Searches..

Between Work at the DOT, work at the Fire Dept, and Searches.. I am bushed!

We had 2 rescues yesterday, and then had to RUN to our Annual SAR Team Christmas Party. It was a great event. We had members new and old there, 2 fried turkeys, a great big ham, and two big tables loaded with side dishes and desserts. Sweet!

I also retired the ole brick cell phone..

And bought a new cell! The nice part is, I get to keep my old cell number!

Hope everybody has had a good weekend!

When it rains..

You know the old saying, "When it rains, it pours"?

Well, I got a phone call today.

I was offered an interview for a part-time position with the Fire Dept I volunteer for.

I am in shock.

What should I study? What should I wear? I am nervous already, and the interview isn't until the first week of Dec! I would love this! Full time with the State and Part time with the Fire Dept! It would be the same schedule I am working now, it's just that I would be getting paid for my time! This rocks!

Even if it doesn't work out, at least they remembered me, and are willing to give me a shot.. Right? Oh well.. Work was good, Puppy is teething, boy loves school, wife is wonderful, Life is great!

EMT..

So my IV Technician cert SHOULD be in the mail this week. I received a call from the Dept. of Health saying part of my application was missing, then, they found it. 2 weeks since I sent that stuff in.. If I get my cert in the next few weeks, it could be a world record!

Comments..

Some of you may have noticed that it takes awhile for your comments to show up in the posts.. There is a very good reason for this. I have been getting several SPAM comments everyday. To combat this problem, I have turned on the "Moderate Comments" function. This allows me to review, and approve or delete any comment BEFORE it is posted. Nice!

Today is partly cloudy, and about 45 degrees, do I am going to head out and start putting up Christmas lights! Just think "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation" and you'll have an idea of how wild I get!

Pictures to follow..

Puppy..

I forgot how much fun it is to have a puppy around the house. I also forgot about how much fun it is to housebreak a puppy. But he is so cute!

Pepper.. Short for Prince Peppercorn.

Home..

Just got home from my shift at the fire dept.. That's where I got to spend my Thanksgiving. It was good though.. Boring shift..

I am gonna go play with the dog.. Enjoy!

Pin-up..

Here's the latest installment of my Pin-up pics, from the Mamie Van Doren website.. Enjoy!

And a current picture..

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Let's all take a moment to reflect on all the things we have, and the things we have to be thankful for..


Let's also remember the Men and Women in the Armed Forces, both at home, abroad, and especially those who are currently in a war zone, or may be preparing to head that way.

Hope you all have a great Turkey Day!

What the Hell??

I disappear for a bit and you guys go and let Kim DuToit disappear!!

Sorry I haven't posted these last 2 days, I have been a little busy with the new puppy!

Hope ya'll have a nice Turkey Day, think about me, sittin at the Fire Dept.. Goofing Off!

Long Day..

Another shift at the Fire Dept. is in the books.

We got no calls, which is PAR for the course when I am there.. I am going on about 3 months with no calls. The area is safe when I'm here!

We went out and got all the supplies for the new dog last night.. He'll be here tomorrow afternoon.

PetSmart now has $200 of our hard earned dollars, and we have a doggy bed, a chew toy (or five,) a kennel, special un-spillable doggy dishes, food and treats, 2 collars, a harness, and a leash.

This had better be a great dog.. I missed the ultra huge, super scary, evil-loop-hole gun show in Portland Oregon this weekend because of all that..

And what the hell is a Puppy Kong?

Warped..

What does it mean when your mother sends you pictures like this?

Jeez.. That's a hell of an artist..

Now, if you'll excuse me, my mother sent that, and I need to throw up.. Then take a cold shower.

Me... Still Alive... Now EMPLOYED!

Yup. Gone are the days of my being a stay at home dad. I have joined the ranks of the fully employed!

Although I DID in fact receive my IFSAC Firefighter 1 certification, AND my Washington State IV Tech certification, and was third on the hire list for my Department, I did NOT get a job as a firefighter.

I got the permanent position with the DOT as a Transportation Technician, still working in their Materials Lab. Actually putting all that college education to work!
(Although I have been working for the DOT for the last 4 months, it has been as a non-permanent employee, now I am permanent!)

Other than that, I have just been SOOOOO busy. I do have a new addition to the family.. Actually, THREE!

