skill on the move but horsemanship as well and it was all timed. The youngest shooter in this event was 12 years old or just older.

Both inside of the tents and outside there were some other interactive events taking place such as an archery shooting gallery where you could shoot at facsimile animal targets and one, maybe two, fishing tanks in which kids could cast a line and try to catch one of the fish. There were also displays of live animals from hawks, to buzzards, to bats, to fish, to reptiles. Along the way around the expo, I came across a mobile display set up by the Phoenix Herpetological Society. Yes that meant reptiles on display and what they had ranged from tortoises, an alligator and ball pythons in a petting area to several locked displays quite a few species of some of the worlds most deadly venomous snakes including a Gaboon Viper, an albino Monacled Cobra, and many species of rattlesnakes. There were also several non-venomous species of snakes and quite a few lizards on display. Many of the animals on display were enclosed in tanks, the tanks all held in the open sides of a van/trailer belonging to the herp society. Pretty impressive display for a local herp society, I can say that I have never seen anything else like it!

The shame of all this was that I forgot to bring my camera with me. I was able to get a few shots with my cell phone but they never come out all that good.

After having made my way around most of the expo, I headed back to the main range area of the facility. I had a few hundred rounds of ammo that needed getting rid of and what better way to get rid of ammo than by shooting it. It had been a tough week and I need the soothing effect that shooting would have on me. As usual it did its magic because by the time I was dome shooting I had forgotten about all of the things that had been troubling me and I felt great. Being that I shot pretty good today was an added bonus and that always goes toward making me feel pretty good. Add to the shooting the fact that I really enjoyed the expo and that I also had enjoyed my fishless day fishing yesterday and I think you can tell that I had a great weekend.

All in all, I shot 250 rounds of 9MM through my Glock 26 today, another 100 rounds through my issued SIG 229, and about 50 rounds through my Henry U.S. Survival Rifle. It was a good shoot and I had a great time. Not a bad day considering I also did my laundry and some other small household chores earlier in the day. One more household chore left to do before the day comes to an end, I have to clean my pistols. Maybe when that is done, I'll g out to get a bite to eat.

All the best,
Glenn B

Gone Fishin (no shootin today)

This morning I woke up at about 0230. Don't know why, don't care. I could not go back to sleep so I made myself a breakfast of a couple of scrambled over chorizo (actually mixed together once the chorizo was cooked), a couple of pieces of toast slathered with butter (NO WONDER I AM NOT SHEDDING POUNDS WITH THOSE CARBBS DESPITE MY EXERCISE) and a glass of OJ. Then I got to thinking about what I could do that early and went online to look for somewhere to go. I wound up heading east of Phoenix. I stopped by a Wal-Mart in Mesa, or was it Apache Junction (?) and picked up a one day fishing license and about $60 worth of fishing gear including a Shakespeare rod and reel combo, some hooks, some sinkers, snap swivels, floats, a few lures, and a cup-a-worms. Then I was off to Apache Lake. On the way there I passed Canyon lake and was tempted to stop there to fish but had my heart set on Apache Lake and a boat rental there since someone told me how great fishing was there and because it should be less crowded. Well, on the way there I started to regret I kept going. A 16 mile drive took almost 40 minutes - no traffic - just a twisting and turning and inclining and declining dirt road. Nice scenery though and I really was in no hurry.

I got to Apache Lake at about 0900. I stopped in a small store there and grabbed a couple of candy bars (my weekend treats) and then headed out to rent a boat at the marina. One look at the wind blowing up the waves convinced me I should have stayed at Canyon Lake where it had been much less windy. I decided not to rent the skiff after all and tried to find a place to fish from shore. I found one spot but it was crowded with rowdy and apparently drunk campers. Yep, that was at about 10 AM!. I got out of there and drove further east with no luck. Apache lake has very few spots where you can drive down to the water's edge to go fishing. I turned around and headed back toward canyon Lake at about 1055. By the time I turned around, I was 21 miles from the Canyon Lake Marina. It took me exactly 1 hour to drive back that 21 miles. As I was heading back I noticed there were a lot of people going in the opposite direction from me. It was getting crowded on the road in the other direction. That meant only one thing to me - that since Canyon lake was closer to Phoenix, it would be more crowded than Apache Lake. I headed there anyway. When I got to Tortilla Flats, 2 miles east of Canyon Lake marina, there was a mob there. Bikers, people in cars, and RV'ers. I went to Canyon lake and it was pretty busy too but not mobbed.

