Momentous Occasion

I haven’t written in a very long time, I haven’t had much to write about really. I have taken up reloading, it’s a nice way to spend the winter days. My momentous moment is that my sister and my mom have joined the world of gun ownership. I never thought the day would come but I guess circumstances pushed them to it.

My sister was unfortunately broken into in the middle of the night while she was there but fortunately she didn’t wake up while they were there and only had a carton of cigarettes and her car keys taken. Spent the next few days upgrading her security and adding more lights and even cameras to the property, changed all her door locks. I had loaned her my .38 to keep by the bed but my mom wasn’t comfortable with that because the way the laws are here so she bought herself one and my sister one. I feel so much better knowing they are armed.

Specialty Sports & Supply

This was a shop in Colorado Springs that I was trying to get everyone I know to go check out because it is the candy store of gun stores as far as I can tell and well worth the drive.  Even when most stores had nothing, they had a huge variety plus they are the only store that I've come across that sell women's holsters.  I loved the store, it was always a treat to go down there and just look at all the yummy things I wanted but now I am on a campaign to rescind the raves that I had given them to everyone person I ever knew.

A couple of months ago I had bought the Marilyn holster, it's a holster that attaches to the side band of a bra (I can't do the flash bang because I don't have that much real-estate) but I felt optimistic about the Marilyn (I did want the Betty but unfortunately even though it was made specifically for my gun, my gun just didn't fit it).  Wellbeing a bra holster I could try it on in the store, and I did purchase and try it on in the bathroom but I wanted to take it home and try it with other outfits to see if it would work.  Before purchasing I asked the sales person if there was a time limit on returns.  He said no, which was why I decided to make the purchase since I don't get down to Springs too often.

After trying the holster with a few outfits I determined that it just wasn't going to work for me, though $45 doesn't seem like much but it is when it's wasted on something I'm never going to use.  I asked my coworker, who goes down to the Springs weekly if he would mind returning it for me and follows the story.

The first trip they told him that he couldn't return it unless he had the credit card that was used to purchase it; he told me that the cashier girl was extremely rude to him.

Second trip, I guess Chris had gotten down there and realized he had misplaced the holster somewhere and offered to just give me the money for it, I told him to just wait because I was certain it would show up again and it did.

Third trip, he had the holster, the receipt and the card.  They told him because it was now over 30 days that all they would give him was store credit.  Once again the cashier girl was extremely rude and told him that on the receipt it states, 30 day returns, which neither Chris nor I can find on the receipt.

I was pretty pissed and tried to call and talk to a manager but none were around, I do have the name of the co-owner and I just haven't gotten around to calling, part of me just wants to say fuck it and just never shop there again and continue my campaign against them.  Which because of their treatment and misinformation they lost $850 sale already because they were also one of the few places close to me that stocked left hand bolt action guns, which was my next purchase, which I bought up in Grand Junction instead. 

Maybe in the next few days I'll make the call just to see what they will do to rectify the situation and if I do, there will be a follow up post. (12.0)

A Time to Write

It’s been a few months since I have written; once again so today I’m just going to ramble about the last few months so this doesn’t become an abandoned journal.

Last I wrote it was in regards to conceal carrying.  I’m still trying to find a comfortable way to carry when it comes to wearing pants.  I’m finding that I am liking the belly band that S from Gun Divas sent me, I had to make some modifications to it, I wanted it to be more in the shape of my gun over just a pouch.  I’ve even recommended and referred my coworker to the site that sold them, they didn’t have that exact one, actually what they had was a lot better and my coworker is very pleased with the one he purchased.  I like the fact that it’s comfortable and conceals nicely.  It’s so comfortable that I wore it to a movie theater (yes, this one is not a “no guns” theater) and didn’t even notice it pressing into my back.

