Guffaw in AZ
whining less
A Girl and MSgtB – What a Team!
A Girl and Her Gun tells us of a story from MSgtB. A boy and his dad, and the boy has cancer.
Being disabled, not a man of means and spending much of my day on the Internet sometimes gets me to whining. The state of the Nation, our rights being systematically eroded, yatta, yatta. And me with my own petty health issues – which I won’t detail here.
But here’s a kid who has his whole life ahead of him. And his dad will shave off his ubiquitous (since high school) mustache to raise $500. $500 for his son’s care.
$500! Are you kidding me?
I can’t afford to contribute, but you can do so here or at MSgtB’s site above. Let’s see if we can make it $5000!
h/t A Girl, MSgtB
I am TRULY Blessed!
Two days ago, I posted about a blogfriend (TM) giving me the gift of ammunition. For which I am most grateful.
Yesterday, I’m checking the mail for my roomie and I, and there are two packages. One is for the roomie, something for which she is in need, the other, a small item, also sent in her name.
Good for her.
So, I bring her her bagel in the living room for breakfast, and take mine to my chair. Something is on my chair. Usually it’s the cat, who must be coaxed away by showing her a spray bottle. Today, it’s the contents of my roomie’s small package. I assumed it is for her, and she is showing it to me.
It was for ME!!
A cammie paracord bracelet! Just because, I’m told!
I continue to be surrounded in my personal life and in my Internet/blog life by persons of generous character.
For this, I am grateful!! Thanks, roomie!
GUN SHOW, the After Action Report
(as promised to my benefactors! – thanks, again!)Buoyed financially by a number of Internet friends, my roommate and I were able to attend opening day of the big Crossroads of the West Gun Show, yesterday!
The show opened yesterday @ 1100, and went until 1700. Today it goes 0900-1700, Sunday 0900-1600 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. Parking is $7.00; admission $16.00 per person.
As previously recounted in these pages, I missed attending the past few years due to health issues. We did try last year, but these health issues got the better of both of us, and we only saw about 10% of the show. I’d not been in the three years previous.
This year we saw over 50% of the show!! (Progress, not perfection. Sigh.)
Part of the problem is it’s all walking and standing. My roommate also has health issues which limit her participation in such things. But she’s a crack shot with her Nighthawk, so I don’t complain! 
And we took many breaks to sit and re-hydrate, and get off our feet.
For those familiar with the venue, we had to park North of the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, then walk South to the exhibit buildings, along the South and West borders of the fairgrounds. (several hundred yards?) I think it totaled seven fair exhibit buildings, plus the asphalt between them with four (not the traditional two) tarpaulined venues with even more tables!
While it’s known as the ‘big’ gun show of the year, it didn’t seem quite as populated as some of the big shows in the past. Still crowded though – I suspect today and tomorrow will mimic sardine cans. There seemed to be more military customers about, and while the number of women increases every show, there were perhaps fewer yesterday than I remember seeing in the past. Fewer rotund gentlemen in overalls, though! (Not me, I wasn’t wearing overalls!) But quite a few men with long established beards – ZZ TOP clones abounded.
It’s been said of art, I don’t know it, but I know what I like. Not having an interest in Japanese militaria (for example), Arisaka rifles don’t interest me. Samurai swords do, so they get more of my attention than the Arisakas. A table with all manner of WWII items might draw my interest – but I shun tables displaying just Third Reich crap. Doing my part in the free market to not support such folk.
If you like combat Tupperware, this is your show. All manner of polymer-framed pistols and stocked rifles, and all their accessories could be had! Many plastic AR-15 magazines, even though the Marines just announced they were no longer approving anything but metallic magazines for their rifles. Perhaps that’s why they were for sale?
And every time I passed the ammo case displays, there were long lines, and persons with dollies and hand trucks. I hope this portends just being prudential? In this vein, very little out-and-out anti-administration stuff. Some bumper stickers, a poster, a few t-shirts. Nothing advocating anything but free speech that I noticed. I guess if you want hate speech (whatever THAT is) go to an SEIU event!