First, is a World War II Remington Rand 1911. It was in HORRIBLE shape when I found her.

So I took her completely apart..

And rebuilt her..

Ain't she PURDY!!
New Barrel, new bushing, new grip bushings and panels. I found an original mainspring housing, and bought new parts for it, new slide stop/release. New springs all around. She is a living, breathing piece of American History. And she's back from the dead.

Second was a Colt Agent .38spl. She was also in pretty rough shape. But after a new hammer and a "new set" of original grips, and a COMPLETE cleaning, she is looking good too!

Man, luvin it!

The last addition to the family has yet to arrive. He is due Monday. We are getting a dog. Yes, I know.. Hard to believe that I have deprived my son of a pet for all this time, but we wanted to make sure the time was right.

Cute little thing, ain't he?

So, I hope that the posts will be a little more frequent from here on out.. Hope..

Weekend Survival..

A couple months ago I was asked to teach a class of "civilians" (Non-SAR, Non-Law Enforcement) a Basic Wilderness Survival Course. Well, this last weekend was it..

They were professional, attentive, and all round great people!

So much fun! With the recent "awareness" of how fast a natural disaster can happen, they (the people who hosted the event,) are already talking about another class.
This picture is of the 28 foot survival parachute we put up. We teach a good portion of the class under it.

Good Guy Wins!

With all the bad news around, it's good to hear about the good guys winning once in a while!

Check Out the Story!

So nice, chalk another one up for the good guys!

Pin-Up..

It's been a bit since I posted a pin-up..
So, I thought I would go back and take a look at "The Man" who really made pin-ups mainstream.. Mr. Alberto Vargas. What follows is from this website..

Vargas was Born February 9, 1896, in Peru, Alberto Vargas was the son of a renowned photographer, Max Vargas, who had taught him how to use an airbrush by the time he was thirteen. In 1 911, while accompanying Max on a trip to Paris, Alberto came upon the famous magazine La Vie Parisienne, and its sensuous front covers by Raphael Kirchner made a lasting impression on him. He studied in Zurich and Geneva before leaving Europe because of the war and arriving on Ellis Island in October 1916.

Vargas' first encounter with America happened about noon at Broadway and Fourteenth Street, when he was suddenly surrounded by a lunchtime crowd of smartly dressed office workers. Mesmerized by their grace, sophistication, and beauty the young artist decided he would spend his life glorifying the American Girl.

Here is one of my all time favorite pictures that he did..

Wow.. Go do a google for Vargas Girl and see what happens!

By the way, I will not be held responsible if you get fired for actually doing that at work, wait till ya get home.

September 11th..

Too many people have mucked up something that is so simple. We were attacked. We were blindsided. Completely un-provoked. Here's a couple of images I have saved..

Say a prayer today and everyday for those who made the sacrifice here, on that day, and everyday since then on foreign soil.

September 11th, 2001
Never Forget.

Ammo II..

So awhile back I posted a blog about ammo storage. I just found, and bought, the SWEETEST shelving unit EVER for storing ammo. I bought it at Costco for the grand sum of $63. As if that's not enough, it's 48 inches wide, 18 inches deep, and 72 inches tall! It gets better. Each shelf is rated up to 1500 pounds! It has 5 shelves, for a whooping 7500 pounds! That's right! Almost 3 and a half tons!
The finish is almost EXACTLY the same as the finish on the gun safe! It's called the Gorilla Rack. I love it!

The hottest.. EVER!

This post is quite possible the hottest thing ever..

Did you notice that's my wifes blog?

Gawd I am LUCKY!

Fallen Brother..

Here's a story of a Brother Firefighter who died in combat in Iraq.
Not much a person can say but "Thank You" for serving..

John Kulick was killed August 9th, while serving his country when stationed in Iraq. John was a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard, a Career Firefighter/EMT for Whitpain Township, and served as a volunteer for Hatboro, holding the rank of Deputy Chief.

John was also the president of the union. John was killed when he was ambushed when he was on patrol of the northern Iraq city of Beiji.

Hundreds turned out Thursday August 18th, to pay their final respects for a fallen brother. John received a full firefighter/military funeral in Hatboro. John leaves behind a young daughter.

Here is a photo of the Peace Arch made by the Ladder Trucks..


Rest in Peace.

Pin-Up Pic..

