Sunday, May 15, 2005
First week back
It's Sunday night, and the previous week, my first full one after Boomershoot, sucked.
Every post I've done since returning seems to be pissed-off to some extent. My review of the Boomershoot news coverage was exactly the type of thing I generally detest. Yes I am an absolutist, not I don't think it's going to happen tommorrow. So in the meantime, if you can get favorable coverage of any kind, don't bitch about it.
There were a couple of high points to the week. While I was away, the AC went out in a couple of zones on the building. While my upstairs apartment was cool, the unit that supplies the office that failed is on the roof. Therefore, in order to access it, I had AC guys camped out in my place for three days.
We needed a crane and all that (which costs a shitload.) All during which work sucked. Therefore, I did not converse with the AC guys at all, as I was in a shit mood.
On the final day of installation, shit got so bad I decided to take the Winchester 70 .270 in for a trigger job, as it shipped with a 75# trigger pull or something. I went up to my place (for those of you who don't get this, I rent the floor above my office) to bag up the .270 and take it to the gun shop. The minute I hit the second floor one of the AC guys, who'd been there for two days sporting a Remington cap (Duh) expressed interest in the pellet gun range and all the other shit I have lying around.
About an hour later we stopped talking. He is a die-hard Coyote killer. His preferred cartridge is 22-250 and is building a custom .280. This prompted a discussion on the 6.8 round, which is close to a .280. The guy was a Leupold addict as well but had never been able to even look down a Tactical M4 (he's got a wife and kids.) He'd also heard about a range opening up in his neck of the woods and I pulled all of the membership crap off of the web for him. I'll probably be shooting with the guy in the next several months.
From there, I went to the gun shop. This is where the story takes a turn for the worse.
I walk in and slap the rifle on the counter with the bolt open. It's a Wednesday afternoon, so there aren't that many customers and not that many employees. I wait for over half an hour.
This may usually be attributed to normal gun-shop etiquette. After all, I wasn't buying a gun, I need a $50 trigger job. But there is a catch and any of you who live in urban areas know what it is.
Next to me are 2 gang-bangers, dressed head to toe in Raiders gear. The whole time I'm standing there, they are checking out 1911's. It's impossible to ignore the moronic blather that is pouring forth.
"What's this?"
"Well, that's a beavertail grip safety."
"Why?" Etcetera, etc., etc....
When I finally look over, they are looking at some kind of match Kimber that runs about $1,800. Then they get into layaway plans. Then the idiot admits he's making a straw purchase for a "friend" (read underage guy who they jumped into their gang the night before.)
And then they leave. WITHOUT SPENDING A SINGLE FUCKING DOLLAR.
And then my transaction takes a minute and a half.
I hope this week is better, but I'm glad I met the AC guy in the middle of a shitty, self-absorbed week.
Every post I've done since returning seems to be pissed-off to some extent. My review of the Boomershoot news coverage was exactly the type of thing I generally detest. Yes I am an absolutist, not I don't think it's going to happen tommorrow. So in the meantime, if you can get favorable coverage of any kind, don't bitch about it.
There were a couple of high points to the week. While I was away, the AC went out in a couple of zones on the building. While my upstairs apartment was cool, the unit that supplies the office that failed is on the roof. Therefore, in order to access it, I had AC guys camped out in my place for three days.
We needed a crane and all that (which costs a shitload.) All during which work sucked. Therefore, I did not converse with the AC guys at all, as I was in a shit mood.
On the final day of installation, shit got so bad I decided to take the Winchester 70 .270 in for a trigger job, as it shipped with a 75# trigger pull or something. I went up to my place (for those of you who don't get this, I rent the floor above my office) to bag up the .270 and take it to the gun shop. The minute I hit the second floor one of the AC guys, who'd been there for two days sporting a Remington cap (Duh) expressed interest in the pellet gun range and all the other shit I have lying around.
About an hour later we stopped talking. He is a die-hard Coyote killer. His preferred cartridge is 22-250 and is building a custom .280. This prompted a discussion on the 6.8 round, which is close to a .280. The guy was a Leupold addict as well but had never been able to even look down a Tactical M4 (he's got a wife and kids.) He'd also heard about a range opening up in his neck of the woods and I pulled all of the membership crap off of the web for him. I'll probably be shooting with the guy in the next several months.
From there, I went to the gun shop. This is where the story takes a turn for the worse.
I walk in and slap the rifle on the counter with the bolt open. It's a Wednesday afternoon, so there aren't that many customers and not that many employees. I wait for over half an hour.
This may usually be attributed to normal gun-shop etiquette. After all, I wasn't buying a gun, I need a $50 trigger job. But there is a catch and any of you who live in urban areas know what it is.
Next to me are 2 gang-bangers, dressed head to toe in Raiders gear. The whole time I'm standing there, they are checking out 1911's. It's impossible to ignore the moronic blather that is pouring forth.
"What's this?"
"Well, that's a beavertail grip safety."
"Why?" Etcetera, etc., etc....
When I finally look over, they are looking at some kind of match Kimber that runs about $1,800. Then they get into layaway plans. Then the idiot admits he's making a straw purchase for a "friend" (read underage guy who they jumped into their gang the night before.)
And then they leave. WITHOUT SPENDING A SINGLE FUCKING DOLLAR.
And then my transaction takes a minute and a half.
I hope this week is better, but I'm glad I met the AC guy in the middle of a shitty, self-absorbed week.
