All Things Rowdy

OK, maybe it's not a problem but it is something gross. And when is gross not a problem? What have I done gross lately? I ate pumpkin pie this morning with mold on it. Yep, I didn't store it right and it got to much moisture and coupled with 4 days on my kitchen counter...... well I was wondering why my breakfast tasted like acid. And I ate one piece before I figured it out. Yuck. Which is just as bad as the time I ate something else rotten. It was the day my first wife said, "I'm sick of you and I'm out of here." After recovering from that and the fact she'd totally emptied the bank account I needed to eat. What was the only thing left in the fridge? Slimy lettuce. Yep, I put dressing on it and ate almost half of it before giving up. Gross. Disgusting. Pathetic. Sad. So it was with great enjoyment that I drove around today eating from a big bag of candy that Super D had given me. Yumm! Sweet and non-rotten!!

I just ordered my Christmas cards. The printed part says " Merry Christmas. Only terrorists say happy holidays." Isn't that what xmas is all about? Co-opting things for your own benefit? Oh, and these are gonna be collectors items as there will only be 20 of them. I better not catch any of you selling them on ebay..............

Something you didn't know about Rowdy. SYDKAR. Though that might be my fake Norwegian name, Sydkar. Mr Sydkar. As for the something you might not have know about me is... where did all of my outdoorsy stuff come from? Well I had sporting relatives, active parents and grew up in largely rural areas. I had the "outdoors" of the Pacific Northwest at my fingertips growing up. But where did the real knowledge and experience come from? I was a Scout. Yep, me! I was a Cub Scout. A Boy Scout, the whole thing. Uniform, merit badges, summer camp. All of it. Heck, I actually was/am an Eagle Scout, having completed my project from my hospital bed. (I spent about 15% of my teenage years in the hospital and fully 30% of them 'sick') With that past experience and my penchant for fun, well guess what? Yes, yes this whole post seems to be about guessing, but humor me. I got asked to lead a Cub Scout pack in my area. So boys ages 8-11 who want to be Cub Scouts and possibly ...

Once you are good at something, the part of the internet dedicated to whatever you are good at, becomes incredibly lame. Especially, most especially, internet forums dedicated to your "thing". In my case, it is with motorcycles, jiu jitsu or guns. It's really amazing how across such varied interests that the same style of things and types of people show up. What originally starts as a place to ask questions, gain knowledge and develop a sense of community (the laudable goals) turns into asinine questions, ignorance, trolling and tearing something else down to build yourself up. I can see now why professionals in their respective areas avoid the internet in regards to their area of expertise.

You may say it is shallow, but if you do I don't think you know my history. The thing I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving is my physical body/health. I was told I could die. I was told I would never be the same again. I was told I could be a "nutritional cripple". I was told to be patient and hope for the best. Many people have diseases. Many people have physical limitations. Accidents, disease, war, amputations they all take a toll on your body. And one's mind. Spirit. Will. With 2010, 2011 spent extensively in illness, surgery, recovery, sadness and doubt I am truly thankful for where I am today, this day. I am able to eat solid food. I am able to exercise. I am able to wear normal clothes and appear to anyone as 'normal' on the outside. I process food better than I ever have in my entire life. I weigh 144lbs right now. Then: Now: I could expound upon the link and connection between my body, Crohns disease, emotion and my enjoyment of li...

Ok, don't all stories of 'freakiness' start with "so, I was looking on Craigslist..."? Well I was on there looking at stuff and in random boredom inspired browsing read an ad asking for people to join a group of Scrabble players. Benign right? Should be a bunch of totally normal, smart people right? If you've ever watched the movie Word Wars , then you should have known better and warned me. As I'd watched the movie and obviously forgotten. I went for my first time tonight and it was at an odd cafe/medical marijuana collective. All the food on the menu was named after old Communist theorists. Two old seemingly gay dudes. An extremely thin older woman, genius smart about Scrabble. Two college age Asian sisters who fit the definition of 'otaku'. And me. Maybe "freakshow" is a little bit of hyperbole, but yeah...... Or I could just be bitter in that they all trounced me. I should have known that would happen when each and every per...

