Alright. So, I haven’t been great about keeping this thing moving. I’m feeling like kind of a slug about it at the moment. I don’t really have much to say right now… Not much at all…

We had a nice Independence Day weekend, for what that’s worth. Cat O’ Nine Tales drove in to our neck of the woods for the weekend. So, that was nice. Everything just kind of worked out great all weekend. We got to the parade later than we wanted, but we still got the best parking space in town. And, when we went to set up our chairs, we found a great place to park our butts too! The weather was cool and it started to sprinkle at the end of the parade. The go-cart drivers in the Shriners were in the finest form I’ve ever seen them. They must have a practice track somewhere, because I didn’t think it was possible to drive those little suckers that hard!

We had the same story when we went to the University to see the fireworks show. Got there late, still found a great spot. It was nice. Sunday afternoon we went to the range and converted money into noise and jubilation. I made some decent groups, but my lack of practice is starting to show. That kind of sucks.

On the business front, the sales are starting to roll in slowly. I’m seeing a very slow and steady increase in interest and in actual sales. This is a good thing. It tells me that it is actually working. I’m going to wager a guess and say that what I’m seeing right now is typical of a year in. If I’m right on that, I deserve a pat on the back or something. Maybe I’m just being optimistic. At any rate, I’m about to announce a great event over at The Holster Site. I’ve got to keep that pretty secretive for the moment, but I’m getting really excited about that!

Anyway, I’ve got some other stuff to finish up in the next couple hours, and that’s about all I’ve got for now.

If any of you have been following the news, you know that we in Central Oklahoma have spent the last couple of days getting drenched by several storm’s worth of rain. Fortunately, we’ve stayed relatively dry here in the Evyl Robot Empyre. It was A LOT of rain. The neighborhood streets were flowing yesterday, but it never did get over the top of the curbs on our street.

The sound of rain is relaxing. There’s no better sedative for me than a good downpour. Usually, when it’s raining while I’m in bed, I sleep harder than any other situation. On Sunday night, probably about one in the morning, there was a thunder crack that rattled the entire house for several seconds. Jenni and I both woke up and laid in the dark, listening.

I’m not sure specifically what we were listening for – just anything odd. We listened for any evidence that we needed to crawl out of the warm bed to patch a window, lash a tarp over the open corner of the living room, pry the car out of the front door, etc. Besides the dull roar of the falling rain, all was quiet. It certainly was an electrical storm, with cracks and growls of thunder all night. In fact, I keep hearing gentle thunder this morning even.

Yesterday morning, we made a more thorough assessment of the possible damage. Peeking out the back window, we could see that all the vegetation was intact, if not wading in a pond that didn’t belong there. Peeking out the front, we could see our unmolested Bradford pear tree, and beyond it, the river in the street. Jenni prepared to go to work, and I got ready for my day. When it was time for her to leave, I walked her out to the car. Once we got past the Bradford pear, we say this directly across the street:

If that was the lightning we heard in the night, no wonder it was so loud in our house! On the up-side, I don’t think that the neighbor’s truck actually took any damage – I haven’t seen any dents on it anyway. And, the breakage on the tree looks like it will grow in well.

On a side note, after making my commitment to post here weekly, I apparently didn’t post last week. So, I owe you an extra this week. That’s okay though, because I think I know just what I’m going to tell you about…

Wai writes:

If you file for unemployment, you can probably get your state’s unemployment agency to pay for your college classes, if you meet the qualifications. And don’t think of it as “feeding off the system” because your former employer’s unemployment insurance payments to the state pays for these services, for the most part.

As for me, I finally got a job interview next week.

I would have never guessed that Wai was the Antichrist.

The thought of going back to school is becoming more and more plausible. I really am going to check and see what the laws in OK are. I hope your job interview goes well!

Last week I wrote about the horrid, pizza-pocket-ish things that I have in the freezer at work. There is but one of these things left, and I can’t bring myself to eat it today. If I weren’t so cheap, I would have pitched the whole box a long time ago. I don’t know exactly how many came in the box, but it feels like a zillion. I did eat one yesterday, and here’s the funny part: We had pizza for dinner last night. These microwavable lunches are so un-pizza-like that they don’t even make me not want pizza. I’m sorry, but that’s just weird. So here I am, not eating lunch yet again. Meh.

It’s been far too long since I last went shooting. I really wish that I had the time and money to have a good range session at least once a week, but unfortunately that’s not really an option right now. I really want to get in some good, outdoor target practice. It’s been since Halloween that we last got to do that! If this year’s seasonal patterns work the way I think they will, we should have some pretty mild weather in January, and that’s exactly what I’ll do. There’s nothing quite like shooting at plastic bottles across a ~200-yard hollow. Just for fun, here’s a satellite view of the place in question (thanks to Google Maps):

Sometimes we set up at the North end of the field and shoot South. Other times, we’ll reverse that. There’s plenty of room to set up multiple targets for different drills, we’ve shot clays there, and there’s a decent enough stretch for rifle target shooting. Now, I’m making myself want to go right now! Next year, I fully expect to shoot a deer or two in that very place. But, I digress.

