Central Planning & Clothing Supply

This weekend drill will be my fourth since getting back in the Guard. It will also be the fourth time I've worn the same set of now apparently unauthorized BDUs to drill. If it's like the last time, I'll have a number of lieutenants telling me that I'm not allowed to wear them anymore. And like last time, I'll have to tell that I haven't been issued any uniforms yet. Or any equipment of any sort. In four months. Because there isn't any money for issuing uniforms.

This is somewhat of a problem, as I will be sent off to Texas for nearly a month in January, and none of our drills after this one are at our armory. I foresee a call from supply the day before heading off to Texas, requesting that I drive down to the armory (three hours one way) to sign for my uniforms. Which wouldn't be a big deal, if I had a desk job. Unfortunately, acutely ill people show up when they need too at the hospital, and randomly requesting days off without notice doesn't gain you any love from the supervisors.

I'm going to look strange running around a medical clinic in the Sinai wearing a Ramones t-shirt, olive drab fatigue pants covered in paint splatter, and hiking boots when that one pair of BDUs finally wears out.

Sweet, Sweet Relief

Few things relieve stress as much 60+ rounds through the L1A1 at silhouettes. 200 yards will definitely let you know if the sights are on. In my case, they weren't, unless you're getting kickbacks from on ortho surgeon who does hip replacements. On the other hand, at least I'm consistent from shot to shot.

Next time around, I'll remember to take the spotting scope so I can actually see where I'm hitting before I'm out of ammo.

Ugly Gun Sunday

This is what happens when your marketing focus group is comprised of pimps, middle-eastern dictators, and Goldmember devotees.

Damn Old People

The Wife took Friday off to start her garage sale. As advertised, it would start at 0900. When I left to go to work before 0800, it looked like a Romero film around my driveway, if zombies were capable of operating cars. When I opened the garage door to take a cycle out of the garage, it started a wave of elderly flesh shuffling towards our property. Fortunately The Wife, who can switch into full Gunny Hartmann mode when necessary, repelled the geriatric bargain hunters before they could breach household perimeter, at least until 0900. Apparently the day went well, as I didn't see any blood stains when I came home from work.

Speaking of which, work has done it's best to kick my ass all week, so I'm hoping to get out and shoot for the first time in over a month tomorrow. I'm leaning towards loading up all the my rifles in 7.62 x 51 and consuming a large amount of ammo. I'd love to go just shoot some steel at 200 yards, but since that's "plinking" with non-paper targets, it's forbidden, bad, and evil. And some of our members wonder why it's hard to attract younger shooters. After all, everyone knows that what teenagers really want is to sit at a bench so they can fire five rounds over the course of an hour, then whip out the ol' micrometer to measure the group size. Or so I'm told. Shooting anything besides bullseye targets will just encourage immoral behavior and perverse thoughts, blah blah blah.

Someday, I'd like to buy a quarter acre right next to our range, and hang steel in rows from ten yards on out. Maybe when I win the lottery.

Weekend Carnival

The Wife has a garage sale coming up this weekend. Which to me, means a weekend of people tramping onto my property, scoping out what isn't nailed down, but is pawnable. On the upside, you do get to observe some interesting individuals that you'd usually have to pay an admission fee to see.

Found this tracking back some links to Gunboards (I think). This one's a little different in that the creator had a trashed Mosin, lots of plastic rifle accessories not in use, a fair bit of free time, and a burning desire to see how much of an ugly rifle he could create. I'd say he accomplished his objective. It's ugly.

Great Advertising.......

doesn't always precede a great film. The wife and I have a passion for horror films, and are always looking for the rare horror film with a decent budget, good acting, high production values, and an outstanding splatter factor. 30 Days of Night has all of that, but seemed rather slow after a promising start. It was worth the money and time, but I wouldn't feel I was losing out if I didn't see it again.

I believe there's a recently released DVD called "Black Sheep" about vicious, flesh-eating sheep that recently came out. Sound like my kind of film.