I found a spot to fish, wish I could remember the name of the parking area but cannot and I got in a few hours of fishing without a single bite. Then when I was getting disgusted and thinking about leaving in a short while, the rod tip did a little dance and I hooked something. It took line for about 10 seconds then stopped. I could tell it was pretty big, especially for the light weight spinning outfit I was using but that was okay with me. Then it just stopped moving. No tugging no matter how hard I pulled the pole back. I figured I was stuck on the bottom and let out some line then jiggled around the pole end, then let out some more line, then reeled it in and tried to get it free by again shaking the rod left, right, up and down. I walked way to one side of the fishing pier I was on and figured it might come loose, then back the other way, then back to where I had been. No luck. Then I realized something, I had slackened the line but the line was taut again and I had not reeled it in and it kept getting tauter but very slowly. So let out some more line and sure enough it became taut again but I could not reel any in. It was not the current I am almost certain, it was moving against the current and changed direction a couple of times. It seemed too slow to be a big fish but maybe it was a large channel catfish that went down into an underwater crevice or maybe it was a big turtle as in a large snapping turtle or very large softshell turtle (though I cannot imagine a softshell being that slow). Whatever it was, it took about half of my line moving very slowly like that over the course of about 20 to 30 minutes. I was making no headway at all in reeling it in so I snapped the line. The only other thing I think it could have been was a neutrally buoyant piece of driftwood moving in the current but as I said it changed direction a few times. Maybe there were eddies or other things causing current changes under the surface and I was fooled into thinking it was a fish or turtle but it sure seemed as if the line were being drawn out by somehting slow and determined. Whatever it was, it was heavy and I still think it was alive the way it first made the rod tip dance when it got hooked. Oh well, whatever it was is most likely still in the lake unless someone else reeled it in.

After that I headed out and back toward Phoenix. I made a short stop at Goldfield, supposedly a real mining ghost town. It may have once been a mine town and maybe even once was a ghost town but now it is a tourist trap. Not bad though as tourist traps go. It is worth a brief stopover if you are passing it on the Apache Trail.

As for tomorrow - no fishing - but hopefully some shooting and a visit to the outdoor expo at Ben Avery Shooting Facility north of Phoenix.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Guns Shots 51 - Rumors of Marlin Firearms' Demise Possibly & Hopefully Premature

The rumors on the Internet have been that Marlin Firearms is about to close its doors for good. While there is some bit of truth to this - it seems to miss the mark. Even though it does appear that the corporation that owns the Marlin name will be closing the New Haven, Connecticut plant by next year, it does not look like that Marlin is going belly up. It seems it is instead relocating and cutting costs. That is still a shame because Marlin was founded in New Haven and has been there since 1870 when John Marlin first opened the factory. See the story here:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10208259

Hopefully this will not cause an ultimate closure of all marlin operations. They make some really good guns. I won at least two of them right now and have owned at least two others in the past. It would be a real crying shame if the best lever action rifles available to the regular working guy/gal were to be taken off of the market (then again it would be a shame to lose any of their products since they make some good semi-autos and bolt actions too). Their rifles have been appreciated by shooters for many a year and the fact that have made quality firearms that shoot where you aim can be attested to by this statement:

"The company says its lever action 22 repeater was a favorite gun of Annie Oakley."

If they were good enough for Little Sure Shot, you can bet they are good enough for me. I hope they stay in business. If I win the Mega Millions for a huge take someday, maybe I'll by the company and send it back to New Haven where it belongs.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Am Going Out Shooting This Weekend

I need a diversion because I am fed up with it all. Let's face it: there is just too much BS in politics, on television, in education, in the workplace and in life in general. There is also way too much socialism in our country, has been for way too many years and these latest screw ups of government run (as in mandated) health insurance along with the bailouts are just too much for me to bear and have put me in a downtrodden mood. I feel miserable about it all, and besides that work has been boring as can be imaginable and has had me away from home and loved ones for over two months now. So, I have decided that this coming weekend I am going to go out and shoot something (as in targets so don't get your panties all in a wad). That always makes me feel better! There is a certain soothing effect to exercising good marksmanship.

As a matter of fact, I bought 150 rounds of 9mm ammo today with this weekend's shooting in mind. That - combined with another 100 or so rounds I have on hand - should make for a relaxing day shooting especially since I plan to make every shot count. As far as what I will be targeting - I would like to hit things that jump around when I shoot em. Things like empty plastic water jugs, full water jugs with water with food coloring in hem, golf balls, tin cans, tethered balloons all make really fun targets. Problem is I don't know of any place around here where I can do that legally or safely. I probably could go way out in the desert on public land and do it but I'll have to check on that first.

So it winds up like this, I am thinking of the range and bringing the black targets. You know the ones, they spew greenish yellow stuff all over the black target area when you hit em so you know you were on the mark. Shoot and See or Shoot N'c or something like that. My guess is I will go to Ben Avery and probably fire of every round I have with me once I get set up there with my Glock 26. Of course, if I can scrounge up some .40 S&W rounds I will also fire off them from my issued SIG 229. If that still does not do the trick of getting me to my own personal Nirvana, I may also shoot the evil black Henry Survival Rifle too in which case the round count may move up by another 100 - 150. That many rounds will usually put me in a better mood or at least put me in a state where I have forgotten all about whatever it was that had been bothering me. If somehow not in a better mood by then, I may just have to make sure I have the 12 gauge along with me along with 25 or 30 rounds of slugs. If the others don't do it, that will surely hit the mark. Just how much my right shoulder will be aching should be enough to get my mind off of anything else but its a good sort of hurt! (That is akin to saying "but it's a dry heat" when talking about the temps in July in Las Vegas).

I don't know if it is just exercising good marksmanship, or making the mind and body work together in harmony to achieve it, or simply number of times I fire, or maybe just how long I am at it, or maybe even the aroma of spent primers and gunpowder in the air, or a combination of it all but somehow shooting makes me feel good and relaxes me beyond the scope of most of my other pastimes. It is my own personal best form of stress relief. Meditation or Yoga or running 5 miles or lifting weights - or a game of tennis - or whatever else just don't do it for me. Shooting is my way to achieve self discipline, enjoy a sport, enjoy a hobby and get some stress relief all in one activity. I don't mean I don't do other things. I am back into working out regularly, I go for walks, I love fishing, I like to blog, I have other hobbies and on and on. Yet, it is shooting that just makes me feel great even if I was feeling really crappy before starting out - the other things just can't compare. Mind you now, I do not mean feeling crappy as in being too tired too shoot safely - I would never shoot for sport or food when in an impaired condition either because of fatigue or something like alcohol use. If I am feeling that bad I'll take a nap before doing anything else. As to feeling crappy before a shoot, I do mean feeling less than jolly, maybe even feeling miserable mentally such as one gets from a way too rough day or week at work or when something has been on your mind and you need a diversion, and sometimes even feeling a but run down physically (but not overly tired as I said above). Shooting is the diversion for me that makes me feel better.