OK, so I was born and raised in Texas. I met my wife in Texas. I am a Dallas Cowboys Fan. I will ALWAYS have a very large soft spot in my heart for Texas women. So this weeks Pin-up should come as little surprise. Miss Anna Nicole Smith. HOWEVER, I love her photos of her BEFORE the marriage, weight gain and loss, failed TV career, and the rest of her BS. So, here is our first pic..

Oh my.. Now, a little about her..

She was born November 28th, 1967 in Houston, TX. She was.. Ah, who cares, here's another pic!

Damn... That girl has CURVES!

Ripped Off..

About a year ago, the wife and I had the gun collection appraised. We took them in to our trusted Gunsmith a few at a time, and he created an appraisal list for the insurance company. This was fine, until we got to this one particular shotgun..

Gunsmith: "You interested in selling this?"
Me: "I hadn't thought about it. I guess I could part with it. What's it worth and what ya got to trade."

At this point he tells me the gun is worth about $800 or so, and he would be willing to trade for the Springfield Armory M1 Garand I had been eyeballing for the last 6 months.

Gunsmith: "The shotgun and $200 and the rifle is yours."

I am thinking, "That's about an $1100 rifle, so I am getting a deal!"

We did the deal.

I found out last week.. He fucked me HARD! That shotgun was a classic, limited edition, Winchester 101 Pigeon Grade in .410, and was worth around $3500. One sold recently on a Gun Auction site to a guy back East for $8000.

Never, never, NEVER take anybodies advice on how much a gun is worth. Always do the footwork yourself.

On a bright side, I guess he has a guilty conscience, because he has re-built triggers for me, blued parts, and done other work, at no charge. But still.. DAMN!

Todd..

Oh Ya! We have a NEW Todd in the house!

Police Report - WSP: Teen did 90 mph in construction zone..

Short Synopsis: She did 90 mph, past a Washington State Patrol officer in a mark patrol unit, in a construction zone, while drunk, almost wrecked into another car, and she's only 17!

TODD!

Pin-Up Monday..

Oh Guys.. Did I find a honey or what!
This is an actual US Airman (or woman, as in this case..) serving in OUR Armed Forces..

If you'll excuse me, I am gonna go call my local Air Force Recruiter..

It's official..

I just went through yesterday's mail..

I got my Firefighter I Certification from the State of Washington. I am now an IFSAC Certified Firefighter.

Now if I could just get hired..

Here's a new one..

Well, I am a big fan of learning and training in the area of self defense. If your passion is hand to hand, CQB, or whatever, get some training.. But what happens when that training lands you in jail??

Here is a link where that very thing happened to a Tae Kwon Do class.
*Update* Since the link is screwy, I have posted the whole article here, it's very short..

THIS IS AN ARTICLE FROM KOIN.COM

ALBANY, Ore. -- A self-defense drill landed the class and their instructor in handcuffs and jail earlier this week.

The class was practicing self defense moves against someone holding an air pistol in the alley behind the school when several people driving by were startled by what they saw and called police.

When police arrived they arrested the five-member class and their instructor and cited them for disorderly conduct. All of the charges have been dropped with exception of the disorderly conduct charge against the instructor. That charge is still pending.

"If I was a cop, and did not know what was going on, I'd probably do the same thing, the way they approached we have no issue with. It's just once they knew we thought it was a little overkill," Christopher Lund said.

Alrighty then.. Don't they make bright orange and blue "dummy guns" for just this sort of training? Sounds like the instructor needs to invest some money in better training aids! And what's with holding class in an alley? This story just sounds fishy. I would be willing to bet there is more to this than meets the eye.

PET PEEVE:
If you are going to spend money on training, don't nickel and dime it. Make the commitment, save up the money, and get quality training, especially if you are betting your LIFE on your training. I don't take as many training classes as I would like, because they are expensive. However, the ones I do take are super high quality, and are with instructors like Ken Hackathorn. My wife is currently training with Marty and Gila Hayes. Anybody in the NRA should recognize Gila's name. She is a well known writer, and both Marty and Gila are staff instructors for Massad Ayoob, another big name in the training field. Then, when she or I get home, we talk about what we learned, and then practice it together. This means we both learn, and reinforce the instructions she or I were given.

Semper Paratus - Always Prepared

Have a nice week.. I have a "bomb-shell" of a Pin-up tomorrow! You'll see!

