Wrapping up, a day off yesterday...

The coffee stop went well, learned where the highway money is going, it will be better in October and that will be a good thing. Gave out lots of coffee and cookies, free maps and directions to avoid ending up in Seattle (the Emerald City - with its Wizard and horse of a different color). Exchanged view points and snide remarks and fool comments with Hal, he postponed a dental appointment for a permanent crown to spend four hours laughing with me. What are friends for?

After I went to bail out my Caravan, it wasn't ready - I didn't leave a cell phone number for them to get my okay on a part, sigh, telling them to fix it doesn't mean the same to them and I. We went to look at computers for Hal and I to see what Office Depot had that I needed - it had a two pack of 2MG memory cards for my camera - I can take tons of pictures now, if I would only slow down to read the instructions. Like most products I own today - it can do so much more than I can use effectively - when do we fall back into the dark ages? Anytime soon? Before they find out what kind a fool I am, please. Hal didn't find a computer he wanted, nor did he find those coin holders for mailing off to relatives, and I need a Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois and Alabama quarter - for all the quarters I find, none of those yet. I guess I saw the Pennsylvania one years ago but not since we started filling that silly book.

I got my Caravan and Hal went off to better things, I stopped at two gun stores. Handled, looked closely at and discussed the M1A Scout with black stock and ten round magazine - which I think is the perfect size, having years of carrying and shooting the M14, I do not like the twenty round magazine at all. "In the way" was the nicest thing I could say about it in polite company. They only wanted $1400 + cash price, and $1500 + for charge card (plus 9% sales tax) and do you want ammunition with that? Focus, Earl, you are going to get an M1 Garand from CMP and you can buy the best and ammunition for the price of that plastic and steel from Springfield Armory... the new Springfield Armory.

Then the second store looks like it does much less retail and much more re-sale and small scale (I have purchased weapons in both stores and like the service and the weapons so that isn't a thing I worry about). They had a pretty nice on the wall Argentine Mauser from the 19th Century - just too pretty until they allowed me to look closely at it and play with it, and they couldn't find their bore light although they did come up with a flash light - sad, certainly not worth the $235 they wanted, I would have only purchased it to try and save it, was pretty in the darkness of the bar and the fog of the fumes and the buzz from the vodka... that only happened when I was really young -- don't do the dark and the drink and no more picking up in the darkness.

So I am off on another wild shopping expedition, find me a Doughboy hat for shooting with. I really do need one, the way I was with the Drill Sergeant hat I will need that natural flop in front and back so I can shoot straighter - you have heard that clothes make the man... five more years of more fun than I deserve, one major event per month and start working on that procrastination pile. Okay, move some rifles tonight - you want to look at them anyway...

Lovely things to check out and make sure they still work, and fit and haven't left me in impatience with my lack of attention. Soon, very soon, time to get them out for their health and my happiness. Soon.