So the pentulent punk is stomping his foot again and threatening to issue executive orders. The pencilneck keeps forgetting that he can only order his staff around, you'd think a "constitutional scholar"would know that if he wanted to make law he should have stayed in the legislative branch. Of course he did nothing there, did he? Useless ass.
Seriously, if these idiots wanted to stop these spree shootings they'd end the gun free zones.There has been two mass shootings that's happened since the 1950s, The Tucson one where the Federal Judge was murdered and Gabby Whatshername wounded and that one in Austin where the guy with the brain tumor went up in the tower and started blasting. That's a gun free zone now, in the very early 1970s I worked on a shotgun in the shop on campus there. That was before academea lost it's collective mind.
Anyway, President Stompyfoot is wanting to issue orders to the people of the United States, forgetting who he is and who we are. Barry, try to remember where you live. You are not in Indonesia anymore. You don't give us orders, you would not like our answer.
You and your pals like to talk about the murder rate in the USA forgetting that the murder rate among us legal firearms owners is as low as anywhere in the world, lower than most countries. , there is one cohort in the country skewing the numbers but I cannot name it for fear of being named a racist. Funny, though, it's the same crowd screeching black lives matter.
Our guns didn't shoot those kids. Barry, you are a dumbass. Love, Peter.
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Is Anyone Out There?
I'm still wondering if it's worth trying to revive this blog. Once upon a time there was a Site Meter and I could see that a few people read this thing. Seems the dog ate Site Meter and so that's gone, and there are no comments, so, is this worth the effort?
Saturday, September 19, 2015
The Sharps Model of 1874
The Sharps is probably the most famous of the old west rifles that was the least made. It's roots were in a percussion breechloading rifle used in the War of Northern Aggression by the Blue, before the development of the brass reloadable cartridge. The Sharps model of 1848 was not liked by the big brass of the Army, it was too easy to fire quickly and the high brass feared that the troops would waste ammunition. It was also much more costly to make that the muzzle loaders of the day. Only the Berdan Sharpshooter 1st and 2nd Regiments were issued these rifles although a few other volunteer outfits bought them. I sometime wonder how much the war would have been shortened had the government gone ahead and spent the money for the more expensive rifles for all the troops.
Oh, the word Sharpshooter had nothing to do with the fact that they shot the Sharps, it's derived from the German, "scharfschutze" long before Christian Sharps was ever born.
Post Civil War and the Great Westward Expansion there were two major stumbling blocks in the way, the American Bison and the "Indian" tribes. There were simply no fences that could stop a buffalo herd from going where it wished, eating and trampling crops and causing domestic cows to join the herds. not to mention the odd notions of the tribes thinking they had the rights to the land.
The Army having pee-poor luck at corralling the tribes the idea came along to exterminate the buffalo and the Great Slaughter began. It started slow with just a few hunters supplying meat for the railroad crews building the rails 'cross the plains, then someone figured out how to tan the hides of the great shaggy beasts and make the leather for the drive belts of the great factories of America.
The Sharps was initially chambered in .40 and .44 calibers in two lengths and then, soon in .45 and .50 calibers. The initial cartridges were bottle necked, only later did they discover that bottle necked cartridges stocked with black powder give accuracy destroying hard fouling just in front of the case neck. We still aren't sure exactly why. At any rate the forty caliber cartridges were mostly for target and hunting smaller game, few thought they were big enough for buffalo, elk and the great bears of the West. We call the cartridges today by their caliber and powder charge, ie. .44-77, .45-70, etc. Back then they called them by the caliber and case length, .44, 2 1/4, and 45-2.1 No matter what you called them the old buffalo rounds flung a chunk of lead weighing an ounce or more at something over the speed of sound.
Oh, the word Sharpshooter had nothing to do with the fact that they shot the Sharps, it's derived from the German, "scharfschutze" long before Christian Sharps was ever born.
Post Civil War and the Great Westward Expansion there were two major stumbling blocks in the way, the American Bison and the "Indian" tribes. There were simply no fences that could stop a buffalo herd from going where it wished, eating and trampling crops and causing domestic cows to join the herds. not to mention the odd notions of the tribes thinking they had the rights to the land.
The Army having pee-poor luck at corralling the tribes the idea came along to exterminate the buffalo and the Great Slaughter began. It started slow with just a few hunters supplying meat for the railroad crews building the rails 'cross the plains, then someone figured out how to tan the hides of the great shaggy beasts and make the leather for the drive belts of the great factories of America.
The Sharps factory started converting it's percussion rifles to cartridge soon after the war but between 1869 and 1871 they start making what became known as the 1874. It doesn't have to make sense, it started when there was no model number. It was only later when they started calling it the 1874, when they developed another, less popular, model, the model of 1877.