New Todd..

Well, in this case, we'll call it Todds!

Yes, "Acrunchyfrog" and I, also known as "Peaches and Cream" to the shooting community, had our "nicknames" done on our stocks of our new shotguns.
So, I award myself, and Peaches, the coveted "Todd of the Week" Award.

Todds..

Bachelor..

The lovely wife is off this weekend to a shooting class of her own..

I won a gift certificate good for one free class up at FAS, so I gave it to her. So, here is an overview of the class she is taking:

FAS-2, Defensive Handgun and Qualifications, teaches the fundamentals of defensive handgunning. This is an intermediate level course, open to shooters who present a clean background check or state-issued concealed carry license. While this course is not appropriate for beginners, we welcome shooters who have a strong mastery of gun safety, their state gun laws, use of force parameters and basic shooting skills to start their training at FAS with this class.

Course covers these components of defensive handgunning:

• Shooting Stances
• Proper Grip
• Trigger Control
• Drawing from a Holster and Safe Re-holstering
• Reloading
• Clearing Malfunctions
• Use of Cover
• One-handed Shooting (both strong and weak hand)
• Stress-Point Index
• Multiple Targets
• Verbal Intervention
• Introductions to lowlight shooting
• Moving and Shooting

I remember my class.. Oh it was fun! Peaches and I took it together.. As a matter of fact, that is where they nicknamed up.. Peaches and Cream! When you get done, you shoot a police-style qualification course. We'll just have to see if the little lady can shoot it any better than her hubby!

Recovery..

I am just now recovering from this weekend. Ken Hackathorn is.. Well.. Professional! Unfortunately, I was asked to not divulge what we were taught this weekend. I can tell you this, some of the stuff was flat out bad ass though! When I say bad ass, think the movie "SWAT". Now you have an idea what I am talkin about! I mean, this is a guy who just got back from teaching the guys in Delta Force how to shoot! That's right! Freakin TASK FORCE DELTA!!

Wow.. The nice thing was, he was honest, straight forward, and very un-PC!

"Some people call a spade a spade, I just call it a fuckin shovel.."

Just in case anybody was wondering.. That is Peaches.. Aka acrunchyfrog, standing with us. He and I have been friends for years.

Todd..

Our newest TODD..

Kidnapping Suspect Shoots Himself

PIG Pic..

I have this love affair with history, especially WWII era, European Theater. So this next PIG Pic should come as no surprise.. The Mauser P-38, 9mm Pistol.

This honey is in MINT condition, 98% of the original bluing, matching serial numbers, original holster, and both magazines.

This is what I know, or have researched and found out, about the gun:

This is a World War II Nazi Officer P-38. It was taken from a captured German Officer in Italy, and brought back to the United States by Army Air Corp Capt. XXXXXXX as a war trophy.

PISTOL MARKINGS: The pistol's numerous markings including the Eagle and Swastika of the Third Reich. There is an inspectors mark "135" on the slide and frame. "135" was the German WW-II Heerswaffenamt inspector's mark on arms produced at Mauser-Werke AG, Oberndorf am Neckar, Germany. The frame is also stamped BYF 43. "BYF" was the WW-II German ordnance code assigned to Mauser-Werke, Oberndorf am Neckar, Germany. "43" would indicate 1943 as the year of manufacture.

HOLSTER MARKINGS: The holster's numerous markings including the Eagle and Swastika of the Third Reich. It is also stamped "CWW" which was the WW-II German ordnance code assigned to Karl Weiss, Lederwarenfabrik, Braunschweig, Germany. There is also is stamp of "WaA 392". These "WaA" stamps reflect the Inspectors name, location, and factory of an inspector, although for this stamp the exact inspectors name is unknown. The Holster is stamped "1943" on the back. The pistol and holster were manufactured the same year and are most likely the original matched set as shipped by the factory.

I have done hours of research to learn this stuff. When you hold the pistol, it just oozes history.

1 day, 14 hours til class.. Peaches arrives tomorrow evening.

9 Years..

My Beautiful Wife and I just celebrated our 9th year as a married couple..

It occurred to me that the time has gone really fast. I guess that is a good thing. I watch her, and it still just amazes me.. She picked me! She married me!

Happy Anniversary Baby! I love you!

Crash..

