Is It Just Me?

Or does anyone else hear R. Lee Ermey as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman whenever the news runs a story on the British soldiers being held hostage in Iran?

You know, "Why are you not stomping Private Pyle's guts out?"

I say it's about time to load up the B-52s with something in the thermonuclear family, and warn that crazy-ass motherfucker in charge Ahmadinejad that he has precisely 24 hours to turn the Brits over to coalition forces before we give him the nuclear weapons he's hell bent on getting.

The hard way.

From 50,000 feet.

Friday Fusil Foto

Back a couple of weekends ago, I took my neighbors to the range. Since I've already posted pictures of 2 of the 4 guns I brought, I figured I'd post another.

This is a Colt Series 80 Gold Cup National Match 1911 in (of course) .45 ACP. I picked it up last year in what I was jokingly calling my "Total Quality" approach to firearm acquisition - getting away from picking up less expensive guns and focusing on real high-quality pieces (like last week's Model 17).

What can I say about this magnificent firearm that hasn't already been said by writers far more eloquent than myself? Simply one thing: It's mine. MINE! MINE! MINE! {/Daffy Duck}

Happy Friday!

Road Rage, Liberal Limp-Wrist Style

By now I'm sure you've all heard about VA idiot Christian Trejbal. He's the numbnuts who published the names and addresses of VA concealed carry license holders in the Roanoke (VA) Times. Well, he's gone and done it again:

A license plate doesn't make you special

...

When someone throws on a turn signal indicating he wants to break into traffic, in most circumstances there is no obligation to give way. If a vehicle sports one of those ironically misguided fish-eating-the-fish-with-feet, forget it. If it has the "Coexist" sticker with all those different religious symbols for letters, well, then I'll make some
room.

I assume people of all political persuasions follow similar driving maxims, even if subconsciously. One of the reasons to wear politics and religion on the sleeve -- or in this case the bumper -- is to evoke a reaction. Perhaps if enough motorists refused to yield to SUVs, their owners might reconsider their automotive choice.

I've got five words for this fucktard: 1983 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

I bought this car after two major accidents (not my fault) inside of 8 months. Four DAYS before my wedding, a 17 year old kid in a Honda Civic came screaming out of a side street and broadsided my Plymouth Sundance (driver's side, natch). Spent six months in physical therapy; was doped up on prescription-strength Naproxen for the wedding and honeymoon; basically took a big chunk out of my life. Then, eight months later, some dipshit in a Ford Explorer thought his rear ABS meant he could stop in 20' at 60 MPH in a rainstorm (he couldn't) and wound up rear-ending my Toyota van with enough force to blow out the back window like you see in the movies and crushed the rear end in about a foot and a half.

So, after this, I took the insurance money from the Toyota and went looking for the biggest, meanest, heaviest chunk of Detroit steel I could find. It came down to the Caddy above and a 1974 Lincoln Town Car, the Caddy winning because it was cheaper.

This car was, I don't know, 40 or 50 feet long and had to have weighed at least 70 or 80 tons. It had the anemic Cadillac 4.1L V8, which meant that 0-60 times were measured via calendar; however the damn thing got 22-24 MPG. It also had a 25 gallon gas tank, which meant that it had well over a 500 mile range on a single tank of gas. And speaking of tank, it pretty much defined the fucking genre, 'K?

Walk a little further with me down Amnesia Lane. I'm on the MA pike in the Caddy, following a buddy of mine at about warp 7. I've got the Caddy cranked up to about 90 or so, when this little ricer wannabe dipshit in a fucking Civic decides to move into the fast lane at a blistering 67 MPH. I came up on him so fast, blaring the horn and flashing my headlights because there was no way on G-d's Green Earth I was going to stop before turning him and his car into vehicular purée, that he literally dove through the right lane, off the shoulder, and halfway down the embankment out of pure, raw, unadulterated fear.

He saw that the bell was not only tolling for his stupid ass, but Quasimodo was yelling "Haw Haw" like Nelson from "The Simpsons". He must have realized that, upon his immediate fiery death, that Saint Peter would have bitch-slapped him for being so fucking stupid as to cut off a 1983 Cadillac Coupe de Ville in a Honda fucking Civic...

