Neighbor/Friend helped me install the floor in the living room. Even though he did most of the work, I'm still sore all over just from the work I did.
The dining room is next.
They look nice, and I can see why they cost so much to install, it ain't fun.
I got a pretty good deal on them from a friend of the Mrs., and with the DIY install, I figure I'm saving a lot of money vs rolling up to the local big box store and then hiring someone to do the install.
At any rate, it should get the wife off my back. (Just kidding, dear.) For a married guy, guns have a much higher cost. For every dollar you spend on that new pistol, rifle, or shotgun, count on an additional $1.50 in home improvements and such.
Cabella's had these on sale this weekend, and I've been wanting to get one for a while so I jumped on it. They don't have the lowest prices on these, but you do get to pick your own which you can't from the online sellers.
To be honest, I don't know much about these guns.
I picked my rifle because the date on the receiver was pre-WWII (1939), the stock was in ok condition, the serial numbers matched, it wasn't counterbored, and the bore wasn't full of cosmoline.
I got back home and hit 7.62x54r.net and determined it was made by Tula. According to them it is almost certain to have been issued and that odds are "pretty good" that it has been used in combat, although it is impossible to know for certain. It's definitely seen some use and has the scars to prove it.
I'm going to order a tin of ammo from somewhere and gets some pics up, and hopefully a range report in the coming weeks. I'm curious to see how it shoots, hopefully I can hit the broadside of a barn with it.
So we have a pretty good group of neighbors on my street, and they know me for the true gun nut that I am.
I saw a couple of months ago that KR Training and Rangemaster were offering a ladies only class, and I kept hounding my wife to take it. Eventually she decided to take the class, probably just to shut me up.
Well, not only did I get her to take it, but I got most of the ladies on my street to take it too.
I was in my own little rapture tonight after they got back from the class. They all enjoyed it and had a million questions about guns, and concealed carry related stuff. It's only a matter of time before I drag them out to an USPSA or IDPA match.
I think I put more effort into getting things squared away for this class than I have for any class I have taken myself, so I was very pleased that everyone had a safe, yet fun, time, and learned some skills that they hopefully never have to use.
I'm going to try and get my wife to write her own review of the class, and will post it here if/when she does.
Smoked a brisket on the big green egg today, and it came out great. No pics, sorry. We all got a late start and by the time it was done everyone was starving.
I separated the point and am looking forward to some of that tomorrow.
I was talking to my neighbor's mother this weekend (names withheld), and she asked me if I was "into gadgets". I said that since I work with computers and such all day long, I am not really into acquiring more devices that will add to that. I said that I was "into" guns.
I opened it up the proverbial can of worms.
You see, she has very strong opinions of guns based on what she feels and what she thinks she knows. Things like how "black talons" are super deadly and will maim people for life and that kids are getting shot with them for stealing a loaf of bread, and that people shoot to kill when they should shoot bad people in the arm or leg (because they aren't really bad, they just need something and can't pay for it), and, finally, that guns are just bad.
The problem is that what she knows is actually false, and she is basing her opinion on those falsities and her feelings.
I started going through her list of things one by one, but before I could get too far my neighbor "rescued" me.
I think the majority of people who are against guns are like that. I know a certain legislator who doesn't even know what the things she wants to ban are.
Anyway, I doubt I changed her mind, but maybe I showed her there was more to the subject.
For the record, I'm against corporate welfare in all forms. The unfortunate thing in this case is that ending the subsidy will only increase our gas prices without a concomitant decrease in our taxes.
I think it was about 15 years ago when I first tried to read this book, on the recommendation of a friend. I didn't even make it through the first chapter before I put it down. I tried again over the years and would always put it down.
Well, I finally finished it last night.
What took so long? Well, to be honest, the writing is not good. The premise is great, the execution not so much. I finally had to skim certain parts because I would never have been able to finish it otherwise, as there was just too much drudgery. Still, I think did read at least 95% of it, certainly all the dialog, but after 6 pages of John Galt's speech I had to skip the rest of it. It was just the same thing repeated ad nauseum. (Hank Rearden's speech at his "trial" was just great though.)
I'm glad I finally read it, but I don't think I'll be reading any more of Ayn Rand's writing. It's painful at times.
Not too much to say about this match, except that is was long and hot. We got a late start and it wasn't over until 3pm. Got a nice red neck out of it. (I really need to add some sun screen to my range bag.)
I got a "C" on the classifier (El Presidente). Last time I shot El Pres I got a "B", but that was in Single Stack and this was in Production. It would have been a better if I hadn't fumbled the mag change.
One thing I've noticed is that I'm having trouble shooting accurately from awkward positions. If I have to bring my arms in closer my accuracy really goes to shit. I think I'm making good shots, but I'm not. Need to try this at range and figure out what the deal is. I'm not sure if it's my eyesight or if I'm altering my grip, or what.