Of course, there are other reasons I shoot. I shoot because I enjoy it as a sport. I shoot because I want to be a capable shot when I hunt. I shoot to be able to defend myself and my family capably with a firearm because I intend to exercise my right to self defense, and defense of family, if ever need be again as I have done in the past. I also shoot because it is an integral part of my employment. Most of all I shoot because it is fun to shoot - more so when someone I know shoots with me - and especially when it is my son. I am still trying to get my daughter back into it and to get my wife into it, that would be grand indeed - shooting is a great family activity. Well, if nothing else this week - I am looking forward to the weekend and a good day at the range.

Edited on 03/25/2010 to add: I forgot one reason that I love to shoot. it pisses off the anti-gun crowd no end. That pleases almost as much as anything else about it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Watch And Listen - We Are Becoming Socialists

Vote in November, vote to defeat socialism in the U.S.A.!

Watch this brief video. Listen to it. Remember what Obama has been all about but the left has denied all along and that is about SOCIALISM.

Remember what Congresswoman Waters said about Socializing Oil Companies - she said it then tried to flub it over.

Then watch this video again and again and again and realize this is the truth finally out in the open from someone I believe to be a die hard supporter of most things un-American!

Don't forget this - remember it in November and vote based upon this and the actions of the current administration.



Vote in November, vote to defeat socialism in the U.S.A.!

She Got It Right...

...you know, that woman - Peggy Joseph - who said something along the lines that if the messiah Obama got elected as president she would not have to worry about putting gas in her car or worry about paying her mortgage because if she voted for the messiah Obama, he would help her. I imagine health care reform, to benefit bums who refuse to work yet want to suck the life out of the rest of us who do work, is just another aspect of that which she spoke about. I hope her children grow up to learn just how wrong she was in that they will have to pay for this folly but chances are they will expect handouts from the rest of us just as did their mom.

And to think, I was in church praying for, among other things, this not to be passed. Yeah - me - I went to an 8PM Compline in a local cathedral and actually prayed and meditated. Go figure. I may continue praying because this development scares me. Why? Because if they passed this by 7 votes, imagine what they will do on so called Immigration Reform, or on Gun Control, or on government control of the Internet, or on Welfare Reform, or on Increasing Taxes and on and on and on.

All the best (but I don't really expect it under this administration),
Glenn B

Happy Spring

Spring has sprung and I missed the start of it or at least missed out on realizing that yesterday was the first day of Spring. If you are in the colder parts of the country, enjoy it as it progresses and brings with it new growth and life. If you are in the warmer climes, enjoy it before the weather gets too hot to enjoy.

All the best,
GB

Trying My hand At Cooking Lately and...

...not doing to badly at it at all if I must say so myself. Then again, since I have been the only one eating what I have cooked, I guess I must say so myself. Yesterday I got the urge to make a decent meal for lunch and I decided to cook up a pork tenderloin roast, some potato salad and a vegetable. I not only prefer cooking simpler meals, I prefer eating them. It is not that I cannot or have not cooked things that are more complex in the kitchen. My tastes go more toward something basic to anything with fancy creamy sauces or rich gravies and the like though I will at times make them too (or used to, I have not gotten back into cooking that much yet). For now, while living here in Phoenix I am more than satisfied with plain and simple fare.

I have to tell you that my efforts at playing chef yesterday were well worth the wait, through the couple of hours of me being tortured by the wonderful wafting aromas and my salivating expectantly, while I while I prepared my lunchtime meal. There are many good things in life that we take for granted but good tasting meals are not among them, at least in my case. I have been away from home too many times and have eaten some pretty lousy food here there and everywhere, and I have seen to many people who go without, so when I have a good meal I am quite thankful for it and happy about it. If I cooked it myself it is even better.