Now, what does this have to do with Christian Trejbal? Well, not much, except for me to wish that I still had the ol' Caddy. 'Cuz I would gladly pay an insurance surcharge for the chance, nay, the honor, of hitting Christian's poseur-mobile Prius with the Cadillac hard enough to send him back in fucking time. I'd wear that Prius on the grill of my Coupe de Ville like a junebug on the windshield of a Peterbuilt.

Man... Just the thought of 80 tons of Detroit steel turning a limp-wrist liberal poseur into cubist art gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't wish Mr. Trejbal ill...

Who the fuck do I think I'm kidding? I hope he cuts off a semi with bad brakes and an irritated truck driver with implacable hemorrhoids...

(Tip 'o' the keyboard to the South Park Pundit, who I really need to add to the ol' blogroll...)

My Outlook on Politics...

I list myself as a "right wing" gun nut. That might lead some to think that I'm a Republican, which would be a mistake. My political philosophy, until recently, has been:

"I hate the Republicans and the Democrats. I just hate the Democrats a little more."

Given the recent turn of events with the Republicans (the front-runner for 2008 is Rudy-Freakin'-Giuliani?!?!?!?), I can no longer truthfully state the above. It seems as though their entire platform has become nothing more than: "Well, the Democrats are worse".

Ugh. Just ugh.

Curious...

Got a call tonight from the Toyota dealership. More than week after I was told they'd "get right back to me", I get a call (at dinner time) from the "Truck Specialist" I had talked with previously. Seems the gentleman that I sent the e-mail to didn't pass the word on that I had bought a competitor's vehicle...

Apparently, Toyota has just rolled out an incentive plan. They're offering a $1,000 rebate on new Tundras. Now, I can only guess what's going on, but I would have to surmise that since Dodge, Ford, and General Motors are able to offer significant discounts on their trucks, Toyota's "You'll Pay Full Price and Like It While We Give You Significantly Less Than Book Value on Your Trade-in Vehicle" policy isn't moving many Tundras.

Not to mention that the truck we test-drove is still sitting on the lot. And they've gotten more trucks on the lot since we were last there. And sold none. Can't say it surprises me - while Toyota trucks are fantastic vehicles, there's just no getting around a $10,000 price difference. Ain't nothing that well-built.

*Shrug* I found it interesting...

Same Problem, Different Cause

Alternate title: I like this problem better than the previous...

According to the weather reports, we were supposed to get spring-like weather today. It was supposed to reach 60ºF (I'm indoors all day so I really can't say).

So I reached into the back of the closet for the short-sleeve dress shirts. Now, since I started losing weight, I've had to update my wardrobe as my body got progressively less walrus-like. I started having to buy new clothes in earnest sometime last summer. I only wear short-sleeve shirts in the spring/early summer, moving on to polo shirts in late summer and back to long sleeve dress shirts come fall.

Anyhoo... I grabbed a shirt that I got maybe 3 or 4 years ago and have never worn. It's a XXL shirt that had always been too tight, and I was, quite frankly, embarassed that it was tight (and a XXL). Looking at the shirt, I was still a little leery that it wouldn't fit. Even though I've lost over 85 pounds, and currently wear a size Large shirt, I was still apprehensive. Old habits die hard and all that.

Of course, as it turns out I was right - it didn't fit. I look like a little boy wearing Daddy's shirt...

I like this turnout much better... :)

Shit I Didn't Need To Hear...

Just got an e-mail from Mrs. G. Seems there was an attempted abduction of a child my son's age on Friday across town. A teenager (?) walked out of the woods behind the kid's house, and grabbed his arm. He left without further attempt when some other children started crying.

My wife tells me that she's keeping the doors locked and will meet my son at the bus with her cell phone and whistle in hand. Damn I wish I could convince her to take the .38 instead...

And yet she still wonders why I carry the .357 Mag out in the yard...

Y'know...

A Dodge Ram gets a helluva lot more respect out in the wide world 'o' traffic than does a Honda Accord.

Ever since I've gotten the Ram, I've noticed a distinct lack of folks making sudden and/or unannounced left turns across my bow. I've noticed that people actually stop at stop signs when I'm on the main thoroughfare, rather than blow through them. And no one tailgates me any more.

