Not Many Places In France I Would Visit But Now There Is One Less

I have never had much of a desire to visit France. I suppose though should I have ever gone, there were a few places I would have had on my list of things/places to see. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes would be one. Mont Ste. Michel would be another, the The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial yet another, and high on the short list would have been Notre Dame Cathedral. Sadly that will never happen as Notre Dame was essentially destroyed by a raging inferno today. Some of it may have been saved but I think it will never be the same. 

It is truly a sad day for the Catholic Church, the people of Paris and of France and for that matter the people of the world. Even if not religious one must realize the architecture alone, especially for its time, was absolutely amazing. One of our great wonders has fallen.

It is probably way too soon to arrive at any conclusions as to the cause of the blaze but it seems that right now they believe it may have begun relative to renovation work that was being carried out. I tend to doubt the fire did not have help but that will be for the experts to determine. More at these sources: Fox News, CNN, France 24, BBC.

All the best,
Glenn B

Damn This House Selling Stuff Could Take Awhile

I keep hearing it is a seller's market when it comes to home sales and I keep seeing prices of homes rising (both here where we are selling and down south where I have been looking to buy). A seller's market  is okay for us since we are selling our house but it's not going to be so great for me in finding a place for myself after we separate. 

Anyway, I am none too sure yet if it really is a sellers' market. I say that because we had an open house yesterday and today. Yesterday, I think it was five sets of folks who showed up; today maybe it was six. There were at least three sets of seemingly interested folks here yesterday and at least one or two today along with one guy who showed up at the last minute and was so disinterested he spent all of two minutes looking around. 

Anyway, getting back to those showing interest - a couple from yesterday made an offer on the house already. I do not think that they have heard it is a seller's market. I say that because their offer was 30K below our asking price. Of course, that may change when we make a counter offer or if we get a bid from someone else in the meantime. I am hopeful we get one or two bids from folks who showed up today and maybe one more from another couple who was here yesterday. 

Now mind you, I realize that this weekend is the first time the house was shown. We may get others to come by during the week and we will be having another open house - probably on the weekend after Easter. One thing that my wife and I agree on is that we should not settle for an offer below a certain amount. Surprisingly enough, we both agree on that amount. Let me just say, it is a heck of a lot more than an offer 30K below our asking price.

Then again, if we hit the lottery soon (for a big amount) - we may just give the house to our kids.

All the best,
Glenn B

Is She Pretty Or...

...is she pretty ugly. A woman allegedly beat her common-law husband when he reportedly failed to answer her after she asked him if she was pretty. There is a photo of her at the linked source article.

I leave it to you to make up your mind and post your opinion of her looks in a comment. If I were to leave a comment of what I think of her appearance, she might hunt me down to kill me. I think I fully understand why he might not have answered; although, his excuse was he did not hear the question. Really now - that's not what I was thinking was his reason!

All the best,
Glenn B

How To Clear Track - That's One Way To Do It

All the best,
Glenn B

Boom - Later Than Sooner

 

Back In The Day - Slow Was Fast

All the best,
Glenn B

Get Your Pussy Where You Find It

All the best,
Glenn B

Water Versus Beer - The Difference Betwixt Them

A hat tip and my thanks to my friend Mike G for this one.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sprinkles Anyone

All the best,
Glenn B

So Much For A Little Pleasant Distraction!

There I was yesterday hoping for a little pleasant distraction and hypothesizing about why my local range closed and then I was notified about the reasons for the Nassau County Rifle & Pistol Range closure. I was on the money when I wondered if it possibly was due to lead removal. It has been reported that two range workers had a vendor come in to remove the lead but the vendor did not have a contract with the county to do so. Those two employees are reportedly no longer working for the range. More at the source.

Now there is an investigation into the mess. Add to that: the range reportedly has zero filtration on its venting system, the county executive supposedly is as anti-gun as they come and my guess is the range will now be closed for a lot longer than the expected opening date of April 22 that is shown on their website (as I type).

Damn, if I want to shoot I will have to be going to another range.

All the  best,
Glenn B

Those Silly Democrats...

...they hate old white men yet this is the best they have by their own choice as of very recently:

For some reason though, I think Bernie stands a bit of a better chance to get the nomination that Joe.

 

All the best,
Glenn B

I'd Like A Little Pleasant Distraction...

...in the form of punching holes in paper without having to go out of my way to do it. The stick in the mud is that my local range is closed and has been for a couple of weeks or so now - at least since March 28th when someone, from a gun forum to which I belong, went there and they were closed. Another forum member said he heard it was de to the ventilation system being down. 