The Sharps was initially chambered in .40 and .44 calibers in two lengths and then, soon in .45 and .50 calibers. The initial cartridges were bottle necked, only later did they discover that bottle necked cartridges stocked with black powder give accuracy destroying hard fouling just in front of the case neck. We still aren't sure exactly why. At any rate the forty caliber cartridges were mostly for target and hunting smaller game, few thought they were big enough for buffalo, elk and the great bears of the West. We call the cartridges today by their caliber and powder charge, ie. .44-77, .45-70, etc. Back then they called them by the caliber and case length, .44, 2 1/4, and 45-2.1 No matter what you called them the old buffalo rounds flung a chunk of lead weighing an ounce or more at something over the speed of sound.
When the Army developed the .45-70 round it soon became popular in the Sharps, also, as well as the previous government cartridge, the .50-70. Hunters discovered there was little difference between the .44 and .45 calibers but the fifties showed a marked increase in killing power. There were two cartridges in .50 caliber, the .50-70 and .50-90. Both were referred to as the Big Fifty. The .50-90 was the rifle a feller named Billy Dixon picked up at the battle of Adobe Walls in June of 1874. Twenty-eight buffalo hunters and traders held of some 700 odd Comanches and Kiowas. A hunter, late famous scout. Billy shot a Medicine Man off is horse at a later surveyed distance of 1538 yards. Dixon later won the Medal of Honor at the Buffalo Wallow fight as an Army scout.
The Sharps Company was essentially a custom shop in it's heyday, making it's rifles essentially to order A buffalo gun was usually heavy, at least twelve pounds, going up to as much as twenty to reduce recoil over long strings of shots.Barrels were usually octagonal, thirty inches or so long.If memory serves 34 or 36 was the maximum offered. Double set triggers were an extra cost option but were usually ordered. The standard sights were a buckhorn rear and a post front ut almost all the ones shipped to the buffalo hunters went with tang rear and globe front sights, or the telescopic sights of the day.
A Sharps fitted for the buffalo range would cost two months wages of a factory worker, three times that with a telescope. Yet a hunter with a crew of skinners could make that in two days. A bufflo running crew would consist of one or more hunters, at least two skinners per hunter and a cook.
Sharps were not the only buffalo gun of the west, there were a lot of Trapdoor Springfields, Remington Rolling Blocks and Ballards out there, too but the Sharps is the most famous.
The great buffalo herds were wiped out by the time anyone built a lever action repeater strong enough for the buffalo cartridges By then Sharps had closed it's doors, literally having killed the reason for it's being. They like to say that Winchester was the gun that won the west. Sharps made the west safe for Winchester. Without the big buffalo cartridges the anemic Winchester shooters would have been trampled into mush.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Trump
The Donald is still, when last I heard, leading in the Republican polls and the Washington Republicans are in a quandary about it all, they simply cannot understand.
After all, there is no record of Trump being conservative, or even being center-right, if anything he's always been a crony capitalist. A little history might be in order. In '06 the economy was doing fine and somehow a bunch of wild eye leftists took over Congress and promptly torpedoed the whole economy, Bush didn't help much what with being busy trying to win in the Mideast.
When, in '08 leftist notions killed the housing market, dragging the rest of the economy down the media dubbed it the Bush recession, paving the way for a pair of leftist Dems with no record of ever doing anything useful fighting it out for the nomination. The political party that trademarked the Republican War on Women decided on a strategy of bros before hos and nominated our current Golfer in Chief and kept both houses of Congress, the next couple of years were a nightmare for the economy.
So, we sent Republicans to take over the House. They immediately elected a gelding as Speaker.Instead of fighting, he rolled over. Sometimes he cried on TV.
Meanwhile the White House and the media kept on blaming Bush for all the problems .The Washington Republicans did nothing. We got this new "health care" bill passed that somehow gave no care to anyone but did cancel the policies of millions of citizens.
Came another election, a presidential one and somehow we got another it's his turn Republican that the base couldn't stand.He would only attack other Republicans, never seemed to fight for our side. Somehow, a large portion of the base stayed home on election day and the Pipsqueak in Chief pulled it out. We had several Republican candidates for the Senate that the Washington Repicans found beneath them and did not support and so the Dems kept the Senate although they lost seats and they lost governors and did not regain the House.
Teh Republicans in Washington kept crying tears the sie of horse turds, saying things like that nastty TEA Party won't support us when they, themselves would not support Republican TEA Party candidates.
Finally came the 2012 election when Republicans won both houses of Congress, finally controlling the purse strings and able to fight back, as they had said they had to. "If only we had both houses we could do something" They did nothing. They are still doing nothing.
Want to know why trump? Why a crony capitalist with no record of conservatism is ahead? It's simple, it's the geldings in the Washington, DC wing of the Republican Party. We little people have given you our money and our votes and you've pissed them away, over and over. That's why Trump.
After all, there is no record of Trump being conservative, or even being center-right, if anything he's always been a crony capitalist. A little history might be in order. In '06 the economy was doing fine and somehow a bunch of wild eye leftists took over Congress and promptly torpedoed the whole economy, Bush didn't help much what with being busy trying to win in the Mideast.
When, in '08 leftist notions killed the housing market, dragging the rest of the economy down the media dubbed it the Bush recession, paving the way for a pair of leftist Dems with no record of ever doing anything useful fighting it out for the nomination. The political party that trademarked the Republican War on Women decided on a strategy of bros before hos and nominated our current Golfer in Chief and kept both houses of Congress, the next couple of years were a nightmare for the economy.
