Life has been a bit scatterbrained for me lately, so I thought I should make a sort of “catch-up” post. I’m trying really hard to keep THIS post unpolitical – and save all of that anger, outrage, and heartache for another day. 

So here for your captivation is the list of the top five things that have been keeping Dr LateBloomer busy for the past couple months. (Besides the day job which keeps me in guns and ammo to begin with)

5) The BWB 3-Gun Challenge.  http://www.bwb3gun.com/     was a complete blast (no pun intended), and the 3-day camp afterwards was an even bigger hoot if that is even possible. That entire 2-week roadtrip adventure deserves its own post, and I promise that I’m working on it. I did however, post pics and video on the Facebook page as events transpired.

     (Bonding with “Buddy” on Shootout Lane)

4) Exercise walking and dog problems

 http://boostershotsblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/neighborhood-dogs.html

And

After those semi-traumatic experiences, I started carrying one of my pistols in a kydex – rigged bellyband, along with pepper spray, phone, and house key. The bellyband has become a bit like my Batman Utility Belt, and it all continues to evolve. 

I AM, at least, continuing my walks (for those who need encouragement). I’m managing 2-3 miles a day, averaging 5-6 days a week.  I haven’t lost more than about 5 pounds, but I feel better, my pants are a little looser, and the caboose is definitely tighter than it was 6 months ago. So, good things DO happen – even if the scale itself isn’t very forthcoming. 

Then there are the slightly more intangible, but still important things like having another birthday  – while still maintaining the BP, lipids, and blood glucose of a 29 yr old  – if not the waistline or hair color  🙂

         (My Batman Utility Belt)

3) The Invictus Practical Mid-Atlantic Multigun Challenge. This was a match that I attempted in June. Alas, I failed the challenge. Or more more properly, as a friend quotes Dirty Harry in this regard  – “A man’s got to know his limitations.” 

This was seven stages of 3-Gun in one day. And though it was in PA, not SC, the temp was 93 by my car thermometer and the humidity was about a billion. It took my squad over 5 hours to complete 4 stages. I had drunk 3 quarts of water and did not yet have to pee. I finished the fourth stage, and I was still sweating, but I was not feeling right, and decided to call the match for myself. When you start feeling woozy and thinking slowly, it’s time to put the firearms away – match fee and hotel charges be damned.

I’m glad I made the decision, because even after making the call, telling the RO’s, and finally getting our squad lunch break at 2:30, I still wasn’t “right”. I ate my lunch in the pavilion shade and slammed a Gatorade, and it still took me half an hour to load my gear back in the car, because I was still mentating a little slowly. I didn’t pee until I got back to the hotel – and it would not have passed Gunsite bathroom color chart standards. 

I’m so glad that I recognized my own distress and swallowed my pride. It could have been ugly. Lessons learned. At least I got a shirt 🙂

    (The shirt that cost me several hundred dollars :-))

2) Sporting clays. I was invited to try this new (to me) addiction last year (Thank you Phil, wherever you are). This year I’m still not “good”, but I’m showing some slow improvement, and having a ton of fun with friends who I might not have made otherwise. I even got a plaque the other week (inserting tongue in cheek). I placed 2nd high lady………. Out of two. BWAHAHAH!! Ah well, it was fun anyway 🙂

       (It’s the thought that counts)

1) Buying more guns and parts. Since I won a Luth AR    http://www.luth-ar.com/       stock off the prize table at BWB 3-Gun, (Thank You!!) I decided to redo my older M&P 15 in slightly more tactical colors (Well, “my” version of tactical anyway-ha!). My birthday purchases included a custom handguard from GunGoddess, https://www.gungoddess.com/ , and I’m now redoing the stamping in bronze-gold in anticipation of a friend offering to help me out with assembly.

     (Gold/bronze is tactical-er than pink, right?)

Also for my birthday ( I can rationalize almost ANY purchase), I sprang for a purple Ruger LCR, to use as another possible “walking” gun, and a purple holster to go with it (also from GunGoddess).

    (The purple gun was ten dollars cheaper than the black one – don’t judge me)

So there you have the utter randomness that is my life. Thanks for inviting me into “yours”, and I’ll try to stay more organized in the future – Ha! I crack myself up 🙂