Yesterday's meal was quite delicious, and while the pictures may not do it justice, let me assure you such was the case. It consisted of a brace of salt and garlic powder rubbed, pepper encrusted, pork tenderloin roasts cooked with chunks of sharp yellow onions in the pan. For starch I whipped up a German style potato salad much the same as my wife makes at home. I used gold Yukon potatoes, a large cucumber (thinly sliced) and a fairly a large sweet Chilean yellow onion (diced). I combined all of the salad ingredients with a super secret salad dressing and must say that the end result rivaled those of when my wife prepares her potato salad (but yet was different because of the dressing). I also steamed some broccoli in butter (made in the microwave though I have made it in a covered pan or pot before). I use only butter - no water, when doing it in the microwave, and it comes out tasting divine but you must experiment with any given microwave oven so as not to overcook. It really was all very delicious and I almost cannot wait until dinner time tonight so I can enjoy some of the leftovers! Mmm-mmm good.

Of course, my meal would not have been complete without a fine tasting beverage. I decided that something pretty much icy cold would do the trick and opted for a Belgian Style Abbey Ale. These stout ales are great with hearty fare yet simple table fare and can really compliment the meal. I chose Ommegang Abbey Ale crafted by Brewery Ommegang. In this case, it was no exception that a heavy abbey ale would go well with this sort of a meal and the Ommegang was the perfect compliment to the dishes I prepared. Ommegang Abbey Ale is one of my favorite ales from around the world and believe me I have imbibed ales of nearly every description from various of countries. What may surprise you then is that this one is brewed right here in the US of A and even more surprisingly it is brewed in upstate NY near Cooperstown. In fact, it is one of my favorites among all of the beers and ales I have ever drank. It may even be my all time favorite though the jury is still out on that one because of my love for certain German weisse biers. I can say, without a doubt, it is my favorite American beer or ale by a long shot.

When I get home in April, I will start cooking there at least once a week. I think my wife might like that - especially since I have been cleaning up as I go along (much easier to do when you cook simple dishes). I know I will enjoy most of the things I cook and so will Brendan. The hard sells maybe Celina and Linda, but if it tastes as good as it did yesterday then I expect some compliments in the form of empty plates and everyone asking for seconds. I think Linda will really be surprised when she tastes my German potato salad. Time will tell.

Guten appetit.

All the best,
Glenn B

Death & Taxes - A Question of Balance

Let's just skip the half of the blog title that deals with death and move right onto taxes, specifically income taxes, achieving a balance with them and getting them filed. I just finished our income tax returns for my wife and me for this this year. It was a bit of a chore since I am not currently at home and since I do not have everything I needed to have completed them right in front of me. I suppose more of a chore for my wife, or I would be willing to bet she feels that way, because I called her about 5 or 6 times to check some things from last year's returns and so on. I had most of the necessary documents in front of me but what I did not have she had to look for, and then decipher for me. Really, it was pretty painless for both of us but I think she was doing something else and my calls were interruptions of whatever was that something else. Anyway - we got it done.

A big help in getting it done was my using an online tax preparation service. I use TaxAct Online. I do not know how they compare to others such as Turbo Tax or H&R Block but I can say they make it pretty easy. That is they make it easy at least for us if only because we do not have a lot of deductions or credits and no investment incomes or other things that require special attention, not yet anyway. I dread seeing what happens after I retire. All in all it took me about 2 hours (give or take). Our tax returns have been electronically submitted to the IRS and to NY State. I should be receiving confirmations from them within 24 to 48 hours. With any luck a refund from each should be deposited to our checking account within a couple of weeks. It was fairly painless and only cost $17.95 to electronically file both federal and state returns.

