Advent... what is coming is special...

I won my race to the top of the team on the expresso.com bicycle, six days of riding my butt off. Don't I wish. I had intended to finish up today, Tuesday, but three of the Asians were hogging the rowing machine, they were rowing and talking and sitting and talking, and although I was told I should kick someone off the machine - it didn't feel like the right thing to do, so I went back and biked on. Two seven milers, one five point four miler and I was finished! Yeah, I am a hero in my own mind. I still went and rowed five kilometers. Got to work that upper body for the babes.

Then went and had a hot sandwich and shopped at the Base Exchange then we went to the Commissary and shopped there for a couple of things, we went for milk and eggs. As I drove home I continued my thoughts of driving over the mountains to Yakima and an Appleseed this weekend. When we had checked the mailbox, Packages!, and unload the Caravan, I sent a message to the Shoot Boss, weather permitting. I also ordered the things I needed for my Liberty Training Rifle, at about 4:30 and by seven I was getting notified they had been sent. How fast is that internet? I also changed my avatar on Facebook and ordered a t-shirt to celebrate my virtual unwheeeled bicycle event. The rifle stuff will be here by Thursday, the t-shirt not until the following week.

Now, fresh cup of Kona influenced coffee in my mug, and the quiet of early winter darkness I think about Christmas, and maybe decorating a bit because it is time to celebrate. You may not know that I don't do parties well, but I don't. After the drinking and the fighting what is left to do? Motivations are important, and what makes me happiest is the season for economic reasons is still celebrated. Imagine a year when most of your sales start after thanks giving. oops! Thanksgiving Day, the one day of the year to gather and give thanks, feast and watch football. Who wouldn't want to give thanks everyday, and have big sales everyday?
Isn't there a government program to make that happen?

Really, there isn't a Christmas decoration anywhere in this home, yet. For a couple of years only the incoming cards and pictures from far away reminded me of what I was missing. But I have been on firebases in the Asian tropical heat, or desert sands in the chill mornings of waiting for victory at Christmas time, and in Saudi Arabia the King doesn't want too many bright Christmas celebrations and symbols. I can live without them, but it isn't much joy in muting love of God through carols and song. Looking for stars to guide wise men is easier in total artificial light absence. you should see all of them out there. The shepherds had the best seat in the house.

Yes, it is time to prepare to pretend to honor the birth of our King. As a real American, I have no experience with royalty, none. I know what king means, I have played chess and the king off the board means you aren't going to be checked nor mated. But for a heavenly king, I am totally uncertain. I just like the idea, the certain knowledge that the babe born in Bethlehem was and is better than I, and loves me more than I deserve. That is all I need to feel like I should join the party, decorate, participate and find some more love to spread around. It goes farther will a little help from all of us, so Merry Christmas and a Happier New Year. Love you all, y'all.

How cold is it?

For a fellow that is old and much too much retired it is COLD. It has been frozen around here for many days, and without snow, or slush, nor rain ... the little moisture in the air freezes each morning on top of yesterday's frost. A few more years of the same thing and my roof will collapse under the weight of ice.

I understand that Al Gore is going to run against Hillary in 2013 to secure the blessings of Global Warming for all.

I timidly went outside to shovel composting stuff, and immediately thought that I was happy to live in the 21st Century when out houses aren't needed... imagining how much fun that would be. I also thought I should watch Jeremiah Johnson through the glass door, the winter trapping stuff especially.


Home schooler time to explore. Get shovel (and pick?) How frozen is the ground, what is permafrost, and why didn't those paratroopers in Bastogne dig deeper? Do the worms freeze in place or do they go deeper? Where are the moles and why is their mound getting bigger? How deep do you have to go to find softer soil, which should mean warmer, how warm is it? How many calories are you using for warmth, how many for work? It is cold.

Will have to seriously look at getting a rear sight for my new rifle - seems that Marlin Firearms is in trouble - it has a loyal customer base, and knows how to produce firearms, but has been purchased by Wall Street traders that fear gun toting citizens that aren't on their payroll. Whatever...

Pearl Harbor day...

So I put Tora! Tora! Tora! in the DVD player and watch un interrupted by commercials and cuttings. Knowing that at all levels of command in every country and military there are fools just waiting to make folly.

I did wonder how many Americans now, know anymore about the Japanese success in the surprise attack on the Imperial Russian Pacific fleet, which started the Russo-Japanese War, which President Teddy Roosevelt got the Nobel Peace Prize for halting? Or know why the Japanese agreed to stop that war?

