Gumbo

I made the first gumbo of the season monday. I had half a dozen friends over and we ate gumbo, drank beer, and told a few lies. A good time was had by all, and now, 2 days later, I'm still enjoying left-overs.

It just keeps getting better and better.

Beer Glasses

I was outside trimming the hedge today when a box arrived via the USPS. It was addressed to me, so upon thanking my mail carrier, I took the box in and opened it. My brother had sent me a set of six glasses from the Boston Beer Company. They are designed by Jim Kotch to give the best flavor presentation of botique beers.

Talk about a great gift. Thanks, Matt!

Prosit!

Jambalaya

I made one.

It was good.

My Leather Kit

Here is the new Portmanteau that I made to carry my leather working kit. It's about 10 inches long, just for a size reference. It's basically a small leather tool bag. There is a scroll embroidered on the lid, and it has been blacked with an iron and vinegar stain, followed by a heavy oil coating. I have been furiously antiquing in order to get together a decent leather working kit, and while I still need a few things, I feel pretty happy with what I have so far. It's enough to go on with.

In the below picture, you'll see my kit as of today. The bottom of the portmanteau is in the top of the picture, again for size reference. My kit consists of, left to right:

A small pencil, a leather knife, a dog-leg square awl, a round awl, a set of dividers, a brass-bound boxwood folding ruler, a block of beeswax, linen thread, a needle case, and a set of calipers.

All I need to complete my kit is a tap-awl, a rawhide mallet, a square, a diamond awl, a small tin to hold my wax block, a few more needles, and a pair of needle pliers.

Yay for antique stores!

A Late Call

I work the night shift Fridays and Saturdays. I tend a 1740's period tavern, and I'm there from about 5:30 till 12:30. I leave my phone on silent, as a ringing cell wouldn't exactly be period correct, but I check it about every half hour, as I have a kid at home, and I want to be in the loop if the wife needs me for something. I got a call from her around 9:15 tonight, which is highly unusual. She normally texts me around 9:30, wishes me goodnight, and I kiss her when I get home at about 12:40.

A call from her sets off warning bells.

I nodded to the other bartender, and told him I had to check a call. I went out back and called my wife, and she told me that she was in the shower and heard our dog bark, so she wrapped a towel around herself and turned on the porch light and checked the peephole. There were two guys standing on the porch.

They appeared to be two college-age white dudes. Hipster-types. Didn't look like they were up to no good, more like they were looking for a party, and found the wrong house. She flicked the light off, grabbed the kiddo and the dog, and holed up in the bedroom. She got one of my revolvers down, and called me. The guys left before she got settled in the bedroom. The porch light going off was obviously hint enough for them.

She assured me that she was fine, and told me I didn't need to come home, and the confidence in her voice assured me that everything was OK, but the whole incident has made me wonder.

I'm very strongly 2A. I was raised around guns, and I love them for a multitude of reasons, but today I'm glad I had one loaded, accessible to my wife, and that I've taken the time to take her to the range and show her how THAT PARTICULAR GUN functions. She's shot it before, and knows how it works. She's actually a pretty decent shot, considering how infrequently she goes to the range. But she knew where the gun was, how it shoots and loads, and what to expect from it. And that empowered her enough to feel safe and comfortable in a weird situation.

Know your weapons people. Practice with them. Keep them available for when you need them. Make sure others in your house know the weapon and how to use it. Be in control when your world slides sideways. It may help you get through a scary situation like it did for my wife. Or it may just save your life.

I think I'll ask my wife if she wants to start making range trips with me.

Beer

The local liquor store was running a sale on a micro brew I like. Two 6-packs of Summit for $8.59.

Hard to beat.

Accessorizin'

So like 99.9% of 1911 owners out there, I have now accessorized my Springfield. I've been eyeing those Hogue wraparound grips for a while, but I like the look of wood panels, so I've avoided buying them. Today I spied something interesting at my favorite gun shop.

The Pearce PG1911-1 grip allowed me to keep the current grips but still get the benefit of the finger grooves, and it requred minimal work with a razor blade to fit properly. The 1911 now fills my hand to my satisfaction, and if I ever get a set if ivory panels, I don't have to give up the finger grooves.

Success!

Speed Loaders

I have a HKS 36-A Speedloader for my S&W 638, but it's really too bulky to carry comfortably in the manner that I choose to carry, so today I stopped by my favorite local gun shop, and asked if they had any Bianchi 580 Speed Strips for sale. They didn't, but today was ordering day. Now, I could probably save a dollar by ordering online, but I like to support local businesses.

They'll be here on Friday.

Dinner and a Ride

Me, the wife, and boy-o went to a friend's house for dinner.

Kay and Tom are wonderful hosts, and Catherine and Joe were there as well. We had a great time chatting and catching up.

The food was AWESOME! Rare roast beef, roasted veggies, baked bread, great salad, fresh fruit, key lime pie and cheesecake. Great spread, plain and simple.

After dinner, though, Tom took me for a ride in his Shelby. It's a kit car, and he finished the build I believe in 2001. Originally with a 426, he's had it bored and stroked to a mere 521 cubic inches.....

My writing doesn't do it justice. Just watch the video. It was a fun ride.

Me and the Boy-o