AS most of you know, I am a member of a local Search and Rescue team here in Washington. What some of you may not know is that we also do Air Rescue. We actually go out in helos and high-wing planes and find planes that have crashed in the mountains.

So, this story is of special interest to me:

TORONTO - A jetliner carrying 309 people skidded off a runway while landing in a thunderstorm Tuesday, sliding into a ravine and breaking into pieces, but remarkably everyone aboard survived by jumping to safety in the moments before the plane burst into flames...

...The plane, carrying 297 passengers and 12 crew, overshot the runway by 200 yards at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, said Steve Shaw, a vice president of the Greater Toronto Airport Authority.

The aircraft skidded down a slope into a wooded area next to one of Canada's busiest highways, and some survivors said that passengers scrambled up to the road to catch rides with passing cars.

Wow.. Everybody survived. That's so great! Ya just don't hear good news like this very often. But there will be the blame game. They almost ALWAYS say it's Pilot error. Rather than Pilot error, I would say the Pilot and Flight Crew did EVERYTHING right this time.

4 Days, 5 hours and counting..

Pin-Up..

I am not a big fan of Jessica Simpson. This is a girl who makes millions by being barely clothed (not in itself a bad thing!) and being dumb as a freakin stump! But, there is no denying that she has a nice body, and big.. um.. TITS!

So, my posting her here is purely decorative..

Not a great picture of her.. Let's see if I can do better..

Ahh.. Much better!

Hope your Monday is going well!

Five days and counting!!

By the way..

I was asked how I did on my Washington State IV Tech Exam..

I don't know the official results yet, but the stupid test only took me 10 minutes. It was OK I guess, I knew all but 2 of the answers, so I hope I passed.

I got some really strange looks when I handed in my test after 10 minutes though..

Work tomorrow.. Real job.. Break things and play with dirt.. Goooood..
I do like my job.. They pay me $17 an hour to play with dirt! It's like my other dream job, you know, the one from when you were a kid, wishing you could get paid to play in the sandbox all day.. THAT'S MY JOB!!

5 days, 12 hours and counting until class..

Ammo..

A list server that I am a member of has been tossing around ideas on how to store your ammunition. It has been pointed out that any quantities of ammo going off at roughly the same time might act as an explosive if the house were to catch fire. It has also been said that firemen won't go into a structure with lots of ammo, because they don't want to be shot by a bullet that "cooks off".Another party brought about the idea that if you store your ammo in a gun safe, and it cooks off, the safe is now a GIANT explosive, and could level your house.. Hummmm.

So, I have done a little investigating..

"Any Quantities" is a misleading term, so let's define it to mean less than 5,000 rounds of ammo. I, of course am not storing quite that much, but we'll call it a nice round 5,000 in this discussion.

Myth: When ammo cooks off, the bullet will kill you.
Answer: This is soooo untrue. The brass is actually lighter than the bullet, and if the ammo cooks off, the BRASS would actually travel faster than the bullet. But, since there is no gun to restrain the brass and channel the energy, it has a tendency to go everywhere! In most cases, the bullet and brass go opposite directions, and can usually be found within about 40 - 50 ft of each other. About the same energy as a strong rubberband.

Myth: When ammo cooks off all at once, it will result in a HUGE explosion.
Answer: Again, false. IF the ammo cooks off at once, (highly unlikely) it will be a lovely show, but it won't level the house, and it won't blow up the neighborhood. It will help the fire though.. Lots and lots of heat! I saw a video from Iraq, of a Taliban truck that was hauling about 50,000 rounds get hit by a .50 Cal machine gun. As the truck burned, the ammo started to go. It was kind of an exponential reaction. 1 then 2 then 4 then 8 then 16 then 32, 64 etc.. You get the idea. By the end, the ammo had it so hot, the thin metal fenders were just nothing.

Fact: If ammo kept in a gun safe cooks off, there will be a huge explosion.
Answer: AHhhh, now we are getting somewhere! Explosions are simply an energy release. If the energy it free to travel in 360 degrees, its small. If it's restrained, now that's a whole different ball game. Ammo in a gunsafe, if, (and that's a big a if) if, it cooks off all at once, will result in a lovely explosion. It's a contained reaction, and it will be impressive.

OK, so 5,000 rounds is actually a fairly small amount of ammo in the grand scheme, and if a fire were to occur in the ole homestead, this amount of ammo would cook off but would not be any super really bad horrible problem.