(Okay, so the last one is more conjecture on my part; I'm really not certain if anyone's tailgating me or not, as the Ram is just so freakishly big than anything short of a semi gets lost behind me...)

I like it. A lot. And, so far, it appears to be better on gas than the Durango it replaced...

Just for Fodder...

Since he's putting together a list of gunnies who also ride, I figured it was time to post a pic of my bike:

It's a 2003 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Standard. FLHT in the standard Harley letterclature (yeah, just made that up...). 88 cubic inch engine (1,450 ccs for you metric riders out there). Added the factory CD player and a passenger backrest, plus some chrome and leather touches since this picture was taken. It's currently in storage, so I won't have any more recent pictures for a couple of weeks. But there will be updates.

Oh, yeah, and I know... Pics of the new truck will also be forthcoming...

If It's Friday, It Must Be Time For...

...Scenes from the Safe!

Today's Scene is one of the handguns I chose in my trip this past weekend:

This is a Smith & Wesson Model 17-4 in .22LR. It's a target revolver, as evidenced by the 8 3/8" barrel, target hammer, and target trigger. This was my Buy A Gun Day purchase in 2005, an impulsive buy that I couldn't resist due to the price (only slightly more than I paid for a used Ruger Single Six...).

This gun is just about perfect for teaching a new shooter the joys of the shooting sports. It's heavy, but not overly so, and with the .22LR chambering, there's no recoil whatsoever. It's quite pleasant to shoot and is insanely accurate, so it's a great gun to start folks out on. My female neighbor referenced in the post above was positively thrilled with this gun, favoring it far above any of the other handguns I'd brought, including the Ruger Security Six loaded with mild .38 special wadcutters.

Someday I'd like to pick up a Smith & Wesson Model 27 (.357 Magnum) and a Model 29 (.44 Magnum) with the same target set-up to have as a set of target guns. As Kim would say, where did I put that lottery ticket?

Don't Get Mad, Get Even

Alternate title: Don't fuck with a motorhead in sales.

Here's the text of the e-mail I sent to the sales manager at the Toyota dealership:

Thank you for the courtesy of a follow-up e-mail. There is actually something that you can do for us. You can register our disappointment with our sales experience at Jaffarian Volvo-Toyota.

We came to Jaffarian with the intent of buying a new Toyota Tundra pickup truck. We had researched this exciting new vehicle online, learning about its re-designed body and new and more powerful 5.7L V8 engine, and were interested in test-driving it. I was a little apprehensive about this truck, as it is the first year of the re-design, and if there are any design quirks, they become apparent in the first model year. On Saturday, March 17th we met with A*., your “Truck Specialist”, who walked us through the introductory material for the new Tundra and took us for the test drive. He was very knowledgeable about the new truck and also about the competition, and was eager to assist us.

Once we had completed the test drive, we sat down to talk price. I had configured the Tundra we liked through both the Toyota.com website and also through Edmunds.com, and the truck we discussed was extremely close to what we had configured. The only option this truck had that we had not configured was the “Option B” plan available on the Toyota web site, which includes the in-dash 6-CD changer. This is listed as a $735 option. We had no interest in the 6-CD changer, but were told that we could get the best deal on a truck on the lot rather than one that was ordered.

So we sat down with A. to talk payments. We had discussed our budget before going into the dealership, and had agreed that $400 a month was the most that we could afford to spend. We had a 2001 Dodge Durango Sport 4X4 with low mileage (58,000 miles) as a trade-in, which Kelly Blue Book lists as being worth $7,500 in “good” condition. A. worked through the financing, and even consulted with J. the sales manager, and they both assured us that our payment figure of $400 a month was realistic (with a 72-month payment plan). We walked out of Jaffarian ecstatic – we were going to be able to get the Toyota Tundra that we wanted.

Imagine our surprise, then, when we came back the next day to discover that our figure was, in fact, not realistic. We sat down with J. (the sales manager who talked to us the day before), who prepared the numbers and showed us that our monthly payment over 60 months would be $557 a month. He then brought back a “revised” figure for a 72 month loan that had a monthly payment of $459 a month. That is 15% higher than our budget allowed, and nowhere near the $400 a month J. and A. told us was “realistic” and “doable” the day before. Our trade-in, which A. had valued at $7,500 on Saturday, was now valued at $5,000 (adjusted to $5,500 final).

