NEW WINNER ANNOUNCED Ballseyes Firearms Accessories Tournament 2

The person who guessed closest as to how many boxes of ammo were in my ammo trunk never complied with the rules. I have given him more than enough time to do so, and sent him a couple or a few emails to date about it asking him for the required info.

Since he has not properly claimed the prize, I am now looking to award it to the person with the next closest guess, that would be Rod S. of Tacoma, WA. I have sent Rod an email to that effect, and if he contacts me within the next week or so, with the required info, the prize will be mailed to him.

All the best,

Glenn B

I Hit On The Mega Millions Lotto...

...for yesterday's drawing. The grand prize was $207,000,000.00 which I did not win. There was one winner of the grand prize, just not me, but I did win a prize. I won a whopping $2.00. Whoopee.....

All the best,
Glenn B

I goofed...

...but not too badly. I should have ordered the knives for the Soldiers' Holiday Care package at least a few days ago. I suppose that I was waiting/hoping for a few more donations, but we got what we have got and I guess that is it.

I looked at knives in stores today. I went to Dick's Sporting Goods, WalMart and The Sports Authority. Dicks was the only place with knives I would even consider buying, such as the Buck Bantam BLW, although the price offered was ridiculous. They wanted about $24 apiece. I can order them online for about $11.99 apiece plus shipping. The way I goofed is that if I order them online now, the cost of shipping to me will be about $25 for 2nd day air, or $37 for next day air. I sent in an inquiry to Smoky Mountain Knife Works to see if they can help out with the shipping in any way. I just don't want to add any more money out of pocket than I have to. The remainder of the donations will go to the knives and to goodies I bought today for inclusion in the package. It leaves me virtually nothing for shipping on the knife order, but I am hopeful they will help out. If not, I'll order 2nd day air and hope I get em by Wednesday, and get em out by Thursday to Jamie and his unit. They may wind up being late if sent then, late for Christmas of Chanukah, but not for New Year's Day I suppose. Then again, I imagine any time they get a package it is good for them.

By the way today I picked up the final goodies and other items for the packages:

$ 12.99 - A box of 24 packs of Swedish Fish candies

$ 11.99 - A box of assorted cracker/cookie packets

including Goldfish Crackers, Mini-Chunk cookies

and some others

$ 6.39 - A large multi-pack of Wrigley's Spearmint

chewing gum

$ 11.59 - A 30 pack variety of Nestle's crunch Bars,

Butterfinger Bars and Baby Ruth Bars

$ 5.88 - A 200 ct. box of Sweet Stripes Candy (peppermint

candy balls with red and white stripes like candy cane)

$ 1.96 - A can of Washburn's Old Fashioned hard candies

$ 55.18 - Total for today's purchases when tax was added at a rate of 8.625%.

Add that to the previous items bought so far:

$ 35.04 - 200 pairs of Ear Plugs
$ 29.23 - Costco for Tootsie Roll Pops, 12 decks of playing cards, and 10 pack of ChapSticks $ 34.90 - A Cigar Sampler, box of 25 cigars

$107.72 - Total for Previous Purchased Items, note I just added tax I had forgotten to

show in previous posts on this (total before reflected w/o tax was $99.17)

$162.90 - GRAND TOTAL SPENT SO FAR (Of the items pictured above some were bought today, some previously, and I am throwing in the deodorant sticks for shits and giggles.)

$290.00 - Total Donations Received Including What I Donated (excluding the postage I am paying that out of my pocket)

$127.10 - Left Over For Purchase of the Knives. yes I went over budget and will not have enough for the knife purchase as planned, but I will make that up out of my pocket. My mistake for spending a bit more on goodies than I had to spend.

The knives themselves will be $131.89 without shipping, and there should be no tax since these guys are not in my state. That will leave me only $4.79 short. If I have to pay next day air that will add $37.24 to the order, making me about $42.03 in the red. Hopefully Smoky Mountain Knife Works can do something better for shipping by next day air. While second day air is $12 less expensive, I figure next day air will get them here that one important day sooner, so I can ship then to Jamie and his unit a day sooner. I wish I had ordered these a week ago, there would have been free ground shipping. Oh well. So much for my procrastination, now I'll pay the price to try to get them there on time.

By the way, when I ship the packages out to the troops, I send them Priority mail which gets them to their hub point here in the US quicker, but does nothing to actually speed them up in the military mail. I suppose nothing short of knowing a General could do that. Anyone want to recommend a General with whom you are on good terms who has pull with this sort of a thing?

All the best,

Glenn B

12/13/2008 SOLDIERS' HOLIDAY CARE PACKAGE UPDATE

Acceptance of donations for the Soldiers’ Care Package ends today; if you want to send something in, please send it to my PayPal account before midnight. Please do not send in any donations after midnight on the night of December 13, 2008. If I receive anything after midnight I will refund it to you minus any fees that PayPal charges my account. Thanks to your generosity this is what was donated:

Here is an accounting up to the moment:

Donations Received:

$170 to my PayPal account
$ 60 checks
$ 50 out of my pocket (postage will be out of my pocket too but separate from my donation

for items to go into the packages)
$ 10 cash
$290 total donations

Donations Spent:

$35.04 - 200 pairs of Ear Plugs

$29.23 - Costco for Tootsie Roll Pops, 12 decks of playing cards, and 10 pack of ChapSticks

$34.90 - A Cigar Sampler, box of 25 cigars
$99.17 spent so far

Donations Remaining:

$190.87 left to spend

I mailed out two packages last night, and let me tell you while it was for a worthy cause, it was not fun. It was just one of those days yesterday. My work car started running very roughly and the check engine light was blinking away. I called my boss asking if I could bring it to a shop local to my home as I was in the field not far from home. He said as long as they charge nothing to diagnose the problem. Well they always charge for that but take it off of the final bill, but my boss did not want to hear it and told me to take it to a repair shop in my building at work. So I did, and while you might think that screwed up the rest of my day it was not too bad! The car is in the shop for the weekend. Of course there was no replacement car, and I also had the two packages for our soldiers in the car. I ultimately had a nice ride home on the train but that is getting ahead of myself.

It wound up I asked a friend in the office for a ride home, he lives nearby to me. Turns out he was not going home. So I had to take the train home and he at least gave me a ride to the station. The train station is right across the street from the main post office in NYC so I grabbed the two boxes (lucky the guy at the garage left my G ride parked outside of the garage), a bag with some other goodies, my backpack and we were off. It was really fun trying to pass through the revolving door at the post office with my backpack in the rear and the two boxes out front. Almost did not fit, then almost could not squeeze out. Had there been anyone else in the next compartment of the door I would have had to have gone for a ride round the block so to speak. Once inside I looked for some Priority Mail labels. None to be found at the over one dozen customer stands I checked. They did have the insurance labels, and a Customs declaration for I had never seen before, but a postal worker assured me these were what I needed. She also told me there were no Priority labels except at the windows, and to just wait on the line, get the mailing labels at the window then fill em out and go right back to the window instead of having to wait on line again. She was right on 1 out of 4 things.

One hour and forty minutes later (yep 1 hour and 40 minutes) I got to the window. There had been about 6 windows open, not even close to half of them, and about 100 to 125 people on line ahead of me. Once at the window the postal clerk told me I had used the wrong Customs declaration (of course none of the right ones had been available, and I had been told by the other postal employee to use that one), and that I had used the wrong insurance form (ditto as for the customs form). Like I said, the postal employee who had told me what to do got only 1 out of 4 right as I had found the Priority Mail labels at a customer island while making my way down the line, and then made the mistake of getting off of the line to fill them out. That set me back about 6 customer places on line or so. The thing is I was able to get the other forms at the window and once I filled em out I was able to go back directly to the window. So it was only 1 out of 4 for the employee who gave me advice. I wondered for what she got paid.

