2/16/10

Well, of all the holiday weekends I've ever had, that was one of them. First off, I'm not sure why I didn't have anything to talk about Friday. I just couldn't motivate myself. Saturday, I picked John up and we went to breakfast then to the gun show. I debated taking Big Millie to see if anyone would make an offer but I didn't. I'm glad too because it turns out there is not only an “all guns must be unloaded and tied off” rule, but there was a “no loaded magazines” rule as well. I was going to bring it with five loaded mags. Anyhoo, he brought his Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull revolver to sell. Eventually he got a bite and sold the thing. We walked the whole show and I saw a few things I was interested in, but I wasn't ready to drop any cash. From the gun show we went to Blood Bath & Beyond to see if they had the metal framed .40 caliber Dessert Eagle he wanted. They didn't so I dropped him off and went home. Mom and I went to Parton’s Pizza for the buffet because I'd been craving it for a couple days. She liked it, fortunately. Just as we were walking in the door, my bowels let me know I was in trouble. I went ahead and ate several slices of pie but we had to leave pretty quickly. I just made it. Now, remember how I was blaming my cough on the new HVAC? Yeah, that wasn’t it. I'm sick. I fought through it Saturday night and almost told Larry I couldn't make the gun show on Sunday when he called. Almost. I met him at the show and we walked the place. This time I unloaded the magazines from Big Millie, put that ammo in little fake ammo can with 100 rounds of ball from one of the plastic cases, put the gun, all six magazines, the empty ammo box, and sundry other items in the single-gun bag and headed to the show. I carried the thing with a sign on it until we went to lunch. By the way, the McDonald’s McSnack Wrap is pretty good. All the flavor of a Big Mac without all that bread. After lunch I decided to go ahead and carry it the rest of the way around the show. I had it on a sling so it wasn't all that uncomfortable. At one of the first tables, there was a guy looking at a Taurus PT111, which you might remember is the 9mm version of Big Millie. He told the guy it was almost what he was looking for. I turned and said, “You’re not looking for a PT145 are you?” He lit up and said he was. I showed it to him and told him everything it came with. He wanted it. I said “$650.00” when asked and we haggled down to $600.00, which was my bottom line. He wasn't sure so I gave him a card with my cell number and we parted ways. A few rows later, he called back. He wanted it at $600.00 so we met up to do the deal. He went to an ATM and got the cash and we met at the truck where I'd left all the ammo. With a deal struck, shaken on, and done, I went back into the show “Nigga-Rich” with $600.00 in my wallet. I found Larry again and we finished walking the rows. I bought a Russian tank crewman’s helmet for driving The Seven and was on the lookout for aviator goggles. I didn't find any. I decided I was going to buy another P3AT and probably that .45 Colt lever action carbine I saw at “The Travel Agents’” boot. I call this couple “The Travel Agents” because they always send me on a “guilt trip” when I look at their guns but don't buy one. The last three shows they have had two .45 Colt lever action carbines I want. I was fully prepared to do it this time, until I passed by the booth with a .410 Saiga shotgun! Larry said he saw fifteen round magazines for it at another booth which sealed the deal. I bought it. I immediately went to the magazine booth and bought two mags for it, totally tapping out my windfall. Oh well, what are you going to do? Larry looked at some other stuff and I talked him into buying a CZ52 pistol. He has been looking for/at them every show we go to and “kicks himself” for days afterward for not buying one. This time I wouldn't let up until he bought it. By this time the show was over and they were trying hard to kick everyone out. We went our separate ways. I got home and found mother gone. That was a relief because I didn't want to sneak the gun in but also didn't want to have to ‘splain it. I played with it for a bit. It is set up for 3” shells only and will not feed 2.5” rounds. I field stripped it and examined how it, and therefore an AK-47, works. Oh, did I not mention that a Saiga is basically the shotgun version of an AK-47? Well, it is. Now I really want an AK. Next show perhaps. Pshyeah, next paycheck more likely! I'd better not though, we’ll see. Anyhoo, back to the Saiga. I loaded thirty rounds of Russian Silver Bear ¼ oz rifled slug ammo into the magazines and put it all in the cabinet. I went out to buy mom something for Valentine’s Day, grab some food, and fill Fifi's tank, then wasted the rest of the evening. I'm not sure if they had the Old School Japanese Car thing but I doubt it. Needles to say, I didn't go. My plan for Monday was to take the Saiga to the range and see how it shot. I didn't do that. When I finally drug myself out of bed, mom said she wanted to go to Red Hot & Blue for lunch. I agreed and we did that. Remember how I'd bough the Russian tank crew helmet? Well, I decided to go to Omaha Surplus to look for the goggles. This I did. I found the stereotypical British Aviator goggles and bought a pair. From there I went to visit Kevin at Lexutech. OK, I had to pee so I went to visit Lexutech’s toilet. While talking to Kevin, a lady came in to get her Lexus serviced. It reminded me that Fifi was a tad past due for an oil change. Yeah, like almost 5,000 miles past due! Yikes! I went straight to a Jiffy Lube. OK, I stopped off at the Nissan dealer to check on Ms. Clio first, but I did get the oil changed in Fifi. They were still waiting for the part at Nissan but I got the call today that it is ready. Perhaps I'll have mother take me there in the morning. We’ll see. The rest of Monday isn't worth mentioning except that I spent the afternoon updating the “DLR Firepower Inventory” spreadsheet and “DLR Gun Inventory” “Word” document. It isn't Tiny-and-Flaccid’s “Word” program but Ubuntu’s version thereof. I just don't remember what Ubuntu calls it and am too lazy to look for it. Oh, I guess if I looked at the top of this page I would have seen that it is called “OpenOffice.org Writer.” That’s simple enough. And speaking of “enough,” that is what I've had with this rant. Good day to you. I SAID, “GOOD DAY!”