Running the numbers through a bank loan calculator, the total amount we would be financing over 60 months to achieve a monthly payment of $557 a month (assuming an interest rate of 7%) turns out to be a little over $28,000. For the 72 month term with a monthly payment of $459, the amount financed is $27,000. MSRP on the Tundra according to Toyota.com is $31,805. Edmunds.com lists the MSRP as $31,895. Even with the “Option B” added, the total is $32,500 for MSRP. Interestingly enough, that’s exactly the right figure to yield $27,000 (minus $5,500 for the trade) that, financed over 72 months at 7% interest, gave the monthly payment of $459 that was over our budget.

Jaffarian was not willing to budge from this figure. They wanted us to pay full MSRP for the Tundra and also to accept $2,000 below book value for our trade. They chose to let us walk out of the dealership rather than slightly reduce their profit margin or offer fair market value for our trade. It would not have taken much extra to sway us; in fact, we offered that we could increase our monthly payment to $425 to make things work. We even provided ads showing two different competitors’ models and prices as evidence that there were trucks out there in our price range.

And this was not good enough. Jaffarian was not willing to work with us in the least. They let us walk out the door without dropping the price a single penny. They wouldn’t consider giving us blue book value for our low-mileage trade-in; nor would they lower the price of the Tundra, even though Jaffarian’s own web site lists the “Invoice Price” as $30,400. In fact, they used the old canard that if they lowered the price any more, they wouldn’t be making any money on the truck. Considering that Edmunds.com lists the average Invoice Price at $28,900, if Jaffarian is paying Toyota $30,400 for a Tundra, they need to re-evaluate their business model.

Jaffarian has lost not only this sale (we bought a new Dodge Ram 1500 with more features for $7,000 less), but they have lost any future business from our family. My wife and I are extremely dissatisfied with how we were treated by Jaffarian, and feel that we were initially misled as to what we could afford. Jaffarian’s unwillingness to work with us to sell us a truck will be the only thing on our minds should anyone ask our opinion of the dealership. A. called me the next morning to offer some ideas (including an 84 month loan, which was completely out of the question), then told me he would “get right back to me” with more ideas. That was 9:30 AM Monday morning. It’s Thursday evening and I haven’t heard back.

In closing, it’s easy to see why Toyota’s light trucks only represent 10-12% of the total light truck market. While they’re well-built, reliable vehicles, the dealers that sell them insist on absolute top-dollar for them and are completely unwilling to work with their customers to suit their customers’ needs. I will not deal with Toyota Motor Sales again, and will caution any who seek my counsel as to the poor treatment I received from one of their dealers. A copy of this letter has been sent to the Toyota Customer Experience Center.

*Names have been truncated so I don't get sued... I suppose I should do the same with the dealership... But I won't.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh. Maybe I should have let them ass-rape me on the price simply because they're Toyota. Or maybe they can shove their over-priced rice burners up their asses... Either way, I've got a shiny new Dodge Ram 1500 in my garage (barely) that's got a 345 HP Hemi V8 under the hood, 3.92 rear axle with 8,500 pound towing capacity, all for $60 a month less than the Toyota (and 12 months fewer payments). The Dodge probably won't last as long as the Toyota. But for a final price of $9,000 less, I'm waaaay ahead of the game.

(And no, there's no truth to the rumor that the e-mail actually ended with "or brake if I see you crossing the street." Simpsons fans will get the reference...)

Requiem for a Middleweight

Trading in our 2001 Durango today on the new Ram truck (shaddup, og...)

So... as a motorhead, I feel an obligation to give an old friend a proper send-off. We're trading in this fine vehicle not because it's been problematic (far from it) but because we've outgrown it. We've discovered that the kids really love camping, and have bought our own travel trailer. The trailer really is too heavy to safely pull with the Durango, and I'd rather not thrash a perfectly good vehicle. Especially one that's been as good to us as our Durango.

In the six years we've owned it, this Durango has carried us safely over 60,000 miles. Aside from one 5-year-old-battery-induced breakdown, it's started and run reliably the entire time (and that one episode was ENTIRELY my fault for not replacing the battery sooner). It has had exactly three minor non-maintenance issues, all of which were handled promptly and at no charge to us (engine code from gas cap not screwed on tight enough, dash fan motor burned out, and the emissions computer went haywire, all were under warrantee).