Besides. A fairly large amount of my ammo will be expended at the class this coming weekend!

Six days and counting!

Ouch!

Wow, I just saw the video of Red Sox Pitcher Matt Clement getting nailed by a line drive down the infield..

Ouch!
One piece of advise...
Lay off the 'riods.. They kill the reflexes!

ARRIVED!

ITS HERE! ITS HERE!

Oh she's PURDY!

I added the side saddle as soon as I got it home, and ordered a sling and jumbo safty from Wilson Combat.

I love it!I love it!I love it!I love it!I love it!I love it!I love it!I love it!I love it!I love it!I love it!

Gone.. Be back Tomorrow..

I love this.. I want this on a t-shirt!!

If anybody finds one, let me know!

Weekend Fun..

Well! I got home late last night from my Final Written and Practical Exams. I passed them all. So now I can go on and take my Washington State Intravenous Therepy Techincians Exam, on Tuesday. What a mouthful!

Tomorrow I have a pancake feed at 0600, a Crime Scene Class with the Sheriffs Dept at 0900, I leave for the WA State Fire Academy at 1400 for an overnight stay, and hope to be back late Sunday.. So much for a relaxing weekend!

I bought new mags for the Ken Hackathorn class. I got a great deal from this guy. He has great prices and all sorts of goodies for various firearms.. Go see him! My new shotgun should be here Monday. I'll go pick that up, and get my ammo. 1300 rounds.. Ugh!

End of an Era..

James Doohan, 85, the memorable Scotty from Star Trek, has passed in his home in Redmond WA.

Rest in Peace..

Todd of the Week!

And here we have our next TODD!

Everything at once..

Wow, I forgot what it's like to sit at a desk and be bored to tears for 8 hours at a time. I miss the Fire Dept. Tomorrow should be better, we are doing core samples with a portable drill rig.

I have IV training tonight, in about an hour (1800 hrs.) It's the last class before our exam on Thursday. I have already reviewed all the tests they gave us, and should be OK, then next week is my Washington State Exam.. fun.

My new shotty has shipped, and should be here some time either the end of the week, or first of next week. Then, I'll buy ammo, and take pictures of the whole mess for ya! Well, I am off to finish some reports for my class. Have a nice evening!

Pin-Up Pic..

OK, a quickie, then I'm off to work..
How about Linda Blair?

Yah, I know that everybody says they can't get over the image of her spewing pea soup while tied to a bed in "Exorcist", but dude, she's hot!

Here's a link to prove it! (Not work safe)

Work..

So Sunday was spent out in the field on a search mission.. No luck. The subject has been missing for over a week, we don't think they are even in the area. Oh well..

Today I start a new job.. I got picked up for a 6 week temp job with the State of Washington. I will be working at the D.O.T. in their Materials Testing Laboratory. This is similar to what I did in College, for my education as a Geological Engineer. Yes, I know I could be using that education better, but I LOVE firefighting. But this is money, NOW, and the Dept hasn't hired me yet! Still waiting on the results from my Firefighter I Exam.

Besides, I wanna get one of these for my beautiful wife!

So, everybody have a great Monday!

YEA!!

Hurray! I got all my IV starts in the ER today, so I don't have to go back on Sunday! I get a day off!

I am sitting here at 10:00pm, waiting. Yes, waiting. What you ask, am I waiting for? Midnight. For at this magic hour, the next installment of the Harry Potter Series will be released. And I have a reserved copy, waiting for me. Yes, I will brave the lines, bear the cold and driving rain, (actually it's a lovely calm 65 degree evening) and claim the prize that is mine!

Yes, I know, I have no life.

IV's and Stuff..

So I have been asked what I am doing at the ER all the time. Long of the short.. I am getting my EMT-Intermediate certification, (like a Paramedic, without the lobotomy,) and have to have a certain number of patient contacts and IV starts. Unfortunately, I am a white cloud, and when I am there, nobody sick comes in. So, my last rotation, I got 1 whole stick... Freakin Great.

Hope Friday is gonna be better, Final Exams are next week!

I called the State today to find out about my Firefighter I test results. They are still a few weeks away. Great. Chief is doing interviews NOW and may not do them again this year. I can't interview until I KNOW that I passed the test. It's all scored and just sitting there. They just won't tell me Yea or Nay, freakin bureaucraps.

