Most expensive way to go deer hunting

Couple weeks ago I had to go into work after dark and ended up hitting a deer with the truck. Forcantully the truck was still driveable and made it on time for work. The deer damaged the front bumper, the grille, both headlight buckets were broke loose from all mounting tabs, even the passenger side fender was slightly damaged.  The damage done by the deer came out to be roughly $3,000; this being the most expensive deer hunting trip I ever went on.

While the truck was in the shop to get fixed I made the decision that I would just keep the truck instead of trading it in for something newer. This was partly due to the fact that the trade in value of the truck would have gone down because of the recent accident and also because it is about the roll over 100k miles. So instead of trying to get a new vehicle I would spend some of the money I have saved up and do some much needed upgrades on the truck.

The upgrades would make my everyday driving experience a little more enjoyable. Adding a bull bar to the front to give some little more protection from future accidents, also will allow some auxiliary lighting to be installed. I plan on having a set of Halogen spot lights mounted to bar as well as a LED light bar mounted to the top of the bar. Backing up in the dark has always been a challenge withe the stock backup lights, I plan to replace the bulbs with LED's and add a set of auxiliary backup lights that will only come on when I am in reverse and a switch is turned on, no need in such bright lights backing up in a Walmart parking lot. A toolbox would allow me to actually carry my recovery gear instead of removing it whenever I have passengers in the backseat. I also plan on upgrading the front door speakers and to also install speakers in the rear doors like they were in previous year models.

I also have been shopping for recovery gear that I never  gotten around into getting. Items like shackles, recovery strap, recovery hitch, things of that nature. I started getting all of these items when I had a vehicle that had enough storage to hold such things, but somehow lost interested even though the current truck I own is four wheel drive and has a need for such things even in my everyday driving around.

In addition to the decision of keeping the truck, I also plan on getting a second vehicle for the times I wish to go play,I miss having a vehicle that I didn't mind if it gets a dent or scratch, let alone something major like a CV joint or front hub breaking.

209 and giant Jenga

Over the summer I made two goals to make by my birthday. One was for me to be able to squat 200lbs and the second was for me to weigh 200lbs or less. The first was achieved by mid September, since then I have hit 225lbs squats and will continue to improve. My birthday was this past Sunday and I came close but didn't make my mark, I'm down to 209lbs. I'm not upset with failing at my goal, I just need to look at what I can improve on so that I can one day hit my goal and beyond.

With my birthday being this past weekend I had a small get together at my house. Bonfire and in the carport I had a game of giant Jenga set up. I made the blocks and stand out of scrap 2x4's and 2x6's. The blocks were planed down on their faces so all the blocks were equal thickness and width. Everyone had a blast playing, I'm glad that I spent the time making it.

The old man

The old man shuffles out of his bedroom and finds his house once again empty. His companions talked the night before and agreed to leave early that morning to get a head start and move on. The group of men, women, and a couple of children all had lived with the old man since it happened, since the world went to ruin. The old man was now, for the first time in a couple years, alone.

He made himself a simple breakfast, his thoughts wonder to what was discussed the night before. How the supply runs brought back less and less, that there had to be something better out there. He ate slowly, continue to wonder why he didn't just along with his companions. Going with them would have been a better choice, why did he had to be so stubborn and stay behind. Finishing breakfast he began to clean his dishes and put everything away. He made up his mind, rather he changed his mind, he started to gather things from around the house.

First the bathroom; grabbing the toilet paper, soap, and his hygiene kit. In the kitchen he removed the freshly cleaned dishes, food stocks, and several more items. He went room to room only taking what was necessary to take with him. Everything was organized and boxed up to be packed into the jeep he had parked outside. With the small utility trailer there was only so much he could take. He finished loading the trailer and threw a tarp over it, tying it down securely. He secured two fuel cans to the front of the trailer and one more to the rear of the jeep. Once he was satisfied that he got everything he climbed into the vehicle and looked at the house one last time. He headed down the drive and onto the deserted highway in the direction his companions went.

