the "R" is for Raawwwrrr

Three weeks ago I was an overall winner at a local shoot.
Two weeks ago I won my division at one of the toughest clubs in california.
Last week I got cocky and got smoked.

In my quest to qualify and compete at the national championships for my shooting sport i signed up for 3 major matches between now and the nationals in september.

March 18th in Little Rock Arkansas.
April 6th in Phoenix Arizona.
May 11th in Mobile Alabama.

I have that nervous feeling in my stomach. My vision is hunting. My fingers are twitching. Desire. Hunger.

Every day. Every damn day for the next two months I am going to do something, anything, that will help me accomplish my goal.

-physical fitness
-hand eye coordination
-reading technique books
-sports psychology sessions
-dry fire practice
-live fire practice
-local competitions
-individual coaching sessions

One of the above is going to happen every day. I still have my other 'rowdy' things I'm doing. I mean, I'm going on two different mountain bike rides tomorrow for goodness sake. hahahaha. And I am working on my motorcycle Wednesday. And so on. Heck, I might even pick up a guitar.....

It's resistance that makes us stronger. I'm ready to put in a good push and fight for the next few months.

The Two Republics

CA median home price $250,000
TX median home price $145,000

CA income tax for my household 29%
TX income tax for my household 0%

CA sales tax 7.75%
TX sales tax 6.25%

Avg General Surgeon salary CA $220,000
Avg General Surgeon salary TX $198,000

There isn't enough good weather and mexican food to keep me in California a second longer than needed. In September 2015 don't be surprised if I bolt from the People's Republik of Kalifornia for the Republic of Texas.

California has turned into a crap hole of ridiculous laws, political correctness, taxes, mismanagement, the ultimate welfare and nanny state. What seemed once a bastion of opportunity, personal expression, acceptance is now the place that only wants it one way. The symbol of "The West". But no longer. And a way I want no part of for any longer than I have to.........

Without their permission

I am reticent to talk about J, K and M on my blog. First because it is all about ME! Secondly, I value their privacy greatly. And while they are older and basically all on their own, things in their lives still have an effect on me.....

Killer-Somehow I need to get an activated debit card to him in S Korea without it being stolen along the way. And do his taxes for him. Nervous about doing both correctly.

Jeweled Malicious-Her only car got stolen in the middle of the day at work. Boo!! So difficult right now for her and J#2 to get things done as far as school and work. And it's just plain crappy when that happens. RAWR.

MK-This one kills me. Guy is getting tested February 27th to see if he has Crohns disease. Upper and lower endoscopy. I'm afraid for him. With his symptoms and family history I am not hopeful. He just moved. His family moved away from him. Just started a new job. Not done with school. And he enlisted in the Marine Corp but if he has Crohns they won't take him. So many challenging implications for him. And I feel like I never have done enough to help prepare him for these challenges.

So yeah.......

rain, jobs, cats, dogs, ect

Their is a saying in my line of work, doing temp stuff in the medical field, "You can't beat the home team." Even if the person who you are subbing for is worthless, you'll still never be better than them to the people who work regularly at your assignment.
Often I am at a hospital or clinic for two maybe three days maximum before moving to another one. Which I like!
This past assignment I have been there 5 weeks. I've started using personal pronouns when talking about it. My office. My work. My desk. Our patients and so on. Yuck!

Well in the if it rains it pours category this place is trying to recruit me. I will decline. The range I practice at asked me if I wanted a job, as they see me there soo often. I had an interview but I had to decline. They wanted me to work every Saturday or Sunday. Well dudes, the reason you see me there all the time is I am a competitive shooter, so I am practicing. Competitions are on weekends, so sorry. If I worked for you I could no longer compete.

Finally the chain of local bike shops I used to work for asked me if I would be interested in working at their proposed new store in Solana Beach. I might. I am going to talk about it with them today. The pay is crap, $10 a hour and it is a 30 minute drive from the house. But if we can set it up where I work weekday and just part time then I am in.

From no job to three jobs. Ain't that how it always is.....

A Rowdy Is........

So the Cub Scout thing I might have mentioned a few months ago? Not happening. And I think that is for the better.

In a different, more recent conversation I described myself as "scheming", personified by the way I rub my thumb and first two fingers together when contemplating, ok alright "scheming" about something.

In Scouts, there is a twelve point Boy Scout Law that reads:

A Scout is:
Trustworthy,
Loyal,
Helpful,
Friendly,
Courteous,
Kind,
Obedient,
Cheerful,
Thrifty,
Brave,
Clean,
and Reverent.

Now if you apply that to a "rowdy" then what sort of law do you get?

A Rowdy is:
-scheming
-child like
-active
-gregarious
-adventurous
-fit
-emotional
-hard working
-strong
-patriotic
-inquisitive
-situationaly aware
-and always ready.

So, do you agree or disagree?

Spend enough time together....

You know the saying about how pets and their masters begin to look alike in enough time? Well sometimes I think people who spend enough time together begin to take on some of the interests, characteristics or mannerisms of each other as well.

Proof? Case in point? Peep the pics below!

Guns? Motorcycles? Car racing? Rock climbing? What's next?!?!?!

Cobra Pose -OR- "I've never seen you like this before"

No, not this:

But more akin to this:

Normally, like 96% of the time I am just playful, fun ol' Rowdy. Until I feel pushed or threatened for no good reason. Then I go into what I've always described to myself as 'cobra mode'. I feel like I've reared up taller, my traps are flared out and I'm in an attack pose. Ready to strike.

Or if you're like me and took years of anatomy and physiology in school then you know it better as the sympathetic nervous system at work. Fight or flight. It's opposite is the parasympathetic nervous system aka feed and breed.

Very few of my friends have seen this side of me, the 'cobra mode'. Fight or flight kicking in on me often turns to fight when it comes to dealing with people. And often flight when it is just situational nervousness. Aron D saw it a few times when people tried to pick on me at a bar or a party or whatever when I was in college. "Bros" and the typical d-bag think a 5' 7", 140lb guy is an easy mark to try and alpha dog.

They learn that is not the case. Thankfully I've grown and calmed down, but with all that in the past I am still not afraid to fight and get physical when I feel it is time.

Yesterday some of my newer San Diego friends saw me start to slip into feeling it was time. They said things like, "wow, I've never seen you like that before", or "I didn't know you had that in you", or "whoa, look at Evil Rowdy" and stuff like that.

It's probably best not to tell the story in too much detail here, but someone in authority at my shooting competition on Saturday tried picking on me. 'Cause I'm not as famous as some of the other people involved, I was from out of town and people take me to be an easy mark.

The exchange was heated and I was in attack posture. Cobra mode. Verbal, quick, assertive and not backing down**. In a room full of 60 people with guns no less. (but as we're all responsible that wasn't even ever thought of as an issue. to me it is just funny in retrospect)

Rough. Ready. Rowdy.

**I prevailed in the exchange. To my benefit and that of 5 other shooters.