The only thing really unique about this match is that I shot my first double. Two hits in the upper "A" zone in the same hole.
I've been getting more into grilling and BBQ lately. I can't tell you how many times last summer I spent out in the sun smoking a hunk of meat and getting nearly as cooked by the sun as the meat. After a few community smokes on my neighbors offset firebox smoker, I started to get the itch to dump my gas grill.
Way back before we moved to our latest house, I had a smoker and kettle grill. I made some pretty good eats on those, but there was the charcoal mess to deal with later. At my old house we had a pretty big backyard and lots of trees, so I usually watered the ash into the soil around the trees. The grass didn't grow there anyways, and we didn't have kids that would get into it.
When we moved to our new house I ended up leaving my grills for the new owners of my old house. We got a much smaller yard, no trees, didn't want to move that stuff and we had kids by then, so I ended up getting a gas grill. I hated it from the first cook.
The gasser left food bland, and you might as well forget cooking a burger or dark meat chicken on it, it was likely to catch on fire if you took your eye off it for a second. Over time I was able to get better results from it, but never really made anything that approached what I did over my cheap kettle grill.
I've known about the Big Green Egg and its cult-like following for a while, but never really considered one. They're expensive and seemed kind of gimmicky to me at the time, but after doing my research I found it had a lot of versatility and the price difference has shrunk a good deal. Also the fact that it should last a good long time and use much less fuel over that time, really tipped the scales in its favor.
First Cook
My first cook was brats and steaks. The brats came out awesome. I didn't cook them in beer or anything special, just let 'em soak up some heat and then a quick trip over the flames to darken 'em a bit.
I didn't think the steaks were so great. I ended up cooking them all the way and I like mine rare. Also hadn't used lump charcoal to grill before, so I expected more smokey charcoal flavor.
Second Cook
Second cook was chicken drumsticks. I actually really don't like grilled drums or thighs. Most people don't cook them thoroughly enough, and nothing puts me off a piece of chicken like seeing any red or pink. I've also noticed the skin seems to soak up nasty flavors. Often they end up black on the outside. Just don't like 'em.
Legs on the egg are great though. I got the egg set to 350 and had them on for 45 minutes. They were thoroughly cooked and still moist on the inside. I think I could probably drop this down to 35 minutes, maybe even less. Things just don't take as long to cook on the egg.
Third Cook
Skinless boneless chicken breasts, and skirt steak (for fajitas). The chicken was pure awesome. It was the juiciest breast I have ever had, and very tender. The steak ended up cooked all the way again. I think unless you have a big thick steak, you either have to cook it about half as long as you think, or cook it with the lid open.
Final Thoughts
I'm still getting the hang of cooking on the egg. I'm very impressed with how little fuel it uses, and even with some disappointments I have had more absolutely delicious stuff from the egg in 3 days than I got from my gas grill in 3 years.
I'm looking forward to trying some low and slow cooks on it next.
People say that the egg is both a grill and smoker, and that is true, but I think it's really more of an oven. The way it cooks so quickly and evenly is more like an oven than anything else. I know oven cooked meat doesn't sound so great, but it is. I think once I can judge how long a steak should cook and how to get the right amount of smoke it will be perfect.
So I went down to one of the local gas stations yesterday. The parking lot and all the pumps were empty. That never happens.
I pull up and park (haven't gotten out yet) and notice two guys in matching outfits with plastic badges around their necks, and one guy is watching me like a hawk.
Hrm ... WTF is going on? I realized he was a salesman and was about to give me some spiel.
"Sir, we're hear today doing a free glass inspection today. Can we inspect your car?"
"Go ahead, but I ain't interested," I said gruffly.
This is where I made tactical error. I should have said "Piss off." I assumed that being gruff and no nonsense would be enough, but I should have dashed all hope immediately.
So, I go on in, do my shopping and notice they are looking all over my windshield. I come out. At first I was a little worried they'd do something stupid like try to bar my way to my car.
"Sir, we found a crack ..."
"Not interested."
"... that we can fix today ..."
"Not interested!"
"... but, Sir .."
"GO AWAY!"
As this was going on I was getting angrier and angrier. When I said those words, my voice had this weird emotional timbre. It surprised me, but it worked and they finally gave up and didn't say another word.
I'm one of those people that you can't sell to, and when I'm out in public minding my own business I expect to be left alone. If I haven't gone to a windshield repair place of my own free will, there is zero chance you can sell me windshield repair.
Anyway, I guess that explains the dearth of customers at the gas station. The pushy salesmen ran everyone off.
on May 31, 2011 11:13 PM