More of the Same..

Had class on Tuesday, with two exams..
Spent 8 hours in the ER yesterday.
Class, and another exam tonight..
Back to the ER tomorrow for another 8 hours.
Saturday is class ALL day, and exams..
Sunday is back to the ER for another 8 hours.
Beginning to see a pattern?

Time for a little humor, I found this at collegehumor.com..

And YOU have a great day! I am gonna go study.

New series..

So, I have decided to create a new weekly, (or as I see fit) series for the ole blog. It will be:
"The Weekly Todd"
For those of you who are Todd's, and don't get the joke, repeat after me... (It only works if you say it out loud..)
"I'm Sofa King We Todd Did"
Yes, yes you are..
To commemorate this momentous occasion, I even have the perfect picture..

Yes, it is an actual road sign.

For our first Todd, I give you the spineless shitbag who used his daughter as a human shield, may he forever burn in hell.

LA Times article on the shooting..

Enjoy the rest of your day..
I have to go to the hospital for my ER rotation... Joy.

Pin-up..

I just got off shift this morning.. Another boring shift. Hold on one little second while I rant..

"My Search and Rescue team is out on a mission right now, I couldn't go. Mom says I can't go play til all my homework is done. She's the meanest mom in the WHOLE WORLD!"

Is it weird that this is EXACTLY how I feel? My team is out bustin their butts, and I am stuck at the house studying my IV Tech stuff. I had to do the responsible thing and stay home. I have a test tonight, AND, there really is no guarantee that I would be home in time for class. Search missions are notorious for their very long days, and little sleep.

Here is a great little pin-up for ya.. She's not as curvy as some I have posted, but she is beautiful! Meet Paz Vega.
Some of you will recognizer here as the housekeeper from the movie "Spanglish" with Tei Leoni and Adam Sandler. Here is one more picture..
Grrrr Baby.. Very Grrrr!
Here is a little about her:
She was born in Seville Spain and is freakin hot, started in TV before making her move to the big screen. She is smoking hot, her real name is Paz Campos Trigo, and it means "I'm way too freakin sexy"! Her stage name means "Peace Meadow".
Have I mentioned how hot she is? Don't believe me? Go watch the movie "Spanglish" You'll see what I mean "Mue Pronto!"

New Baby..

No, the wife is not pregnant.. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of another baby. My new baby. I just bought a brand new Remington 870 Tactical! Oh, She is sooooo pretty!
I bought this especially for the Ken Hackathorn Class. Funny part is, Peaches (aka acrunchyfrog) bought one as well! Now, we already get lots of crap because we are somewhat inseparable during shooting classes, now we are going to have matching guns? What's worse? Peaches is having vinyl die-cut stickers made up with our nick-names to put on the stock, so we can tell our guns apart! Oi, we really do bring it on ourselves.
So, here are the specs on the newest addition to the Rescue Mike gun safe..

• Make: Remington
• Model: 870 Tactical Magnum
• Gauge: 12
• Chamber: 3"
• Action: Pump
• Capacity: 8 + 1
• Receiver: Olive Drab
• Safety: Cross bolt
• Barrel: 20"
• Front Sight: Bead (This is going to be replaced with a Hi-Viz sight)
• Chokes: Cylinder
• Stock: Speed Feed IV stock with a pistol grip
• Overall Length: 40.5"
• Average Weight: 7 1/4 lbs.

I am giving very serious thought to sending the barrel off to Vang Comp and having them back bore it, and port it, but we will see. I want to see how it patterns out of the box first. However, I am putting Hi-Viz sights and a Jumbo Safety on Her, that is definite!

Other than buying new toys, I spent all day in my IV Tech Class. Most of the day was boring, but after lunch we actually got to stick each other for the first time! Several people had big problems, but it really wasn't that hard. Just move quick! It hurts less, and gives them less time to freak out!

Snake Eater..

I just received an invitation to go train with Ken Hackathorn in August.. Be still my beating heart!

For those of you who don't know who Ken Hackathorn is, here is a brief snippet of a bio done on him:

Ken Hackathorn has served as a US Army Special Forces Small Arms Instructor, Gunsite Instructor, and NRA Police Firearms Instructor. He is currently an FBI Certified Firearms Instructor, Certified Deputy Sheriff with Washington County SO, Ohio, and a SRT member and Special Response Team trainer. Ken has trained US Military Special Operations forces, Marine FAST and SOTG units and is a contract small arms trainer to FBI SWAT and HRT.