So, we sent Republicans to take over the House. They immediately elected a gelding as Speaker.Instead of fighting, he rolled over. Sometimes he cried on TV.
Meanwhile the White House and the media kept on blaming Bush for all the problems .The Washington Republicans did nothing. We got this new "health care" bill passed that somehow gave no care to anyone but did cancel the policies of millions of citizens.
Came another election, a presidential one and somehow we got another it's his turn Republican that the base couldn't stand.He would only attack other Republicans, never seemed to fight for our side. Somehow, a large portion of the base stayed home on election day and the Pipsqueak in Chief pulled it out. We had several Republican candidates for the Senate that the Washington Repicans found beneath them and did not support and so the Dems kept the Senate although they lost seats and they lost governors and did not regain the House.
Teh Republicans in Washington kept crying tears the sie of horse turds, saying things like that nastty TEA Party won't support us when they, themselves would not support Republican TEA Party candidates.
Finally came the 2012 election when Republicans won both houses of Congress, finally controlling the purse strings and able to fight back, as they had said they had to. "If only we had both houses we could do something" They did nothing. They are still doing nothing.
Want to know why trump? Why a crony capitalist with no record of conservatism is ahead? It's simple, it's the geldings in the Washington, DC wing of the Republican Party. We little people have given you our money and our votes and you've pissed them away, over and over. That's why Trump.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Winchester 92 Short Rifle
In the spring Maria Isabella and I decided to take a trip, she had some surgery coming up and, at our age such things are always a crapshoot so we wanted a fling, just in case. So we took a drive out to Grand Junction, Colorado with a stop in Dodge City on the waay. We first stopped in Dodge city, it looked nothing like the set in Gunsmoke. I guess Climate Change has made the difference.
The main purpose of the trip was to look at a rifle we wanted to buy, a little Winchester model 2 short rifle, the takedown model. We drove out, looked at it, shot it and then, when we got home, jumped through all the hoops and bought it. It is one of the new ones built in Japan in the .45 Colt cartridge, something that Winchester never did from 1892 to 1942 during the original run of these rifles and carbines. Notice that it has the rifle buttplate and the octagonal barrel.
When we left Grand Junction we drove to Denver and saw one of Maria's brothers, then wnded our way toward home, slowly. We spent a night in a postage stamp sized room just inside Kansas and then saw Hays, drove into Wichita, spent the night and saw the old cowtown there. Then we stopped and bought a hatand a couple of oversized bandannas at a hat and westernwear shop, plus a pie safe and shoe shine bucket at an antique shop.
It was a fun trip, even though no one in Dodge City ever could explain why a US Marshall was throwing the town drunk in jail. We spent my birthday there and every time I turned around Izzy was making total strangers sing happy birthday to me. By the time my birthday was over I wanted a divorce and we weren't even married yet. My next birthday we are not leaving the house.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Is This Worth Reviving?
Hello, world. I've been out of pocket for almost two years now, recovering from my late wife's death.I'm wondering if this blog is worth trying to revive or if, perhaps I should start a new one or just keep on with Facebook with family.
Those who have been through this know just how depressing loss of a spouse is. I will not claim any great strength but I did manage to avoid drink and drugs, that might count for a little something. I can only credit a loving and benevolent God.
In the Spring of 14 I started digging my way out of the hole. First thing I did was go buy a Pug puppy that helped me get out of myself a little. Then I joined a couple of Internet dating sites, nothing much came of it for a while until the Fall of '14 when I met a lady. The first thing she did was force me to get off the dime and go see my Congresscritter about why my VA pension was still in limbo after over two years.
Next thing I knew I had 100% VA disability pension sitting in my bank account, backdated. So, she took some of it and bought us a Sharps buffalo gun. So I did the only thing I could think to do, I married her. Any woman that can buy a Sharps is a definite keeper.
So, now we're looking for a new, improved Resume Speed, Texas, one with room to shoot a big rifle. We may have found it, thirteen acres with a house, barn and stock pond.
The top picture is us in the Long Branch Saloon in Doge City on a late spring trip.
So, I'm wanting to start writing some. Should I stick with Facebook? Start a new blog or try to revive this one? There will be lots of adventures, learning to load a real buffalo gun cartridge with black powder and lead bullets, other things like moving.
Those who have been through this know just how depressing loss of a spouse is. I will not claim any great strength but I did manage to avoid drink and drugs, that might count for a little something. I can only credit a loving and benevolent God.
In the Spring of 14 I started digging my way out of the hole. First thing I did was go buy a Pug puppy that helped me get out of myself a little. Then I joined a couple of Internet dating sites, nothing much came of it for a while until the Fall of '14 when I met a lady. The first thing she did was force me to get off the dime and go see my Congresscritter about why my VA pension was still in limbo after over two years.
Next thing I knew I had 100% VA disability pension sitting in my bank account, backdated. So, she took some of it and bought us a Sharps buffalo gun. So I did the only thing I could think to do, I married her. Any woman that can buy a Sharps is a definite keeper.