I have to admit my time at the window, about another 10 minutes was mostly enjoyable. The postal clerk was quite the nice lady. Two new customs forms, one new insurance form, a couple of other customers who used the window while I was filling out the new forms, and $15.00 postage later and we had two packages sent off to the troops.

After that ordeal in the post office, I was on my way across the street to Penn Station. I got to the window, bought my ticket and headed to the platform but just missed the next train to my station. So I bought an icy cold beverage, cracked it open, and enjoyed it while awaiting the next train at 7:44 PM. The train ride home was pretty good. I got a seat, and I struck up a conversation with the lady sitting next to me. We talked about the economy, politics, working in NY, family and so on. I convinced her that she should take at least one dollar and play the MegaMillions lottery when she got off of the train at her stop. The jackpot is up to something lie $206 million dollars! If she wins, I hope she at least remembers me, when she accepts her winnings and maybe mentions that I was the one who got her to buy her ticket. Of course, there is no denying, I would much rather win it myself, or find out that there were two people with the same numbers - she and I. Wouldn't that be one heck of a coincidence! Soon enough we said our goodbyes as my station was the next one. Once I got off at my station I called home because my daughter was to pick me up, but she was at the gym. Luckily my son came to get me. I started walking and he met me at about the halfway point. Not a bad journey at all. I hope the packages travel as swiftly and as safely as did I.

As for the packages I sent off, One of the packages contained a box of 200 pairs of foam ear plugs. As you may recall from an earlier post, I sent about 10 pairs of ear plugs in a package a month or two ago. I put them in as a sort of an after thought when they caught my eye sitting in my range bag. Well let me tell you they were truly appreciated by the soldiers. I suppose they are a hot item in an artillery unit. The other box contained: 25 cigars in an aluminum case, a package of 10 ChapSticks, and a big box of Tootsie Roll Pops.

With a little luck and some good timing, I’ll be able to go to the post office today. No not the main NYC post office, but one local to my home. No waiting on lines like that again for me unless they are giving away free houses, cars or lots of money. I have the flashlights from StreamLight to send out. I will send them in multiple packages as if one box gets lost in the mail it will not be a total loss on all of the light. I cannot wait to see how much it cost to insure about $900 worth of flashlights! I’ll also try to get to a sporting goods store to pick up 11 folding knives to throw into the packages. I got some Gerber and Buck folders last year at a decent price, hopefully I can duplicate that this year. hen I’ll see how much money is left over and I’ll spend it on snacks and such to go into the packages. Right now I am figuring spending about $150 on the folding knives. That would leave $40 and change for some other goodies. That $40 may not go too far, but it will be enough to put in some nice snacks. Those snacks with the folding knives, the flashlights, and the items we already sent to the soldiers certainly will be welcomed and well appreciated, that you can bet on.

If I am able to come up with a little more out of my pocket for items to go into the packages then I will do so, but I am not betting on that because I still have to pay postage on at least two to four more packages. I’ll also insure whichever of them contain the flashlights. Even if that is all we send this year, it will have been a good deal of care that we have sent to show our troops that we have not forsaken them – especially at this time of year. My thanks to all of you who have donated. I will be sure to include a Christmas card/Holiday card in one of the boxes with all of your names on it. You have done a really nice thing by joining in our effort to make the holiday season nicer for our guys and gals in uniform.

As I did last year, I will post pics of all the items sent along with copies of purchase and mailing receipts and such. That will be in a later post once I get this all over with for this year. Right now I am going to eat breakfast, then go shopping and to the post office.

All the best,

Glenn B

So - I am Not The Only Who Thinks Like...

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First Time Purchase From Ammoman.com...

...was one I just made for my son. He wanted 1,000 rounds of 7.62x39 for his Bulgarian AK47, the one he just bought a few weeks back. He needs ammo to give it a good testing out. I tried ordering from Sportsmansguide.com, where they had the best prices I could find, but they were all out. Then I tried CheaperThanDirt.com, but price was up there and I am not sure they had 1,000 rounds of Wolf 7.62x39 122 gr.HP ammo in stock. I tried CenterfireSystems.com, but I think they were on back order or could not back order it. I looked to Natchez Shooters' Supplies but they were also out of it. Then I tried AIM Surplus, I did not get passed their home page where they explained they have a 3 -4 week long shipping delay - hmm, maybe if business is that good for them they ought to hire another worker or two to help our economy, at least temps anyhow. J&G Sales was also running at least a couple of weeks behind on filling orders according to their homepage. They too ought to think about hiring some temp help at the least; I mean business must be good if they are that overloaded with orders that it is taking them weeks to fill an order. I tired a few other places with similar results, either out or out and on back order. I would have also tried SAMCO, but they still have not addressed a return I want to make on a Yugo SKS I bought from them, advertised as in New Condition, and received in damaged and repaired condition!

Then I tried Ammoman.com. They had, it, and it cost about $25 more than it would have at Sortsmansguide.com, but I went for it, especially since Brendan was paying and he had said to just do it. The turnaround, from the time I ordered it until we received it two days ago was only 4 days. Not bad at all. It arrived in good condition via UPS, and was exactly what we ordered. It was painless, and went well, what more can I say about an order that went so well. I can say I will use them again in the future when they are a source of ammo I cannot find elsewhere at a less expensive price. If their prices were a bit more competitive I would look to them first. Yeah I know they offer free shipping and all, but I still usually get it less expensively at Sportsmansguide.com. even when they charge for shipping. Still though a good source to look to when you need some ammo for military type rifles which seems to be primarily what they sell.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Financial Mess That Is Likely To Get Much Worse Before Getting Better...

...is one that we have gotten ourselves into by being fiscally irresponsible and we have been that way for decades. Yes we have even though many of you seem to have short, very short, memories. All the other messes we have gotten ourselves into will also be sure to worsen. It is about time we do something, about time we clean up our own mess, and that means I'll be responsible for mine and you should be responsible for yours. It was better in the USA once upon a time and we can make it better again.

To the CEOs of Ford, GM, Chrysler, CitiBank,
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the the heads of
the auto workers union, to the auto workers
who are union members, to the citizens of the
USA who wanted to get rich quick, to those
who just did not bother believing we could
end up like this, and to those who believe
pie in the sky is for all of us, etc...,

Once upon a time, within my lifetime, I remember that people were for the most part fiscally responsible. if they took a risk with their money, well they did not put all of their eggs into the same basket, so when they lost that money they had more in reserve. Of course if they took more of a risk they lost more money, and if they risked it all they could lose it all if things went wrong for them. The thing was though, when something bad happened financially, even the ones who lost it all realized they had lost it. They may have applied for some sort of financial assistance, but mostly what they did was worked at earning a living. Today that has all changed.

Today, people expect handouts for everything that they have lost even when they have lost it through absolutely fool hearty risk taking on their part with their, and sometimes with your, money. Now the thing is that if someone wants to give them handouts from their own pocket books, well that is fine with me. I get pretty upset though when the folks who want the handouts, and the folks who want to give them the handouts, come to the likes of me expecting me to shell out my hard earned cash to fools. What gives them the right or even the balls, to demand that people like me, who took no to extremely minimal risks, have to dig deep into our pockets to bail out the bum who now are come begging. I seem to remember that not too long ago those same bums were snubbing their noses at me telling me I was a fool for not investing my money in this get rich scheme of theirs or that one of another wanna be get rich quick guy.