I have called them a few times now to see when they would open and it seems the government bureaucracy is alive and flourishing at the Nassau County Rifle & Pistol Range. The first time I called back on March 29th, the message said the range would closed until April 3rd. So, I called on the 3rd to see if they were open only to hear a new message that said they would open on April 8th. I tried again today and got yet another closure message (and in this case closure is not the wanted result) saying they will open on April 22. Their website says they are closed due to testing. 

I guess testing a new ventilation system may take that long if indeed that was the problem. The only other things I can think of that might take that much testing would be if they removed asbestos or did lead removal. If lead, no big deal I suppose. If asbestos, I anticipate lawsuits and who knows - I might make some money if I do not die from mesothelioma first. 

I'm not in the mood to travel to go to a range nor to go to one with which I have little to no familiarity. So, I guess I can always clean my handguns. All of my long guns, with the exception of two or three, are packed in anticipation of my move. I had just enough hard gun cases and cardboard rifle/shotgun shipping boxes to pack them all. Yep, I guess I may be cleaning pistols over the next few days for a distraction, at least that is when I have the time in between the chores of getting the house ready for our Open-House this weekend.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Nurse For All Seas

And they used to say Molly Brown was unsinkable!

 A little more about Violet Jessop here.

All the best,
Glenn B

Dark Humor

All the best,
Glenn B

Trump Is President & Now Millenials Are Drinking Less

So, millennials are reportedly drinking less. All sorts of reasons for that phenomenon, evne that the presumption of less drinking is not correct, are given here at the source.
Of course, the only mention of president Trump in that a rticle refers to how someone got drunk because he was about to become president. Well, maybe there is a reason, other than those given in the article that has at least a little something to do with these so called millennials drinking less. 

Do you think there may be a slight correlation between them drinking less and the fact that more people are employed than under any other president since my teens and my teenage years were quite awhile ago! Maybe these young punks (yes I used to be considered a young punk by my elders way back when too) are actually growing up and realizing if they want to make a decent life for themselves they have to work for a living and since work has been and remains available, because of president Trump, why not get with it, become responsible and get a job and drink less to keep that job! 

Just a thought.

All the best,
Glenn B

Something New On The Menu At The Local Chinese Takeout

All the best,
Glenn B

Pork Roast For Dinner - Almost But Not Quite

Police in Humboldt County, CA came upon a missing pig as its owners searched in vain for it. They asked a neighbor of the owners to keep and eye on it. As it turned out, when they returned with the owners, the man watching it had already slaughtered it. As an officer put it:

"“We were totally shocked and surprised to learn that the pig had been slaughtered,” Arcata police Chief Brian Ahearn told Lost Coast Outpost, adding the officer had thought he’d reached a “reasonable agreement” with the man." (Source.)

Now the butcher is evidently facing some sort of criminal charges being filed against him. I have to wonder if the officer involved had indeed reached the agreement he thought he had reached with the man who slaughtered the pig. Maybe the guy thought someone had just dropped off the fixings for an excellent roast.

All the best,
Glenn B

President Trump Proven Right Again

It always amazes me how little good there is for which the leftists in this country will give President Trump credit. Time and time again he has done good for this country and even for the world and they hate him more than ever with each of his successes. I imagine this latest one will irk them even further. The latest success I am talking about is this:

"NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in a historic address to Congress, declared Wednesday that President Trump’s push for NATO allies to increase their defense spending has “had an impact” and made the alliance stronger.

“Allies must spend more on defense. This has been the clear message from President Trump,” he said. “And this message is having a real impact.”" (Source.)

Do you remember how the leftists lambasted President Trump for hammering our NATO allies because they were not spending enough on defense? The democrat loonies essentially said he was making enemies of our allies and some even claimed, as I recall, that this would push some countries to ally with Russia (Germany comes to mind in that regard). 

None of that happened but what did happen was another instance of President Trump being right, his critics being wrong, and yet another success for the policies of the United States of America all because of President Trump doing it differently than almost anyone before him. 

Well I declare, he is good for our country after all; so, maybe it is about time for the left (including the Republican Never- Trumpers & the RINOs) to admit it!

All the best,
Glenn B

I Just Realized...

...that almost everything I need to do around the house before selling it has been done. Basement is painted (walls and floor), my stuff is packed and ready to move (once I rent the van), almost all of our bills are paid (I keep up on our bills very well), junk has been thrown out, garage loft mostly clear (ground floor full of our stuff but much of that goes when I go), I may do a little lawn work and gardening like planting some flowers to spruce it up for the open house, and may scrub clean the white vinyl fence in the backyard (finding my one missing Russian Tortoise would be a plus back there) but other than that I am just about finished. Yeah, we have divorce mediators to meet and need to see a tax attorney but that still leaves a lot of free time between now and the open house on the 13th & 14th. I just may have to go fishing!