My AR that I bought last year, I decided to put a taller scope mount on it and this weekend I got that sited in with the help of the person I’m seeing, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.  I also decided to spoil myself with a new gun, Ruger left hand bolt action .308 rifle, I’m in love.  The recoil was a lot less than I had expected and experienced before with .308 calipers so I was very surprised and please.  My next goal is to take a hunter’s safety class and maybe get my cousin to take me out hunting, I’ve never done it before and I’m curious as to what that is like (with warnings to my cousin that I might ball like a baby if I actually kill something).  I’ve decided that I am not going to purchase any more guns until I bite the bullet and buy a safe, it’s time I’ve accumulated six guns now so it’s time.

Shooting this weekend went okay considering I had eye surgery a week and a half ago so my vision isn’t quite up to what it should be; actually it’s nowhere near to where it should be.  I know once it comes into what it should be I will get the Ruger Sited right, it has iron sites.

Women's Conceal Carry Holsters (Plus)

I haven’t posted in a very long time, I haven’t had much to really write about these days and I had my mind on other things, still going out shooting at least once a month.  I’ve been a bit slack on practicing with my laser lite target but that’s mainly because I need new batteries and I can’t find them locally so I’ve had to order them online.

Today I decided to revisit looking at women’s conceal carry options, I had hoped that something new might have come out and I didn’t see anything.  I was appalled to see some of the home made ones; I can’t see how these people consider these to be safe alternatives.  Sure I understand that some have this need for something pretty but my opinion is that it’s under your clothes so why does it matter and my other opinion is, I don’t think there is a lace in the world that is sturdy enough to even hold the smallest gun so I’m curious what these girls will do when they are out and about and their lace tears and their gun falls to the ground, where will they put it because their holster is now destroyed.  But that’s just my opinion.

In other news, two new guns to my collection last month, an AR-15 (my dream and goal was the have one by the end of 2013) and a Colt .22, mainly for my sister in hopes of encouraging her to go out shooting more, which works because my dad is retiring this year and wants to come up shooting so she’ll be able to go with us.  My next goal is to build my own AR-15 but I want to build it left handed since I shoot rifles with scopes left. (12.6)

No Weapons Allowed????

I haven’t written here in a very long time, mostly because I haven’t had anything to write about.  I have been out shooting, at least once a month so this is good.

Today I’m writing in regards to No Weapons Signs Posted.  Last night I was invited out by a friend to go see a movie, I went and checked my app for places that allow or don’t allow guns, this theater does not allow, which most movie theaters do not so I didn’t carry and I made a point to seek out the sign that says that you can’t have guns in the theater.  I looked all over the front doors, I looked at every sticker and sign at the ticket office and I looked all over the concession area too, nothing, not one sign did I see.  So I asked the manager, where their signs were posted that you cannot have firearms on the premise, he said, “they are posted by the ticket office or they better be!”  After the movie I looked once again thinking maybe I had missed it, still nothing whatsoever did I find, I didn’t care to go find the manager and have him point it out to me because I was ready to call it a night.

The thing is if I didn’t have that app, I wouldn’t know that they didn’t allow guns, if they do have a sign it is very hard to find or not there at all.  I just think signs should be clearly posted, that you should see it pretty quickly not have to search really hard and still not find it. (10.8)

IWB Carry

Yesterday was my first day using my IWB holster, usually I use my thigh holster because I mostly wear dresses.  I can say, my goodness is that a very uncomfortable way to carry, just constantly pressing into my back.  Any suggestions are welcomed.

So yesterday I drove through multiple towns to get to my destination, as I drove through towns.  Out of curiosity I decided to check my application on my phone that supposedly says places that are not gun friendly.  The below picture is for Colorado City, CO (not that this is a very big town with too many businesses but still interesting nonetheless:

Remember Heidi Yewman

I'm still in search for her other segments but she was the one who wrote the article for MS Magazine about her "Month with a Gun."

I found this interview from HUFFPOST LIVE

Heidi Yewman Interview

I couldn't really put my whole comment on there so I didn't bother, I will put what would have been my comment if I could here.

Her reaching in her purse, for one, if she had researched methods of carrying and safe ways to carry, she wouldn’t have had that gun just in her purse, she would (should) have had a special made carry purse or she could have had a purse with a separate compartment that only contained the gun, that is your safest option for purse carry.  I spent extensive time researching ways to carry and safe ways to carry, granted I do not advocate purse carry, it’s dangerous and easy for anyone to take that purse, and I’m a proponent for on body carry.