The class is a 2-day, 3 gun (Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun) class, requiring a total of 1,300 rounds! I am going to be one tired puppy! To make sure my skills are sharpened, I am going to try out The Ken Hackathorn 30 round self defense practice drill. We'll see if it helps.

1. From 5 yards, allowing 1 ½ seconds, beginning at "low ready" one shot to head. Repeat 3 times.
2. From 5 yards, allowing 2 seconds, beginning with gun holstered, one shot to head. Repeat 3 times.
3. From 5 yards, allowing 2 seconds, beginning at "low ready," strong hand only, two shots to body. Repeat 2 times.
4. From 7 yards, allowing 2 seconds, facing 90° to left of target, gun holstered, two shots to body. One time only.
5. From 7 yards, allowing 2 seconds, facing 90° to right of target, gun holstered, two shots to body. One time only.
6. From 7 yards, allowing 2 seconds, facing target, gun holstered, two shots to body. One time only.
7. From 7 yards, allowing 4 seconds, while backing to 10-12 yards, three shots to body. Repeat 2 times.
8. From 10 yards, allowing 3 seconds, beginning with gun on target and round in chamber, change magazine and fire one shot to body. Repeat 2 times.
9. From 10 yards, allowing 3 seconds, beginning with gun on target and slide locked back, change magazine and fire one shot to body. One time only.
10. From 15 yards, allowing 2 ½ seconds, draw and fire one shot to body. Repeat 5 times.

I will be taking my Kimber, my Ar-15, and my Remington 870. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to run outside and do my naked happy dance, ok, maybe not naked..

July 3rd Festivities..

As I promised, here are some pictures from our Family Fun Shoot on July 3rd. It was a combo Anniversary celebration/4th on the 3rd Party for the Firearms school we attend. They opened up almost all the shooting bays for us to use, and we got in LOTS of practice. There were about 50 people there.

The first pic is of me and the wife. She is shooting her Ruger Mini 14 for the first time. She said she'd keep it! It's shorter stock really worked well for her, and if you will notice, she shoots lefty, so brass deflection is a big deal for her!

The second pic is of a couple of the AR-15's that were lined up on the racks, waiting to be shot. Actually, mine (second from the right) is up there to cool down! I took turns shooting that and my Garand.

The next pic is of me, shooting my beloved M1 Garand. I brought a full case of 30-06 ammo to put through her. I am soooo in love with that rifle. I don't know what it is about her, but she is just so.. Perfect! The action is smooth, the sights are accurate, the whole package is just so.. PERFECT!

This is a picture of Peaches, AKA acrunchyfrog, shooting my baby! Yes, I trust him to shoot her. This is one guy I trust with my life. I would go "through the door"* with him any day.

This last pic is from the shoot off at the end of the day. The object was to shoot 5 steel plate as fast as you can. My time of 3.45 seconds turned out to be the fastest of the day. So, I won a $275 gift certificate for any 2 day rifle, pistol, or shotgun class. Since I already have my Handgun Master Certificate, I gave the certificate to my wife. She REALLY wants to take more classes. Now she can!

There are other pictures, like the cub (son and heir) shooting the Ruger 10/22 and the Single Six .22, but we'll save those for another day.

As for life here, the wife passed her big huge 8 hour test, so she is now a licensed Professional Engineer. I took MY big huge test(10 hours) for my Firefighter I Certification, and hope to her about that in the next couple of weeks. I am also in school to get my IV Therapy Technician Certification, which will upgrade my EMT-Basic to an EMT-IV, and hopefully help me get hired. I am currently 3rd on the part-time hire list for my Department. Eh, we'll see..

Other than that, hope everybody is good! I haven't even had time to check out other blogs, so I have no idea how ANYBODY is doing... Guess I should check!

Happy (belated) Independence Day, everybody!

* "Through the door" is a tactical phrase, used to describe making a dynamic entry into a hostile structure. The doorways are always the most dangerous point, because they are a pinch point, you are exposed, and usually back lit. You really have to trust the guy you are going in with, and know he has his shit together. Saying you'd go through the door with someone is a big deal, it means you really trust them.