There seemed to be more Mare’s Leg carbines for sale than I’ve seen in previous shows. Both the cheap foreign knock-offs and quality American-made brass receiver/octagonal barrel types! Perhaps it’s the Firefly meme – or this guy: 
And, as a pleasant surprise, for some inexplicable reason, a plethora of Baby Brownings! Some new-in-box (with requisite prices), some with factory engraving (below) and Browning (TM) gun rugs, and one seriously under priced ($175!!). It appeared to be a private sale with the port side blemished from years of sitting in someone’s nightstand or sock drawer!
Of course, while I had funds for parking, admission and food, I had none to spare for acquisition of any firearms. This was simply nose-up-against-the-glass window shopping for us!
And while we couldn’t see everything, we did enjoy ourselves thoroughly!
Hey, there’s always next year?
(We did miss seeing Mark Bell, though, as we did last year… 
)
Some gotta win, some gotta lose…
Guffaw’s got the blues…
I try not to let the state of the World the Nation my life get to me. I try not to be self-centered. I do realize that there’s very little I can do regarding the state of either the World or the Nation. I’ve let my opinions be known, and I voted. I’ve spoken out on this blog. In many places on the globe these things are not allowed, and subject to sever penalties.
But, I can do something about my attitude! I’m approaching a landmark anniversary in my life (if you reckon in Base 10); I’ve no partner to share it with; no money – on disability (which is both a description of lack of funds and physical ability).
I’ve a number of chronic conditions, and seem to acquire more every day. I owe medical bills.
I drive a 13 year old car, when I can afford gasoline.
And last Summer, because my disability income is 60% lower than my previous meager income, I lost my home. (“We lived in a hallway!” “We dreamed of living in a hallway-we lived in a cardboard box!” – Monty Python) Fortunately, a good friend offered me a place to stay.
Two weeks ago, my sister had a minor stroke. (If there is such a thing). She’s back to work, and coping, but it does get one’s attention.
But all is not lost.
Re: this upcoming calendar mark – My new neighbor and EX-wife (and friend) contacted me, and asked if she could put a little celebration together in my honor!
HOLY SHNIKIES!!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “If you have friends, you have everything!” You know, like the end of that Christmas movie…
Time to remove my head from it’s regular inverted resting place and get moving.
Thanks for listening.
ANOTHER reason to like having moved!
You’ve undoubtedly read here about my adventures earlier this year of being forced out of my home. Fortunately, I was given a good place to land.
Of course, I’m STILL unpacking and trying to find places for stuff, and adjusting to living in a household with stairs, but, I’m coming along.
My old neighborhood was in the barrio, or at least barrio-adjacent. A mis-mosh of cultures which generally seemed to get along, albeit in a high-crime environment. (My home was burgled three separate times in 18 years! – and there were numerous ‘tagging’* incidents). But, I liked it there.
This new place I’m sharing with a roommate, is in a still diverse neighborhood, but closer to the collegiate culture. Less crime, little graffiti, and another nice benefit. Four miles from the university!
College girls jogging. (YES, I KNOW, I’m a Dirty Old Man!)
Most mornings I get to see attractive young women working to keep fit. At no cost to me! (save shots to my ego). No burglaries or tagging!
Things could be worse.
*tagging – a politically correct nickname for criminal damage, usually done with paint.
Preconceptions
As I’ve stated many times, when I began this blog I’d no expectations of anyone bothering to read it. It was (and is) MY weblog. For my reasons. I expected friends and family to stop by for a look, and that would be about it. Before I left the BLOGGER software platform, I had 48 followers (after one year of blogging). Then, I moved over here to WordPress, and the ‘follower’ process began anew.
The most interesting (and sometimes confounding) development about this process is not all of my former followers followed me over to this new site. I left instructions, a map, and everything! However, I’ve not only attracted many new followers, but many are off-the-mark from the expected wild-eyed, gun toting, radical wookiesuiters responsible firearms-owning libertarians. Many more folks from off-shore, persons of an artistic bent, others than the small corner community in which I’d painted myself.
