This is it for awhile...

Sometimes you pick the (fill in the ______), and other times it picks you. This time the rifle picked me, I swear!

Above is pictured a hardly-used Remington Model 700 SPS in .300 WSM caliber, with barely 50 rounds through it. It features a 24" matte finished barrel with Leupold bases and rings installed. It is also composed of a black synthetic stock, molded in gripping surface at wrist and forend, swivel studs and a limbsaver recoil pad.

And I'm telling you, it has my name all over it.

I originally became interested in the Remington 700 after watching the movie Shooter and well-before that seeing some old codgers on tv rebuild a Turkish Mauzer into a sniper rifle. Avid Update readers may recall my post from last year around this time, extolling the virtues of cold weather and showcasing Mark Wahlberg's bad-ass pose on the cover of Shooter, where he happens to be holding a Remington 700 SPS.

After doing some research of various bolt-action rifles, I decided to stick with the Remington 700 because of its legendary performance and affordable price. Out of the box, the SPS is a tack driver, and with the .300 WSM in the chamber you can reach out and touch someone, and handle big game. Not to mention that the 700 is highly modifiable, should you want to move in that direction.

So if Clare ever decides that we need to move to a more conservative state, we will be prepared in the firearms department when it comes to guarding the yard. Cause you know, we need to cover all the bases.

Now it's time to save up for a scope. Peace out.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

New Routine

So I am back to my long-departed ritual of eating oatmeal every day in the mornings. I have to say the effect has been very positive.

For one, I am not craving sugar in the mornings, or hungry until lunch, and I have energy for action. It is also relaxing to work on a full stomach, and not have a piece of my mind focused on food when I am trying to focus on work.

Secondly, I have noticed a large difference in my metabolism. At 11:45, I am damn hungry, and again when I arrive home from work, I am right there. The main thing for me is to eat light for my last meal so I don't go to bed with a heavy stomach. This creates space for being more active and energetic in the evenings instead of feeling like a big lug.

I have been following my oatmeal in the morning with some premium Darjeeling, ordered from Uptontea.com. A robust cup of tea is excellent. You get the jolt of caffeine, but unlike coffee and other substances, tea stimulates the entire person. It delivers the needed "feeling," if you will, according to the situation. To quote one of the Chinese ancients:

"If you are cold, tea will warm you; If you are too heated, it will cool you; If you are depressed, it will cheer you; If you are excited, it will calm you.

I have also been drinking tea in the evening as well. I don't usually feel the negative effects of caffeine when I go to sleep, just more like a smooth transition. I favor green tea, but even the lighter black teas will do.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Conundrum & Gambit

Sorry everyone for the lack of recent "Monday" Updates. I usually end updating on a day that's not Monday, if I update at all.

You see, I am often in a bit of a conundrum as to what to post, so I play around with various ideas until something comes to mind--usually after Monday.

I try not to force the muse these days, because I legitamately fear the consequences. I had to do that back in the day when I re-wrote magazine articles for well-meaning authors who couldn't write worth a damn. So now I just try to take it easy and let the spirit of creativity move when it wants.

Right now I am listening to Chris Thile's new project called "Punch Brothers" on NPR, and it's quite cool. I miss Nickelcreek, but I believe they will reunite in the future after various wanderings to other projects and come up with some great new stuff down the line.

That is, if Obama doesn't end the world first. LOL.

So, in reference to my previous post, I bought a bit of ammo to replace what I've been shooting and made the purchase of a 18.5 inch barrel for my Maverick 88 Shotgun. This way it can be used for home-defense because it will be much easier to maneuver. Next dress-up items for the shotgun include a side-saddle (for ammunition) and a mag extension tube. I may also invest in a tac light for the gun down the line and a kickback reducer for the shoulder. Pics to come.

Right now that's it. I would like to purchase a serious sniper rifle, but that's just out of my league these days. But if that's of interest to you, be sure to visit Tactical Rifle's webpage. They are serious and have a whole host of goodies to whet the appetite.

In the meantime I will continue to convalesce here at home. I've been sick since Friday night, and now I am enjoying the fourth movement of this bastard cold of Antioch, which involves having a sore throat. Hopefully, I will be less of a space cadet today, as yesterday I was pretty much useless to those around me in my opinion.

Thanks for visiting the Update. I will do my best to keep the muse on its best game from now on. But I am not making any promises.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

New Mandate, New Measures

I don't have much to say right now, except that Obama the radical has now been given a mandate to rule by 63 million fools.

Now gun sales have literally skyrocketed everywhere because people are are preparing for the expansion of the People's Republic of Illinois to the rest of the lower 48 and beyond. There almost isn't a black rifle to be found. Personally, I don't have enough coin to keep up adequately with my newfound addiction to guns, but that doesn't stop me from salivating all over my keyboard. I just wish I would have bought my guns years ago.

So I am pondering what I am going to buy next: a Glock 19, a bolt action rifle, chambered either in .308 or .270, or a 1000 rounds of ammunition? I need each of these things. I just have to prioritize.

Part of me wants another Glock, because they are so awesome, and because I won't feel like Clare is unsafe if I am carrying. Yes, we have a shotgun, which is easy to use, but there's a certain convenience to a pistol that makes it more desireable in some circumstances.

I know all of my readers may not be fans of Glocks. We each have our own opinions. For those who wonder about my obsession, I chose to shoot a Glock because it feels right in my hand, in addition to its reliability, quality and accuracy.

The other part of me likes the idea of a bolt action rifle because I can hunt with it, use it to snipe varmints, or if there are roving mobs coming down the street--an unlikely occurance out here in "Buckton," to say the least--I have another means of defending myself.

Thirdly, just getting a thousand rounds for the Glock sounds like a good idea. If the SHTF, you want to have enough ammo to last a long time. Besides, I think it's fun to build an aresenal.

And finally, I also need to pick up an 18.5 in barrell for the shotgun, for home defense, a biometric safe for the Glock, and some other "stuff."

Hopefully Santa will be good to me, because Chairman Obama won't.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

"Change I Can Believe In"