Well I am not giving mine away to them without a fight. You see, over the past 14 years, maybe even a few months less than 14 years, I paid off my 15 year mortgage. I now own my house free and clear. I had to work hard to do that, so did my wife. We were not able to save a lot of cash, we need to try to do that now because we need cash to maintain our house, and to take us into our retirements comfortably. So tell me again why is it I should give it to the likes of bums come begging, arrogant ones at that who were fools with their money, and maybe with yours too. Hmm, wait a minute, if they were fools with your money, that means you let them invest your money, so you were a fool too. I'll agree, maybe not as bad, or as greedy, or as foolish as them, but if you are also come begging please just go to work and start earning all over again. Wait just another cotton pickin minute - you never worked all that hard did you. You were one of those folks who dreamed of the get rich quick schemes in the market, in real estate that would never depreciate, in junk bonds, in junkier mortgage funds, and now want MY MONEY.

I am no fool. Sure you will probably tax me to death, but don't be surprised if I fight you til death. No I am not making a threat, just saying I will fight fools, bums, arrogant snobs, and worthless money grubbers who want my share of the pie. Why not wake up, realize you screwed up, take a deep breath and accept responsibility (remember that word or is its meaning lost on you) and admit defeat. Admit that you will never be able to take any money and have it be worth a damn because you have no idea how to WORK TO MAKE IT GROW at a reasonable rate. All you want is to get rich quick now as in immediately, so you want me to give you my money. You are shameful. You are greedy pigs. You have little to no ethics, morality or sense of respect and responsibility.

I worked for my money. I invested what I could wisely with small returns, but guess what I am earning interest on my small savings weekly and my home has been paid for completely. Sure I need to take out loans for my kid's college, and I have to pay off another such loan I took, but I am still working three years after becoming eligible to retire. Yep I am still my family's bread winner, I still bring home the bacon, I make sure that we have a pot to piss in, a window to throw it out of, and the ground to catch it. Now you want to take what little I have earned and use it to prop yourselves up back in your greed mongering business, all failures at that! You disgust me, each and every one of you. Instead of asking for bailouts you should be cutting back, coming up with plans to produce more for less, or in other words to be efficient, and you should be making a competitive product in stead of selling junk. You should be hiring Americans and by that I mean U.S. Citizens and legal resident aliens, you should not be farming out work to Pakistan (hell they are virtually our enemies or at least protect our enemies) or to India, or to Mexico (hell we have enough people here legally from these other countries who can work, we do not need to send their relatives work in foreign countries, nor do we need to allow in illegals from any country, do we).

And what about you blood sucking union representatives and members. No I am not about to forget you guys. You are the one who have HS educations, yet you make up to $70 an hour (see footnote) for what - pushing a button, setting a rivet, and yammering about how you are underpaid. Go screw yourselves, you may do a better job at that than you have done on my American made cars. Then tell me how is it that your competitors at Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan and so forth can make better cars than you guys while they pay their workers much less. Tell me how for years they undercut you even though they produced their cars overseas, then had to ship them half way round the world, then pay customs duties that were sky high, and yet outdid you guys in Detroit. Tell me how it is they then moved operations here, just like U.S. companies outsource work, and they pay their workers about 1/2 of what you make in Motor City, and yet they still make better cars than you guys do. Yes I know that is a fact. I own a Ford and a Toyota right now. I have owned 2 Plymouths, and a Mazda, and a Toyota previously. And some other American care I can not recall. My family owned many American cars. Chryslers, Fords, Chevies, Oldsmobiles, and guess what - they were all crap compared to the Mazda and Toyotas. So don't come crying to me that you need more money, you need to learn how to live on about half of what you were making, what with your higher education at the HS level and all that brainy work you don't ever do. Get real, become responsible, stop raping my wallet each time I buy American.

What about our politicians. Guys like Barney Frank who never lives up to his name except maybe when admitting he is as gay as a 3 dollar bill. Come on Mr. Frank, get real - get rid of the phoney lisp, and then tell me in a real man's voice - what do you mean we need to bail them out without the Unions or union members giving up anything. How's about nurturing a sense of responsibility in them, that they will get what they have truly earned instead of what unions have strong armed for them. Yes unions have their places, but when they get out of hand they should be put in their places. All the rest of you in DC, I say likewise as I did to Barney Frank. Get real, become responsible. Make a plan that will have people working at a decent salary not an exorbitant one for what they have produced. Why keep paying these bums up to $70 per hour to produce crap. If you cut them to half their salaries then the ones making $70 and hour would get $35 per hour and that would still be: $72,800 per year for guys with HS educations who do dimwit work and are apparently not very good at it at that - just look at the clunkers they turn out.

The same goes when it comes to wet backs who are illegally int his country stealing the food from our mouths, the jobs from our able bodied citizens and legal resident aliens, and the medical care from our ill and injured. It is a disgrace that Congress want to keep blaming the Border Patrol, the president, the employers (yes shame on them for hiring illegals), and the res of us who supposedly will not take the so called lousy jobs they fill. Here is a scoop, come to my home soon. I will take you out and we will go to talk to some illegals at their meeting places where they gather to await people to offer them jobs. We will make believe we are looking for laborers for menial work. You will have your eyes opened when you learn they are asking a minimum of $20 per hour. In a 40 hour work week, over 52 weeks, that comes out to over $40,000 per year. That is not all they demand though, they also DEMAND transport to the workplace, and they demand to be fed, and they demand regular breaks all even though they are here illegally. Now you tell me when was the last time you heard of a down an out U.S. Citizen turning down such a good deal, and remember it is ALL TAX FREE MONEY at that.

You in Congress should be ashamed of yourselves because you are mostly responsible for the illegal alien mess. Yes you. Why? Because you write the laws. You formulated the Immigration and Nationality laws of this once great nation. You make it harder for us to keep them out by repeatedly making laws lax, and therefore easing regulations, and therefore allowing them to sneak in without reprisals. Then you insist they get free medical care, you insist they get free social services, you insist they get rights like those of us who deserve them, you insist they get all the same liberties as citizens except the legal vote (and that will likely be next), and you hope to God they will vote for you (even though they do so illegally), and you hope they will bring their families here even though they come here, work here, take our money and run from here. All the while you disregard the fact that they have brought diseases and pest here. TB is on the rise, drug resistant TB at that. Where did it come from, why is it on the rise. Compare the rise in wet backs inside our borders to the rise in TB cases, is there a correlation - you bet. Then compare the rise in numbers of illegals the recent influx of bedbugs in our nation, is there a correlation - you betcha. Then look at the rise in prison populations and tell me is there a correlation to the rise in the number of illegal entrants - you betcha - and if you doubt it just tell me how many illegals are in our jails for property crimes or crimes of violence. Yep there is a correlation. There are more gang crimes, more rapes, more murders, more robberies, more thefts, more burglaries, more everything because there are ore illegals. Yes they commit a lot of those crimes, and so too do American who they keep out of jobs.

Remember the whole idea that an American Citizen would not do the lousy work that illegals do. Here is a brief partial list of some jobs that illegals I have encountered have done: brick mason, carpenter, electrician, painter, carpet layer, taxi driver, convenience store worker, deli clerk, supermarket worker, factory worker, security guard, cowboy, truck driver, dentist, doctor, nurse, lawyer, and the list goes on. Sure many of them are lawn workers, day laborers, or kennel workers. Guess what, my son is a kennel worker, he cleans up dog shit to earn money to save for a car and towards graduate school. I used to work as a security guard, as a factory worker, a deli clerk, a supermarket stock boy, and as a newspaper delivery boy. I did all of that because I had a work ethic. maybe if you taught your kids that work, hard work, was good and built character while giving experience and being a source of income instead of sticking a gold plated nipple in their whining mouths, well just maybe they would do something like one of those jobs and be better off for it. For the last 29 years though I have had a better job, a career at that. All those other crappy jobs, they paved the way for me to better myself. My so is doing likewise right now and I am proud of him, so is my daughter.

