Wit, Wisdom & Wonder

Kevin, Josh and I headed out early yesterday for the Gun & Knife Show in Mt. Vernon. I've been looking for a 357 revolver, preferably with rubberized grip, for myself. Josh just wanted something to plink with to hang out with me up at the handgun portion of the gun club, as he only owned long guns. Somehow, all three of us ended up with 22 LRs. I with an old fashioned, double action H&R Sportsman (with tactical holster, go figure), Josh with a Remington semi-auto and Kevin with a bolt action (no magazine) rifle (aka "The One Hit Wonder"). Obviously, we're not going to kill anything with these, but we'll irritate them a whole lot.

And we went straight to the range to play with them, which frankly was somewhat stupid. Though we'd broken down the guns to check them out, we hadn't thoroughly cleaned them. The Sportsman, in particular, hadn't been shot for awhile and she spewed gun powder so bad the first shot I've got some embedded in my left hand. The guys finally asked me to move down a few more stalls as they were getting shot with it, as well. She's what my grandfather would have called a "smutty gun". That said, the guys had a ball shooting her. Sailors, whatcha gonna do?

I like the Sportsman, even though she pulls high and left. The wood grip is a nice solid handful and the reach is long, which I need with my larger hands. The Sportsman is light enough to wear comfortably at my waist, but dear Gods, don't ever carry her fully loaded! This model has no safety and she's twitchy as all get out. Gently lowering the hammer after loading will indeed make her shoot. Load her with eight and have her rest on an empty chamber. Nasty surprise, that. Glad I checked it, though it really goosed the guys who weren't expecting it. Josh loves that it's a Western style belt gun, I would have preferred a more modern gun. Shooting 9 is fun, especially as the rounds come in a plastic container five across, so I'd pull out two rows and hand the 10th to Kevin with great ceremony.

Moral of this story is obvious: Never go to a Gun & Knife Show with cash.

I finally figured out how to make iDump work after screwing with it for more than an hour.

During Friday's ride, I borrowed Josh's little iPod and fell in love with it. To which, he reluctantly admitted he'd wanted my video iPod but hadn't wanted to ask. Silly man. Along with my fabulous jaded cynicism, I'm also known for my flagrant generosity. *wink*

I now has a teeny, tiny 4 gig iPod "Classic" and he now has my 40 gig Video iPod. The video iPod will enable him to watch movies in the barracks and can handle longer playlists during his 3 hour commute. And the little iPod will tuck nicely away in my bra or motorcycle jack collar pocket, still connect to the van's radio and has the cutest little case. It's so cute. Like a bunny.

*gush*

On Friday Josh re-enlisted for another 4 years, which means at the end of this enlistment period he'll have 20 years in for full retirement. Thank the Gods!

We had a lovely little ritual just after dawn near the base with a few friends. JoJo, as an MP, was able to get us access to a field with two planes (Prowler & Intruder). The former being Josh's favorite plane he's worked on professionally. The Lt. Commander, who is the MMCO for the USS Abraham Lincoln, who presided and gave the Oath is someone Josh highly respects and was honored to swear in an NCO. Granted, it helps the Lt. Commander's stats to retain an NCO of Josh's years of service. :)

I hope everyone has as much to celebrate today as we do!

The scenario looks like this:

It begins with longjohns and thick socks. Over that a wool sweater, long-sleeved shirt, utility pants and riding boots. Then the Navy utilities jacket. Then the motorcycle jacket, water camel pack, riding gloves, balaclava, orange safety riding vest, iPod, outer protective gloves and the helmet.

Then there's the joy of pulling the motorcycle out of the garden shed (sigh) and around through the fence gate (which is a bit too narrow) and out into the driveway to warm up the bike. All of this, mind you, before 5am.

It now takes Josh longer to get out the door in the morning than it does me! *snicker*

You know, I wasn't going to mention any of this. Really, I was going to be loyal and not mention it, but now, given today's events, I simply must share.

Monday at work, hubby ran his fingertips over a wood sign and managed to get a very deep splinter that got so badly infected and swolen that he ended up at the hospital on Wednesday to have the finger opened so they could clean it out, sew it up, bandage it and send him on his merry way with Vicodin and antibiotics.

Let's keep count: that's one fingertip on the right hand, bandaged.

So today, hubby walks in the door and before he changes out of his military uniform, he decides to cut a dog treat in half despite the fact I had already told him I'd tried to cut the treat in half earlier and it was too tough. Out comes the brand new butcher knife. And viola! We're back in the ER, the top of his fingertip is now sliced open, through the nail. More stiches, a Tetnus (sp?) shot, more Vicodin and more antibiotics.

Count, again: another finger bandaged, this time left hand.

He's now lying in bed, doped up on Vicodin, both hands bandaged. Its all he can do to go to the restroom himself, I've absolutely forbidden him from entering the kitchen, doing anything with a tool or harming himself again in anyway.

Because, given this history, next time opening a can of soda will be the trifecta!