The five of us

The five of us were in my living room; me, her, and three guys in uniform. They were not police officers nor were they soldiers, but they were heavily armed. Each had a M-4 or an AK47,  a sidearm, and even a large knife. Their uniforms were mostly black with dark brown pants. They wore ball caps and the two older guys had scruffy beards. They had to be hired mercenaries but that didn't explain why they stormed into my home and had me and her detained in the living room floor. The youngest had pulled the couch away from the wall and was behind it, as if he was searching for something. The other two was just standing there in the doorway to the kitchen. They had their weapons drawn on us but had got confident that they had the upper hand and slightly lowered their guard. The phone rang in the other room distracting the two standing, giving me a small window of opportunity. I kicked the coffee table making a pistol fall from a hidden compartment. Grabbing the weapon as it fell, I took aim and fired first at the two standing then at the one behind the couch. Giving each guy two shots to the face, all three guys collapsed to the floor.

The dreams are getting interesting, but I was more concerned with something else. Who was she? This woman has been found in many of my dreams but has never given me a clue as to who she was.

The van

I was taking a break while sitting in the patrol vehicle parked in front of one of our locations. I noticed the dark blue van pulling up behind me. I saw in my side mirror the gun in the man's hand as he exited the van and started walking towards my vehicle. My heart started to race as the gravity of the situation hit me. I only had a few seconds, I pulled my pistol from my holster and quickly turned in my seat. At the same time I rolled over in bed jerking myself awake. The muscle memory of countless hours of training still had my hands griping a nonexistent pistol as I aimed at the wall.

long days and pleasant nights

So who excited for the upcoming Stephen King Dark Tower movie? It has been a long time coming but hopefully they used this time wisely and prepared a grand adventure for us.

I have been a fan of the Dark Tower series since finding the Gunslinger in a second hand shop back when I was still in high school. A female friend even told me that I was her gunslinger, here to save her from her wretched life. The world has moved on for the two of us but the name stuck with me and yes that is the reason why the blog is named such.

I've had several copies of the books, most have been past on to friends and family. I have always wanted a set of hardcover editions but could never afford them. Last year I wished to join the ka tet one again but my sister still held ownership of my current collection, even thought they were lost from their recent move. I finally broke down and started searching for hardcover versions of the series. Most were acquired within a couple of weeks through the use of eBay, several were only a small percentage of their value new, a couple did cost me almost their full retail price but they were all worth getting.

The nightly Stitch sits on top his throne, my niece sent me a gift along with the books.

In total I now have a full set of the seven books in the series, the later added wind through the keyhole, and even found a book containing a shirt sorry that lived in the Dark Tower universe. Of course after finishing my collection my sister found the list books and sent then home to me, so I have two complete sets one in paperback and one hardcover.

My clothes no longer fits me

So I made it to the stage that most of my clothes are now to big on me. My jeans are no longer tight around my waist, but still snug on my thighs. All of my shirts are to big, I look like I am wearing a sack. Went tried on a size smaller and although the sleeves were okay and around my mid section were the right fit, it was to small in the chest and shoulders. I felt like I rip the shirt just by giving someone a hug. I did recently picked up a couple of polo shirts in a size large. But with the way most department stores like Wal-Mart, I'm sure it's just a marketing scheme to make guys feel better about themselves like they done to women for years.

I did notice the tags on the Wrangler brand button up shirts at Wal-Mart. Let's create more confusion by labeling them a large or extra large "relaxed" fit.

I still have a few more pounds that I wish to lose before I start work on my wardrobe. Correction, guess I should use the word inches instead of pounds. I can tell I have lost several pounds of fat but my body weight hasn't decreased much. Yes yes I know muscle weighs more than fat. Just wished I had started using a measuring tape side the beginning. I am still 12lbs from my goal of 200lbs by my birthday and I have roughly a month and a week to go.

Currently my favorite tee shirts are ones from Article 15 clothing, Grunt Style, and Ranger Up. Article 15 and Grunt Style uses a fitted shirt that is thin and really comfortable. Ranger Up is also great but the shirt I have is a thicker material. I really enjoy buying from these companies since they are veteran owned and operated.