Now let me ask you - do you remember doing any jobs like that or were you always spoiled rotten. Come on now, you probably delivered newspapers, or cut lawns once upon a time way back when. Back how long ago, well long enough ago that those jobs were available to the youth of America, not to wet backs. Oh is wet back a term that makes you all sensitive, do you squirm when you hear it. Well a President of the USA had an operation called Operation Wetback that was in essence one to remove this scourge from within our borders. Too bad none of you have the courage to do likewise as did President Eisenhower and live up to your oath of office and truly protect the United States of America. The invasion from Mexico, from Central America, and from South America needs to end. Is that racist, yes you bet it is. No not me saying it has to end, but allowing it to happened because in so doing so you are being preferential to one race of people. What about all the others around the world who cannot walk across our land border because they would have to swim the Atlantic or Pacific oceans first, talk about being wet - jeesh! It is the people who invade us from the south and demand that we give them extra benefits and considerations and treat them better than the rest of the world who are the racists. I am an American, and I don't care what color, race, creed (or lack of creed) you hold, or what gender you are, or what age you are so long as you are a U.S. Citizen or legal resident alien then I feel you should have liberties and rights here in the USA. On the other hand I don't care about any of those descriptors if you are an illegal alien either, because if you are illegal you need to be arrested and thrown out of our country post haste regardless of race, creed, color, ethnicity, gender and so forth. If you are supposed to be our leaders and cannot get that straight then you are shamefully inept.

Sincerely,
Glenn B

Yes I am ranting. Why - because I am darned mad at the lot of you who expect something for nothing, and expect me to give it to you. You want me to give you my money, my sympathy, my job, my respect, my liberties, my medical care, my rights, my country. You are not going to get those from me without a fight. Come on America - those of you who still believe in the sanctity of our borders, or our nation, of our rights, of our liberties, of our Constitution and other laws, and of self respect - wake up and join in the fight to preserve our way of life. If you don't, well then we are doomed. Write to your elected officials, protest when protest is called for, vote wisely and not for the same old windbags time after time as you did this time around, and if you really want change vote for someone who is, and never has been, and has no desire to become a lawyer. Vote a carpenter, a mason, and electrician, a police officer, a delivery driver, a mailman, a banker, an accountant, a bookkeeper, a shoemaker, a butcher, a sewer worker, a bus driver, a road worker, a house builder, a pilot, a weatherman, a scientist, an unemployed bum, a disabled person, a teacher, a doctor, an auto worker, a military person, but don't vote for another lawyer because they just keep screwing things up. They are great at thinking about doing something, better so than actually getting it done. They are better yet at arguing about how it should be done, but not on agreeing on how to get it down. They just have little to no gosh darned experience in the real world of which to speak - they are for the most part purely academic and that is the problem. You can never make something that is broken work if you don't have someone who has actually practical experience working a it actually trying to fix it.


If you don't make radical changes as the citizen voters of the USA, well then all will be lost to they who would see us become one nation around the world; and while you may want to think that would be fine and dandy it just is not going to work. In the words of Maggie T., words I used just recently, but fit so well here I will use them again: "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money". Allow me to lean on that a bit when I say the problem with this whole mess is that soon you will run of responsible people, then where will you get your votes, your taxes, your bailout money, your respect, your anything at all. Not from yourselves, not if you don't clean up your acts and your messes right away; and not from me if I can help it because I do need to throw good money and effort after bad to fools who will not do for themselves and others by being responsible.

With fear we are losing the battle
for a lasting and strong America,
Glenn B

footnote:

One source for that info: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,452812,00.html

In the linked article, a U.S. Senator is quoted as saying this:

"The average hourly cost per worker in this country is about $28.48. For these auto makers, it's $73. And for the Japanese auto companies working here in the United States, it's $48. So you've got huge costs there."

The Deer Were Left Laughing In The Wood Again...

As He Slumerbered in The Wood

The Deer Were Left Laughing In The Wood Again
at the lack of prowess of the hunter right then.
They had little fear of this hunter or his gun
And soon they knew it would their time for fun.
They sent in small spies to see if all would be clear
you see deer are not dummies even with no fear.
Chickadees flittered and fluttered through the trees,
As the mighty hunter's head nodded toward his knees.
They saw his rifle already resting on the side of a tree
You could get the idea that the hunter knew what would be.
Next in they sent a spy of a larger and different demeanor
Who could certainly take care of a hunter by getting meaner.
The black bear ever so quietly sniffed, listened and looked
He liked the deer too much to see them by a hunter get cooked.
He gave a soft snort to indicate the coast was all clear
then the deer slowly and softly started to draw near.
They jumped when the mighty hunter began to snore
but soon they realized it was a snore - nothing more.
The hunter was slumbering soundly against a tree
and now was there time to frolic in fun while free.
Only one danger from this hunter they need fear
and that would be an ache from snores in an ear.
So they came in close to him as was allowed by reason
and danced round his stand this last day of hunting season.
In too came some squirrels, some turkeys, and bobcat
All just in time to see the hunter loose his orange hat;
as the wind had stirred while watching this commotion
and off blew his hunting cap, flying in a circular motion.

It landed there right on his overly large belly
and it was jiggled and juggled as if sitting on jelly.
Then in swooped an owl with nary a sound
grasping cap in talons before it hit the ground.
Suddenly the hunter muttered and turned just a bit
and the deer and other animals thought this was it!
They all softly made their way back into the wood
but of their visit left sign never to be misunderstood.
The hunter in a dream to rustling footsteps awoke,
grabbed trusty rifle and waited not quite getting the joke.
For there all around him as he soon would certainly see
were tracks of bobcat, squirrel, bear, deer, and wild turkey.
Yet he waited with hopes of getting a clear shot,
on a deer that another hunter had not yet got;
but the light was fading, the day soon would be ending
hunting season was closing, aches needed tending.
So the old hunter got up and as he gathered his gear
and was amazed at the tracks all round him so near.
Bear, bobcat, squirrel paws all had marked the snow
deer also had have to have come and to go.
All while he uneasily slept and had a fabulous dream
of forest animals having fun, all working as a team.
He reached for his cap, his head cold,
He wondered had the animals truly been so bold.
As he looked for his cap he searched all around
then seeing some small feathers there on the ground
he looked way up to the branches of a tree
and there was his cap almost too far to see
Thunderstruck, realizing it was no dream as he slept
He made up his mind it was his secret to be kept.
For truly no dream were these tracks in the snow
But who on earth would believe him if he told them so.
Then when he was leaving he turned and gave a last look
And they were all staring at him from every forest nook.
Hundreds of forest creatures from far and near
Had come to laugh and to give him a sneer.
So he raised his hand slowly, then gave them a salute,
and unloaded his gun, he would not shoot.
The season had ended this year the animals won
but someday he'd be back and he'd again bring his gun.
He told them next year he would sure to again stop by,
and promised next year he'd have a more vigilant eye.
He would be certain next year to remain wide awake
and to his prowess as a hunter make no mistake.
Fair warning he gave to all those forest creatures
but it did not change one thing about their features.
He swore they were laughing at him as he spoke
and having fun at his expense over their joke.
The deer he left laughing in the wood right then,
all waiting and wishing he would visit again.