Since American government education sets such high standards, my question should be -- how many of our current and near future leaders have any idea about History at all. One would have thought the British and Soviet experience in Afghanistan, let alone Alexander the Great's troubles there, would have been an indicator. And NO, Earl doesn't think we are really fighting a war against terrorists nor Taliban, Earl thinks that America is still sleeping on the glories of World War II, done with Brad Pitt pretenders for commercial success.

Well, since I will have to do something positive today, I will go to the YMCA and sweat a lot. Saying thanks to the WWII Veterans for their very real service in defense of freedoms that we seem to have given away to more fools in Washington, DC.  No one is teaching that, except some who are the few, the proud, the real folks (not on the commercial media).

Just about the Ladies, not that I know anything about them...

One of my problems with the way the world works, or that women are different or special or a problem is that I had my mother. She was not like your mother, mine was different, a problem and special (although when she was the first two I wouldn't admit she was special).

I started this thought process, having received an email about linkage, someone wrote something, some other read it and rephrased it, and someone read that and added a bit to their work and caused the first to read and think about who was writing, look and see pictures and writing about - linkage! What goes around, comes around. It is flu season.

In the way Appleseed works, trying to reach the vast pool of people, trying to save a sinking ship, trying to get back on the track (railroad reference) the Appleseed folks decided that Ladyseeds are a great idea. And I am always against it - because I had my mother. Or she had me. Or because I like women - nah, that can't be the reason. I just think that women, ladies all, need to be included for their part in the nation and its heritage. I have watched ladies take instruction and run with it, working harder and better and improving the program constantly - so I have never supported a separation of the species by gender. Having said that up front, I am smart enough to know that some men are and some women are and they just don't always work well together in some events. That some people need to be sheltered from their fears, so they can gain the power to confront the foolish and make the shots and speak and do math in public. Later

The nicest thing about being truly humble is my self awareness that the world isn't looking to me for leadership, wisdom nor the solution. So although I am against the Ladyseeds on my watch, I wish them all the best, from personal experience I do know there are men that can ruin a great shot or even a shoot if one allows them.

So, Ladies, do attend an Appleseed or a Ladyseed, enjoy the time and the heritage becomes yours to pass it on to posterity. I am sure my mother would approve and one of your daughters will be teaching me something about Liberty, shooting, or life one day.  But it won't be at a Ladyseed.

High stress day, or not really...

My wife is back from her hiking in the snow, in subfreezing weather. She showed me her soaking wet coat that she had removed and replaced with a dry one while out. I gave her the good old Army fighting in the snow, don't sweat, wear only dry socks and don't sweat but drink lots of fluids. The 2-325th AIR lost a couple of troopers on an sled race with snow shoes or skis, ten man teams, not too serious, they had heart and were tough but needed more seasoning, winter seasoning. Good training.

I went and hid out in the YMCA, where it is warm, did my 10k rowing and then hit the bicycle machine to knock out twenty miles in Yeti country. Took forever but I have my marathon mileage day done. It was slower and easier when I could really jog that distance, 26.2, those were the days.

I did stop and check on the possibility that the rear TSM200 sight had fallen off the rifle at the gun store where I picked it up. They haven't found it, but will call if they do. I wrote letters to Gallery of Guns.com and Marlin Firearms about the quality control and the tightness of mounting that rear sight. I do hope they fix that in their future manufacturing and shipping. What folks buy should be there as advertised. I did put a fine Rifleslinger RS2 sling and mounting hardware on the new rifle. Will have to cut it down a little, he makes the excess long so the shooter can cut to measure, everyone is different. But quality stuff. I also looked at Amazon.com for the sight tool and optional sight apertures, and a new rear sight. I may really trust my rifle's Natural Point of Aim with my body, but I really insist on using two points of reference for sight alignment with my eagle eye.

In Rifleslinger's blog he talks about getting smoother getting into his best position, by practicing it as a separate skill set. Repeating correctly until it seems like he is always falling into the perfect shooting position. Slow is Smooth is Fast! So added to those things I don't do enough of, but only take time and a little effort going from standing to prone, standing to sitting (squat, kneel, crossed legs, crossed ankles and open legs) five times each. Then taking on dry shot, stand up, rinse and repeat. Like walking and snapping into a solid aimed shot at a fleeing target and picking up the lead, dry fire, call the shot. Practice, practice and a little more practice. All without ammunition. That will really save some money, now the wear on body parts and patience I cannot speak to, I am too old to acknowledge and too young to admit it.

A little old, but I could become an expert on alcohol...