This Durango replaced my 1998 Ram when it became abundantly clear that loading a 9 month old into an extended cab pickup stunk on ice. My wife took it over before my daughter was born; heck, this Durango carried my infant daughter home from the hospital (she, BTW, is adamantly opposed to getting a new truck...). It has towed our pop-up camper all over New England, from western MA to the White Mountains to our friends' cabin in ME.

Tuesday night, as I cleaned out six years of accumulated garf, I found myself getting sad for letting the ol' girl go. Motorheads do that. To me, it's more than a cacophony of cogs and camshafts; it's a motorized friend, a faithful companion to the good times we've experienced as a family. But I'd rather say goodbye to my friend than abuse her terribly towing a camper that's too big and heavy. I'd rather not spend her waning years cursing the failed brakes and white-knuckling down the highway as the wake from passing semis have their way with her on the open road.

My hope for this truck is that another family will find her and fall in love with her. She's got many serviceable miles left in her; heck, the BFG tires are only 1.5 years old. I hope whoever ends up with our Durango treats her well, for she has earned it... Godspeed, my Mopar machine.

Separated at Birth?

Watching the news this morning, something struck me as funny:

Dick Cheney:

And Mr. Potter from "It's A Wonderful Life" could be twins. Or the same man, a la Clark Kent/Superman:

See? Put glasses on Mr. Potter, add in some color, and presto! Instant veep!

Dude, You're Gettin' a Dodge...

Alternate title: Fuck Toyota

Well, my conundrum has been solved. The Tundra is out; the Dodge Ram 1500 is in. We're signing papers on the Dodge this afternoon.

To those that suggested the Tundra, believe me, I would have LOVED to have gotten the Tundra. It's a fantastic truck with boatloads of power and comes with the peace of mind of Toyota's legendary reliability behind it.

However...

I do not like the Tundra enough to pay > $1,600 OVER MSRP ***AND*** take $2,000 LESS than the Kelly Blue Book value on my trade-in. Toyota trucks are good, but not BOHICA good...

So, I'm gettin' a Hemi. 345 HP of good ol' American muscle with a towing capacity of 8,500 pounds. Given that the most weight I'll be towing is 6,000 pounds (camper + the maximum that the camper can carry), 8,500 pounds will work just fine for what I need.

And Toyota has lost not just this sale, but a customer for life. They've gone on the list with General Motors (after a Chevy salesman WALKED AWAY FROM ME after I told him that I was looking to spend ~ $15K on a stripped S-10 4X4 in 1997). My wife would have been very happy in a Highlander; looks like it will be a Honda Pilot instead. Honda North should send a thank-you note to Jaffarian Volvo-Toyota...

I'll be posting my letter to Toyota later. Included will be all the various lies, omissions, and other chicanery they attempted to employ...

Take Your Neighbor to the Range Day...

Alternate title: Just call me Johnny Gunnieseed...

In the small world department, I find out through my local gun board (Derek's place) that my next-door-and-across-the-street neighbors are interested in the shooting sports. I found out that they had taken their first steps towards getting their MA gun permits, which is to take a safety course with an approved instructor (who, just BTW, is a real sweetheart that I've had the privilege of meeting).

So, I took my neighbors to the range yesterday afternoon. I brought along a few of the staples, the bread-and-butter of the armory, so to speak. Packed a Colt 1911, the Ruger Security Six .357 Magnum, my SW99 in .40 S&W, and the model 17 .22LR. Interestingly enough, he sends me a PM after I packed up and asked if I could bring "a .45 1911"... "a semiauto "plastic" gun"... and "a .38 revolver". Heh.

Comment/highlight of the afternoon: He turns to me, after putting a full magazine of .45 ACP goodness into a tight 3" group in the dead center of a "Q" target, shit-eatin' grin on his face, and says, "That just... feels... right".

A close second was the biiig smile on her face while she shot the model 17 - she wasn't a big fan of recoil...

Afterwards we drooled over the guns in the cases, commiserated about the lousy gun laws in MA, and made tentative plans for a second outing...