So, now we're looking for a new, improved Resume Speed, Texas, one with room to shoot a big rifle. We may have found it, thirteen acres with a house, barn and stock pond.
The top picture is us in the Long Branch Saloon in Doge City on a late spring trip.
So, I'm wanting to start writing some. Should I stick with Facebook? Start a new blog or try to revive this one? There will be lots of adventures, learning to load a real buffalo gun cartridge with black powder and lead bullets, other things like moving.
Saturday, October 05, 2013
Dear Barry, Yet Again
Barry, I know I haven't written you lately although I'm pretty sure the NSA keeps you updated on what we in flyover country are up too, but there are a couple of things that seem to have slipped your mind. I know you are busy, what with golf and multimillion dollar vacations so let me remind you of a few things.
You still claim to be a constitutional scholar so first let me remind you that all spending bills must originate in the House. I'm pretty sure this means that if the House decides not to fund something, that's it. No matter what law has been passed in the past, if the House votes not to fund, that law is dead.
In the proudest moment since the Democrat Party formed the Klu Klux Klan in the aftermath of the War Between The States The Democrat House voted to deny funding to the US Government to supply ammunition and naval and air power to the Republic of Viet Nam. (And who in spell check world decided that the old two word name would become one word ?) Remember that, Barry? That wasn't just "the law of the land". that was a ratified treaty. And yet, your team shut that down. So, shut up and do your job.
Further, Barry, those open air monuments are not yours. They are ours. You don't get to run us off our own property. And now you're trying to close the ocean down in Florida. What's next, hold your breatth until you turn blue? Barry, stop acting like a two year old, it's not becoming.
Last Barry, stop lying so much. That must have been a powerful strong lightening rod over there when you claimed to have bent over backwards to work with Republicans. Barry, I hate to tell you this but you'll go to Hell for lying just the same as if you were stealing chickens.
Barry, you are not a kid anymore. You don't really have to be a douchecanoe your whole life.
Oh, and Barry, think what will happen to your pension if you keep jerking us around.
You still claim to be a constitutional scholar so first let me remind you that all spending bills must originate in the House. I'm pretty sure this means that if the House decides not to fund something, that's it. No matter what law has been passed in the past, if the House votes not to fund, that law is dead.
In the proudest moment since the Democrat Party formed the Klu Klux Klan in the aftermath of the War Between The States The Democrat House voted to deny funding to the US Government to supply ammunition and naval and air power to the Republic of Viet Nam. (And who in spell check world decided that the old two word name would become one word ?) Remember that, Barry? That wasn't just "the law of the land". that was a ratified treaty. And yet, your team shut that down. So, shut up and do your job.
Further, Barry, those open air monuments are not yours. They are ours. You don't get to run us off our own property. And now you're trying to close the ocean down in Florida. What's next, hold your breatth until you turn blue? Barry, stop acting like a two year old, it's not becoming.
Last Barry, stop lying so much. That must have been a powerful strong lightening rod over there when you claimed to have bent over backwards to work with Republicans. Barry, I hate to tell you this but you'll go to Hell for lying just the same as if you were stealing chickens.
Barry, you are not a kid anymore. You don't really have to be a douchecanoe your whole life.
Oh, and Barry, think what will happen to your pension if you keep jerking us around.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Two Steps Foward, A Step And A Half Back
I made it back to the VA yesterday , seems as if I'm still alive. Then I drove up to my daughter and her family for a visit. They are nice enough to have put me on their family plan so now I have a new phone and number. Friends and relatives should e-mail me for the number. Not that it will do much good, seems I spend abouut half my time wandering through the house looking for where I left it.
The VA is sending me all my private doctor records so that I can use them to file for my service connected disability. I'm not sure what my percentage will be, it depends on how the various problems will build up. Each of my ailments will be a certain percentage. We'll see.
I was working on the paperwork for my cut of Linda Lou's postal pension when I reached an impasse. Seems I can't find the checkbook or the box with the bazillion new checks so I can't finish that until morning. Well more likely afternoon since I do not seem to do mornings very well. Linda Lou could always find stuff. Each day I remember ways in which I needed her. Of course I always paid for her finding things with many rude comments.
The VA is sending me all my private doctor records so that I can use them to file for my service connected disability. I'm not sure what my percentage will be, it depends on how the various problems will build up. Each of my ailments will be a certain percentage. We'll see.
I was working on the paperwork for my cut of Linda Lou's postal pension when I reached an impasse. Seems I can't find the checkbook or the box with the bazillion new checks so I can't finish that until morning. Well more likely afternoon since I do not seem to do mornings very well. Linda Lou could always find stuff. Each day I remember ways in which I needed her. Of course I always paid for her finding things with many rude comments.
Friday, September 06, 2013
So, Which Side Do We Bomb?
So Obama and some of the left want to bomb Syria. On one side in Syria are the Ba'athist bunch of Assad, only a step or two removed from the old National Socialists of Germany. On the other side are the people allied with the alQ bunch. In the middle are the ordinary people trying to live their lives and raise their families.