I read pretty much every comment on MS in regards to this article and I didn’t see one thing that was threatening towards her but then again MS was very discretionary about which comments were posted, I know not a single one of my comments were allowed, none were threatening in any way.  And the fact they were screening comments to me says that’s not fair reporting or a fair discussion of the article and topic in general.  I do understand not allowing her personal information to be posted, that is completely fair.

My first time out (as someone who is actually serious about conceal carrying and not doing an experiment) I found that yes, I was hyper aware in all areas and slightly curious as to if others in my vicinity were carrying.  I can’t say I ever went out intentionally looking or even hoping trouble came along so I could have that chance.  I strongly believe that the majority of people who legally carry have the hope they never have to even draw.  As for Heidi not feeling safe while carrying, I think if she had proper training and the mindset that most that do chose to carry had, that maybe she might have felt safer.  I know being a single girl, trying to date, it certainly helped me feel more comfortable knowing I could protect myself if need be, especially since I am a very small girl so more than likely (even with self-defense knowledge) that I will be over powered by pretty much everyone.

Your question to Hunter Glass in regards to having to notify an officer, it depends on the laws of the state that you are carrying in (I’m surprised he didn’t know this).  Some states you are required by law to notify an officer that you are carrying and some you don’t.  My state you are not required but out of respect if I were to be pulled over and I was carrying, I would keep my hands where they could see it, when he approached I would notify the officer that I was carrying and let them know where the gun was located.

End comment

=====================

The thing is once again it just seems like it's biased news reporting, you have a psychologist that says that people who go out carrying a gun are more than likely going to see trouble just because and this is proven by her lame experiement with people holding a wiii gun (rolls eyes).

Then you have a former officer who just doesn't seem too informed and of course there is good old Heidi Yewman, the ignorant idiot trying to make some extreme case against guns.

Oh well.

Crime & Drugs

I was reading The Spot, which is one of my daily readings and this article was posted Crime and Drugs yesterday (I'm just now getting to reading it).

It got me to thinking about the last time I was actually down in that area, I typically avoid it because of the parking and the bad elements that reside down there.  The last time I was actually walking in that area was the day I had my sister drop me off at the Sheriff's Department to apply for my CCW.  After I left there I couldn't get my app on my phone to figure a bus route home (Parking is hard to find and usually expensive so I had thought it would be better to be dropped off and just take the bus home).  Unfortunately the app wasn't working to great and I figured I would just walk the few blocks over to Civic Center Park because it is a major bus hub.  Walking over there my only thoughts were how I wish I had my CCW already, I would have felt a lot safer.  I had to walk by a ton of very sketchy people sizing me up and its broad daylight, they have no fear of that and yes a lot of shootings do happen down there.

At any rate, it got me to thinking, I wonder how one really cleans up a park like this, and I understand it is something that takes time and probably a lot of trial and error.  When I lived in Colorado Springs, Acacia Park was the vagrant, drug using, criminal hang out and I know after some time they had cleaned it up considerably but I don't know what all was done to make that happen.

So I guess I was just kind of  curious as to what other people's ideas might be in regards to this situation, if maybe in your areas you had a park with these same issues and if it had or had not change or even got worse.

Don't Forget Safety Ever

I woke up at 04:00 this morning and started thinking about an interaction at work that day, I started critiquing how I was in that situation.  I have to say that I am very disappointment in myself and later today will be spending time going over again gun safety.  I used to think that I would never become so comfortable with guns that I wouldn’t be safe, not that I was horribly unsafe, just broke rules.

Yesterday my coworker calls me over to his office because another coworker brought in his 20 gauge for the shoot on Friday.  I feel I picked up the gun wrong, it was leaning on the wall, I also didn’t check to make certain that it wasn’t loaded and when they asked me to position it to make certain that it would fit okay, I didn’t even stop to consider where I was pointing the gun, granted it was at a cinder block wall but at least I didn’t put my finger on the trigger.  I broke the following rules: treat a gun as if it’s always loaded, be aware of your target and what is beyond.