Since I have no real experience, that I remember well from long ago, I walked in the Safeway along all the bottles of stuff to drink - refined carbohydrates - alcohol like sugar isn't really good for life forms in quantity. Remember, that you can get as overwhelmed as you like with either, I will just be sadder, but I am not getting in your way of stupidity. The pressure of being perfect reflection of your lord might be too much for you to bear. Being a perfect reflection of our LORD is much easier and more rewarding - do good and great things until they crucify you, evil does fear.

I was looking for the Christian Brothers brandy, named Honey, for the sweetness and the calm. I saw that Honey seems to be another way to get more acceptance for various types of alcohol - whiskey, vodka, rum? I was also checking out prices, knowing how much the Federal and State governments depend on the consumption of the biology-physics-chemistry lessons refined and aged. The young clerk made some friendly remark about the choices, and I was quiet which will make him think I am dependent or abusive in my drinking. I will just think I am stocking up, more ammunition and Bibles in my home than alcohol and I have used them more than my drinking of anything except coffee and water.

I called about my digging, they took my information, promised that the marking would be done by Wednesday, and to mark where I wanted to dig with white - since they are using blue, red, yellow and orange and green doesn't cut it in the Evergreen state. So my second Christmas present decoration was waiting for me when my wife finally returned home. Snow, a light dusting, the promise that Global warming isn't going to ruin another ski season.

I received my first Christmas decoration from one of my Sunday school-Bible study members. He does worry about me a bit. The guns you know, he wasn't in the military and all his firearms experience is from the fears of the fools in the Hill District of Tacoma. Since I only rode a bicycle or a bus through that area I have only rumbles of what crazy goes on there. Bad shootings are legend. Anyway, he thought I would appreciate his bauble, it is a re-elect Obama pin, so cool in its plastic container that says MADE IN CHINA. I love it. Although I have a deep understanding that our President was made in America, born in Kenya, and raised by a step father in Indonesia with a foreign culture, and educated by failed economic and political refugees from awesome reality of representative government and capitalism. But since he is a dope smoker I figure he has his own troubles to calm. Still looking for his father, I guess.

Well, breakfast then the bills, then off to the YMCA to help my team on the bicycle riding challenge of  expresso.com Top 100, I am in it for the t-shirt, I do so much for a cool t-shirt. Yes, I will still row 10k, and I will do other stuff, too. But I am so broken that it will only make an olde man proud. See, I don't even drink the alcohol as much as hit the sweat machines and the fool ideas of youth long flown. Now, about how well you are shooting? Do you need some help? Appleseed, we will come to you.

Flipping the calendar page... to see what tomorrow has done...

Looking for a Revolutionary War themed calendar, with pictures of the good ol' days when one could stand up to tyranny, and the King, which didn't have to be the same.

I am now in December, the tenth month of the Roman year - and our last month of 2013, never have been comfortable with that number, for no reason beyond it seemed so far away once and like looking in the mirror wondering whom I am seeing, 2013 was not up to expectations and all because I wasn't at my best. That makes me think, was I ever? Yeah, periodically I was close to awesome, but I don't remember those times that well - nothing to grip onto, the time just slid by me I was so happy, busy, engaged and in the zone.

The Men's Bible study was interesting, lots of opinions and some planning for 2014, the Pastor (being a younger family man) listened a lot. His son listened and I have always wondered what young people think about the strange ideas and stories of the old guys. I sometimes ask, but mostly I wonder where they are dreaming what they are reaching to find, their opinion of the old doesn't change the nature of the old. What are we going to do when it all falls apart was a big part of the conversation. Seems like I am supposed to provide the guns, not that anyone at that table wants to use them - but they have been influenced by the entertainment industry. Will Smith against the world's dark and uglies.

Some of us know way too well how empty evil is, and are working seriously to avoid it. Funny, that the prepper in the group doesn't fit the stereotype at all. He really has done his homework and continues to reach out to the helpless and needy, which makes me believe that he has no selfishness harming his potential for the dark ages ahead. All of them are good men to have around and count upon, not perfect but sound. They won't be making a film, writing a book, nor noticing them as the media marches on - missing most of America, the quiet Americans, just doing the best they can some days and better than expected many days.

Not exciting enough, not worthy of note, and no advantage in politics of fear and fraud. Ever wonder why the reason everyone has to worry about the homeless, the children and the poor? Because the rich, powerful and the idle idols don't want anyone to see what they have done and attack them. I am of the opinion that poverty begins in the spirit, and failure is in giving up. The counting of wealth in dollars in a false value - not a true measure of worth. Real value and worth of a human is... only temporary and slips by the accountant while they text their textress or is it testrix?