We now have less than two weeks until Christmas. Back in September or October, we pretty well decided what we were going to do for Christmas presents. We decided that we were going to have a gunny Christmas. We planned on getting an AirForce Edge for The Kiddo, as he’s really gotten into his air rifles. Jenni has been lusting after a Beretta Px4 Storm DAO in .45ACP. I was planning on getting a Saiga 12 in the whole deal. (And no, I would not name it Abomination.) We set up a budget, and started cramming our savings to make this happen. It would have been really fun, and we would have had a trip out to the farm immediately – possibly even Christmas afternoon – to try out the new goodies, but alas…

It was apparently not meant to be. There was the $360.00 incident with the cat’s tail, and several other (albeit smaller), unexpected expenses that I won’t bore you with that simply busted our budget. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not a bad thing, but still a disappointment. Kiddo will get an air rifle, but it will probably have to wait until his birthday. I think we’re going to get him a new bike for Christmas instead. They’re quite a bit cheaper. As for the two of us, we’ll get each other smaller, simpler presents for now, and maybe we can get each other the romantic gifts of firearms for Valentine’s Day or something.

I’ve been able to cite this disappointment as a valuable lesson to Kiddo concerning appropriate expression of disappointment, i. e. as upset as I was over the deal, I didn’t throw a fit. That’s been really good for his developing mind, and that in and of itself is worth more than a couple of new guns. Plus, it’s wonderful to be in a place in life were we aren’t living so beyond our means that we can’t deal with life’s little emergencies. There have been plenty of times that such financial demands would have put me straight into a panic. “How will we be able to buy groceries if the cat has to get stitches?” – and that sort of thing. Thank God, we aren’t there now!

My employment status is kind of on a knife edge right now, but I’m only slightly worried about that. I know that I could quickly go back to work, and we have survived on far less than Jenni’s current income in the past. Honestly, if I were really worried, I’d already have a different job by now. The fact of the matter is, although it wouldn’t be fun, the worst-case scenario is really not all that daunting. And, there are a lot of people that don’t have it nearly as good. As weird as it may sound, I’m actually thankful for the disappointment and the bumps in the road, as I’m glad that I got my lot in life as opposed to someone else’s.

So, I guess that’s about it for now. Maybe I’ll take that last frozen pizza pocket thingy to the farm and shoot it. Kind of two birds with one stone, you know?

I woke up this morning, and it was hard to get out of bed. Once we made it out of the house, it turned out the be a sweltering, 16-degrees F. Before getting in the shower, I weighed myself, buck naked. I weighed in at 145-lbs, just like normal. After donning my undergarments, clothing, guns, wallet, phone, and other gear, boots and coat, I weighed again. 165-lbs. Then, out of sheer, morbid curiosity, I grabbed my BOB and reweighed. 190-lbs. I had no idea that I was carrying around 45-pounds of stuff pretty much everywhere I go, on my person!

The weather said that the high today is 27-degrees. Looking out the window, it doesn’t look nearly so cold. The sun is brightly shining, and that has to be the true deception. It’s clear and bright out there, but quite frigid. That’s why they can’t call it ‘Global Warming’ anymore. I don’t really remember the last time it was this cold, this early in the year. This Summer got unusually hot early, and then fizzled out for an early Fall. Perhaps this Winter will show a similar pattern, and we’ll be looking forward to an early start to Spring. I would like that.

I really want to go and do some outdoor shooting, but I just don’t see that happening if we don’t get some more above-freezing days. I’d really like to get some paperwork done and jump through some legal hoops so I can shoot a deer next month. On that note, I’m going to go to Google and see if I can get signed up for a Hunter Safety Ed class. We shall see.

UPDATE:

…except that now that I read the schedule on the Wildlife Department website, I can clearly see that I have basically missed the season to shoot any of the tasty critters that I would like to until next year. Oh well. Can’t win them all.

Just like clockwork, I fill up the gas tank on our car every five days. I have pushed it to six from time to time, but it seems that when I do that, I’m sweating over the tank light until I make it to the gas station. On the down side, the engine has an 11:1 compression ratio, and doesn’t run worth a crap on anything short of premuim. On the up-side, the tank only holds twelve gallons, and the car sips on that at an average of 26.5-mpg. Yesterday was the day in question when it was time to fill up.

The station that I prefer to go to is near Jenni’s office, but it’s kind of a rough corner. It’s not that I ever fully let my guard down – I’m just not the kind of person that ever takes it for granted that I’m ’safe’, but I have my more relaxed moments and my more guarded moments. When I’m at this gas station in particular, I’m usually on high-alert, carefully observing everything happening around me.

