Sweet Home, Louisiana

Well, it's been a long time coming, but my little family is headed back to Louisiana. We've been considering moving back for over a year, but certain changes in my wife's working environment coupled with unexpected child care issues have forced our hand. It's a good thing. Not to sound too hippie-ish, but it's almost like the universe is pushing us back to where we want to be.

A simpler, happier existence. Less stuff. More family.

My brother and his wife both had houses when they married, so they have an extra house that they are going to rent to us, and I spoke today with the manager of the state historic site that I want to work for. He's personally mailing me an application, and says everyone at the site speaks highly of me.

With a house and a job shaping up, all we're waiting for is to finish out November with our employers. We decided to give a month's notice, to help out our bosses, who are good people. I won't make it back in time for Thanksgiving, but I'll be home for Christmas.

I'm keeping the blog, but I won't be changing it's name. I think that I'll always be The Displaced Louisiana Guy. Maybe being displaced isn't just about location.

I'm happy to be going home, folks, and I'll keep ya'll updated!

New Shooter Range Report

My co-worker Julia works 1 day a week with me, as she has a full time job as an accoutant for a beer distributor. Last sunday, she said that if I'm ever going shooting during the week, she'd love to go, as she only ever shot a .45 in college, and her work is like a half mile from my range.

I got a chance to take her today. I swung by and suprised her 10 minutes before her lunch break, and she seemed pretty excited.

After a review of the four rules, we went through a weaver stance, and I let her dry fire my .357, and when she was comfortable, she shot a light .38 target load. She seemed happy with how it worked, so I loaded a cylinder for her, and she went to town. And again. And again.

Afterwards, I asked if she wanted to try something else, and she was game. She shot my Springfield GI .45 like a champ, but professed that she didn't care for it as much. She shot one more cylinder of .38, and we called it a day.

Upon dropping her back at work, she gave me a tour of the warehouse. Dang, there was a lot of beer!

She told me that that was the most fun she'd had on her lunch break in a really long time, and she asked to keep her first target, which she wants to get framed. I obliged, but told her she needed to pose with it for a picture.

She even mentioned getting her own gun one day.

Heh!

Great day at the range.

New shooter

Taking a new shooter to the range. Range report coming soon!

Burgers

It's what's for dinner. Along with corn on the cob and mashed taters.

Pics

A picture of the Gerber mentioned in the last post.

Knives

Ok, ok, ok.

I've not been a very good blogger lately. No excuse, I've just gotten caught up in day-to-day life, and it seems that I haven't had anything interesting to write about.

BUT

I've been thinking about knives lately. I always carry a pocket knife. For the past few months, I've been carrying an Opinel No. 7 in a belt sheath, and it's been a great little tool. It's design is antiquated, but it's great steel, holds a great edge, is small enough to go wherever I go, but large enough to do whatever job I may need it to do. I'll always carry a pocket knife, but I don't consider it a self defense tool.

I was recently given a used Gerber boot-type dagger. I think it originally came with a rubberized handle, but it seems as if it's been stripped down to a plastic core, and the tip was dinged. I resharpened the edge and reestablished the tip, and wrapped the handle in parachute cord. It's a great little knife (it's a Gerber, after all), but I don't really have much of a use for it. I mean, if I'm ever in a situation that I feel I can't get away from and I need to arm myself, well, that's why I carry a gun. Sure, if I'm in a state that doesn't reciprocate with my CCW, it's be the best available option, but that's a very specialized application.

So.... how do ya'll feel about a backup knife to your carry weapon? is it redundant, or just being prepared?

Youtubein'

So, I know this video is pretty old, but it's been a favorite of mine for years.

Enjoy!

Nicknames

We've had a lot of nicknames for the Boy-o over the last two years, but he has a favorite, it seems.

Yup. Wistlebritches. Heh!

Surfing

So, I made a Beef Stroganoff for dinner. It turned out well. Probably one of my better ones. I don't really have a recipe, I just kinda wing it. But my wife bought some baby portabellas this week, so I used them and some stew meat to make an excellent stroganoff.

Now, I'm into a bottle of Sierra Nevada Porter, and I'm surfing the net.

Not a bad night, all in all.

Jambalaya

There's a big ol' pot of bell pepper, onion, and garlic cooking down, swanson chicken broth, worchestershire sauce, long grain white rice, a rotisserie chicken, pulled from the bone and diced, chopped sausage, and a sam adams beer in this photo. Now, half that beer is for me, and the other half is for the pot, but it should be a fine Jambalaya.