10-Ring

It's not the initial sting that bothers me it's the days of itching that follow.

I have spoken to an attorney about a similar situation that I am in.  I have a 4 year old step daughter whose biological father sounds pretty much like the father of your nieces and nephew.  If anything were to happen to my wife the plan is that I will attempt to raise my step daughter so that she does not go to her father.  My attorney said that the best thing to do sometimes in these cases is nothing.  Meaning don't petition the court to do anything to get legal custody or financial assistance.  I know in our situation and likely in yours as well the father won't do anything unless prodded.  My step daughters father would probably never say a thing, unless I asked him to give me legal custody, then he would be marching right down to the court house.  I can't speak to the insurance thing, hopefully someone who can will chime in.  Seems like insurance is the biggest concern here.  Hats off to you sir for stepping up to the plate!

I had a situation similar to that of the OP.  I was working security for a retail store and there was a certain shipping and receiving manager who constantly acted without thinking.  He comes and knocks on my office door and is holding a cardboard box, which he just hands to me and says "I found this in the parking lot, I don't know what to do with it.  I think it's hurt."  So I ask him what's in the box and he tells me it's a raccoon.  Killing people at work isn't legal although I want to, really bad actually.  Since I spent a lot of time coon hunting growing up I knew that confining a raccoon to a cardboard box is about as effective as containing a raccoon in a wet paper sack.  The raccoon wasn't moving around much, I reluctantly sat the box in my office, with visions of the paper work I would have to do if this thing tore up anything or worse bit someone, since I was the guy in charge of safety in the store allowing someone to receive injury via raccoon on my watch was not an option.  I first called the police department, they said they didn't have the means to deal with it.  Next was TWRA, can't remember why but they couldn't deal with it either.  The police dept actually asked me if I had a gun and if I would be willing to dispatch it, since it was against company policy to have guns at work I told the dispatcher that do to my specific location and the firearms policy I couldn't do that.  I got the run around and called several other gov't agencies and found several people who wanted to help and did help, just finding someone to deal with the thing.  Eventually the sheriffs department sent their animal control unit out to get the thing.  After this experience I will say SSS when applicable, the government is obviously not in the injured wild animal business, but even worse there seems to be no channel for dealing with these situations.

THP has almost always done right by me.  I never remembered them pulling me over when I didn't deserve it.  I did have one respond to a crash when I was 17 where I got hit by a guy that was falling down drunk and reeked of alcohol.  It was pretty obvious that the trooper knew the drunk guy personally.  The police report was full of anomalies and the other driver was never given any kind of alcohol testing.  My dad came down and said something to the cop about it and the cop told him that he had no reason to believe that the guy had been drinking.  Other than that THP has always been very professional in my opinion.  Although they are not known to hand out warning around here.  If you see them coming after you get ready, knock on wood it's been several years since I've had a ticket, but one trooper told me last year that tickets for simple speeding were $340 now. 

I'm going to jack this thread for just a minute for a shameless plug.  Whenever you are in Tellico Plains stop by Tellico Motorcycle Outfitters.  They have quality gear at great prices.

I hear people all of the time say "Oh I have no filter" and I respond with "What you don't have is any self control."  But, sometimes reality is needed, like in the OP's situation!

Seems the more specialized a local business is the more they jack up their prices.  Any of you who ride motorcycles will know what I'm talking about.  I try to buy local but we get to a point where I'm not going to pay the extra money to do so.  I can order motorcycle tires online for about $100 less than I can buy them at a dealership.  I install them myself, which can be done with about $50 worth of tools, while the dealership is going to charge $100+ for the install.  I buy my helmets, usually from a specific online retailer that I do business with commercially, even without my discount I will pay about $200 less for a helmet (last one was a $300 helmet I paid $110 for without discount) than if I had walked into a motorcycle shop and bought it off of the shelf.  I would be more than willing to pay $10 extra dollars to support a local business, I'm not paying $100 more dollars though.  Plus realistically, it takes less time out of my day to place an order online than it does for me to travel to one of the 3 motorcycle shops in the greater Knoxville area that are still open to conduct my business.  Seriously 5 minutes to place an online order vs. 1/2 day to travel to a shop, get what I need, shoot the breeze, etc.