All the best,
GB

StreamLight Just Keeps Making The Holidays Brighter For Our Troops

Six or seven posts back I commented on the generosity of StreamLight because once again they were to have donated 12 tactical flashlights to the Soldiers' Holiday Care Package this year as they did last year. Well it did not happen, and it is not going to happen. Now don't get it wrong, it is not that they have rescinded their offer or anything like that. The truth of the matter is that they made it even better. You see they sent me 16 TL-2 LED Tactical Flashlights instead of 12, and I received them today. It was not a mistake either, it was Angel DelliGatti and StreamLight being very, very nice. You see when I inquired about purchasing flashlights this year directly from Streamlight, Angel told me that we would again get a dozen flashlights from StreamLight for free. Well it was great news, but I again asked for a price so I also could buy a few to go into the package from the donations you guys sent in for the package contents. That way at least we could have shown our appreciation and support of StreamLight and Ms. DellliGatti by actually making some sort of purchase from them. Well instead of sending me a price, they sent another 4 flashlights for free.

Once again, I find myself humbled. I have to say that StreamLight and Ms. Angel DelliGatti have left me absolutely amazed at their kindness, and at their unflinching support for our troops. Heck they don't know me from Adam, yet they sent me 16 flashlights that I found retailing anywhere from about $57 apiece to $65 apiece depending on the dealer. The lights they sent me are the TL-2 model, not the NightFighters I thought we were going to get, but appear to be quite similar and I am not complaining. In fact the lights are fine looking pieces of tactical gear at that, and you can see just what they sent here:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=36

The specs seem much the same if you look at the NightFighter here:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=32

Or you can compare the specs for both side by side here:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/productcompare.aspx

Now if there is any doubt as to how much these little beauties retail for, just go here and take a look:

http://www.streamlight-flashlights.com/881-5.html

Yep, the price tag shows them ON SALE at $64.95 each, and shows the regular price of $99.95! Of course, as I said earlier, I have found them as low priced as about $57.00. Still that is no little amount especially when you consider that StreamLight sent 16 of them. If we bought them at the lowest price I found, that would have amounted to about $912! Yet Angel DelliGatti of StreamLight got her company to send them to us free of charge for inclusion in the Soldiers' Holiday Care Package. I think you have to agree that Angel and the rest of the folks at StreamLight are truly generous and GREAT AMERICANS! I have to hand it to them, they are awesome in their kindness and patriotism.

Last year, StreamLight sent extra batteries for the lights. This year they did not. Don't misunderstand me - no complaints from me especially since they sent 4 additional free flashlights this year over last year's dozen. I just mention it because it means I may buy 32 replacement CR123A lithium batteries this year from your donations, two extra batteries for each light. Each flashlight requires 2 batteries, and each is packaged with two batteries, but I figure it would be a good idea to send some extras. After that I would imagine the troops can get their own from their commissary or base exchange, or sent to them from home. If not they can always drop me a line and I'll see what I or we can do. I'll see how the money situation works out after I buy some other things for the packages first.

My next stop will be somewhere for some decent folding knives. If I recall right, last year I bought some Gerber and Buck folders. This year I am thinking of buying 11 folding knives. That way, of the 26 guys in Jamie's unit, one can get a knife, the next one can can get a flashlight, and so on alternating down the line. Jamie himself will be given a light and a knife - so my math works out okay. One of each to Jamie, leaving 10 knives and 15 flashlights (25 items) to be distributed among the other 25 guys. They can do it by drawing straws or numbers or like a grab bag, but each guy will get either a knife or a light if Jamie follows my suggestion on how to dole em out to his unit.

Enough of this for now.

Oh, one other thing, I got another $10 donation sent in via PayPal. I think that makes the total something like $290 in monetary donations so far. I'll only be collecting up through next weekend, so keep it coming please so we can make a real difference for these guys this year.

Again, in closing, allow me to say:

THANK YOU ANGEL DELLIGATTI AND STREAMLIGHT.

All the best,
Glenn B

Margaret Thatcher, I think we all can agree...

...was a pretty smart lady, and that stands whether or not we agreed with her politics. I truly believe that she hit the nail on the head when she said this: "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money".

That problem will be one of the biggest ones with socialized medicine should it ever be fully implemented here in the USA. It is certainly one of the biggest problems elsewhere around the world with socialized medicine right now.

Don't believe me or Margaret Thatcher, well then maybe you would believe the words of another smart lady, one who said: "That was disgusting". She was only 3 when she said it, and she was, possibly without even realizing it, making reference to socialized medicine. Go here to read the whole story.

All the best,
Glenn B

One More For My Love Linda...

When I'm Sixty-four

Dear Linda,

I hope the answer is yes.

Love,

Glenn

100 Things I Have Done - Have You Done Any Of Them

Have You Ever:

1. Waited for someone special who did not show up, and realized years later that your experience of that event had shaped much of your life?

2. Gotten so drunk you passed out and later had no memory of some things that happened before you passed out?

3. Repeatedly guessed what was inside wrapped presents each Christmas before opening them?

4. Taken a bus cross country?

5. Driven cross country, more than 2,000 miles by yourself?

6. Been wounded badly?

7. Seen the smile on a child’s face when he or she caught their first fish?

8. Field stripped and reassembled a firearm with eyes closed/or while blindfolded/or while in the dark?

9. Successfully hunted for wild game?

10. Achieved straight A’s in 2 or more consecutive semesters?

11. Walked more than 10 miles in one day?

12. Been to a foreign land?

13. Been overseas?

14. Sat patiently for hours, on your deer stand, in the rain or snow waiting, for a deer to show up?

15. Caught frogs, with your children, using your bare hands, and realized they were better at it than you - especially your daughter?

16. Ridden in a crowded subway and enjoyed it?

17. Heard someone in screaming in terror for help and actually gone to help them while unarmed?

18. Had nightmares because you had shot someone justifiably?

19. Seen the view from the top of the Empire State Building again and again and again?

20. Been to Ground Zero while it was still smoldering?

21. Taken a ferry ride for no particular reason?

22. Hiked to the top of a mountain?

23. Sinned while in a house of worship?

24. Grown a vegetable garden?

25. Been seriously assaulted and successfully defended yourself?

26. Bathed naked in a cold mountain stream?

27. Dug sea life fossils out of the ground near the top of a mountain?

28. Swam in the ocean at night after first having seen the movie Jaws?

29. Scored several consecutive bull’s eyes in archery?

30. Not balanced your checkbook in over one year, and not once having overdrawn your account?

31. Enjoyed sex more than 2 times in one day?

32. Broken a bone and set it yourself as best you could before getting to the doctor?

33. Visited your nation’s capital?

34. Enjoyed a visit to a museum more than anything else on a particular vacation?

35. Taught someone else how to shoot?

36. Sharpened a knife with a honing stone?

37. Gotten sunburned so badly you blistered on the same day as getting the burn?

38. Eaten a live animal?

39. Baked a traditional apfelstrudel (apple strudel) from scratch?

40. Gotten beaten up badly by multiple attackers in a fight, and still won the fight?

41. Told your child more than one bedtime story about more than one real life adventure you had and realized in the telling that you were your child's hero?

42. Stared at the sky for hours watching the stars or clouds pass by?

43. Been more than 100 miles out to sea for more than a day?

44. Volunteered for a dangerous job?

45. Slept outdoors without a tent?

46. Started a fire for cooking or warmth on a camping trip without matches or a lighter?

47. Been stung by a bee?

48. Caught a rattlesnake and held it in your hands?

49. Ever realized, as an adult, that you were so scared of something that you just wanted to cry?

50. No matter how scared, faced down that fear I just mentioned in number 49?

51. Marched in a parade as the color guard?

52. Been a pallbearer?

53. Lost over $500 in one card game, and won it back shortly thereafter?

54. Lied to a loved one, and later admitted the lie and told the truth?

55. Been in a car chase at 140 mph or faster?

56. Really fought for your life because someone was trying to kill you?

57. Thought the mailman was the greatest guy ever?

58. Forgotten your best friend’s name even briefly while speaking to him?

59. Gone backpacking for at least a few days in one stretch?

60. Been so broke you had to hunt for food?

61. Given $20 to a homeless guy you just happened to pass on the street?

62. Been in a car crash where the car was totaled and you received only minor injuries?

63. Had a body part removed by surgery?

64. Hitch hiked to anywhere more than 50 miles from your starting point?

65. Spent the night in a cemetery?

66. Watched children build a snow fort and tunnels in the snow and wonder why you remembered the snow being so much deeper when you were a kid?