So I bought a term life insurance policy in college, 20 year term for a benefit of $300,000. Took a physical, answered some questions and then it was done. Just pay the insurance company $26 a month for 20 years and if I died in that time then my beneficiaries would receive $300,000. Well ten years have gone by since I purchased it and I think I am going to live more than another ten years. So if I want to ensure I leave money to someone(s) when I finally lose the battle with life, I need to do something. For insurance companies, it is all about managing risk. They were betting I'd pay $26 a month for 20 years, or $6,240 without me dieing and them having to pay the claim. On my end, I'm hoping to give three hundred grand to someone(s) by dieing before then, essentially getting free money. I need something to replace that policy since I'm going to live longer than the remainder of the term. Doing some research my options came to this: -#1.Buy another 20 year term pol...

-Boot camp should really be called "booty" camp. I don't know if it is because a majority of the attendees are female, but there definitely seems to me an emphasis on exercises that work the posterior. OK, I'm getting a larger, more muscular booty. Such that my pants don't fit right. Is this a plus or minus? I don't know....... -I finished my shooting class this weekend. It was great! Totally revamping my training, again! Hahaha. It was great to shoot 1,000 rounds over two days with a professional looking at each shot, each drill, each movement and helping me to get better. The goal is now to win sharpshooter at a major match and then be Expert by Nationals in September. Rawr!! -I'm kinda glad I went to Israel 4 months ago, not right now. It'd be exciting but I also know what a pain it is to live in a war zone. -Copper, the metal. Not the so-so BBC show. Oh yeah! World Rowdy record. -Selling a cheap car on Craigslist is a pain in the rear. If I...

Each night I die a little. And I do not mean le petite mort made famous by the French. Dreaming my dreams, death comes to me almost each and every night. Stalking me. Sweats. Panting. Fear. Trembling. Two nights ago I sincerely believed I was dead. Not that I'd awakened but that I'd experienced the change in consciousness accompanying death. As I plummeted to my death in an airplane, screaming towards impact with San Diego I exclaimed "Oh God, forgive me!" Then all was black upon impact. And my certain death. I felt awake, no longer dreaming but yet all was black. My mind instantly pondered, is this what it is like to be dead? Finally a glimmer of light pierced the shades. A faint noise was heard. And like a character from Dickens or Poe, I realized it truly had been all in my mind. Night after night I suffer death in my dreams. Wild beasts, monsters, zombies, criminals, terrorists, natural disaster. And always I die........

This morning I was asked, "So what's your plan for the day?" Well at the time I was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of sweet cereal so I said, "Oh I don't know. Nothing or something, I'll figure it out." A few hours later I was irritated with myself that I had no coherent plan for my day. Irritated! So a little searching and I decide to work on some photography at the zoo. The world famous San Diego Zoo. Well let's just say that forgetting the right lens, leaving without making sure my battery was charged and my cell super low on power that I did not capture any world class photos. I saw lots of birds and sleeping animals. Or ones standing still with their butt towards me. Great subjects! A day pass is $42, so figure I spent ten dollars a hour while there and it suddenly didn't seem that overpriced of entertainment. Here they are, my best zoo photographs from today, with only my 18-55 lens on my dslr whose battery died after one hour. An...

So this year I am buying for myself my major xmas presents. I mean, I know what I want and where to get it better than anyone else. Right? Well I decided to put some of my guns up for sale and upgrade them to other ones. Giving myself a little extra cash to make it all happen. (they are still for sale if you live in san diego and want to buy something. just sayin') Evidently, all of San Diego has fallen for the hype that now is the time to buy a gun thanks to the presidential election. No other single reason was proffered by anyone I asked. Needless to say the result were gun store counters filled 3 deep with buyers all the way across. I had all my documents and stuff required for my purchases. I knew exactly what guns I wanted. And yet it still took 5 hours of my time in total between two stores to get these transactions completed. Black Friday pick ups will equal Merry Christmas to me!