And how terrific is THAT?
To date, 39 people are following Guffaw in AZ, only four months after switching to WordPress! Of course, I have had an increase in spammers, but, I guess that’s the cost of doing business.
Regardless – Thank You! - Guffaw
Toughness
One of my favorite Internet sites is The Art of Manliness. I was fortunate to find it in my ‘net travels prior to it’s inclusion in the GBBL (thanks, North!), but that doesn’t matter. It’s authored by a nice couple who believe that many of the traditions normally passed on generationally have been interrupted by the stuff of modern society – political correctness, lack-of-gentility, the isolation of Internet use, and so on.
They’ve posted articles of an interest to this audience about how to shoot and clean firearms, sharpen knives, and even more traditional skills, like how to use a straight razor – and sharpen it!
Sometimes, they have guest posts, and it’s one of those I’m addressing today. A recent essay (at the link, above) is about toughness. In this age of political correctness, toughness is largely viewed as a negative. But it’s something that needs to be (re)acquired by us if we as a Nation are to survive.
When discussing the Colorado shooting with someone the other day, I was told about a video of an earlier shooting wherein a father abandoned his daughter in a video store to save his own ass. It took a stranger to place himself between the girl and the shooter to stop her from being killed. The fact that any adult, especially a father, would value his life over a child’s makes me physically ill.
We need to get tough, again. And teach this as a value to our children.
Life can be painful. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. Obviously we don’t need to abuse our charges, but need to show them by example how we handle the stuff of Life. How we handle challenges.
As author Marcus Brotherton states:
One harmful mindset that can keep a man from fulfilling his calling and potential is self-coddling. This is when he convinces himself he deserves a break, and runs to something that ultimately harms himself.
And society as a whole. There have been no news reports of anyone rushing to stop to Aurora shooter. I think the generation prior to 1950 would have had several.
Bueller? Bueller?
One Tired Dog, continued…
Tomorrow, as they say, is another day.
We made two trips back to ‘the house’ yesterday, picked up a few odds-and-ends and bugged out.
For good.
Today @ 1000 is the auction.
This whole experience has been, and is continuing to be an emotional time for me. I’ve broken down a number of times (I’m a famous crier, anyway), and my perfectionism character defect is in overdrive, because I left stuff behind and didn’t leave the house sanitized (for your protection).
As if it was that way when we moved in.
And, I still have about twenty boxes to unpack and find places for. So the adventure continues.
This morning, I had an early breakfast and plan on taking a mid-morning nap before my roomie arises. She’s a late-night, sleep-in, start-work-later-in-the-day kind of person.
Then, let further unpacking commence!
Thanks for all your good wishes and support!
One Tired Dog
Well, the move went well (especially with thanks to Tomi, her husband Kevin, and her brother Murray). They managed to take the contents of a 740 square foot house, and put it into a large bedroom some 17 miles away! Up a flight of stairs, no less.
There is still much left to do, boxes to unpack , ‘stuff’ to organize and situate, and the plan is to go back to the house this afternoon for stuff that was overlooked (by me) in the process.
But I AM moved. And now have essentially a studio apartment (renting a room in friend Judy’s home – Thank You!)
And I’m hoping to be able to focus more on my blog writing. This whole process has been distracting me for the past three months.
In spite of the fact my friends did 90%+ of the work, I’m one tired dog.
Whining…
Not me (for a change). I’m going through some stuff right now, and have a tendency to whine, anyway. But, I found this website entitled First World Problems, wherein people who aren’t starving and trying to survive in some Third World Hell Hole whine about their petty problems.
It DOES help me put things in perspective…
If you’d rather not go to the link, above (and O.D. on them), here’s a few examples:
My universal remote’s batteries are dead. Now I have to use 3 remotes like some kind of barbarian.
I have tons of beer, but not enough fridge space.
I ordered pizza and now I have to put pants on to answer the door.
The smoke from this burning house is ruining my golf game.
Life is better, now, isn’t it?