So Obama wants to send some of those very expensive cruise missiles over there but has promised to not send enough to really change anything. On May the seventh, 1965 another Democrat decided to send me, and a whole bunch of other people somewhere far away but promising to not really hurt Uncle Ho. Remember how that worked out?
Pinpricks may work in acupuncture but they do nothing in warfare. Especially when one does not know whom one is to shoot. Assuming we could decide which side to shoot, there is no upside for America. Nor an upside for the ordinary humans of the area. If we should destroy the alQ types fighting Assad that strengthens Iran which helps America, how? If we should destroy Assad that puts the alQ types in charge of yet another area of the world. That helps America, how?
If we simply degrade Assad's government but not enough to let the alQ types win, that simply lengthens the fighting. That helps, um, that helps, well I just don't know. Maybe someone in one of those seven States of the USA that only Obama knows about.
The last thing I know about this mess is that if we weaken Assad the Islamist opposition will have more strength to spend on murdering the local Christians, which seems to be their favorite sport.
Excuse me for not getting really excited. about intervening.
So Obama wants to send some of those very expensive cruise missiles over there but has promised to not send enough to really change anything. On May the seventh, 1965 another Democrat decided to send me, and a whole bunch of other people somewhere far away but promising to not really hurt Uncle Ho. Remember how that worked out?
Pinpricks may work in acupuncture but they do nothing in warfare. Especially when one does not know whom one is to shoot. Assuming we could decide which side to shoot, there is no upside for America. Nor an upside for the ordinary humans of the area. If we should destroy the alQ types fighting Assad that strengthens Iran which helps America, how? If we should destroy Assad that puts the alQ types in charge of yet another area of the world. That helps America, how?
If we simply degrade Assad's government but not enough to let the alQ types win, that simply lengthens the fighting. That helps, um, that helps, well I just don't know. Maybe someone in one of those seven States of the USA that only Obama knows about.
The last thing I know about this mess is that if we weaken Assad the Islamist opposition will have more strength to spend on murdering the local Christians, which seems to be their favorite sport.
Excuse me for not getting really excited. about intervening.
Thursday, September 05, 2013
Got My Internet At Home Back
When I called yesterday to make a (partial) payment on my bill I cried about not having my at home Internet working. They sent a tech and and it's going now.
In other news I am almost finished filling out the paperwork to get my little sliver of Linda Lou's pension, not a whole lot but it will help. And it's a week and five days before I get up to the kids and pick up my new phone, when I have it and figure out the number I'll pass it on to folks who know me. If I forget anyone, e-mail me.
At about the end of last month I had my 28th AA "birthday" and then Saturday evening I went to my group's Birthday meeting. It starts earlier than most of the meetings here, with a covered dish supper. I decided to make a big pot of thick chicken noodle soup so I did. Then I loaded a box of crackers, my pepper mill and my shaker full of sea salt in the van, went back in, got the big pot o' soup, set in down on a chair on the deck, closed and locked the door, got in the van and drove to the meeting. When I got home the soup was still sitting on that chair. Foo. Oh well, I froze some, ate some and there are still a couple of bowls left.
Today is my sister, Carolyn's birthday, Happy Birthday, Sis! She is the reason Mom didn't feel like a total failure as a parent. Me? Mom used to make a few buck renting me out for a bad example.
In other news I am almost finished filling out the paperwork to get my little sliver of Linda Lou's pension, not a whole lot but it will help. And it's a week and five days before I get up to the kids and pick up my new phone, when I have it and figure out the number I'll pass it on to folks who know me. If I forget anyone, e-mail me.
At about the end of last month I had my 28th AA "birthday" and then Saturday evening I went to my group's Birthday meeting. It starts earlier than most of the meetings here, with a covered dish supper. I decided to make a big pot of thick chicken noodle soup so I did. Then I loaded a box of crackers, my pepper mill and my shaker full of sea salt in the van, went back in, got the big pot o' soup, set in down on a chair on the deck, closed and locked the door, got in the van and drove to the meeting. When I got home the soup was still sitting on that chair. Foo. Oh well, I froze some, ate some and there are still a couple of bowls left.
Today is my sister, Carolyn's birthday, Happy Birthday, Sis! She is the reason Mom didn't feel like a total failure as a parent. Me? Mom used to make a few buck renting me out for a bad example.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Bumped The Sat Dish for the Intertoobz With The Mower. Pills In The Mailbox.
I got my mountain of pills in the mail from the VA. The good news is that the poor, long-suffering taxpayer is giving them to me. The bad news is that they've switched a few of the pills and I'm having to re-acclimate to the new ones. So I'm kind of sleepy and unmotivated.
In other news, either we bumped the sat receiver with the lawn tractor or the ground has shifted, still have to go next door with the laptop to get the Internet. Not so bad, I'm getting some extra reading in. Other than that, nothing much going on.
In other news, either we bumped the sat receiver with the lawn tractor or the ground has shifted, still have to go next door with the laptop to get the Internet. Not so bad, I'm getting some extra reading in. Other than that, nothing much going on.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Sunspots Or Something.