I had a hard time falling back to sleep because I kept playing the situation over and over in my head and berating myself.  I mean nothing happened but it’s when one doesn’t follow the rules that things could happen. (11.8)

First Time

I finally did it and went to the range alone, it's not that I was scared or nervous to just other things just kept coming up.  It wasn't bad at all, I had a great time and I was in need (not want) of going out to the range.  I had been feeling a bit down but I seem to be feeling a ton times better.  It was a bit awkward being alone and everyone watched as I walked down to my station but that could also just be me being sensitive and while I was shooting one guy came over and watched and was even nice and swept up my casings.


Fun things are coming up, my company's annual clay shoot is the Friday after next and I'm really hoping to make some leaps and bounds from my total hits last year.  Sometime in the next couple of weeks I plan on taking a basic pistol class even though it's pretty much all the stuff I know but I'm sure there will be a lot that I don't plus I just want to have some formal training under my belt.  Sigh, I just feel so much better after this evening and at least if I never find friends to go out shooting with, I know I'm good to go on my own accord.

Intent & Open Carry & Other Things That Tweak Me.

I very much support carrying, as anyone who reads this knows but I had never considered intent, I just always assumed that people would carry for protection only but I was proven wrong the other day and what my friend did I completely disagree with.

A small background on my friend, he has a lot of back issues and takes what I and a lot of his friends consider too many narcotic pain killers, this in of itself I don't think he should have guns around him, especially after hearing about some things and that he is falling into a deep depression but anyway, I'm sorry I deviate.  So this friend of mine has been trying to set up a Rhizotomy before the end of the month since his insurance runs out.  Now I can understand feeling a bit stressed about that but I do not understand going into the office directly openly carrying gun with the only intent to intimidate them into giving him an appointment.  I almost want to call that brandishing a firearm even though he wasn't waving it about.

The whole thing got me to thinking about intent, obviously concealing isn't and couldn't be intimidation but it makes me wonder if those who do openly carry do it because they want to intimidate people.  I'm sure not all people do but I wonder if there are a few out there.  I usually think the better of people and this leaves me a bit naive but I chose to because I don't want to become so bitter and hardened that I can't ever trust anyone.

On another note with this same friend, this is me more or less just trying get it off my chest since I can't really discuss guns and gun related things with my family and most of my friends.  So talking about the same friend, which I mentioned above and other instances where I felt it might be better that this person didn't own guns, at least not until he gets himself back in order because normally he's a sane rational person, who is level headed to a T.

He lives with his ex girlfriend because neither one of them can afford a place by themselves, he's doped up on pain killers and alcohol pretty much all the time now. Well she came home late one night from work and I guess bumped into a lot of things on her way through the living room, he came out of his room and pointed a gun right at her.  Now I understand the dark thing, etc. but when you live with someone I would figure you might take that into account and listen a bit more before rushing out of your room and pointing a gun at someone.  I think if he wasn't so doped up all the time, this wouldn't have happened.  I live with someone and sometimes I hear things go bump in the middle of the night but I listen for a bit to try to determine the situation.

On a different note but medical related with guns and depression.  Another friend was telling me how her friend had decided that he was too depressed and asked a friend of his to hold onto his guns until he got past it.  I think that took a lot to do that and to be able to recognize oneself as a risk and to ensure safety of themselves and others.

I wish that my friend who is going through this rough time would recognize that he has some serious issues and shouldn't be around guns right now but mentioning this to him is met with anger and opposition, of course that's how an addict reacts to being called out.  Just so I don't seem to come off as over reacting, just last night he tells me, while he's in Chicago for a few days, staying at a hostel that he was woke up by paramedics.  I inquired for details and basically he passed out, the staff couldn't wake him so they called the paramedics.  He tells me that it's a good thing that they didn't check his blood because they would have found a ton of alcohol, valium, Flexiril, Baclofin, which he lied to the paramedics and said he had only taken Flexiril.  I'm sorry that sort of shit (excuse my French, I'm angry) just screams addict.