All the best,
Glenn B

Let Them Eat Bullets

(Source: https://www.oann.com/french-government-grants-permission-for-soldiers-to-fire-on-yellow-vests/)

The first time around, wasn't it Marie-Antoinette-Josèphe-Jeanne d’Autriche-Lorraine (the wife of the king of France at the time) who allegedly (and questionably) said "Let them eat cake." when told of the plight of the peasants going hungry. It is not so much those words or who uttered them that is important but that the arrogance behind them was the same arrogance exhibited by the French monarch at the time.

Now that the peasants, in the form of continuing protests by the Yellow Jackets, are again making it be known that they cannot stand the ill treatment shown them by the French government (over taxation among other things), that same form of repugnant arrogance is again being exhibited by the ruler of France. Macron's response to the continued protests by the Yellow Jackets - in essence was: Let them eat bullets as he gave authority for the French military to open fire on the civilian population who take part in the Yellow Jacket rallies and protests of the government. In essence he left it to the military to decide when they cause enough of a threat to be shot.

Don't these dastardly arrogant, over taxing & otherwise unscrupulous tyrants ever learn! Me thinks Marcon shall not long remain in power. The French Revolution II (aka: The Guillotine Blade Shall Rise & Fall Again) coming soon to a news outlet near you.

All the best,
Glenn B

Gov. Cuomo - Slimiest & Best Paid Of Them All

Governor Cuomo, of NY, has apparently cut funding to the Special Olympics by $50,000.00 (source). Yet, he is set to receive a $21,000.00 pay increase this year, another $25,000.00 pay increase next year and another $25,000 pay increase in 2021! The raises came as NY lawmakers worked on the state budget and some were not happy about the provisions for Cuomo's pay increases being thrown in at the proverbial last minute:  

"Some lawmakers grumbled that the measure was thrown in at the last minute, while they were grappling with the new $175.5 billion state budget." (Source.)

Not only is Cuomo set to receive those raises, he defends them. Of course there is also this tidbit - state legislators also received pay raises from a salary of $79,500 to $130,000. Yes folks, that's an almost 64% raise for some of the slimiest politicians in the swamp but I imagine one slimy swamp denizen slimes the other.  More at this source on all that. 

As I understand, the pay raises will make Cuomo the highest paid governor in the nation. Not only will NY have the highest paid governor but with a $19.00 toll on the Verrazzano Bridge (also spelled Verrazano but apparently that is not how Verrazzano spelled it) we also have the highest toll anywhere in the nation!  They even have the balls to call it a round trip toll but if you only go one way, the one by which you have to pay the toll, you pay the full amount but such are politicians and their bullshit! The result being: Screw you CA - whatever CA does NY outdoes it.
 
All the best,
Glenn B

Van Packed & Redy To Go Yesterday But...

...I'm Still In NY!

Picked up a cargo van at my local Enterprise yesterday. I had been promised a Chevy Express cargo van, they offered me a Dodge Ram van and it was filthy in driver/passenger area. Guy tells me it is all they have, I say I can live with that. It has 3/4 tank of gas or so the manager tells me when I am initialing rental forms. Actually was somewhat under 3/4 a tank. Okay, I will still take it. Go out, put key in ignition, start it up and the dash says check tires - low pressure! They say they will fix it. About 10 minutes later they say it has been taken care of. I drive it home. 

It then took about 6 hours to load with 75% of my stuff. Because there was no cage between driver area and cargo area, I decide not to pack the boxes and other things height than about 1/3 of available height. I only had a tarp to throw over everything, which I then secured with tie downs. Better than nothing but they did not have cargo nets available. After getting that done, I had to return to Enterprise to modify something in my agreement. When I started it up again, the low tire pressure light came on; I guessed they had not either fixed or changed the leaking tire earlier in the day. 

When I got back to Enterprise, I told the manager I wanted them to fix the leaking tire. He had a guy add air. I watched that guy walk around van, look at & feel the tires, then add air to one of them all without using a tire gauge. When I asked what good would that do since the tire is leaking and that I wanted them to-actually change or repair it, the manager tells me to bring it across the street to an auto repair shop to have the tire fixed at my expense as I understood. I called that place, they were closing in 2 minutes and all his repair guys were already gone for the day.