While I was filling the tank, I noted the other cars and drivers in the parking lot and at the pumps. It’s funny that the people I notice don’t necessarily seem to notice me there. I watched a silver Pontiac Vibe pull into the parking lot and up to the ‘FREE AIR’ compressor thingy. I watched as a mid-thirties, brunette girl stepped from the car, wearing a pair of khaki-colored pants and an unprinted, white T-shirt. This struck me as odd, since it was close to freezing, if not below. When she turned to close her door, I saw a full-sized, polymer semi-automatic in a belt holster on her right side.

It appeared to be a S&W M&P or something similar. The magazine floor plate looked like the M&P’s anyway, but I was trying my very hardest not to stare. I glanced around the parking lot, and it was very clear that nobody else had noticed. I looked back in her direction, and she had turned so that I could only see her left side, and the gun was out of sight. For a fraction of a second, I wondered if I had imagined it – until she turned with the air hose in her hand and I caught a full view of the profile of her sidearm again. Once she was done airing up her tires, she pulled around to a gas pump and proceeded to fill up her tank. I left the gas station while she was doing this.

When I picked up Jenni from her office, I told her about the whole experience. She said that it didn’t really surprise her, as she’s seen many people in that little part of town open carrying. She noted that they are usually young women alone, or people on motorcycles. Personally, I can fully understand why anyone on a bike, or without some kind of group support would want to be armed in this neighborhood. Honestly, that’s a big reason that I got my CCW permit – most places that I hang around are extremely safe, but I do pass through other areas that raise my red flags.

Having said all that, public open carry is explicitly illegal in the State of Oklahoma. I know people do it, because I’ve seen people do it on multiple occasions. Working retail, I had a salty, old, regular customer who kept a nickled revolver on his hip at all times, and in plain sight. And then, I’ve had many experiences like the one yesterday, where I’ve witnessed an ununiformed individual openly packing heat. (Maybe that’s why she was down to her T-shirt in freezing temperatures! ) In any case, I have to wonder how people get away with it. You don’t just wander around, obviously breaking the law as a lifestyle and still not get caught. I could understand how someone might do it out of ignorance, but that would only last until the inevitable confrontation with law enforcement. Perhaps they know some kind of obscure, legal loophole that has so far evaded me? There has been a pretty hard push to legalize open carry in the state, perhaps these people are deliberately breaking the law as a protest to that end? In any case, it does boggle the mind.

For my out of state reader,

Here’s a little taste of what you are missing out on. We’re spoiled here! We’re planning on making some noise up there on Saturday. I just about can’t wait!

I previously posted about a prayer request. An event occurred today that has me really freaked out. I plead for your prayers. This could totally suck. Right now, I’m trying to tell myself that I’m freaking out for nothing, and everything is going to be just fine. I want to believe that is true, and I think it is true. But, if this goes south, I very literally may not live through it. I don’t think it will go south. I’ve been through this particular struggle before. It was the single most harrowing experience I’ve ever had, and I’m set up for it better this time. Of course, any traumatic experience rearing its ugly head again will cause that irrational fear. This will not be my last blog entry, but I’m scared. I don’t like being scared. I like to know that everything is going well.

Things have been going well for a while now. A couple months ago, I actually wondered when we’d reach the next bump in the road. Well, we have now. I’m still not ready, in my heart. But, I will do everything that I can. I need all your prayers right now. What I was hoping against is what I’m staring at right now. It feels as though my head is in the cobra’s mouth.

My boss was a bank manager. One time, there was a robbery. The robber assaulted the bank with a .22 caliber hand gun. He said that when that thing was pointed at him it was “THIS BIG!!!” He used his hands in a 2-inch circle to show the muzzle from his perspective. I’m hoping that’s what this cobra is. Always the optimist, I’m not going to let go of the idea that it may not be nearly as bad as I perceive it.

Anyway, for the fourth time, I ask for your prayers, this time more than ever before.

So, when I posted about our Halloween weekend camp out and shoot out, I promised pics. I was going to do this yesterday, but with the shiny objects and all, it just didn’t happen. So, without further delay…

The weather was beautiful! It’s pretty difficult to argue with a warmer than normal, Oklahoma Fall afternoon!

The moon was out, and the sky was clear and blue.

My parents even got in on the action!

Kiddo had fun spinning his glow stick on a string.

It looked like so much fun that I had to give it a try!

Yes, I am just about that goofy in real life.

The next morning, we shot clays.

And, shot clays.

And then…

I love shooting clays!

Sunday was arguably a prettier day than Saturday. It was the perfect weather for shooting.

My sis-in-law didn’t shoot much, but I know that she hit at least one with her single-shot .410. It is debated whether she hit more than that. I think she did. Either way, I think that’s braggable.