67. Found a piece of buried treasure or a buried artifact?

68. Found everything you would eat in a day out in the wild?

69. Made a piece of wood furniture - no matter how crude?

70. Been humbled by a child?

71. Learned more than one language?

72. Lost more than 30 pounds?

73. Truly loved and lived knowing the future was uncertain and the end is always near? (Thank you Jim Morrison.)

74. Run more than 6 miles without stopping?

75. Canoe through rapids?

76. Walked up to within 25 feet of a wild bear in the woods?

77. Seen a Peregrine Falcon or other raptor in a large city like New York City?

78. Been in an earthquake of more than 5.0?

79. Swam in different oceans?

80. Read a good book end to end in one day?

81. Gone shopping routinely on Christmas Eve for your loved one’s gifts?

82. Seen at least one of your children being born?

83. Swum more than 5 miles without stopping?

84. Hiked in the woods at night?

85. Given blood?

86. Flown in planes 75 or more times in a single month? (Yes that means on 75 or more individual flights.)

87. Realized for whatever reason you had been an idiot at sometime in your life – and more than once at that?

88. Been taught what to do if you find a bomb on a plane, and actually be ready to do it if need be?

89. Been charged by a bull or a steer and actually push off of its head to get away?

90. Remained true friends with someone even though you had not seen each other in years?

91. Been terrified to do something and yet you did it anyway because you knew it should be done?

92. Been so sick in the hospital that the doctors were convinced of your imminent passing – but here you are after having surprised them?

93. Truly enjoyed your own company for a night out?

94. Enjoyed German beer in Germany?

95. Kissed someone while in your car at a drive in theater?

96. Been thanked by someone for having taught them something important to them?

97. Cared for a young wild bird that fell from its nest?

98. Dropped to your knees and then crouched down some more to really see why the snow looked so much deeper, or the trees so much higher, or an adult so much more imposing to you when you were a child?

99. Realized your children have become young adults and decent, hard working and loving ones at that?

100. Been truly satisfied with your life overall as you have lived it?

Yes I have done all of them, a lot more too when I think about the strange, wonderful, fun, difficult, easy, regular, unusual, recurring, unique, mundane, happy, sad, silly, smart, dangerous, and other things I have done in my lifetime. Nothing great, no bragging, just some 100 things that I have done or that have happened to me so far in my lifetime. I saw another blog with a similar list and it got me to thinking about my expereinces and I posted on some of them here.

All the best,
Glenn B

Dear Mr. President...

...is how I was thinking of beginning a letter to President George W. Bush but I know I probably should not send the letter I am considering sending to him. You see the letter I was considering sending to him was something I just cut out of an email I received. I admit I have no idea who thought it up (that person is a genius) and I would never take credit myself, but I was still thinking about sending it to our current president before it is too late to accomplish what was spelled out in that email. Here is the copy of the email I received, you can judge for yourself whether or not it would be appropriate to send to President Bush (it sure would make him laugh - wouldn't it, and if he pulled it off, it sure would piss off the ultra liberals):

"I am sure that this would really do the trick!

That would make for an interesting Holiday season! You know what would really P**S OFF the Democrats...Bush should resign now.

Then Dick Cheney becomes President (that would really P**S OFF the libs)!!!

Then Cheney appoints Condoleeza Rice as VP (and allow me to add to this email this tidbit: that if he cannot appoint her then he resigns, and the next person becomes VP then resigns, all the way down to Condoleeza Rice in the chain of succession).

Then Cheney resigns two weeks later and Condoleeza Rice, a Republican, becomes the first BLACK - WOMAN President!!!

Yes that should do it alright!!!!!!! "

All it needs is for me to add: Dear President Bush, or Dear Mr. President, then tell him nope it was not my idea but I felt it worthy of sending to him. Then I would have to sign it. Now considering that President-elect Obama will soon be my boss, I was wondering, would this be appropriate for me to send to President Bush? I figure that President Bush has a good sense of humor, I wonder does President-elect Obama have one likewise!

What a truly unique and marvelously mischievous idea.

All the best,
Glenn B

Generosity Of Another Sort

As I said in my last post, so far this year's Soldiers' Holiday Care Package fund has received monetary donations amounting $280. Some people have given pretty sizable amounts, the largest being $50.00. I have got to hand it to them that was generous. Others have given less, and I have got to hand it to them too because what they gave was also generous. StreamLight is again donating a dozen expensive flashlights, that is another form of wonderful generosity. Yet there has been a generous donation that goes beyond those I have just mentioned, not in amount money wise, but in how much of a sacrifice it was to make it.

One of the donations I received, from a source who wishes to remain anonymous, was in the amount of $10.00. It was a cash donation, and besides the cash I donated there was only one other cash donation (you know who you are). I think one of the reasons the person wants to remain anonymous is because of the amount of the gift, and another reason is because that person is humble and is proud at the same time (nothing wrong with being either or both). That person wrote me a note, saying in part: "I wish it could be more". From what I know, the person who sent me that $10.00 made a real sacrifice in order to send that much because that person truly could not afford to send that much money, heck probably could not afford to send anything. Yet the donation was made.

Now you may think - 'What is a measly $10.00 to any of us'. Well with knowing the little bit I do about the person who sent it, I can tell you it is not measly to that person or that person's family. When your income is very low, when you have no reasonable hope to expect your income to be going up any time soon, when you have to eke out a living because circumstances beyond your control put you in a tough spot, when your dignity and work ethic will not allow you to accept government handouts in the form of welfare, well then $10.00 to that person is probably like $50.00, maybe even like $100.00, to the rest of us.

The purpose of this blog-post is not to shame any of you into donating, it is not to try to get any of you who already donated to donate more. Nope those are not the purpose of this post. The purpose of this post is to let the person who donated that hard earned and much needed $10.00 (much needed by that person and that person's family) know that the donation is much appreciated. There is nothing for you to be ashamed about, no reason for you to wish it could have been more, no reason to think it less worthy of note than any other donation I have received toward this effort. As a matter of fact, it is certainly the most generous doantion I have received to date considering your circumstances and you should be proud of yourself.

You know who you are; and while others may guess, I will not tell because I know you would not want me to do so. Heck, I know you would not have wanted me to write this, but truth be told, I wrote it anyway because your generosity deserves at least annonymous recognition. Thank you to you and your family.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Generosity Is Streaming In - StreamLight Does It Again

To paraphrase an email I just sent to Angel DelliGatti of StreamLight:

"Once again I am truly humbled by your generosity. I don't know what else to say except thank you very much. I will of course pass the word onto others about what you have done, and when I shop for lights they will be StreamLights. You folks at StreamLight are so nice it is almost unbelievable, it is people like you who really make this country a great place! I am sure that my Soldiers' Angels soldier for this year - Jamie V., and his fellow troops, will make good use of them.

I would still like to know what price you can offer these at because I would buy at least a few more to ship to the troops. Please don't ad more to the freebie pile, it would be the right thing for us to make a purchase after how nice you have been."