Just doin' what I can to spread the gun-nuttery...

Holy Lower Back Pain, Batman...

I just shoveled twelve inches of heavy, wet global warming off my driveway.

Curse you, George Bush, and your Halliburton weather machine!

My Take on Valerie Plame

Y'know, she's kinda hot. I mean, I'd hit it...

That is all.

Scenes from the Safe

Okay. I'm gonna try to make this a permanent Friday fixture.

Today's Scene from the Safe is the first firearm I ever purchased:

This is a Ruger Security Six .357 Magnum revolver with a 6" barrel. The 4" barreled versions were stalwart police sidearms until the 1980s and the advent of the wünder-nines, joining the Colt Troopers and Smith & Wesson model 66s.

I have put easily 5,000 rounds through this gun, and it still shoots as good today as the day I bought it. This is one of my top five favorite guns, and it's the second gun I have new shooters try out - with low-powered .38 special wadcutters, the recoil is almost negligible. (First gun is the Smith & Wesson model 17 .22LR).

Another addition!

BobG from Near the Salty City is the next addition to the blogroll. This will come as a big surprise, but yes, I have added another gun nut to my long list of gun nuts... ;)

Stay Tuned...

Bruce is going to post some most excellent news regarding his activities of earlier today.

That is all.

Update: The news has been posted (see link above). NH is a shade redder today...

New Truck Conundrum...

Okay... Here's the scoop. The G family recently upgraded our teeny little Jayco pop-up camper (GVWR: several bunnies) to a 26 foot Trail-Lite Max-Sport bunkhouse (GVWR: Two elephants and a municipal parking garage).

While our 2001 Durango is technically rated to pull the new camper (*cough* yeah right *cough*), it needs about a grand worth of work (new front and rear brakes, tune-up, and shocks) before I'd even think about towing the casa del rhino behind it. And, from what I'm reading, the 4.7L V8 powered Durango is not up to the task of towing much more than a pop-up anyways, so...

Not to mention that it *is* six years old and our other car (Honda Accord) is a year older, so we need to be thinking about replacing at least one of our cars in the near future anyways... So...

The Durango's getting traded in for a full sized pick-up truck. But which one?

I've eliminated Ford (three friends have them and each has had significant problems in the first 2 years); Chevy/GM (too pricey, plus GM seems to be circling the crapper at an alarming rate); and Nissan (waaaayy too $$$). That leaves Dodge:

and the all-new Toyota Tundra:

The Tundra comes with a 4.7L V8 with 271 HP capable of towing 7800 pounds or a 5.7L V8 with 381 HP (!!!) capable of towing a staggering 10,200 pounds. Advantage: Toyota.

The Ram, with the optional (for the 1500) 5.7L Hemi puts out 345 HP and can tow 8750 pounds (the standard 4.7L V8 is the same motor as my Durango, and hence is not up for consideration).

Dodge has better incentives: The 1500 has a $5,000 rebate *and* a free Hemi upgrade, retailing for $23K. The 2500 has extras (remote start, towing package, etc.) and retails for $28K. The Tundra starts at $31K. Advantage: Dodge.

Reliability, the advantage has got to go to Toyota, who has near-legendary customer satisfaction ratings WRT the reliability of their trucks. However, our Durango has been very good, and we are personal friends with the owner of the Dodge dealership, who has treated us extremely well (Port City Chrysler Dodge in Portsmouth, NH for those that are in the area and interested). Pretty much a wash.

It's all going to boil down to how good of a deal I can wrangle with the Toyota people. Word on the street is that the new Tundra is flying off the lot literally faster than Toyota can ship them out (this is from a truck cap manufacturer that I spoke to earlier this week), so I don't know if they'll be too willing to wheel and deal or not...

Thoughts? Concerns? Anecdotes? Just curious what others think...

Two more takers!

We have two more takers!

Please welcome The Conservative UAW Guy and Roninaz to the blogroll.

Salut!

We have our first taker!

Fodder over at Ride Fast & Shoot Straight is the first to take me up on my reciprocal blogrolling.

I click over to take a gander at what RFSS is about, and the header pic is a Thompson. Oh hell yeah...

