Well, Hiya!

OK. Got rid of most of the nastiness of summer. Rode my bike a lot for a short time, then James came along and that was the end of that. Fall is coming slowly on little fuzzy catapillar legs, but it is coming. I've been reloading and shooting a bit, although not up to last year's standard.

Here comes the good half of the year!

Good Night of Shooting

Howdy.

Last night was fun. Threw a bunch of rounds down-range, weather was good, no bugs, felt like I knew what I was doing. Got a good load figured out for the .45, no bobbles, and accurate as I can get them. I need to load about 500 rounds and stockpile. I've been shooting the 45's almost to the exclusion of other calibers. They make nice big round holes in paper, and there is something about and all-steel pistol that feels right in the hand.

Guess I'm just a 45-guy.

Yeah, what he said.

Good in 1961, good today.

Click on the comic for a larger version you can read. Good job, Sparky.

Frusterlated

Didn’t get my ride in last night. I wanted to ride last night. I needed to ride last night. All day at work, when I couldn’t get access, couldn’t see what I was doing, when I was trying to do an exam on the squirminham kid, I kept repeating my mantra…”ride tonight, ride tonight…”

Shit

Pulled the bike out and noticed a thorn in the front tire. Then another, and another. Noticed on in the back tire as well. So I have two flat (tubeless) tires, two tubes and a pump. No problem. Put the tube in the front tire, pump it up…rolls about as round as a pumpkin. No matter what I do I can’t get the bead to seat evenly with the tube in place. Now it’s an hour later, I’m pissed, and I threw the bike in the truck and went home.

Shit.

I need to get some sealer for tubeless tires. It’s going to be crappy weather for the next few days I can ride.

Shit.

Maybe this will work...??

Favorite Book List

OK, so here's some stuff to read if you're me:

1. "Soldier of the Great War" Mark Helprin Read it twice, and both times made me wonder who this Helprin guy is. Amazing. It's a slightly whimsical story about an Italiat estheticist, his entry into, and exit from "The Great War, " or, for us young'uns, World War I.

2. "Waiting for White Horses" Nathan Jourgensen. It's about a dentist, true, but it's also about shootin, huntin, fishin, drinking, farting,...and talking to the president. It's a first book by a new author, but hey; it strikes a chord.

3. "Lord of the Rings" J.R.R. Tolkien. Seen the movies? Find out how it ends and read the books.

4. "Stories of the Old Duck Hunters: & Other Drivel" Gordon Macquarrie. A collection of his writings. These times are never to be seen again. Luckily for us, we can read about them.

5. "Gunsite Gossip, Vol. I and II" Colonel Jeff Cooper. OK, so this is not a politically correct selection. Don't read if you are thin-skinned or politically oriented. Ted Nugent probably likes these books.

6. "Thief of Always" Clive Barker. Not the usual stab and gore stuff from him. You can read the book entire in about an afternoon. It's one of those parable, Phantom Tollbooth type of stories.

7. "The Phantom Tollbooth" Norton Juster. Read this first around my tenth birthday. It was a gift...thanks Pam.

8. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" Barbara Robinson. Reminded me of the little old grade school I went to in Oakdale, NE.

9. "The Stand" Stephen King. M-O-O-N, that spells book.

10. "Where the Red Fern Grows" Wilson Rawls. Yeah, I cried. If you've ever had a dog, you have to read this book.

More random nonsense

OK, I feel like making lists. Lists say a lot about people. Why? Because you are always keeping in the back of your mind the fact that your list is saying something about your taste. Good or bad, people will read your rankings and make an assessment of your dorkiness or coolness. My answer? See quote below.

“So what. So what. So what-so what you boring little $#@&” –Sex Pistols

Shithead’s favorite songs list:

1. “Once Around the Weekend” Paul Westerberg. Dunno. Just like the tune and the lyrics. I’m a recluse at heart, so maybe it makes sense to me.

2. “Hotel California” The Eagles. C’mon, it’s just damn good, no matter how many times you’ve heard it.

3. “Running to Stand Still” U2 Reminds me of this time when at like 1 o’clock in the morning, must have been 1987, a bunch of us guys sat there with this album cranked up on the stereo…and it was just so freakin good I wondered how someone could ever write music like this. First time I ever heard this album I got so into it I forgot I parked my car in the fire lane. Two days later I couldn’t remember where I parked my car…go figure

4. “Someone Take the Wheel” The Replacements. By this time, they were really the Paul Westerberg Band anyway. Got this CD for Christmas one year, as well as a new CD player. Only CD in the house, so guess what was playing for three weeks straight…

5. “COD” AD-DC. Don’t tell my priest. The song just rocks. I always thought we should have had it as the theme song for UNMC College Of Dentistry

6. “1979” Smashing Pumpkins. I thought the base player was hot. Maybe that was it.

7. “Orange Blossom Special” Johnny Cash. I don’t care if I do-die, do-die, do-die.

8. “Life By the Drop” Stevie Ray Vaughan Learned to play this on the guitar the other day, Now I like it more. Something cool about a guy, his voice, and an acoustic guitar singing about life an’ shit. “Up and down that road in our worn out shoes, talkin' 'bout good things and singin' the blues…”

9. “The Logical Song” Supertramp. Reminds me of our big old blue LTD. Everyone knew to turn this one up or little Stevie would let you know about it. No talking during the song please…

10. “El Paso” Marty Robbins. Damn that bitch Mellina. Guess he showed her. Hope it ruined her life, or at least her day. Maybe if he would have had a hardened position in which to take cover and a good rest…but then I digress.

Shizz sez: A Bucket List

So, went to the movie "The Bucket List" this weekend. Pretty good movie, although it was intended to hit all the right keys all along. Got me to thinking about my own list:

1. Shoot my way out of a dangerous situation (I'm thinking Africa here, not LA. Think Cape buffalo...charging.)
2. Win a bike race
3. Shoot a Yukon moose and pack it out.
4. Ride my bike for a month across the US.
5. Explain to someone (and have them get it) why I like to hunt.
6. Break a bone and have a cast.
7. Beat someone in a swordfight.
8. Drink in an Irish pub as an anonymous local.