I am in debate on keeping this person as a friend but a part of me wants to be a friend that can help but there isn't anything I can do; I don't want to be like all his other friends that have cut the friendship because of these same issues but it's stressing me out watching someone I care about decline further down and being helpless.

Okay enough drama, sorry to deviate from the gun subject.

Family Shooting Center @ Cherry Creek State Park

I went out there this weekend with a friend of mine and her friend, I had fun spending time with them and it's always fun to shoot guns.  My issues with this particular range is it costs just about as much as an indoor range, it's outdoors, there are stationary targets so every half hour, they stop everyone from shooting and you get to walk out on the range and change out your targets, which isn't too different if I go up in the mountains but the difference is I'm not paying $16.50 in the mountains.  I just think because there is less overhead and less to maintain that they shouldn't be charging a couple bucks less than an indoor range but they more expensive than Firing Line, which is an indoor range.

Oh well, like I said, shooting guns is always fun so I can't complain, I am glad we got there early before the long lines and the really hot weather hit.

Mountains and Four Hours of Bliss with Guns

I don't know if anyone else has this issue but I am dominantly a right hand shooter who is left eye dominant.  Normally this doesn't pose a problem for me when shooting and most of the time I usually just keep both eyes open but today I learned my right eye is completely retarded and I, for the life of me, cannot focus my right eye with a scope so when I shoot rifles with scopes, I do have to shoot left handed, which is awkward with right hand rifles.  I'm thinking when I get around to buying my own rifles that I might just consider buying left hand ones.

Today was completely blissfully wonderful but then again what day isn't when it involves shooting guns and being in the mountains.  Today I shot, of course the .45 but new to me was the AK47 and 98 Mauser rifle and not new to me was the .22LR Rifle and the AR15 (I love the AR15, it just brings the biggest smile to my face) and I think that's all we shot today.  As for high capacity mags, it certainly is nice not to have to reload all the time and I can continue the fun.

I'm just so happy, a day of shooting and now I'm home and just relaxing.  Pictures and videos:

I love this gun!

And the AK47

And I guess none of the videos are going to upload so I'll just post links:

AR15

Ignore the sloppy wracking, I was working left hand on a right hand gun.

AK47 Video

What is better than one .45? Two of course.

You?

Ok, this one isn't really related to firearms.  

If you're reading this. Tell me something about yourself.  

Where are you?

What's something interesting about you?

Mountains & Guns

I am greatly looking forward to going up to Allen's Park and doing some shooting, I haven't been out since I took my sister last month so this is much needed.  I'm also exited because I'll get to shoot an AK47 for the first time, I always love to try something new.  The cooler temperatures will be nice as well.

Liebster Blog Award

I want to thank GunDiva for awarding me with the honor of receiving the Liebster Blog Award.

HOW TO ACCEPT THE AWARD: The Liebster Blog Award is a way to recognize blogs who have less than 200 followers.  Liebster is a German word that means beloved and valued.  Here are the rules for accepting the award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link back to their blog. √
2. List 11 random facts about yourself. √
3. Answer the 11 questions given to you. √
4. Create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate.  √
5. Choose 11 bloggers with 200 or fewer followers to nominate and include links to their blogs. (I only have 9 but I'll sort through the ones that I read regularly and torture them too ~ at least the ones I've interacted on)
6. Go to each blogger's page and let them know you have nominated them.

11 Random Facts about me (boy this is going to be hard).

1.  I'm a twin

2.  I was born in Pueblo, CO (for shame, lol)

3.  I've worked for the same company for almost 13 years now.

4.  I have OFD (Over Focus Disorder, the opposite of ADD ~ No OFD isn't for real but should be).

5.  I love learning new things.

6.  I currently drive a 2010 Mustang GT (I love my car)

7.  I currently only have 9 followers on my blog (which is why I get the Liebster Award)

8.  I am special, oh wait, that's subjective and not fact.

9.  I'm learning Spanish.

10. I'm trying to gain 15-20 pounds (not too succesfully)

11.  I aspire to be an instructor dealing with guns.

Answering my 11 questions:

