peejman

Neither of my parents are the slightest bit musical. My sister did violin for a while and I did piano for a while (wish I hadn't quit). I joined the 7th grade school band and liked it so I became a band geek (trumpet) from them through my first 2 years of college. It was a great experience with one of the highlights being that I got to peform in the Sydney Opera House with my highschool band. Once I had quit playing in the band (engineering major) I bought a guitar, an amp, and a few tab books. I really enjoy playing, though I'm genuinely terrible. A few years after I got married my wife decided she'd like to learn to play the banjo. So we got her started in lessons and then I started lessons about a year later. I enjoy playing and listening to instrumental bluegrass. Just when I'd reached "the good stuff" with the lessons, I lost my job and we had to move away from the instructor. We've started a family now and just haven't had time to pursue the music, though we both miss it. I pick-n-grin a couple times a week, my son sits on my lap and helps me sometimes. My personal musical taste is quite varied. I still remember being at a friend's house at about age 12 and hearing Quiet Riot for the first time.... "Bang your head!" I don't like opera, rap, boring classical, or really twangy country/bluegrass music. Beyond that, my current playlist contains a wide variety... Tchaikovsky, Rimsky/Korsakov, Metallica, Machine Head, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Dream Theater, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Tony Rice, Gov't Mule, SRV, Led Zep, Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespiem .... lots of stuff.

If you get a "fire safe" be sure to keep some desiccant inside. Corrosion can be an problem because they don't breathe. I have one of these and it suits my needs nicely.... Stack-On "Strong Box Safe" Personal Safe with Electronic Lock - MidwayUSA

My wife and I both snore a bit (me more than her). The typical solution is an elbow to the ribs so the snorer will roll over. I've slept (or tried to sleep) in rooms with people who snore like a chainsaw. That's no fun at all. Sleep apnea is something to look into. After many years of not sleeping well, my father-in-law finally did the testing and got the breathing doodad. He said once he adjusted to it, he slept much better. A friend was a very bad snorer and the sleep Dr. found that he had a deviated septum and enlarged adenoids. Once those were fixed, so was the snoring.

Once upon a time, Gunny's in Maryville had IDPA matches. I've not been in a while so I'm not sure if they still do. Gunnys Indoor Shooting Range

A friend also bought a stolen gun off gunbroker a few years ago. He reported it to them with police reports, etc. and while the process was a hassle and it took a few weeks to get his money back, it was resolved. My only advice is to be patient.

I also have the horsehide because I sweat a lot. It's pretty stiff and seems more so than other cowhide holsters I've seen, but that's not really a bad thing. It forms to the contour around my waist just fine.

What he said. I have family that lived in Canada several years ago (now MI) and I used to work in the auto industry so travelling back and forth to Windsor was common. The fact that you're from TN guarantees the firearm questions..... "do you have a gun? do you own a gun? did you bring it with you? did you leave it at home? ...." When I'd travel with guys from MI, they'd get asked 3 questions. When it was just me or others from TN, we'd get 20 questions.

I have the 6022's in my car. They sound excellent driven by the factory radio. I'd add some high-pass filters and one of the powered subs. The low-profile or custom enclosures are nice if space is an issue. That should provide more than adequate daughter embarrassment.

A friend hit a deer several years ago with his whole family in the mini-van. The deer was audibly suffering and his daughters were quite upset by it. While he was looking for a big rock with which to finish it off, another driver arrived who had a handgun and shot the deer. The officer who worked the wreck (the mini-van was not driveable) saw the gunshot wound and asked who shot it. The man admitted he did. My friend added that the animal was suffering and asked him to kill it because his kids were so upset. The cop asked if he had a hunting license (not deer season) and he said yes. The cop said, ok, you can go.

I think the issue lies here.... My wife started with my Ruger MKI. She liked it and wanted to try something bigger. Unfortunately after shooting the .22, EVERYTHING feels 100x more powerful (because it is). It took several range trips, but I got her used to shooting my P85 (9mm). After shooting that, the Ruger now feels like a toy. As metioned, I wouldn't go smaller than the .380 and remind her that a personal defense gun isn't necessarily "fun" to shoot. We rented an S&W .38 airweight and neither of us liked it. After 15 rounds she had a blister forming in the web between her thumb and index finger. I hated the 900lb x 6 ft trigger pull. The muzzle blast was worse than a 4" barreled .357. I'm just not a wheel gun guy.

I've been to the outlet near Ann Arbor MI several times. I used to travel near there for business. If we finished early, I'd wander around Cabelas to kill time before my flight. I've bought a bunch of stuff from them and so far, all the "Cabelas" brand stuff (mostly clothing) has been of excellent quality. Cabelas makes Bass Pro look like a Dollar General. Gander Mtn is 1/4 the size with 2x the prices.

What he ^ said. Honestly, double the price is worth it. I've had a set of Infinitys in my car for nearly 10 years. They still sound excellent. Crutchfield is great for telling you what will and will not fit. Their prices tend to be toward the high end. The best option is to put high pass filters in-line with the speakers and add a powered sub. Door sized speakers simply aren't big enough to throw much bass.

Growing up, I planted a large number of squirrels with a Crossman air rifle and then .22 CB's. In the city, in a subdivision. Our house backed up to a wooded area so there was a good backstop. Depending on your proximity to other houses and how noisy your rifle is, I wouldn't sweat it. There's plenty of squirrels to go around. That isn't possible in our current house. We have more rabbits than squirrels so I put a 24" high chicken wire fence around our small garden. It appears to work fine. And yes, an outdoor cat also works well.

If you want rain barrels, why spend the money on food grade? Tractor Supply sells several rain barrels. We have a 50 gal barrel that was $90. One good downpour fills it up. I'd plan to boil or otherwise treat any water prior to drinking.

The lowest temperature area in the car (not necessarily the coolest ) is in the trunk if you have one, or somewhere on the floor out of direct sunlight.

I've tried Makers... too sweet. If there's one called Knob Creek, I think that warrants a try just for the name. I'll try to remember to look around during my next liquor run.

This is the primary reason why I posted in this thread... I was trolling for suggestions. Now, if only I could find a liquor store that sold those beverages in small sizes so I don't have to spend $50 just to try them... If Mike FAILS me for that admission, I want to be the bus boy.

I'm guessing you were there in the middle of the day? Regardless of the zoo, the animals hide on a warm, sunny afternoon. The best times for actually seeing animals are early am, late pm, or on a cool, overcast day.

If "ground down" means what I think it means, no it can't be re-threaded with the same threads w/o shortening the barrel. Pics would help.

Most of their staff reviews discuss that very issue. The 4 person tents should sleep 4 people comfortably, if somewhat snug. Most have vestibules and such for gear. If you're backpacking with the family, I suspect you'd be happier with 2 smaller tents rather than carrying one huge one. If you're car/truck camping, leave your stuff in it.

Crown Royal. I would like to try some of the higher-end bourbon and cognac brands just to see it they're worth the difference.

Backpacker Magazine - Gear Finder: Tents

This means they're scared of us, which is how it should be. I think a little civil unrest at election time is a good thing. Maybe it'll scare a few of our representatives into doing what we want. Personally, thought of the military being used against domestic civilians is a bit IMO. I think all the publicity surrounding the bank bailout, healthcare bill, etc. has done the USA a great service. Far, far more people are more aware of what's going on politically and are asking questions. The herds of ignorant sheeple are being reduced. Elected officials are becoming accountable again. That's a good thing.

Welcome! I used to work at TRW there.

Cool.