For some reason I cannot connect with the Internet at home, believe it's some kind of solar flares or sunspots or something. carried the laptop over here to Patsy's, along with a crockpot full of chili and beans. She's providing the corn tortillas. Not the best I've ever made but not the worst, either.
I went to the VA Hospital for my vesting physical, my health care will be provided by the US Government. So I win that one. Hopefully I won't be going to that VA Hospital where they use unsterile colonoscopy things.
Next month I start fighting about a disability pension.
I went to the VA Hospital for my vesting physical, my health care will be provided by the US Government. So I win that one. Hopefully I won't be going to that VA Hospital where they use unsterile colonoscopy things.
Next month I start fighting about a disability pension.
Friday, August 09, 2013
Mind Like A Chicken!
I had my appointment with the VA for mty vesting physical, the one where I beg and plead for them to take over my medical care as my monthly pills run half of my income.
Now I had the paper from the VA, I had a postcard from the VA, both telling me the time, place and date. So I took a long nap, got up and stayed awake the rest of the night so I wouldn't oversleep/
So, I got there a full half hour before the time, only to discover I was there on the wrong day, I should have been there the day before. Now I have been reading for over sixty years, someone please tell me why I cannot read and understand the dates on, not one but two, printed documents.
They were kind enough to do my lab work, anyway and one of the ladies told me to go up to the clinic I had been supposed to go and talk to them. The receptionist there told me that I had been rescheduled for about two weeks away. I explained that I was out of around half of my pills and had almost no money.I then proceeded to do some world-class begging, pleading and groveling. She put me in a (rare) weekend slot for tomorrow morning. So I'm going to lie down for a long nap and then stay up until it's time to go to Dallas, again.
Wish me luck.
Now I had the paper from the VA, I had a postcard from the VA, both telling me the time, place and date. So I took a long nap, got up and stayed awake the rest of the night so I wouldn't oversleep/
So, I got there a full half hour before the time, only to discover I was there on the wrong day, I should have been there the day before. Now I have been reading for over sixty years, someone please tell me why I cannot read and understand the dates on, not one but two, printed documents.
They were kind enough to do my lab work, anyway and one of the ladies told me to go up to the clinic I had been supposed to go and talk to them. The receptionist there told me that I had been rescheduled for about two weeks away. I explained that I was out of around half of my pills and had almost no money.I then proceeded to do some world-class begging, pleading and groveling. She put me in a (rare) weekend slot for tomorrow morning. So I'm going to lie down for a long nap and then stay up until it's time to go to Dallas, again.
Wish me luck.
Saturday, August 03, 2013
I'm Just Fine, Except...
I got an E-mail note from the un-named blogger at Middleoftheright.blogspot.com wondering how I'm doing. I guess I'm doing as well as one could expect.
I'm somewhat depressed, of course, lonely and am still fighting to get my money straight. This coming Thursday I report to the VA Hospital n Dallas for the physical where I beg the grateful Nation for my monthly supply o' pills. Assuming this works I'll be okay. As it is, my pills run about half of my disposable income.
I'm still wrestling with the government over the $349.00 a month from Linda Lou's pension that I'm supposed to be getting. After I taked to them they promised to get it to me within a month. Instead, of course, they took the deposit from my bank account. Oh well, And then the air conditioner in the front of the house died.
I do have the bedroom air still going and plenty of fans so I'm still doing better than, say, Wyatt Earp. I'm very pleased that we bought the lot with the big oak tees, they shade the house in the afternoon.
After I get the VA Medical straightened out then I start fighting about the disability pension from the VA. I'm told that I am an automatic lock for some 20-40 percent disability and I am working with a guy who swears up and down that he can get me a hundred percent.I'm not sure that I deserve a hundred percent but I would be as happy as a pig in clean mud with a big bucket of fresh slop if I could get fifty.
So, anyhow, it's just a matter of time before the money worries are straightened out. Until then it's just a matter of one foot in front of the other. My mind is a lot easier when I remember to count my blessings and thank the Lord for them.
Oddly I have much of Linda Lou's stuff cleaned out but the house seems more cluttered than ever. Oh well, that too will come together.
These are only some of my blessings.
Update, 8/3/13: The neighbor fellow that is a journeyman plumber and an apprentice electrician fixed my air. I am truly blessed.
I'm somewhat depressed, of course, lonely and am still fighting to get my money straight. This coming Thursday I report to the VA Hospital n Dallas for the physical where I beg the grateful Nation for my monthly supply o' pills. Assuming this works I'll be okay. As it is, my pills run about half of my disposable income.
I'm still wrestling with the government over the $349.00 a month from Linda Lou's pension that I'm supposed to be getting. After I taked to them they promised to get it to me within a month. Instead, of course, they took the deposit from my bank account. Oh well, And then the air conditioner in the front of the house died.
I do have the bedroom air still going and plenty of fans so I'm still doing better than, say, Wyatt Earp. I'm very pleased that we bought the lot with the big oak tees, they shade the house in the afternoon.
