They have released me from the hospital, thank the doctors and Thank the Lord!

So, since you really didn't miss me. Facebook has a measure of a member HERE. Don't know where that will take you but it was a cute measure of what I posted, pictured or shared that others "like'd". I guess that was what they used.

Four data dumps, two calls on message machine...

I thought this monitoring wouldn't be too productive, my heart rate gets very slow when I sleep, my doctor gave me medicine to lower the blood pressure that would slow the heart rate down, and I was already lower than normal when I started taking it. To me this is not a problem. Worries the doctors, they think I won't wake one day - which I already knew, I won't awake one day.

Still, I have started feeling biotech, three monitoring pads, wires from each to the recorder sender and a Samsung phone, with only one app that I have to control. You do realize I am only in control when putting on patches, changing batteries and hooking up to the phone charger. I have never had reason to push the button for an event, but I can read the blue light, blinking slowly for gathering data (little EKG) and fast for data dump to the phone, phone connects to the monitoring business. The monitoring business sends the data to the heart doctor and his staff call and leave messages on my telephone - while I am out working out at the YMCA. There have been no 'events' at the YMCA, although some of those exercise leggins/pants are going to cause some heart failures (among younger people - old guys just smile).

The picture above is the English Language Ministry Village Men singing in the New Year, yes I do see the women and children, but part of them are the Pastor's family and make it look like there were more of us around. I enjoyed the singing, since I knew the words and the tune. Hope those watching the performance liked it, too.

I didn't go shooting today, thinking I could do some tomorrow after church, forgetting about the SUPER BOWL, which I remembered now and will make sure I watch, or nap gently through it in the rocking chair.

Isn't getting accustomed to being a really old man just peaches? There are many more folks with real problems, and take some time to see them, talk with them, if they are really old touch them gently, smile a lot and remember to pray for them. One old retired veteran did take his wife to see Lone Survivor, she went to sleep during it, he was amazed at the foul language (he has had two wars but doesn't remember that kind of talk, especially when every breath counts). I told him to read Blackhawk Down, there is a different culture and world out there, a very different one from ours.

I have new aches and test stuff to wear so blogs really light from me...

Think on this: Link to blog post      Oh, I am sure if you read any of my blog, you have an idea of what I think about mostly. But am back from the YMCA, where I worked out nicely, and my wife found her wallet missing, and she reported it. Then wanted me to worry over it, I said let us look at home first, then I will worry. Getting home I find my heart event monitor on the porch, and she finds her wallet in the bathroom.

God bless all our best, and forgive all the rest. Time is running out.

We don't evolve as much as we talk about it...

One of my cousins emailed a picture to me, a bit out of focus, and from long ago, 1986.

 Film, a bit dark, out of focus, but it is my father, I could tell by how he was sitting, where the hat is on his head, glasses and socks and shoes. I didn't recognize the girls and asked my cousin.  He said they were his daughters, in Jackson, Mississippi that summer.

So I stuck it into Photoshop Elements and fixed it a bit, not enough to take it back into a photograph with detail, just enough to be a painting by some French fellow. It is still my father, sitting like I still do, with his cap cocked back like I still wear mine when not shooting or sleeping under it.

A very fine Sunday...

Since we had Men's Bible Study at Dennis's home last evening we were wound up and ready to worship the Lord and study His word today. The discussions at Sunday school took from everyone and gave everyone many things to consider in the coming week.

After class I said farewell to the normal sit around and talk some more guys, wishing them well and I headed for the range. To get some more time with my new rifle, particularly check the zero with ten rounds, shoot thirteen in a Red Coat target and another forty within the time and position constraints of a regular AQT. While looking at what others are shooting, how well they are shooting and talking about anything Appleseed since I had a trifold or two and some spare Red Coats to share.

Now, if I settle down, I will one day be a fine shooter, for sure I must quit thinking about the next target I can only affect the one I am shooting NOW, not the next one. I blame all rounds that don't hit center on the need for speed, which is only in my mind. I had time on each stage without worry, even with a couple of stove pipes, I am getting better at clearing the brass and getting on with the shooting.

So I didn't clean the Red Coat, make all hits count, but I was close. I only got 190 points on the AQT, mostly because of three non-counting flyers, and then poor time use and NPOA verification on stage four, should have checked it twice. I am so good at giving advice that I don't follow, for no good reason. Sigh.

Still it was a beautiful day, which finished with me watching Name of the Rose on video. Sad movie and story, very well done.

Why is Justin Beaver on my news feed, on my favorite talk programs?