1. What is your passion? To learn as much as I can about shooting, guns and become really good at it
2. If you could do anything you wanted for the rest of your life, without having to think about money, what would it be? Travel the world, meet new people and learn new things.
3. What is your guilty pleasure? Smoking cigarettes (A love/hate relationship)
4. Favorite book ever?  Sex, A Natural History
5. Favorite movie ever? Dangerous Beauty (I even read the biography of the person the main character was about)
6. Have you ever met anyone famous? Edward K'spel, Kathy Jackson
7. Who would you like to meet (living or dead, real or fictional) and why? I'll have to ponder this one.
8. Biggest pet peeve? People who don't know how to use their gas pedal, especially when they are on the on ramp getting onto the highway.
9. If you won the PowerBall or Lotto and wanted to donate a chunk to a charity, which charity would it be and why?  I would probably have to divy up the chunk and do research on who I would donate to but the first one to come to hand is an animal shelter.
10. Favorite place you've visited? I've haven't been to too many places, mostly to work but I guess the one that's closest to home is the cemetery in Silver Plume, followed by Fairmont in Denver.
11. Where to you want to visit that you haven't been able to?  Ireland

11 Questions for the blogger I nominate (which I still have to go through and figure out who my victim will be).

1.  What is the scariest thing you have ever encountered?

2.  What did you want to be as a kid and did you become that?

3.  When you were younger, did you think you would be where you are now?

4.  Tell me something that you feel you did that changed someone's life?

5.  What are you most proud of and why?

6.  What is the meanest thing you have ever done?

7.  What is the nicest thing you have ever done?

8.  Tell me the first childhood experience that comes to mind when you read this?

9.  Why do you think everything on this award is the number 11?

10.  How do you change the world?

11.  Do you deserve a break and not have an eleventh question?

My 11 Bloggers, really only 9 (sorry to torture any of you and don't feel obligated to do this):  I'll have to come back to this one.

Support

Last night Bonnie talked to me about her concerns about my carrying a gun and having the permit. She wanted to know why I did it.  Was I afraid of something?  She was concerned that I carried in the house when she wasn’t home, which I don’t really do now; it was more when we first moved into the house and usually only when there seems to be a lot of ruckuses outside.  She asked if we should sell the house and move to another neighborhood if I’m that afraid of living there.

It was an adjustment when I first moved in there because all the places I lived, minus my mom’s house had always been on the top floor; for two reasons one I don’t want noise above me and two I feel safer when someone can’t just walk up to my window.  I eventually got used to living on ground level with only an occasional concern, usually when I am alone and I start getting into my head too much.

She also mentioned how she feels I’m pretty obsessed about guns and shooting, which is something my ex mentioned as well.  She said that she recently found out that her friend Doug had a gun and in twenty years she never knew. She was implying that he never talks about it.  My only rebuttal to that was to ask her how long he had been shooting and her response was that he’s been doing since he was young.  I explained to her that I’m pretty new to it, I’m learning a lot of things, which causes me to talk about it a lot, it’s a new and exciting thing for me so I think a lot about it.

My only response to the question of carrying was because I can, it’s not that I’m afraid of anything, it’s just I chose to do so.  I also said, because she is aware of all the past experiences that I had and how lucky I am that nothing bad really happened in any of them and I am too and it was a question I pondered considerably while waiting to get my permit.  She understands why our chiropractor carries because she’s leaving the office late by herself and may even be carrying money but for me to carry, she doesn’t understand.  I why I carry even if I tell her sometimes I go out during the day and get home later at night and I know she has to understand that because it was her discussing her fears of coming home late at night that got her to agree to learning about gun safety and handling and to go shooting.