After I get the VA Medical straightened out then I start fighting about the disability pension from the VA. I'm told that I am an automatic lock for some 20-40 percent disability and I am working with a guy who swears up and down that he can get me a hundred percent.I'm not sure that I deserve a hundred percent but I would be as happy as a pig in clean mud with a big bucket of fresh slop if I could get fifty.
So, anyhow, it's just a matter of time before the money worries are straightened out. Until then it's just a matter of one foot in front of the other. My mind is a lot easier when I remember to count my blessings and thank the Lord for them.
Oddly I have much of Linda Lou's stuff cleaned out but the house seems more cluttered than ever. Oh well, that too will come together.
Update, 8/3/13: The neighbor fellow that is a journeyman plumber and an apprentice electrician fixed my air. I am truly blessed.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Stupid Bank. Stupid Government.
So Wednesday I was on my way to the VA Hospital in Dallas to apply for medical care, now that my insurance had changed my monthly pills went from around seventy five bucks a month to somewhere north of four hundred. On the way there I had stopped at the credit union to check out how I could keep track of my balace online the way Linda Lou used to. Well I found out that I cannot do that until I can take a death certificate there so I checked my balance while there, seems that I had two dollars in my account, instead of the seven hundred odd I was supposed to have. Seems that although the social security people put both our monthly deposit in on the day Linda Lou died, they have some way of taking that money back. I'm not sure how that works and that is another thing I cannot check until I get those copies of the death certificate.
Meanwhile, one of the things I cannot pay is the cell phone bill, along with my TV and internet. I'm not sure how long I'll have the online capability and I only have enough gas in the tank ror a half dozen trips to the nearest small town and library. It might be a pang without the intertoobz and the Western channel.
Oh well, there's plenty of food in the house and my power bill is paid up, along with the water, with food, A/C and water I'll make it. And there's enough food. I'll be digging into the emergency stash of pork'n'beans, Ramen, tuna and rice, along with the hamburger and chicken in the freezer.
Assuming I get my medical from the VA I'll have my social security and around three hundred and fifty per month from Linda Lou's pension. That's enough to live on a meager diet and no travel. I'm told that I have a couple of ailments that are presumed service connected for Viet Nam vets so I may eventually get a twenty to forty percent disability pension and that might mean I'll have a nice lower middle class income and, since the house, land and car are all paid for, with my income turning fairly comfortable. Until then, though, I'll be throwing around nickles like they were manhole covers.
The thing that is most annoying about this is that I was getting used to going to meetings again. Oh well, I'll muddke through, one way or another.
Meanwhile, one of the things I cannot pay is the cell phone bill, along with my TV and internet. I'm not sure how long I'll have the online capability and I only have enough gas in the tank ror a half dozen trips to the nearest small town and library. It might be a pang without the intertoobz and the Western channel.
Oh well, there's plenty of food in the house and my power bill is paid up, along with the water, with food, A/C and water I'll make it. And there's enough food. I'll be digging into the emergency stash of pork'n'beans, Ramen, tuna and rice, along with the hamburger and chicken in the freezer.
Assuming I get my medical from the VA I'll have my social security and around three hundred and fifty per month from Linda Lou's pension. That's enough to live on a meager diet and no travel. I'm told that I have a couple of ailments that are presumed service connected for Viet Nam vets so I may eventually get a twenty to forty percent disability pension and that might mean I'll have a nice lower middle class income and, since the house, land and car are all paid for, with my income turning fairly comfortable. Until then, though, I'll be throwing around nickles like they were manhole covers.
The thing that is most annoying about this is that I was getting used to going to meetings again. Oh well, I'll muddke through, one way or another.
Friday, July 05, 2013
Back To Going To Meetings.
It's been a while but I am back going to meetings, early in sobriety I was told that when one hits a rough patch, one should double up on AA meetings, so, there I was. Of course, some of the folks there don't really believe that someone with nearly twenty-eight years would still need support. Then I drove home at shortly after nine PM, didn't have it in me to stop near the lake and watch the fireworks, just drove home, picked up Bingo T. Pug, aka Lt. Commander Fatboy and went in and got online.
I have all of Linda Lou's clothes out of the big closet, and dunno what I'm gonna do with all that room. And am slowly moving all my socks and underwear out of the two bottom drawers into the whole Chester Drawers.Funny, I have T shirts that haven't been worn in multiple years. I do need to got to the Gold Toe sock store and pick up some more of those almost knee length boot socks. It's been almost ten years since I bought two bags of six pair each and the elastic is starting to give out. Those white cotton boot socks are the very best socks for those who wear boots.
Meanwhile I'm doing my best to load up a bunch of .38 and .357 ammo to send to North Carolina with the kids, they are going to caravan in two cars to see the number two boy and his family. Number two boy already has my old Marlin 1894C .357 carbine and the kids are taking Linda Lou's Model 60 S&W .38. I have five hundred ca'tridge cases cleaned up and primed, now all I gotta do is load 'em up.
I also have to write to get my DD214 and see if I can get a little help from the VA for the Peter's Semi-Portable Pharmacy. Since my insurance has changed my monthly ton o' pills has gone from around seventy-five dollars to nearly four hundred. For this I thank Obamacare. I'm kind of used to politicians lying but to have this abortion of a bill called the "Affordable Care Act" is a new low even for Democrats.