Why am I humbled. Well, like last year, this year I sent out a few emails making inquiries in an attempt to get discounted pricing on some things to include in this years Soldiers' Holiday Care Package(s). One of those emails was sent to StreamLight. I really did not expect them to duplicate their generosity of last year when they donated 12 flashlights and batteries to the care package effort but that is what they did then, and they are doing it gain this year! She is going to send a dozen NF2-LED lights for the package(s). As far as I can figure, the NF2 stands for NightFighter 2.

When I checked their site, this is what I found for the NightFighter LED lights:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=32

While there is little more that I can say than I did in my above email to Ms. DelliGatti, there is something I have to say: She truly is an Angel, she lives up to her name, and how appropriate since I was put in contact with Jamie V., the soldier to whom I will be sending this year's package(s), through Soldiers' Angels!

One other thing I think I must say is that if you are considering a high quality flashlight, especially for tactical purposes, please consider StreamLight. I have used their products and can tell you they have met and exceeded my expectations in tactical flashlights just as their generosity has far surpassed even my wildest expectations.

As I mentioned in my email, I am hopeful we can also buy some lights from StreamLight, also for the troops. I figure it would be the right thing to do in light of their generosity. I realize that this year there is no way we will be able to supply each guy in our soldier's unit with a light (heck there are 26 guys in his direct unit, not 12 like our soldier from last year). That is there is no way unless you guys are extremely generous. So if you can find it in your hearts, please dig up some of your spare change or bills and send in a donation for this year's effort. So far we have gotten together a total of $255.00 including $160 of donations made via my PayPal account and $95 checks and cash.

As with last year's effort, I will document each and every penny of the donations I spend on this, and 100% of your donations will go to purchases of items to be included in the packages. I will pay for shipping charges to include boxes, tape, and postage to send the care packages to Jamie V. over in Afghanistan, and I have also made a $25.00 (included in the above total) donation toward purchases of items. I will also be donating another $25.00 out of my pocket. I suppose that Ms. DelliGatti's and StreamLights generosity has motivated me to do so - so the total of the monetary donations is now: $280.00.

To those of you who have made donations so far, money or otherwise I say THANK YOU; and likewise to those of you who will be making donations.

All the best,
Glenn B

Spent A Day Hunting...

...and sleeping in the woods on Saturday; all the deer just laughed at me probably thinking I would be out cold like RVW for about 20 years or so. I almost did it too, that is stayed asleep for 20 years. I left home at about 12:30 or 1:00 AM, got to the selected happy Hunting Grounds by about 3:00 AM, slept fitfully in my car to the music of Traffic, and Black Sabbath, was awakened at about 5 by a car load of hunters who were yakking away outside my window as they geared up in the icy cold of the predawn morning, slept another half hour (really maybe 10 minutes dozing on and off), a finally got my butt in gear at 0530. I was in the woods by 0545 with sunup and legal shooting time at 0702.

I sat in my portable sport chair for almost 4 hours. It was chilly out, even fairly cold, I guess in the 20s. Just sitting there and the cold gets to your bones even if dressed as warmly as was I. I have to say though that once the sun got around to shining my way, the warmth was wonderful, and I nodded off not for the first or last time while on my stand. After a while longer, I took a walk around for an hour or so. Then back to my stand where I sat (sitting on a stand - what terminology) for a couple more hours. Then I again took a walk. Found another hunter just outside the woods in an overgrown area of a farmer's field. He was completely in camo; and that was a surprise. He did not move a muscle as I walked up from behind, and I noted his shotgun was grounded so I was not expecting him to turn and aim in on me thinking I was a deer or something. Once I was abreast of him we had a short talk, and I headed back from where I had come not wanting to be out in his line of fire. Nice guy, but wearing all camo in firearms deer season!!! Oh well, his hide not mine.

Back on stand until sundown, well actually until at least 20 minutes after sundown. The last thing I remember was looking at my watch and thinking I had 20 minutes left to hunt. I rattled and used my deer calls. Then sat back and waited. I was somewhat hopeful because I had heard a doe bleating in the woods earlier, and she was walking around in circles. I was thinking she might respond to my calls and rattling. As it turned out, an army of deer could have come by, had a few beers few apples from the nearby apple tree, and sniffed at me with the residual deer scent on my gloves. I was happily sound asleep. I don't know exactly when I nodded off, but do know that when I opened my eyes it was well into twilight and the vampires would be out soon. If I had fallen asleep right after looking at my watch - which it the last thing I remembered - then I had slept for about 40 minutes. Oh well, I have slept on deer stands before only to be awakened by an approaching deer that later was my dinner so sleeping is okay by me while hunting. This time though the deer just laughed at me once again. At least my brief naps helped revitalize me for the ride home. Still though, I have to do something about this insomnia thing that only allows me to get sleep in spurts. I could surely use a nice long nap, maybe though not quite as long as good old Rip Van Winkle.

Sunday, I spent the day at The New York Metro Reptile Expo in White Plains New York. I helped man the Long Island Herpetological Society tables. Spoke to a lot of people about how to take care of this or that, and had a good time as usual with the regular society members who show up for this event. I did not even consider buying any animals while there this time around though, something different from the norm for me. What with the prospect of being detailed to my employer's HQ in Washington, DC for 3 to 6 months looming, well I figured I may have to get rid of a lot of my critters so why add any now. I'll find out for sure in January sometime if I am going on that assignment. By the way, on he ride home, I saw a nice 6 pointer on the back of an SUV. Maybe that was one of them that laughed at me - who knows.

After the reptile show I came home to a nice dinner of Pot Roast, homemade red cabbage, oven baked potatoes (like french fries but done in the oven and covered with oil and spices - mm good), and asparagus. It was one heck of some good cooking, as my wife can do when she pleases. Well that was it for the weekend for me. Right now, as you can guess, I am at the keyboard because sleep once again eludes me. I am getting a bit weary being it is after 0200, so I think I'll head off to the sack. Sleep well...

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gastronomica - Frogs Anyone?

A few days ago I decided that it had been way to long since I ventured into the land of the lost, which for me would be my kitchen. Yes - I am ashamed to say that I have been a stranger to my kitchen - at least as a man who practices the art of culinary grumpiness - for way too long. So I decided, a few nights ago, to take a trip down to Little Italy where it blends together with Chinatown near Mott and Grand Streets. I was determined to pick up something from Di Palos, and Italian food store that sells absolutely scrumptious things. Not that I knew that from personal experience, but I had watched some cooking show the night before (actually a show about food stores and restaurants and such) and this place was given high kudos.

So I made my way there, the very next night after having seen the show, and I entered the place full of gastronomic anticipation. I expected my senses to be overwhelmed by the sight of the delicacies, the aromas of the many cheeses and meats, and hopefully by the flavors after a taste of this and a taste of that. What I had not been expecting, but will admit I had given a passing thought to, was the other customers who would be shopping therein. So when I walked in the door, and almost had to push my way inside because of the crowd, I was - to say the least - disappointed. I grabbed a number from the glossy red dispenser on the wall just inside the entrance, and they immediately called a number. Heck it was about 20 ahead of mine! I decided to take my number and take a walk.

I walked toward Canal Street on Mott, or maybe it was Elizabeth, but it was southbound. There were a lot of Chinese markets mixed in with the occasional Italian business. Over the years Chinatown has expanded northward to include much of what was once hardcore Little Italy. What a blend - east truly meets west - and when you think of Marco Polo - what could be more appropriate! Yet there have been some hard to blend issues among the Italian Immigrants and Chinese Immigrants, they don't always blend so well; yet I think they get along pretty well all things considered especially because they all they wanted to do was to become Americans. Two groups of immigrants that came to the USA with the same goals -seeking to better themselves and both groups offering their unique cuisines to the rest of New York. I was about to take advantage of one of them, but not the one I had expected.