Speaking of refunds, it seems I cannot strike a balance with my income taxes each year. I would like to have it work out that I owe nothing and the state and federal governments owe me nothing. Now, I realize that such would be a fine tuned balance indeed but in reality I would like to come close to that. With our state taxes this was about right both this and last year. Last year we owed $29.00 to the state. Not bad at all. This year they owe us $75.00, again not bad at all - I don't mind them having what amounts to about $1.44 per week too much from my withholding. Our state taxes seem to be getting paid in just about the perfect amount in deductions as the year goes by. Our federal taxes are a different story. Last year we owed. I cannot recall how much but think it was at least a few to several hundred dollars. This year they owe us several hundred dollars, about $750 or so. That works out to about $29 too much being withheld every two weeks (my wife and I are paid biweekly). We made changes in withholding to make sure that enough federal tax would be withheld in 2009 because too little was withheld in 2008; I guess we overestimated and they got too much in 2009. I do not mind a refund but I hate letting the government have more of my money than they are supposed to have when it could have been in my own pocket getting spent on something or going into a savings account and earning interest. I don't know about you but for me $29 every two weeks can translate to drinking money for a week, money for ammo for a range day (well surely not a whole lot of ammo), or maybe for a meal for me and the wife at a local pub or restaurant once per month. It would have been better had they owed us only a few dollars as opposed to several hundred because I could have used the money as the year progressed.

I am not upset about it though, a refund coming as a lump sum will get applied to one good use or another all at once and that makes it okay. Still though, the feeling that the government had several hundred of our dollars, and still has it, and has used it however they wanted to without paying us interest, is disheartening - especially when you consider the current administration holds the purse strings. Oh well, one way to solve that will be to use the refund on a feel good purchase for Linda and me. Maybe I will put it toward a vacation. That would be nice. The thing is though, I need to figure out how to get my withholding balanced with what I will actually owe to the state and to the IRS. With my small raise this year, and with new tax laws, and with fewer deductions than in the past, and with this or that or another thing that comes up related to taxes, I just don't know how to accomplish that. Any suggestions on how to foresee how much I will owe and how much I should have them withholding??? I was thinking of a Ouija Board or Tarot cards but decided maybe I would use the Magic 8 Ball instead of either of the others Yeah, I know, the Magic 8 Ball only gives answers to questions that can be answered by a yes or now answer but I figured it was worth a try so I asked it this:

"Is it possible to balance my income tax withholding with what I will actually owe in income taxes next year?"

Here is its answer to me: "Definitely".

Now I wish someone could tell me how to make it so!

All the best,
Glenn B

References: I could give you a link to the IRS since this rant was about taxes but I will leave that to the tax professionals and do you one better. I will give you a reference or three about the Magic 8 Ball and maybe that way you can get your taxes done better than ever before - who knows! (If you actually depend on the Magic 8 Ball to do your taxes you are loonier than I.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_8-Ball

http://www.mattelgamefinder.com/demos.asp?demo=mb

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2265714&CAWELAID=107527626

A Letter To My Representatives In Congress On Health Care Reform

To Senators Gilibrand and Schumer and Representative McCarthy (all of NY):

I urge you to vote NO on Health Care Reform! I am a registered voter. I guarantee that I will never vote for you should you vote yes for health care reform, nor will I donate a single penny to any of your campaigns if you vote yes for health care reform. That is not a threat, that is a fact! I find it despicable that the Congress and President will be exempt from the provisions of this bill, furthermore I find it a disgrace as to how much this will increase the deficit and finally and most importantly I find it absolutely un-American as to how this will socialize medical care in this country and how much closer it will move us to becoming a socialized nation. If you vote yes for this bill you will not be an American ever again in my eyes. There will be no regretting it for you that will result in sympathy from the people for you, there will be no saying you’re sorry that will get you a reprieve - there will be no going back. A yes vote for this bill will show beyond a doubt that you are a socialist and un-American.

Respectfully,
Glenn Bartley

I sent those off today via email. doubt they will make any difference at all with my representatives being about as liberal as they come. Yet, when the revolution comes, maybe they will remember how many letters, emails and phone calls they got of this type that urged them to avoid the path to socialism. Did I just mention revolution - yes I did. I am not advocating it but am pretty sure it is coming - hopefully it will be bloodless and without violence - hopefully all through lawful elections in which a new party or even the Republican party takes over by a huge majority. I fear though that it will be worse than that because of how brazenly our current elected officials are trashing our way of life, our economy, our laws, our will and our Constitution and are becoming openly un-American and tyrannical. I believe it is intolerable for the American people and thus that a revolution of some sort is on its way.