I have all of Linda Lou's clothes out of the big closet, and dunno what I'm gonna do with all that room. And am slowly moving all my socks and underwear out of the two bottom drawers into the whole Chester Drawers.Funny, I have T shirts that haven't been worn in multiple years. I do need to got to the Gold Toe sock store and pick up some more of those almost knee length boot socks. It's been almost ten years since I bought two bags of six pair each and the elastic is starting to give out. Those white cotton boot socks are the very best socks for those who wear boots.
Meanwhile I'm doing my best to load up a bunch of .38 and .357 ammo to send to North Carolina with the kids, they are going to caravan in two cars to see the number two boy and his family. Number two boy already has my old Marlin 1894C .357 carbine and the kids are taking Linda Lou's Model 60 S&W .38. I have five hundred ca'tridge cases cleaned up and primed, now all I gotta do is load 'em up.
I also have to write to get my DD214 and see if I can get a little help from the VA for the Peter's Semi-Portable Pharmacy. Since my insurance has changed my monthly ton o' pills has gone from around seventy-five dollars to nearly four hundred. For this I thank Obamacare. I'm kind of used to politicians lying but to have this abortion of a bill called the "Affordable Care Act" is a new low even for Democrats.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Just Numb
Yesterday I went to Dean and Stephanie's house to meet with all four of Linda Lou's children, my stepchildren and her two nephews and her niece. That was the closest thing the family will have to a funeral for we do not believe in enriching funeral directors. Some day soon we'll have a little get-together of our friends in the Program for Linda Lou died with almost 25 and a half years clean and sober. Someday I will tell some of those stories, I'm not quite ready yet, although I told a couple of those stories to the kids, along with how I threw her number 2 boy out of the house for farting in my face and laughing about it, several times. Only my near-legendary patience and gentleness allows that boy to now have five kids. Note: I only threw him out once, he farted several times, due to my position, and his, he was farting in my face so, out he went.
Anyhow, I', still pretty numb, I'm not sure how long it takes to process this. I have just barely started to pack up her clothes, took a batch of her house dresses to our neighbor Patsy and am going to be shocked at how much space I'll have in the closet.
So, don't expect much from here until I'm ready to put out the ad:
Help wanted: Chubby girl with low morals, must have a passion for housecleaning.
Anyhow, I', still pretty numb, I'm not sure how long it takes to process this. I have just barely started to pack up her clothes, took a batch of her house dresses to our neighbor Patsy and am going to be shocked at how much space I'll have in the closet.
So, don't expect much from here until I'm ready to put out the ad:
Help wanted: Chubby girl with low morals, must have a passion for housecleaning.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Linda Lou Davis. 11/23/45-6/26/13
Linda went home today, about thirty minutes after they disconnected the ventilator. I discovered that they could not do the tracheostomy because they were sure she would have died during the procedure. At any rate she never regained consciousness and died peacefully. The hospital people did everything they could think of.
Linda Lou was the daughter of Emit Elmer and Jesse Mae Henderson, sister of Martha Wilson, mother of Andy Romero, Robin Corner, Michael Corner and Stephanie Rosnett. Granny to nine hairy legged boys and two beautiful girls. Wife to a guy who never did deserve her.
Linda Lou was the daughter of Emit Elmer and Jesse Mae Henderson, sister of Martha Wilson, mother of Andy Romero, Robin Corner, Michael Corner and Stephanie Rosnett. Granny to nine hairy legged boys and two beautiful girls. Wife to a guy who never did deserve her.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Say Goodnight Linda Lou.
Well it's about over. Linda Lou's Kidneys have failed and her blood count has gone south. The Docs tell me that within five or six hours after we stop life support she'll be gone.
I'm keeping her on life support for long enough for the twins to get here.
I'm keeping her on life support for long enough for the twins to get here.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Very Slow Progress
This morning the hospital peeps lowered Linda Lou's Oxygen* level in her ventilator from 100% to 70% and her Oxygen levels in her blood stayed fine. So they then turned the sedative drip off to see how she would breathe on her own. That's when Stephanie and I went home for lunch.
We got back and the hospital staff had turned the sedative drip back on, seems that Linda Lou was struggling a little too much to breathe for them to be totally comfortable. Still they then cut the Oxygen level to 60% and her O2 blood level stayed good. So, I'm taking this as some more slow progress. Still I'd take it kindly if the prayer posse keeps at a steady canter.
* I can't remember, is Oxygen a common noun or a proper noun where the "O" should be capitalised? Lordy it's been a long time since high school English classes.
We got back and the hospital staff had turned the sedative drip back on, seems that Linda Lou was struggling a little too much to breathe for them to be totally comfortable. Still they then cut the Oxygen level to 60% and her O2 blood level stayed good. So, I'm taking this as some more slow progress. Still I'd take it kindly if the prayer posse keeps at a steady canter.
* I can't remember, is Oxygen a common noun or a proper noun where the "O" should be capitalised? Lordy it's been a long time since high school English classes.
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