Over all, last night I felt pretty deflated about the whole thing, it made me realize I need to step back about talking about guns with her so she doesn’t judge and condemn me as obsessive.  It left me feeling as if I just don’t fit anywhere in this world and I feel as if I have no support in regards to my hobby/interest, other than this bog of course.  My family, other than my dad, who is supportive and encouraging, doesn’t agree or support me in any regards.  My mom and sister talk behind my back about it and that disturbs me too, I know that my mom is condemning and judging me over this and that bothers me.  All in all, I’m not going to stop shooting, learning as much as I can and I’m not going to stop carrying either.  If they want to hate me for it, that’s their problem, I’ve lacked support from my family for most of my life so not having it now shouldn’t matter but it does leave me feeling very alone. (10.1)

Up in Arms

It's been awhile since I read something that just got me to no end that I had to post about it.

Ms. Blog Magazine




So if she's with this Brady Campaign aren't they supposed to be promoting gun safety but here she is out there purposefully being ignorant and carrying a gun to prove a point, that doesn't sound too much like promoting safety to me, granted she believes her end result is to prove stronger laws to make things safer but yet she has to be unsafe (in extremely dangerous ways) to prove this point?

I love most of all what the blog "Of Arms and Law" said:

"Another way to think about what Heidi did is this: She blindfolded herself and walked out in the middle of onrushing traffic to prove that motor vehicles are dangerous."


And that is the equivalent of Heidi carrying a gun.

Children & Guns

After today, I can't possibly imagine what parents who own guns must go through.  I mean I'm sure it's a lot different when it's your own children and you can parent and school them about guns the way you choose but when it comes to just a random neighbor child or even a friend's kid(s) it's a big difference.

I spent most the day with the neighbor kid and her cousin, they are seven.  They kept wanting to go into the house and I kept trying to get them to not go into the house under the excuse that I didn't want them to let my cats out, which is a concern but my bigger concern is that my house isn't child proof and my guns aren't secure from the prying curiosity of children.  I know I'll probably get quite a lashing about that but my friends don't have children, I don't have children, I don't have children in my family and I don't ever baby sit and there is just usually no chance of kids being in my house so I don't take that usual concern.

I also got to thinking this morning when my sister and I were hanging out in the kitchen, I'm cooking and she's just hanging out, my back was to the door and all I heard was a loud gasp from my sister because the kitchen door suddenly opened and within seconds the neighbor kid pops in through the door.  I wasn't carrying at the time and even if I were, I doubt I would have drawn my gun; the target would have been identified long before I could even draw.

This got me to thinking on two levels, one, boy I would be screwed if that was a stranger breaking into my house, no way would I have been prepared even if I had been carrying my gun.  It brought home just how quickly something could happen and how little time I would have to react.  Definitely practice is in order.

The other point being and my sister and I discussed this afterwards that we need to be even more careful that all doors are always locked, not just for the random criminal chance but because the neighbor girl could just pop in at any second.  Wonder if we were in the basement and she just starts going through our house, etc. just too many variables of very bad things could happen.

I do plan to maybe talk to her mother about how I don't mind her coming over and hanging out in the yard when I'm out doing stuff but I would feel a lot better if she didn't come into the house.  I don't and won't go into the specifics as to why I don't want her to come into the house because I don't feel I need to notify my neighbors that I have guns in my house.  I feel I just need to say that I worry about her getting into things that she shouldn't and sometimes we can't always watch her, granted the times she has been in the house I have always hovered over her like a hawk to make sure that she's not into anything that she's not supposed to be in but I would just feel a lot more comfortable her not being in my house.  Today with it being two kids, it's hard enough to just watch one but to have to watch two, I'm sure those of you out there that have kids know just how hairy that can be or maybe it's not like that when you have kids, I don't have kids so I have no clue if you just watch them constantly or not. (13.4)

S & W .50

This is a clip of me shooting a S & W .50.  Keep in mind this is one of the biggest handguns you can buy and I'm only 5'5 and 105 pounds so my handling is a little sloppy and in no way reflects my handling of other calibers.  The rounds are 300 grain.  Ok, now the disclaimer is out you can view my embarrassment.  Lol

https://www.dropbox.com/s/po3tlzpy9hxo3gn/2013-06-04%2010.55.26.mp4

By the way, I hate this gun but I can't pass up an opportunity to shoot something I haven't