All the best,
Glenn B

CONTACT YOUR CONRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATORS...

...TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON HEALTH CARE REFORM. CALL THEM ON THE PHONE, WRITE THEM A LETTER AND EMAIL THEM. DO IT NOW BEFORE WE ALL WIND UP PAYING TO BECOME A SOCIALIST WELFARE STATE. MAKE SURE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT HOW THEY VOTE ON THIS ISSUE WILL DETERMINE FOR WHOM YOU VOTE DURING THE NEXT ELECTION!

ALL THE BEST,
GB

Gone Drinking - this blog closed for St. Patrick's Day!

Have a happy St. Patrick's Day.

Don't get too drunk.

Use a designated driver or public transportation.

Stay safe and keep others that way too.

Weight Loss and Fitness Wanted - Attitude Adjustment Needed...

...and I jump started myself tonight in getting it adjusted. I have not worked out much since I have been in Phoenix, certainly not even coming close to my hiking workouts and treadmill use when I was in Tucson for the all of the spring and part of July. I have let myself regain about 11 to 12 pounds that I lost while in AZ earlier this year. Luckily I did not regain all of the 18 to 20 pounds I lost back then but I still had a long way to go before reaching my goal then, so gaining any of it back has made me feel dismal. I can and have lived with feeling dismal before but tonight I decided I have had enough. Well, maybe not tonight since I have changed some of my other behaviors drastically over the past 4 or 5 weeks. Those changes are very personal and I will not go into it more here except to say I have overcome some of my personal Monsters From The Id that have plagued me for years.

Back to tonight. This evening I went over to the local YMCA and joined up for a one month trial membership. The rate was amazingly reasonable for a full gym, pool membership at only $45. That is not a come on rate either, their recurring payment by the month membership is only $43 per month. I hit the treadmill right after joining. I ran and walked a total of 3.6 miles. I will pay for the treadmill time, my hips already ache. They will get much worse over the next month but I think I can cope with that if I split running and walking so long as I do a good deal of it at a fair incline. I do not know why but when I hiked in the mountains my hips rarely bothered me. Yet if I do likewise on a treadmill or on the street I wind up in agony. Go figure but don't tell me it is in my head. I definitely have hip problems with burs and arthritis. Something about the unevenness of the trail maybe combined with the incline and declines of hiking - whatever it is it is amazing how little all that effects my hips like a treadmill will do.

Well, after the treadmill, I did a few exercises on the machines. I will pay for that too in my shoulders in the beginning. I did a few free weight exercises too, everything I did was arms and back. I will alternate each time I exercise (chest, shoulders and legs next time). I plan to workout at least 3 times per week, but if I get it right, I will go at least 5 days a week and maybe even every day for cardio. I have been dieting somewhat - just a lot less snacks than I eat when back home. With the exercise added I expect that I will lose about 2 pounds per week. I am basing that on what happened in the Spring; my blog post on May 14 or 15th had me down 15 pounds in about 7 weeks. I will admit my hikes then were strenuous but sometimes i only hiked once per week. I would hike more here but the trails I have found do not compare to those near Tucson, and there are none just a mile and half from my apartment here as there was from my hotel in Tucson. Driving to a hiking place near Phoenix sucks and the trails lack the elevation I got to hike near Tucson and Madera Canyon. Oh well, there may only a few more hikes in my future before I leave here but there is definitely a lot of treadmill time and maybe some pool time along with weight training time coming up for me during the next 29 days. I am pretty certain that when I lose the weight this time I will not put it on again like last time starting as soon as I got home. Just a better mindset now than then, killing off some of my own personal Monsters From The Id (a la Forbidden Planet, 1956) has had something to do with that, I am sure of it.

All the best,
Glenn B