I don't normally recommend a .223 for deer but after reading the comments here I wouldn't object to most of you guys using it.  I know it sounds bad but I think that a .223 can be an effective round against deer, it's probably just not suited well for the general public to take deer with.

I don't feel sorry for people who paid $2000 for $1500 guns and tried to sell them for $2500.  I hope they can't get rid of them for more than $800 or they get stuck with them.

T.C. Grill in Maryville, never eaten anything bad there.  Walley's Smokehouse on HWY 129 in Maryville, good pulled pork, brisket and ribs.  Dragon Pit BBQ at 129 and 72, really awesome pulled pork and burgers.  Sweet P's BBQ and soulfood house, Knoxville (Between Knoxville and Maryville on Maryville Pike)  Really good pulled pork and ribs, vegetables are incredible as well and I don't really even like vegetables.

I see them over here about weekly.  Usually flying really low.  They seem to follow the powerlines a lot.  Also not sure what kind of plane it is but I've had planes buzz my house at night they never have any lights on.  It shakes the entire house, there is no sleeping through it.

You need to run up to the Merrell outlet in Sevierville.

They say that whiskey can wash the taste of just about anything out of your mouth. 

My parents live in Mt. Juliet, the roofing contractors have worn their doorbell out over the last couple of years.

I would hate to see this.  I've lived in counties that required it and hated it.  I now pay $24 a year to register a vehicle, no county wheel tax, no emissions testing.  If it were made mandatory what are people supposed to do that own vehicles that will not pass?  My old pickup just ain't gonna pass.  When I rebuilt the engine years ago I took all of the emissions control stuff off because I lived in a county were it was not required.  I might put 1,000 miles on that truck a year.  I think we need to speak up on this one and let our representatives know that we do not want emissions testing?  Seriously, how much pollution is the small percentage of vehicles that couldn't pass producing?

129 is pretty desolate after dark.  I left a friend's house in Robinsville, NC one morning at about 3 O'clock and drove 47 miles before seeing another vehicle. 

Ok I'm going to need all of the home addresses of the members of Congress.

Got this one at Chilhowie Dam the other night.

Fontana Dam is the highest dam East of the Mississippi River. The dam uses two overflow tunnels that are each about 30 feet in diameter to run excess water off of the lake. At the bottom the water hits a concrete "ramp" and shoots 150 feet into the air and lands approximately 450 feet down stream. It makes for a spectacular sight. I took these pictures of it yesterday. To my knowledge the overflow system has only been used 3 or 4 times since the dam was built in the 1940's.

^^^This!  If you can get more than a couple of miles from asphalt it won't seem like you are at a tourist convention!

Gander Mountain in Turkey Creek off of I-40 right as you come into West Knoxville.  Exit 368 if I'm not mistaken, but I could be mistaken.  Unless you are getting into the back country I wouldn't worry about it.  I spend 50 hours a week in bear country and if I carried bear spray I would have probably removed it from the holster twice in the last 3 years and not actually used it either time. 

I've seen them recently in the $300-350 range.

I doubt it as it is a cap and ball.

Just thought I'd pass along this tidbit.  Many years ago I read or watched something from Ted Nugent, love him or hate him I believe this.  Uncle Ted made it a point to wear camo to represent himself as a hunter as he went about his daily business.  He also made it a point to hold doors for people, greet people, smile at them, ask them how they are doing, etc.  Just general nice guy stuff.  The same principles apply for open carry. 

Looks like it's been a long while since we've had any kind of EDC thread activity around here. Got bored this morning and decided to take pics of mine. Glock 23, Smith and Wesson assisted opening knife, wallet, keys, ear plugs (in the case,) Skeeter Stik, and a Bic lighter. I know that's a little light compared to what some carry but it seems to meet my needs well. I also carry a backpack all day that has other supplies.