I told the manager I'd see him in the morning when I would return the van. I went home and called Enterprise Customer Service and filed a complaint. They said they could do nothing since I still had the van but would send my complaint to the Escalation Department and someone would call me back bu they did not know when or what they could do to appease me. Then I offloaded the van which only took an hour or maybe a bit more. Left all my stuff including ammo cans locked in my garage with the exception of my guns. I was not about to bring all those things back down into the basement, then back upstairs, whenever I got another rental van. All the ammo cans were darned heavy.

This morning, I brought the van back. Of course they charged me for it. Then the manager asks me what he can do to make it up to me and I said nothing, I would not rent from them again. Then he offered 15% off my next rental. If I again rented one for a week (that was supposed to be rental on the one I just returned) 15% would not even come close to the 1 days rental I just had paid. He asked what else he could do to make it better. I said give me free mileage. Mileage down to AR and back would be right around $400. That with 15% off made it sound good so I said okay and told him I'd be back in a week or two. He gave me his business card with a note on back as to the discount he'd be giving me. my luck, he will resign or be fired before I go back. Time will tell.

Anyway, when I do go back, or maybe before then, I will call him about being charged for the one they they charged me and ask for a full refund or for 25% off the next rental instead of 15%. He seemingly was very concerned that, when I am contacted by Enterprise Customer Service, I tell them he made me a satisfactory order with which I am 100% satisfied. I think he will go for it - too bad I did not think of it right then.

Thus, as it stands, I am stuck here in NY. Had Arthur I. Tis not visited me causing my back and hips to be bothering me all night last night, maybe I would have tried again today but I figured it best to take a rest before loading another van. I also want to get a cargo net and stronger tie downs to secure the stuff and to be able to load everything I have and also a bunch of my son's things - not just 75% of my things. I learned a bit trying to load it that first time. I don't really know how to secure it properly with a cargo net but will find out before I do it; I don't want an ammo can full of 45 ACP hitting me in the head should I have to stand on the breaks.

The separation/divorce/move saga continues - ain't it just swell!

Now to find a cargo net and decent tie downs.

All the best,
Glenn B

No Es Problema Por Nosotros

Deporting them all would be no problem for we others.

All the best,
Glenn B

Of Course I Bought Some Guns At My Last Hessney Auction!

Nope, I did not forget, in my post immediately prior to this one, to post about the guns I bought yesterday. That post was praise of The Hessney Auction Company and they deserved that praise in a post on its own.

Now for the guns I added to my collection, they are:

One is a Mauser Model 1895 "Chile" 8mm Mauser bolt action, 29" barrel with full stock and sling, matching serial numbers including stock. Made by the Lowe factory. Now, I am not an expert on Mausers but my guess is they got it wrong when they said it is in 8mm; as far as I am aware these particular Mausers were all chambered in 7x57mm Mauser. Of course, it could have been modified; I am checking on that and hoping it is that they labelled it incorrectly.

Another is a Savage Model 64 in 22LR. Has a few minor dings in the stock but is otherwise a nice gun. Did not come with a magazine but that was an easy fix as they are readily available.

One more long gun was added to my flock - that one a Stevens Model 85 .22 S,L,LR take-down semi-auto, 24" barrel with magazine.

Then there was the reproduction Remington 44 caliber black powder revolver by Navy Arms. I got it more for a wall hanger than anything else but who knows - I may shoot it once I get to AR. Here in NY they are legal without a pistol license; but of course, being it is NY, as soon as you get cap, ball and or powder - black powder handguns have to go onto your pistol license. I figure why bother, I am moving to AR soon enough. 

 

Not a bad days haul. I got good prices on three of four and paid a decent price to maybe a bit too much on the Mauser but that one is most likely a long term a keeper. I am hopeful I can get to the range later today or tomorrow with the 22s but sure have been busy around the house getting ready for selling it. I'll do a range report on the 22s ASAP. The Mauser will have to wait until I determine which caliber is it with certainty.

All the best,

Glenn B

My Last Hessney Gun Auction - I Have Had It With Them!

What I have had with the Hessney Gun Company LTD has been nothing but a good time and mostly good deals on guns, ammo and other firearms related things. No disappointment of any type made this past Saturday's (yesterday's auction as I type) live auction my last one. No it was something else that did that and I must say it is disappointing to say it likely will be my last. The reason for that is my impending separation, divorce and move to a Arkansas.

Damn, I will miss the folks at Hessney. I have been attending live auctions there - just about 305 miles each way from my home - for just a month shy of a full 7 years. That first auction I attended there was on April 28, 2012; that was only a month and a couple of weeks after being declared cancer free. In fact, my trip to that auction was the first really enjoyable adventure I had since my cancer treatments had ended in November 2011. I still was pretty run down from it all but was at the point where if I did not get away from moping around the house I was going just stay miserable forever. So that's what I did, I went to the auction and I did pretty good for myself that day. 

