4/14/2011

Oh crap! I just noticed I was supposed to tell y'all about Sunday Gunday Funday but forgot. OK, so I sent Larry a text Saturday asking if we were going to the Not Texas Market Hall gun show on Sunday. He replies at about 0730 h Sunday morning. I wrench my back as I'm getting out of bed to answer it. His text made a half assed excuse for not going so I replied back that we could probably give it a miss. He then asked if I could make it until the June show. I had forgotten that the May show is the same weekend as this years Birkinstock at the Motorsport Ranch. I texted back and rebutted his excuse and said I'd like to go after all. We agreed that I'd leave at 0930 h and pick him up at home. Of course retelling the story compresses the time considerably. It actually took until 0900 h to get all of that discussion played out. I had dressed, inserted my eyes, and shaved my teeth during the conversation and was just about ready to leave when we decided on 0930 h, it being about 0915 h at the time. I picked him up and we discussed the best route to Not Texas. I thought the race was Sunday and that traffic would be going to opposite direction. Alas no, the race had been Saturday night but there weren’t as many stragglers leaving Texas Motor Speedway as there could have been. We rolled to the show. We had to park quite a ways away from the venue and hiked in. At least parking was free. We got inside and decided, “Yes, it is quite a bit bigger than even the big Fort Worth show. We started walking the aisles. On the first row there was a Ruger 10/22 with the full length stock and a set of scope rings for less than the guy wanted at the other show. I should have bought it right then. I didn't. “Aw, it’ll be there when we come back,” I said. Yeah, it wasn’t, but that’s getting ahead of the story. We walked that aisle and the return and I suggested we go pee. OK, I said I had to go pee and Larry agreed he could as well. We went to the opposite side of the arena to the latrines and did our business. Since we were now standing in the center of the building, I suggested we go into the north room and work our way back to the aisles we’d just done on the south end. He agreed. Fortunately the north room was a) smaller and 2) not even halfway full. It made the show that much more manageable. We walked that room and, once again, on the first row was a full length stock 10/22. It was a bit more pricey though. I kept walking thinking I'd just go back and buy that first one. When we finished the north room we broke for lunch. Not Texas Market Hall has better catering then Will Rogers. There, I said it. They also have seating inside the venue. We each had a Gun Show Gyro and sat down to eat them. I've had far better Gyros, but then I've had worse as well. They were OK. After we ate we headed back into the main room. We walked the aisles and I made my decision, “I’m buying the 10/22 with the scope rings.” As I said above, it wasn't there. “Ok,” I says, “let’s go look at that folding Kel-Tec one row over.” Yeah, it was gone too. So, it was beginning to look like I wasn't going to be out a bunch of money after all until Larry suggested looking at the $499.00 Ruger in the North room again. This we did. The guy was putting the BS on the couple in front of me, telling them about how rare the “International Model 10/22” is, which is true... to a point. I'm not sure it is five bills rare yet, but that’s another story. When they walked away, I began looking it over. It is quite sexy, and he started telling me the story behind this gun. He had just bought it from some guy and wasn't going to bring it and it was still in the original box and the sling hadn't even been unfurled and yadda yadda yadda. Then he made the mistake, “I suppose I could go as low as four fifty,” he said offhand thinking I was just a lookie-Lou. I said, “I’d go for it at four fifty.” His face sank. “I opened my damned mouth again, didn't I?” he said. “Come on over here,” and he directed me to the table to fill out the forms. I paid while he boxed it back up. Yes, I paid a little too much for it. Yes, I'm hoping it will be collectible some day. At least I'm hoping it will be $450.00 collectible someday. But by gum, it sure is cool. When I was done with that, I went back to the food court area and waited while Larry went back and looked at a few more guns. I was knackered. He eventually comes back and we leave. I immediately began having buyer remorse... until I got it home and played with it some. Yeah, I really like it a lot. I have already ordered a few items for it. Yes, I know customizing it will lower its value, but I'm not going to do anything permanent or radical to it. I ordered an automatic-release bolt hold-open, a better charging handle, and a recoil buffer. Yeah, .22 LR doesn't have any recoil, it isn't for me it is a part to soften things for the gun. So, back to the narrative, I dropped Larry off at his house and went home. The end. And since I'm getting long winded again, I'll save the Ken Doll story for tomorrow... or whenever I get around to telling it.