To those who have served selflessly and honorably, thank you. From the Bible's New Testament, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And for my friends in JSOC, continue to keep us safe and keep things secret. Your sacrifices do not go unappreciated. Iconic picture for those in Baghdad. Shrapnel from a rocket that detonated very close to me as I walked through a field near Mosul. Unknown airfield, C130, me, Iraq.

Sorry that I haven't posted a pic lately. Let alone video... But I did finally learn that on my cell's camera I can adjust the white balance, the iso and other things! Sweet. Time to get a little more precise with that camera. And creative. First day of boot camp was today also. Having been a real athlete, then having health issues for two years and then basically resting for this year, well it was tough to begin a real exercise program. Go through the pain, thinking you'll die and eventually you're reborn. Also, winter vacation is set as well barring anything when booking and buying this weekend. The plan is to fly from San Diego to Frankfurt Germany. Then take the train to Strasbourg France to visit the Christmas market that has been extant since the 1500's. After two days there, then train trip to Vienna Austria. Culture and city sights. Two days in Vienna lead to a train trip to Budapest Hungary. Castle, opera, ballet. Then fly back to the US and A. Each...

Time to review my training and scheduling for shooting competition. Tactical Thursday. (if this bores you, the Thankful Thursday post below is better) Here is my competition schedule each month. 1st Saturday- SoCal Shooters up at the Prado Olympic Park in Corona. 2nd Saturday- San Diego Tactical Shooters up at Pala in north county. 3rd Saturday- Lemon Grove Gun Club over in Alpine. 4th Saturday- SDTS up in Pala near the casino of same name in north county. 5th Saturday- free or at the Linea del Fuego steel match. Pistol or shotgun. Here is my training schedule for the next couple months until revised. 1st week- reload drills 5 days. and shoot 125 rounds all head shots. 2nd week- transition and multiple target drills 3 days. shoot 125 live rounds weak hand only. 3rd week- draw drills 4 days. live fire practice, 125 rounds at 20 yards. 4th week- dry fire drills of complete course of fire. 125 rounds strong hand only. And as I've found you don't have to be very phy...

November is the month of one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving. I love the warmth, family, food, no need for presents, fall themes. Just everything about Thanksgiving normally gives me a warm feeling. This month it seems a lot of bloggers are posting something they are thankful for each day of the month. I think that is a great way to both inwardly and outwardly remember what has meaning for you. 'Cause if it doesn't matter, why be thankful for it? Right now I jokingly say my occupation is 'housewife', normally in a self deprecating way. But today I felt thankful for my 'housewife job'. How and why? Well I've had a lot of cool jobs in my life. I assembled furniture for my first real job. Not to bad, got to use tools and not deal with customers. I was a produce clerk for years. Stacked fruit, ate healthy and helped people pick out yummy good stuff for them to eat. And at the time it paid all my bills and gave me health insurance. I was a reception...

Here is a cut and paste from Slate.com that explains things in a way I'd never thought of. I did not vote for Obama either time, but this gives me a different perspective. Dear Republicans, Sorry about the election. I know how much it hurts when your presidential candidate loses. I’ve been there many times. You’re crestfallen. You can’t believe the public voted for that idiot. You fear for your country. Cheer up. The guy we just re-elected is a moderate Republican. I know how stupid that sounds. Barack Obama is the head of the Democratic Party. For five years, conservative politicians and media told you he was a raving socialist. In the heat of the campaign, when you’re trying to beat the guy, it’s hard to let go of that image of him, just as it’s hard for Democrats to see past the caricatures of Mitt Romney. But now that the campaign is over and you’re staring at a second Obama term, the falsity of the propaganda may come as a relief. By and large, Obama’s instincts are ...

So you might know I went to a shooting competition this past weekend in Phoenix. Entry fee $100. Gas, food, lodging $150. Ammunition $45. So with this almost $300 expenditure I got a raffle ticket. In which I won a 2 day advanced pistol training class here in San Diego with a company whose original name rhymed with 'stack hotter'. I actually know the instructor and have shot with him before. But it's been a nightmare to get signed up for my 'free' class. I not only need the regular details but also proof of a clean criminal background check! It's a seven page application form. Ridiculous in my book..... And then I am going to need 1,000 rounds of ammunition as well, another $250. Oh and the $60 background check. So this "free" class is now costing me about $600..... Suggested retail? $550. I know this guy. I was happy to win the two days of lessons. But the process of claiming it is super annoying and taking away from my joy in 'winning' ...

I have lots of friends who are single. Heck, I was single for a long time off and on. I go back and read my journal and see my angst about it when I was single. A lot of advice and such gets thrown around when you're single and you sometimes seek it out. So I thought I'd do a little reflection on some of the major relationships I've had and see where/how I met each one. Julie-neighbor, church, friend of friends Holly #1-work Tara-work Sharon-friend of Holly #1 Kristen-church Becky-student of my mom's. sister to the girlfriend of my best guy friend. Andrea- college Michelle- college Monica- work Tracy- internet Wendy- girlfriend of a friend. i stole her. drama. Holly #2- internet Natalie-church Diane- friend of Holly #2, internet I've always espoused the saying that you meet people in these places only, School Work Church or your Hobby. Looks like I've never met a girlfriend through a hobby. But actually some through the internet. Orrrrrr poach...

Today was a rowdy Rowdy triathlon. And in all of them I could have done better. Have done better. But I still got off the couch and went and "DID". 10am-1140am rock climbing at Mesa Rim. 115pm-245pm road biking around Lake Murray. 4pm-5pm shooting guns at American Shooting Center. I still need to find a reliable, accountable way to get total fitness and exercise in during the week. I need some external motivation. I've already gotten up to 143.8 pounds! I would like to never weigh more than 139. Crossfit? Boot Camp in the park near my house? Yoga in some form or another? Rejoin my old running club? Either way, not matter how tired or sore I am currently, I found a way to do my own triathlon today. Rowdy style.

Patagonia , a set on Flickr. Instead of themed posts per day, here is a batch of the best. I'll let you sort them out.

So here is the video of my first sanctioned IDPA match. It was in Phoenix Arizona and I did so-so. Honestly, I was slow, even for my skill level. I was 13th out of 16 in my class, sharpshooter. Not sure about my division, stock service pistol. Or about my overall placing. None the less, it was fun and I learned things about competitive shooting. And while I am a medal and trophy chaser and disappointed at my lack there of, I did clean up big in the raffle! I won a gift cert for a $700, 4 day, advanced pistol training class with Academi here in San Diego. (Academi = Xi = Blackwater) I'll end up spending a couple hundred in ammo, but I would have anyways. Here you go. 7 of the 8 stages as I messed up the camera once. 2012 South Mountain Showdown for IDPA in Phoenix, Arizona. PS-I'm having troubles loading the Patagonia pictures, so that will have to be done in a different way and not to the posted schedule.

The themes I chose for my Patagonia/Chile/Tierra del Fuego pictures are Sky, Water, Mountains, Self, Ice, Animals, Food and Other. I'm starting with Sky. This area is known for extreme weather and it did not disappoint. Self preservation for myself and my camera surely caused me to miss some wild weather shots. All of these were taken with either my Nikon D3100 dslr or my Samsung SII cell phone's camera. With zero editing, cropping or post-processing. Nothing. Raw. (It's a camera joke) Saturday-Water and Self. Sunday-Ice and Animals. Monday-Food and Mountains. Tuesday-Other.