9/11

Remember.

Tasty Frozen Goodness

Ya know what I miss?

Eggnog. Not just any old eggnog, though. Eggnog from Maggio's Package Liquors, in Natchitoches, LA.

It tasted like vanilla ice cream blended with rum, and sprinkled with nutmeg.....

Man, I want some Maggio's Eggnog.

Progressive Quiz

Your ideological score is:

144/400

This makes you very conservative

The average score for Americans is

209.5

I honestly feel more 'middle of the road'..... I guess I'm more conservative than I thought. Of course, they were primarily asking questions concerning business and government. If they would have hit on guns, they would have focused on the only issues that I feel more conservative-leaning about.

The Shed

I just spent the better part of two hours cleaning out my shed. It had gotten so bad that there was only about 2 square feet of free space to move in. My shed is a solid 16x10....

At any rate, I now have a good 10x10 area cleared out to work in, with just a few feet on the back wall holding stuff, and a few feet on the near wall with stuff bound for the garage sale. I've had lunch and a shower, and I'm whooped. Time to relax.

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.