As I walked along checking out the Chinese vegetable, meat and fish markets, my eye was caught by some movement. There in a bucket inside a fish market was a drum full of frogs. Nice, big, fat, frogs, with pretty good sized rear legs. My mouth watered, I had not eaten frogs' legs in probably 20 years or more. I thought about it for a moment. It would mean buying at least a few live frogs, transporting them home in my car, then keeping them alive until I decided to cook em. Of course this also would mean that if my wife saw em I might be outside in the cold really quickly - she has had enough of my pets, or at least thinks I have enough of them. Heck, there was only one or two other customers in the store, and Di Paolos' probably still had a good 12 to 15 people ahead of me since I had only been out of there for about 5 or 10 minutes at most. It was an easy decision, I bought three frogs, then I headed back to Di Paolos'. I turned out they had only gotten past two or three numbers, I walked back out and headed home.

Now three frogs is not enough to feed even one person on frogs legs even if they are big ones. I had thought I would be buying a few other things at Di Palos' but it just did not happen. So I headed home and figured at least Brendan and I could get a taste as an appetizer to something else. I guess that was Tuesday night. On Wednesday I decided to head back to the same area. I did not even give Di Paolos' a thought, it would be there when I again get a hankerin for Italian fixins; this time I headed right toward some Chinese fish markets on Canal Street this time coming from the other side of Chinatown. Nope, I was not going to the same one where I had bought the first three frogs, they had ripped me off, or tried. I had thought the frogs seemed lighter than that for which I had been charged, and I went back and asked them to reweigh them. They did and refunded me a couple of bucks. So on Wednesday night, I headed for place that I sometimes shop in for fish. No luck finding any frogs there; but I got some nice shrimp - 2 pounds of it. I made to yet another place. They had plenty of frogs and I got another three of them. Then I spied a container of sea scallops in another store and I got a pound and a half of them too. I also picked up some hot pepper sauce with crushed hot pepper in it. That was not for the dish I had in mind though. For the frogs, shrimp and scallops I figured to do something along the lines of sauteed bat wings pond/seafood in a mixture of shredded onions, thinly sliced mushrooms, slivered almonds, a touch of garlic, butter, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and yes maybe even a touch of that pepper sauce. I was planning either one hell of a case of agita or one fine tasting meal.

I got the three new frogs home, and put them into the tank with the three I had already purchased. They did splendidly together. As the night wore on, at least one of them started to croak and sing his froggy song to the ladies in the tank. Lord knows what else happened. Little did they know this was to be their last such encounter, but such is the life of a Bullfrog - which by the way is the type of frog that they were. They grow fairly fast from tadpole to adult maturing in a year or two, they have a furious ferw seasons of mating if they have any luck at all and are not eaten by something else first. They can live up to about 8 years in the wild; in captivity, when kept as pets, they have been known to live much longer. Bullfrogs were native to the eastern and central United States but their range has spread markedly across many parts of the USA and sometimes across the oceans to foreign lands. They did not increase their range by themselves, they had lots of help in the form of people who liked to eat frogs' legs. They are the largest native North American frog, and tey eat a lot to gain the size they can attain. As nature would have it, it is often the destiny of the Bullfrog to eat other smaller creatures, only itself to wind up being eaten by other larger creatures. In this case these were destined to be eaten by other creatures - me, Brendan, and maybe even Linda and Celina.

Well, of course it was not time to cook them on Wednesday night, not with Thanksgiving being the next day and not with me having made a stop in my old stomping grounds on the way home. I got home kind of late after meeting up with a few good friends from the Farmer's Oval days. So I waited until today. Not a bad idea, actually cooking a fresh meal on the day after Thanksgiving and therefore getting around the whole 'we gotta eat leftovers thing. Well at least we got away from leftover turkey for a day, there is always tomorrow and there sure is plenty of turkey from yesterday.

Today, Linda and Brendan were out with Oma (Louise, my mother-in-law) to visit my mom; and Celina was working. Around noon or so, I went down into the basement, figuring this was the day for the frogs to meet their maker, and I clobbered them pretty good to make sure they would not feel a thing when I prepared them for cooking. Then I got down to the butchering part, I guess that is what you would call it. A sharp knife, and a pair of pliers were all I needed to get the job done. As it turned out, for some reason I only slaughtered 5 of the frogs, and gave one a pardon. I seem to recall something about me thinking there would be no pardons around here - but oh well what the heck.

After butchering the frogs, I rinsed the legs well, and I put then between several sheets of paper toweling in the fridge. I had time to kill before I would be ready to cook since it was only about noon. Then I went to work on our checking account, 6 months of unbalanced mayhem and a few hours of working it all out. Once I had gotten that dirty deed out of the way I poured myself a nice iced tea and Potato Vodka and then got to work on cooking the evening's meal. I did not have time to take any pictures when I was actually cooking it like I did when I was butchering them. It is just too hectic for a high strung type like me in the kitchen, especially since it has been such a long time my not being in there cooking (well truthfully I made an apple pie not all that long ago - yes from scratch, but it had been awhile since I did the main meal). Anyway, I got right down to it. I sauteed the frogs legs separately. Then I sauteed the onions and mushrooms and almonds, then added the shrimp to that. I sauteed the scallops on their own. When everything was ready I combined all the ingredients. Sides were boiled Yukon potatoes, and steamed corn kernels. When I sat down to chow down, I decided it would be best to slice up one of the Yukons then toss some of the pond/seafood mixture on top of it. Man it was good, and I can not think of a better complimentary vegetable than was the corn. Mmm, mmmmmm goooood.

While eating, I told Oma what was the one mystery ingredient in the dish. She asked me in sort of an incredulous tone: "What is this?". I told her again and she made a face showing her disgust. A few seconds later she was smiling telling me how wunderbar it tasted. Linda gave me sort of the same look but she too gave it a try and shortly thereafter her portion was devoured. Brendan hardly spoke except once or twice to say it was good and to say the frogs' legs really did taste a bit like chicken. He ate every morsel too. All throughout the meal, I was none too sure it was really to every one's liking; I am burdened with a lack of self confidence, something I have carried with me since childhood. Yet even I could see that from the looks of the cleaned off plates, yes indeed everyone had loved it.

Celina just got home from work as I sit here typing. She usually visits us on Friday nights. When she came in she asked what smelled so good. She sat down to eat almost immediately, and she called out to me that it was great. I guess I've done good today. I think maybe I should start getting back into cooking, maybe at least one or two meals a week, a loaf or two of bread a week, and at least one baked desert weekly too. Time will tell. I stopped cooking for a reason, it got me to wound up if something went wrong and my being wound up affected everyone. I have to admit though, I don't let it get me that way nowadays. Besides that, if I must say so myself, I can whip up a pretty tasty meal now and again, and when I make my genuine Apfelstrudel, it is to die for - I mean it.

Hmm, things have just changed a bit. Celina suddenly has stopped eating the frogs' legs. She had been devouring it, then I asked her what she thought it was that she had been eating. She said shrimp, scallops and squid. I asked her if she had ever seen squid with bones, and she was baffled. Then Linda told her what it was that she had been enjoying ever so much. That was it, she would not eat another bite of it, although she ate everything else. Oh well, she ate everything else, and had been eating the frog thinking it was delicious until learning what it was threw her appetite off. Ignorance can truly be bliss! Luckily for me none of them saw the pics that accompany this post, and better still did not see the pics I did not include with this post (much gorier). Brendan could handle the pics but I am pretty sure the girls would not have been happy, at least not if they saw them before the meal. Then again, that last pic is not bad at all - is it?

All the best,

Glenn B