During that first auction, I purchased a Browning Citori Lightning unfired in the box (their code for new); a High Standard Dura-Matic M-101 with two (2) barrels, an Iver Johnson Hercules grade 16 gauge SXS shotgun, a Stevens Model 66-B .tube fed 22 Cal. take-down rifle, a New England Firearms SB1 Pardner 12 gauge single shot shotgun, an Eight Point Whitetail Trophy Mount, and a Moroccan Carved dagger with brass decorated scabbard. While I made out well overall, I learned some valuable lessons because I mad some mistakes at that first for me live gun auction.

The knife was a made for tourists piece of crap. That was okay, I got ride of it eventually for at least what I paid for it. The Hercules grade shotgun was a total failure on my part. I had thought I was bidding on another of the same make & model that was in good to very good shape but bid on the wrong one and wound up with a piece of junk. It is hiding in a corner in my basement somewhere - hiding from the junk heap that is! As for how I did well - there was that Stevens 66B and NEF Pardner. One in very good condition and the other was new respectively. Had fun with them and eventually sold them. Then I also got that Citori, I did very well on that one is all I will say - very well indeed.

That was the start of it all. I just kept returning and returning and over the years went more often each year. If the Hessneys and their crew were not as nice as they are I never would have kept going back again and again. Including that first auction I have attended a lot more of their live auctions, bid on one of their live auctions via the Internet because I was out of state for that one and also bid on one or two of their online only auctions. The breakdown of the live auctions I attended goes like this for 2012 and all the years since:

2012: April & October

2013: I don't have any receipt for that year so maybe none but my best bet is I attended at least one year but that is only an undocumented surmise.

2014: June 

2015: June 

2016: I started to get serious in 2016 and attended live auctions at Hessney during January, April, June, August and December.

2017: February, March, April, August, September, October and December.

2018: January, February, April, June, August, September, October, November. I also bid on a live auction in March but had to do so online as I was visiting my son in AR at the time;  I picked up a new in the box High Standard M101 Derringer. I also bid in an online only auction in July.

2019: February and March

I am sure there would be many more to come if I was to stay here in NY.

So, what's the point in telling you how many times I have been to their auctions? It is not to impress you with how many times I've been there but rather to impress you with how much I was impressed by the Hessney Auction Company. The Hessney family are some of the nicest and warmest down to earth folks I have ever met. Joe is the lead auctioneer and his daughter Carrie also is an auctioneer. Both do a bang-up job of it and both have my unending respect and thanks for making each auction I attended delightful. I am a bit ashamed I cannot remember Joe's wife's name but she too is a sweetheart; yet, she is also a no nonsense kinda gal. In other words, she takes no crap from any wise arses who try to give their employees a tough time as she works the floor during the auctions. One other family member I have met is Carrie's daughter - now around 2 years old and a pretty little fireball of a lass. 

Speaking of the employees the Hessney crew is an excellent bunch of folks too. I've got to give Don a hat tip as one of the best of the bunch and a hat tip to Megan too. As a matter of fact, Don got a warm handshake and Megan got a friendly hug from me when I left their yesterday. Gosh, my last auction there was only yesterday but somehow seems longer ago than that as I sing the tune nostalgic.

I am going to miss them all very, very much. If you ever have the chance to visit Geneva, NY - up in the Finger Lakes Region of NY - check to see if they are holding alive auction. It may well be worth your time and some cash to visit and do some bidding. While I attended only their firearms auctions, they also hold estate auctions, jewelry and coin auctions, comic book auctions and so on. As for those other auctions, I cannot say much since I am a gun guy and attended only those auctions. If you're into guns though, I can say this: I don't think you will be disappointed at all if you attend one or more of those auctions. If you do ever stop by there, tell them Glenn B from Long Island (the guy who moved to AR) says hi and misses them dearly (I do already and am sure I'll continue to do so). If I am lucky, I'll be able to visit them on a future trip to NY during yet another live gun auction.

All the best,
Glenn B

Spring Has Sprung...

...and while I kind of, sort of, almost missed it - it happened yesterday - I did get to enjoy the full moon last night before it clouded over. Or was it that I saw it, the night before it was actually full, on Tuesday night? Damn those little gray cells - they have been easily confused as of late with the getting ready to sell the house, preparing for my move down south, and arranging for our separation - among other things! 

Anyway, spring is here, started yesterday and today is the first full day of spring. Enjoy it while it lasts, mid to late Spring it is almost as nice as the early to mid Fall.

All the best,
Glenn B