Here’s me, sending clay birdies to hell! Muahahahahahaaaa!

And, that’s about all we’ve got for now, as the other cameras that were there haven’t produced photos yet… Maybe I’ll be able to add some more when I get them.

So, a few weeks ago, my friend Instinct was asking about the installation of the Meprolight shotgun beads that I installed on our Winchesters. Now, my disclaimer is that I am NOT a gunsmith. I do a little work on my own guns from time to time, but I do not do this sort of thing for hire. I simply am not professional enough with this sort of thing to take on the liability of it. That being said, I told him that it’s really easy. You just get a 6×48 tap and the coordinating drill bit, remove the old bead, drill and tap the hole and thread the new sight in with some Loctite or nail polish on the threads. He said that sounded too complicated, so he shipped the barrel from his 870, ‘Bruce,’ and sight half way across the country to me to have me do the job! LOL! I received his barrel yesterday, and installed the bead last night. It will be shipping out to him today. During the installation, the Evyl Robot Empyre got silly and emailed back and forth with Instinct and a mutual friend, Gatakitty, for the whole procedure. That went as follows:

Jennifer:

Just thought you’d like to know. Bruce has no front sight.

Instinct:

AHHHHHH!!!!

Poor Bruce!!! He can’t SEE!!!!

Jennifer:

So I guess you would cringe to see a drill there in his eye?

Instinct:

LOL

Be gentle! He’s the only one I have!!!

Jennifer:

You know, Bruce has never been to heaven, but now at least part of him has been to Oklahoma.

Evyl Robot:

He’s in good hands. He’ll have a glowing cyclops eye in just a few minutes. Now, the surgeon needs more whiskey

Instinct:

You’re having too much fun with this, Jen

Jennifer:

Yeah. But just tell me you aren’t enjoying the play by play

Instinct:

I am. Now I have a photo documentary of it all

Jennifer:

And now for the tapping.

Wee-Bot says hi.

Jennifer:

Here’s one of your friendly neighborhood evylrobot.

Instinct:

HI Wee-Bot!!!

So he’s learning gun smithing at an early age

Jennifer:

He’s ready for sight installation!

Instinct:

Nice shot

Instinct:

Let’s see…. Power tools and whiskey….

Nothing could go wrong with that

Instinct:

Ummmm…. There’s a hole in his barrel…

Jennifer:

No worries! That’s where the sight goes.

Evyl Robot:

…Dear Liza, Dear Liza…

Evyl Robot:

Nah. Nothing could ever go wrong there!

Jennifer:

Indeed. He can take apart a Ruger 10/22 for thorough cleaning.
Ooh! Bruce’s sight hs been restored!

Jennifer:

Mmm. Whiskey

Instinct:

YAY!!!

Best birthday/anniversary present EVAH!!!

Jennifer:

The Wee-Bot and the kittehs approve.

Okay, so the kittehs do not approve of pictures.

Jennifer:

Thanks!

Gatakitty:

Oh, I’ve never been to heaven,
But I’ve been to Oklahoma….

Evyl Robot:

Now, I’m gonna tell you… The factory bead did not unthread, but broke off in my vice grips. It is steel, and a PITA to drill. I scuffed the finish a little on the block trying to get it flat. I’m not worried about that since you’re about to duracoat. It is ever so slightly off center – I’m talking about thousandths of an inch. I’m not real happy about that, but it will probably never make a difference. With the finish applied, you won’t see it, and I doubt it will screw with the POI. You should be able to easily tune to it with your rear notch anyway, once you’ve installed it. Honestly, you probably wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t mentioned it, but since you are a friend, I couldn’t just not.

Instinct:

Yeah, kitties have that “I’ll kill you in your sleep for this” look

Instinct:

One day I want to have a place to do man-work and a little evyl minion of my own to help me

Jennifer:

Well Wee-Bot is a good one. And we might rent him out for a nominal fee.

Instinct:

I think I can live with it

There is no rear notch on the Remington so I think I’ll be good

Jennifer:

You’ll be fine. It is better centered than my factory sight was on my Defender.

Evyl Robot:

Whew! I was afraid you were going to ask for your money back! Aren’t you planning on adding a rear?

Instinct:

Can we clone him?

Instinct:

I’ve got a big enough one right now so no need…

OH, you mean on the shotgun. No, probably not

Jennifer:

Nope. He’s a limited edition.

Jennifer:

We like big butts and we cannot lie…

Evyl Robot:

*sigh* God has some sense of humor. My butt doesn’t belong on a white dude my size.

Evyl Robot:

…Ya’ll other brothers can’t deny…

Jennifer:

My jeans say “curvy”

Evyl Robot:

Evyl Robot:

Instinct, would you mind me transcribing this thread to my blog? I think it would make a kick-butt blog entry!

Instinct:

Why would I mind?

And, that’s how it happened. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!