Category: Personal

I’m taking three day weekends for the next three weeks starting today.  Independence Day weekend will be a four day weekend.  I will do my best to keep the regular blogging schedule, however.  I needed the extra time because I’ve been dealing with a Repetitive Strain Injury in my elbow that’s been caused by my leaning on it when I type at my workstation at work.  Causes a little tingling in the pinky and ring fingers of I bend my elbow all the way, which is indicative of swelling in the part of the elbow the ulnar nerve passes through.  I’ve had this problem before, and rest usually deals with it in a few weeks.  Symptoms are mild.  No numbness or weakness in my hands, but if it doesn’t get better, it’ll have to be a trip to the doctor, which I hate.

Sorry for the light blogging last night, especially given what was in the news.  I’m currently filling in as Recording Secretary for my club, since the actual Recording Secretary is on an extended vacation, and last night’s Board of Directors meeting was a long one. I’m the one who has to take minutes for the meeting.

Just to give you an idea of some of the issues clubs tend to face, a few months ago someone found some shotgun wads on the indoor range.  For safety reasons, we don’t allow shotguns on the indoor range.  But on the video, we couldn’t make out a shotgun.  Must have been a Taurus Judge.  Is it a shotgun, or a pistol?  Some argue when you put a shot shell in a pistol, it becomes a shotgun, and thus it’s already against the rules.  My argument, joined by a few others, was that the federal and state governments will tell you it’s a pistol, and it’s a pistol even if it has a shot shell in it.  At the very least, it seems we have a deficiency in the rules, so a new rule was adopted to prohibit shot shells in the ammunition rules, in addition to prohibiting shotguns in the rules limiting types of firearms.

Marko shares the five most embarrassing albums on his iPod.  Let’s see here, and go through that which I am not proud.  Not much really, but let’s go ahead anyway:

1. Not one, but two Meatloaf albums.
2. Duran Duran’s Greatest Hits.
3. At least one Elton John album.
4. Two operas by Gilbert and Sullivan (H.M.S. Pinafore and the Pirates of Penzance, and I know the lyrics to just about all the songs)
5. I have a Hanson album.  But it’s not the Hanson you’re probably thinking.

UPDATE: Tam and I seem to share at least one of our top five.

Dale Carpenter, over at the Volokh Conspiracy, pointed to this World War II veterans database.  I was happy to find my grandfather already in it.  I have his Wehrmacht dress bayonet, which fits nicely on the Mauser 98K.  Both owners of the previous probably never laid eyes on Der Vaterland again.  Lucky for me, my Grandfather was not to suffer the same fate.  He was wounded by German sniper.  Aiming his rifle, the bullet traveled down the length of his arm, exited through the elbow, re-entered his side and exited out the back.  It was a ticket home, as he was not expected to fully regain the use of his arm, though in time he regained most of it.  He was overseas for about a month, if I recall, before he was wounded.  I remember seeing the scar as a kid.

Most of what I know, I know from my father.  I only remember my grandfather telling us once about being shot, and not in any great detail.  Like most veterans of his generation, it wasn’t something they really talked about.  Many of their stories will be entirely lost to history, but perhaps they would prefer it that way.

Getting myself back to work.  It’s going to take a bit of work to get caught up, so forgive me if I seem out of it for a day or so as I get back into my routine.  One thing that happened while I was gone is Front Sight apparently went into receivership.  I guess my training certificate isn’t really worth much now.  I think they are still operating, but who knows for how much longer.

UPDATE: I should make clear, I never really thought the cert was worth much.  He handed those out like candy.

So today was supposed to be a Freedom Fest 2009 event at Shady Brook Farms here locally.  We were going to head there to set up a table for NRA, but when we got there, it looks like any given Saturday at Shady Brook, with people buying plants, perennials, and various other things for the garden.

Took a look around their store, bought some jams and jellies, went and looked around some more.  No Freedom Fest to be found.  What about the invited speakers?  Was it moved?  Was it in the back?  If it was there and I missed it, there were no signs out or directions.

I’m sitting here in my house, in Pennsylvania, in late April, and am sweltering.  Global warming is killing us all!  The high today topped at 93.  Since I’ve lost a few trees, I’m finding my house not as well insulated as I originally thought.  Upstairs was getting close to the outside temperature, where my house used to stay pretty cool.   That’s disappointing.

It’s way too early to start thinking about getting the AC units in the windows (I don’t have central air, but my house is small enough that a few window units accomplish the same thing), but it feels like friggin July.  In fact, even July isn’t usually this hot.  I guess it’s good acclimation for Phoenix, assuming we’re not all dropping dead of Mexican Swine Flu by then.

I like music.  Probably not something I share with folks often on here.  From the time I was five years old, I took classical piano.  Except for a few years in my pre-teens, I took lessons continuously through to almost being done college.  I was told I was good.  Last recital I gave was at 22, which if I recall, I performed Debussy’s Estampes, “Jardins sous la pluie.” and Chopin’s Military Polonaise.

One of my great regrets was not keeping up with it.  It’s not like riding a bicycle.  After a while, the muscles in your fingers forget how to play.  You lose ability rapidly.  On a day or so’s notice, I can relearn some simple pieces, like the first movement to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (used to know the third, but I’d be damned surprised if I could get through the first few bars today.).  I still, in theory, know how to read music, but I doubt my fingers would work.  But I’m still an avid listener.

Anyway, I thought I’d spend a few Fridays sharing some musical recommendations for the weekend with you all.   Today’s recommendation is Violin Concerto in B Minor by Edward Elgar, performed by Izhak Perlman, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim, conducting.

Amazon sells it here, if your interested. Proceeds go to Bitter’s Amazon unemployment fund.

Elgar is an English composer probably best known for his work “Pomp and Circumstance,” which will be played at most graduations over the next two months, but though his Violin Concerto is lesser known, I think it’s one of his greatest works.

There hasn’t been much to say about our patio repairs because weather and the government have not been on our side.

With the beams finally in place, the roof on the short side finally extended out, and the new shingles on the entire thing, we were ready for our second inspection this week. What we were not ready for was the verdict.

Even though only about 5% of the actual structure is “new” (the roof extension of a few inches), the inspector refused to grandfather it in. Which means it must be up to today’s code in all ways. What does that mean? Well, hurricane clips and lag bolts to connect it the roof to the house. Now keep in mind that this structure has been sturdy and upright for years before Sebastian ever even moved into the house. Oh yeah, and we don’t get hit by hurricanes here. Or tornadoes. We get some strong winds every once in a while, but that’s it. This thing is not going to go flying down the neighborhood.

But it gets better.  The inspector decided that the plans his office previously approved were no longer good enough. Remember when I posted the excitement of the replacement beams? You probably didn’t notice the footers.  They were simple and subtle.  They would blend in well with anything.

Well, that footer is no more. The inspector demanded that the posts be completely removed and bolted to to the concrete and more securely to the roof. He said that if I kicked it, the beams might slide out. Talk about bullshit. So our contractor, poor guy, had to buy new materials and take out the beams so they now look like this.

I am not pleased. But, at least they will be covered.

So now we’re back on track and this is what it looked like yesterday: