But what else starts with R?

I'm more than just a pretty pistol shooter.... I can rock a rifle too.

$33 wasted

$29.99 plus tax and I broke in first day, first ride, first trail, second drop. Boooo!!! Maybe time for a little of my DIY magic!


Some later successful pictures from this ride.

Grrr, more first world problems.

I dislike how most retail businesses don't open until 10am. On days that I have to "get stuff done" that requires me going to their business it is actually not a good time for me.

See, I am awake, showered, dressed and have done all the dishes and laundry and such by 8am. So that means I now have a two hour pause of nothingness while I wait for stores to open.

A quick trip online to everywhere I wanted/needed to shop today showed they all opened at 10am. Argh. Not even one of them could be open at 9am so that I could space it out, stagger it? No!

Each item is something that needs to be in my hot little hands today as well, so internet shopping is a no-go.

One of the things I liked about living in Yuma, and there were a few, was that due to the heat in summer or the influx of snowbirds in winter, almost everything opened at 7am or even earlier. I could go to the bank at 7am! This was in 2000, so internet banking and doing it all at the atm wasn't as prevalent. But you get the idea.

Lazy A, cheap, slow moving, laid back "Sun Diego" means nothing retail wise opens early for a person like me who likes to be up early, moving and get stuff done. For me, night time is for resting and staying in. Not the morning.

You want me to be tolerant of your rights? Then be so of mine.

Handy. Man.

I like having tools, a garage and a work bench. I enjoy minor projects, fixing things and just making something myself if I can instead of buying it. Within reason.

Couple of DIY projects from yesterday were motorcycle related.

In the first I bought some new gloves as my other favorite pair were totally worn through in places and desperately needed replacing. The shop I went to had just one pair left in the color and size I wanted. Later in the afternoon I noticed part of the wrist area wasn't sewn together. Ugh.

Should I go back and get the right size still but a color I don't like or what? What! As I'm the type of guy who has a sewing kit or two I thought, "heck, I'll just fix this myself. and if I botch it I can still return them." Out comes the thread and needle, 15 minutes later I've got a fully functioning wrist closure on my new gloves!

No need to go all the way back to return them. No need to get a color I don't want. Nice!


Most new motorcycles now-a-days come with huge, horrible, heave, ugly looking fenders to comply with some sort of dumb federal regulation. They are of the first things I chuck off a new motorcycle. There is actually a booming business in making small, svelte, good looking replacements that weigh considerably less.

Looks and performance? Sounds like me!! Sign me up. Hmmm, do a little online checking and they want $60-100 for one for my new dirt bike. Puhllleez.

One trip to home depot, $1.67 bracket, a quick hit with the drill bit and some black paint and voila! My own custom fender eliminator and plate mount! (i'd made on previously but it was horrible looking and allowed the plate to hit the tire when jumping or doing wheelies)
The plate is still held on with velcro backed up with zipties to keep the 'homemade' vibe but otherwise this is pretty legit.

What will you fix, modify or create today??

Paladin

A red bearded bon vivant

Bon Vivant-French: One who lives well. In one of the books I'm currently reading a character is described as a "red bearded bon vivant".


Judging from today's pictures, I think that is an apt description for myself as well.

ps-what do you think of the beard?

My Mentor

If you wanna be good at tennis, you need good hitting partners. If you wanna be good at jiu jitsu, you need good guys at your gym to roll with. You never get better unless you work with people better than yourself.

So I have a top 10 in the US, Master class IDPA shooter who just happens to live in San Diego as my shooting mentor. My coach as it were for pistol shooting.

Just like I have a trainer for my physical fitness I see 3 times a week, I have a shooting coach I see twice a month to work together. And whom I can email or text questions to at any time. Like I said, my shooting mentor.

And my skills have definitely improved under his tutelage. Here are some pics of us working drills together just this last Friday.

It also helps we are both into motorcycles, so we can be friendly too. It's not just all "business".

4th place of 21

300! ! ! !

We are Sparta! Or I guess "I am spending!", or want to spend. It seems like everything I want right now is basically $300.

-better motorcross boots like Alpinestars Tech7's. Something white and with more ankle flexibility than my Tech 3's
-a carbon fiber dh mnt bike helmet, Giro Remedy CF in the white/stripe scheme
-a prime lens for my dslr camera, like a 14mm. Nikor not needed, even off brand would be ok for my D3100
-GoPro Hero3 silver or black edition. I had warranty issues with my Hero2 and ended up just buying an original Hero, but I do want the latest and greatest one.
-simple leveling lift for my truck
-2,000 rounds of 9mm ammo
-Leatt DBX bicycle specific neck brace
-quality mask, snorkel and fins for use in the ocean
-bunch of new clothes
-"dropper" seat post for my Trek Scratch, like the Crank Brothers I had before (size 31.6)

It's almost Caturday!

This cat with no collar, fairly thin showed up by surprise at my house a few nights ago. He has such unique coloring and was a little schizo.... Charming. A a a a n n n d d d I might have now seemingly adopted him. Fancy Feast chicken. And I did it two nights in a row.

But he is such a cute little guy! I can't help myself.

You don't get the butt you want by sitting on it.

Spring has sprung

And on this first day of spring, I have sprung as well.



SPROING!!

The man of 1,000 faces and places

Lance Hunt wears glasses, Captain Amazing doesn't! -Mystery Men



I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller.... -Skee-Lo

Actually, if I could wish for anything what would I wish for? To be taller? Even 2" would be nice. To be cured of Crohns disease? Humira seems to have me in remission. Perfect skin? Age, adventure and weather have given me rugged looks. Probably perfect teeth that never got cavaties, that's what I'd wish for.

I seriously can't believe how many people I've met who've been to mainly only two states. And some who've only ever been to one! Crazy, I could never do that.

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So you say you want a revolution?

I've read all the classics. Clausewitz. Sun Tza. Marighella. Mao. And the soon to be modern ones as well, Bergen. Coll. Diamond. Bowden.

So you want to wage asymmetric warfare? Are you weaker than your foe? Have an idea that needs furthering? Under oppression and need to fight for freedom?

Then follow these rules.

1. Public opinion needs to be on your side. Whether it is the rightness of your cause, exposing the abuses of others it doesn't matter. Get public opinion on your side. Control the message, the narrative.

2. Technology is important, more so than it was just 10 years ago. Whether in finding ways to negate your enemy's superior firepower or technologic advantage or having a well run website and youtube page, technology is important.

3. Be ready for a long haul. Trying to do things quickly will backfire. Revolution is a marathon, not a sprint if you want it to be successful. Think as long as a decade at least.

4. Get outside help. Have police or military informers sympathetic to your cause. Have an outside source of further support for food, money, supplies. You will need an outside ally to help you when things are tough.

5. Be legitimate. Appeal to something with a wide spectrum. Fringe will never win over the populace and the important public opinion. Today I think the best way is to appeal to something nationalistic. Something that spreads beyond tribe, religion, race. Nationalism can accomplish this.

6. Moderate the amount of 'terror' you engage in. Do just enough to be effective but not so much you lose public opinion or provoke a disproportionate response from those you are fighting against.

7. While "smaller", "weaker" your tactics have to be unconventional. Hit and run. Nomadic. Inventive. Use weapons and tactics to maximize speed and surprise. Play your game. A unique game. Don't ever play buy the opponents rules. You don't have to win, you don't have to control space. You do have to hit and run.

8. Use terrain, urban or rural to your advantage. You have to blend into the populace. Disappear. Ghost. No need to look like a guerrilla. No need to ever present the reality of you our your situation.

The odd historically are against the insurgent, but doing this can give you just enough of an edge you might be the winner.

My health is not cheap....

Now that I am back on Humira I seem to have a fridge full of it. Let's see, I have 7 syringes of it and at $1,000 a syringe hmmmmmm I guess I have $7,000 worth of medicine in my fridge.

I'm expensive and I'm worth it!

You can go hard or you can go home.

Personal Fitness This Week
48 minutes, 155bpm average heart rate.
44 minutes, 138bpm avg hr.
42 minutes, 133bpm avg hr.

Competition Practice This Week
600 rounds, 6 hours, 4 days.
30 minutes dry fire as well.

Back On The Bike (after far too much time off it)

YOLO

You Only Live Once. YOLO.

This is not YOLO.


THIS IS YOLO!

The Book of Rowdy. Chapter 3: Verse 6

I have a little nephew who quite possibly has a very rare cancer. Thankfully the mortality rate is very low, like 10%. But it is still a huge ordeal to be a little guy and have to have so many studies, surgeries on your skull and radiation treatments. His mom, my youngest sister, wow do I feel for her.

I think the hardest thing for a parent is not watching a kid make dumb mistakes, but seeing them deal with something so big and seemingly random as serious health issues. (and hell yes i like healthcare as we have it now, just for things like this. managed care could screw you otherwise. obamacare is a falsehood)

I won't post pics of him as he needs his privacy, being like 4 (5?) or whatever, but can you spot the issue from his x-rays? If so, do good in school. Go to medical school. Become a radiologist and do something to make the world better. Be active. Serve your fellow man with your brains and talent.


Reread that top photo now and have hope. Then move forward with action! Action is the best response to misfortune.

Stealthy Photo Project

Here they are, my TOP 10 pictures of people taking pictures, in Vegas, on a Thursday, at 11am.

Vegas by the numbers.

I just spent the last 4 days in Vegas for a medical conference. The second or third longest time I've spent in Vegas, with the longest being a week of radiation safety officer training before my Iraq job in 2007.

Let's get it out there right up front, I am not a fan of Vegas nor even remotely the city's target audience in a tourist. I don't drink, smoke, go to clubs or really shop. I am not a big spender and would almost rather use money as toilet paper than gamble it.

Vegas is basically one big s@#t hole if you ask me. I've been in nicer 3rd world countries than Circus Circus. I stayed at the Venetian but uh... Hello! I've been to Venice. And New York. And every other place that has a facsimile of it there in the name of gaming and tourism. None of them measure up to the real thing.

And now, Vegas by my numbers.

4- days in Vegas.

78.45- dollars in cab fare.

100, 50 and 25-the dollar amount spent on dinner over successive evenings with no real discern-ability in enjoyment.

60-the number of bullets I shot at the shooting range for practice while out of town.

107-number of pictures I took in an hour long photo project there of taking pictures of people taking pictures. while none of them are National Geographic level of awesome I'll share a few I like in the next post.

1- the number of bums/homeless dudes I told to "!^@k off" for overly hassling me.

2-how many times I was questioned by security.

90 and 40. The amount of money I put into slot machines over the 4 days, 90, and the amount I got back in "winnings" from that ninety, 40, for a total loss of $50.

Traveling and the needle.

I leave for 4 days in Las Vegas tonight. Education conference for medical stuff. Wooo, Vegas you think, right?!?! Well, as a teetotaler it's really not that fun for me there. And I've been before numerous times, so even just the novelty of the place is nothing new for me.

Not to say I won't have fun though! I'm still taking my camera, eating good food, going to shows and exhibits. If it was only a little warmer then I could do just reading by the pool as well.

I like to travel. I travel often. You could almost say I'm a travel junkie. I need it. Let's take a look at my schedule to see if I'm telling the truth or not.......

March: Las Vegas 4 days. Little Rock, Arkansas 3 days.
April: Phoenix 2 days. Austin and Houston, Texas 11 days.
May: Birmingham, Alabama 3 days. 12 day road trip of national parks from San Diego up into Canada at places like Bryce, Zion, Yellowstone, Glacier and so on.
June: Colorado for 4 days.

(small section of my travel and language book shelf)

Yeah, you get the idea. And I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff too. You could say wandering around and movement is in my veins.

You know what else gets stuck into me with a needle????

Humira. Yep, I am back on the injected drug for my Crohns disease. Meaning I can never be gone from the house now for more than 13 or 14 days at a time. It's kinda heart wrenching to me, the thing that should keep me healthy is something that kills one of my main joys in life. And my dream of living out of the country maybe as well.

See, the thing is Humira needs to be between 33 and 42 degrees F until you use it. And at $1,500 a shot, one doesn't just waste these things. Let me tell you, try traveling across the world with a medication you have to keep refrigerated non-stop for say 5 or 10 days until it is time for you to use it. Not very easy to accomplish.

I've been thinking and scheming how to make it work, but being tied to a drug in my fridge, needing to have it every two weeks in order to be "normal" is putting a dampener on my travel daydreaming. Now I'm sure I will adapt and overcome, as excuses are for people who just don't want something that badly.

But right now the idea burns as badly as the injection of Humira into my butt or thigh does.

Goodbye old friend.... (edited with surprise ending!)

Well, I've killed another electronic device. First it was watches. If a watch lasted 90 days with me, then it surely was not going to last 6 months. None of them did. Thankfully I had a good friend who was in the marketing department for Freestyle watches, you know the one with the little shark fin symbol so impossible for me to pass up, and she gave me free or deeply discounted watches all the time. Thanks Terri!

Then I became a destroyer of mobile phones. My first cell phone I got in college in 2000. Wow, 12 years ago I was in college. Freak! So in that 12 years I've had over 18 cell phones. Toilets, chocolate milk, crushing, falling out the car window, falling out of my pocket on a motorcycle and so on. And yet I never buy the insurance.... Now that I have my first 'smart' phone we will see how this works out for me.

For a while point and shoot cameras were essentially disposable to me as well. The elements, crashing, dropping, falling off make shift mounts, being buried. You know, the regular things that happened to everyone else's digital cameras until they invented..... ....... .....

GoPro cameras. I've had three of them now. Yes, had, past tense. First one was the original Hero HD. Then I added the first gen as a second camera 'cause I was a filming fool! Then I sold both of them to get the HD Hero 2. Prime time or no time, right Andy and Matt?

Well after two years of heavy use on 3 different continents and a wide variety of sports and projects, my GoPro has died a death of a non functioning power button. Sad day in Rowdysville.

Now they just have the white, silver and black editions of the 3rd gen model. Starting at $200 and going up to twice that amount. Argh. I don't want to spend that money but I love having a small, action proof camera. Sad Sad Sad. And since I don't have a receipt from two years ago, I get no help from them on a warranty claim or help upgrading.

I'm sad this friend of mine is gone, we've shared sooooo much together.

You know what cheers me up when I'm sad though? Cute kittens on the internet. Like this. Well, at least until I break down and get a different camera.


**I'm not taking the cute kittens video away but there has been a twist in the plot. Peep this email I received just seconds ago:
Update for Case #581058 - "power button not working"

Hi Rowdy,

Unfortunately it sounds like there could be a fault with the camera, and we'll need to go ahead with replacing your unit under warranty. Update your address in the link below.

Enter Address Here.

Once we hear back, we'll be able to provide you with a RMA (returns authorization) and returns instructions.

Our apologies for the inconvenience, but we'll do our best to get you a fully functioning replacement as soon as possible.

Many Thanks,
Mark H.
GoPro Support

Now that's good service!

riding

well, actually these pictures are from pauses in the riding, not exactly the riding itself. but you get the idea.