As John McClane (thanks Ricky, I had a feeling that was the wrong spelling, I musta been thinking of Don McLean...) was wont to say, welcome to the party, pal!

A personal milestone...

Had a follow-up visit with my doctor last night. After five years of being on blood pressure medication (lisinopril, for those that are curious), I have managed to lose enough weight and exercise enough to be taken off the meds.

It's a nice reward for the past year and a half of sacrifice.

In January of last year, I decided that it was time to lose weight. I had spent about two years slowly changing my diet to incorporate healthier foods, better snack alternatives, and overall less junk food. And last January it was time to pull it all together into a weight loss program. My intent/goal was "a pound a week" - 4-5 pounds a month, certainly not a herculean task by any measure.

Except, of course, that I was 85 - 90 pounds overweight. Yes, this was to be a "long haul" diet. Speaking of the word "diet", I deliberately avoided "going on a diet" a la Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, etc. There's certainly nothing wrong with these systems, mind you; they're just not for me. I've gone on (and off) diets pretty much my entire life - I was a "husky" kid (GOD did I hate that fucking euphemism), a chubby teen, and a heavy adult.

It started off slowly - old habits die hard and all - and the first three months I missed my goal, only losing 10 pounds over those three months. As I got more serious about losing weight, and made more sacrifices, the weight started coming off more easily. I found myself, at the end of last year, having lost about 70 pounds. I went from a size 44 waist and XXL shirts to (currently) a size 34 waist and L shirts (with undershirts and some brands of T-shirts actually MEDIUMS). This is all new, uncharted territory for me - I cannot recall ever wearing less than a size 36 waist pant and XL shirts.

Any idea how expensive it gets replacing an entire wardrobe??? Any idea how little you care when you're sizing DOWN rather than UP for the first time in your adult life?

Additionally, I started this year with the goal of exercising regularly. I started off slowly, walking a mile or so a couple of times a week, and doing sit-ups and light weight training at night. This has turned into daily 45+ minutes in the "family gym" (dad "got religion" after his heart attack and spent a small fortune on gym-quality exercise equipment).

Anyhoo... Medically... My blood pressure started creeping up right around the time I turned 30. It was borderline high, and with a family history of heart attacks/cardiac issues, my doctor prescribed medication to keep my blood pressure in check. I've been on lisinopril for over five years now, and going for quarterly visits to check my blood pressure. At the start of this year, as I weighed in at > 70 pounds less than the year before (and with the exercise), my blood pressure was starting to come down. Medication was cut in half, with a follow-up visit the following month. Last month's visit saw the medication cut in half again.

And yesterday, at the latest visit, I am off the meds. (No comments from the peanut gallery about being off my meds...)

So, yeah, I'm pretty freakin' psyched...

So, wot's, uh the deal?

Okay... A little explanation...

First off, let me start by saying that my branching off on my own had nothing to do with Ricky (or Jay C.) at Toys in the Attic.

Ricky's been an online friend for very close to a decade now. He's on my Christmas list, and I am on his. We're tight. Toys in the Attic had gone down a couple of times, and it dawned on me that I had no "central clearinghouse" for my daily links. At least one that I had a modicum of control over.

Well, insofar as blogspot goes, that is... :)

Secondly, the title: MArooned. Stuckinmassachusetts. That's me. Unless and until such time as Mrs. G. relents in her stalwart opposition to packing up everything we own to move 20 minutes north simply to appease her gun nut husband, I am stuck in Massachusetts. Hence the name. Hey, no one ever said I was a creative genius.

Third, the blogroll. I maintain a reciprocal blogroll - if you're crazy enough to link me, I'll put you on. All I ask if that if you do add me to your blogroll, let me know so I can return the favor.

Fourth. Terms of use:

• Read this blog at your own peril.
• I swear/curse/take the Lord's name in vain. Sometimes a lot.
• I like guns, motorcycles, and automobiles. Pictures will be posted.
• Comments will be moderated. If you come onto my blog and shit all over it, I will modify your post to subject you to ridicule. Be polite. Swearing is allowed, being a raging asshole is not.
• I reserve the right to alter any and all terms.
• Your mileage may vary, void where prohibited by law, do not remove tags.

Fifth. No thanks, I don't touch the stuff.

That's about it for now...