Must be as an example of what famous wasted life is worth, not much. Yes, I know I have spelt his name wrong, but then I don't worship nor adore him. I may have heard some of his music, but I couldn't tell you that in truth. I am still stuck on 'cut my bangs with rusty kitchen scissors'.

My visit with the heart doctor was great, not that I am sure how anything might get paid for, but I liked talking to him about me (always one of my favorite subjects) finding out about his grandfather fighting in WWII against the Japanese and what my new tests are going to be - and I won't have to return to see him until March 7.  All good.

On the not so noticed news, is the Japanese response to the Chinese expansion in the Pacific. Funny how Main Stream Media thinks Justin is hot enough to cover, like bad boys being boorish is news. The Korean, Japanese and Chinese are working on another confrontation to the hilt. My money is still on the Japanese, they can make all the nuclear weapons they want faster than Iran can.... but they don't want any. Until the current President Obama, America provided their nuclear deterrent. Now, I expect they would sink all the Chinese vessels at sea from afar, precisely. Yep, that and robotic assault weapons. And they still haven't unleashed Godzilla.

Finding what is lost...

I went to Battle Ground, Washington to find what I was missing  - much of which I didn't realize that I had lost along the way. I was a bit early so went into a Mall at the Sears entrance. They didn't seem to have any 22LR ammunition so I wandered out to the general areas and found a Calendar, Game and Toy store. I hadn't been able to find, on the internet, a Revolutionary War calendar - I knew there had to be one, but the search engines were looking for what 'everyone' is searching for or the sponsored 'finds'.  But in this shoppe, there was ONE with torn packaging looking exactly like what I wanted, so I grabbed it, and was willing to pay the sixteen dollars for it - but only paid four - since most of January was no longer to be counted. It was the New Nation Calendar by M. Kunstler, Lang Publishing. Happy me.

On to dinner at the Mongolian Golden Tent, met the others and the Instructor (ItsanSKS) for the weekend. Got coffee and built some stuff to toss together on the grill. I was shocked by some of the questions, things I hadn't thought about but in general most of the conversation was about past Appleseeds and friends along the trail and the future of the RWVA in the Great NorthWest. We moved to a quieter room for better conversation, desert and more coffee. More stirring of our minds, and focus, and reminders of what being new feels like. Kind of invigorating, being young again. We closed the place down and I drove off to the school house where I would park and sleep in the Caravan or inside if it got opened. George opened it, turned on the water and water heater and I rolled my sleeping bag out and didn't notice the cold outside of it.

Waking Saturday morning I got out of my bag and noticed it really was cold, so I looked at the great wood burning stove, looked for matches, found none, put some kindling on the range and turned up a burner and started a fire to move a flame to the pile of kindling in the stove. Worked! The the flue and the flame and constant adjustment for clearing smoke out - until they stopped opening the top to look. Breakfast is cooked and shared, there would be more food than feasters all weekend. Can you say Elk Burgers? Can you taste them?

After breakfast, set up for instructions, introductions and we were off on a full weekend of training, talking and performance. Pictures here. Excellent outline, constant participation by all, questions answered and diversions re-routed back to course of instruction -- just like we would have to do at an Appleseed.

Six Steps in making a Rifle safe, step six is 'No one touching'. Six steps in making the shot, the first two steps are natural lead ins from the Steady Hold factors, without explaining Natural Point of Aim, one more verification on NPOA and then trust it and fire in Rifleman's cadence. The sling has three medal parts we own the names now - J-hook, H buckle, and Camlock, cinch the loop down to snug, take your firing hand and pull on the J-hook and loosen the sling by pulling it across your chest.  Cross ankle sitting position is with the edge of the feet flat on the ground. COF, target, position, # of rounds, holes in paper, time limit, Magazine prep and Extras.

Stage Craft, how do you present. Suggested video recording of your presentation of instruction, of your History presentation. Looking at oneself critically for ways to improve. Just in rotating the butt of the rifle away from the body and smartly into the shoulder pocket, short firm and complete. Teach hasty sling and loop sling before prone steady hold factors, save Hasty, hasty for the Standing position.

Teach talking targets after prone, yellow sheet as reference.  IMC and FO/RS  Always TPI, Total Participant Instruction - List Discuss List Chorus back.  Always good examples, always saving questions for proper time, no diversions from topics.

Dinner of Elk Burgers, I think I had six of them, and a couple more on Sunday. Slept in the school house another night, with a fire in the stove and the chief instructor in his sleeping bag, too. Overall, great motivating and informative training in perfecting the subjects of Appleseed. Today I signed up for two more Appleseeds at Port Townsend, WA. There is another weekend in July but I have Fish camp that time, so I will have to find other Appleseeds to help.