Lucky: A Wonderfully Heartbreaking Short Film

I saw this a year or more ago on Neatorama and loved it. The images are moving and well, see for yourself. Click the link below!

 Here! --->  Lucky  <--- here

The Trashy House

My house has long been the worst house on a block full of really well-kept houses. Not to say that it's in shambles, but it needs paint, yard work and a little touch-ups here and there to make it on par with the OCD neighbors. I don't care about my image, but rather just the Golden Rule. I would not want to stare at a nasty overgrown yard and therefore I don't expect my neighbors to do so.
Last night my wife got all wound up about clearing out the shitty-looking flower beds and making them look nice. She took out three-month old son and our older son out with her and began to tear out weeds and prune bushes. I stupidly didn't take "before" pics, but it looks MUCH better than before. The little black weed block fabric and six bags of bark later (grand total of two hours and 35 bucks of materials) it is somewhat presentable.
We plan to tear out our back, lower deck and make that space into usable yard area. Currently, it's a storage dock for rat dens and chicken poo. I may well have one hell of a bonfire with all that wood though. I'll definitely be posting up pics when we do that!
I am proud of my wife for wanting to help out with home improvement projects and anything that is outside the house. I realize this time is limited though, because fall and winter are around the corner and there is little chance of me getting her out there on a shitty day. :)

Trex Finds a New Home

After two and a half years as our household dog, Trex is going to another home. My good friends wanted to take him so they could have a buddy for their other mutt.
He needs lots of exercise and loving; having our second kid recently has removed more time from us. Anyway, that's that.

Brewing an American Pale Ale

Yesterday I helped my step-dad brew beer. It was his first all-grain brew ever, so we shall see how it turns out. It was a time-intensive process due to having to boil large amounts of water, chilling certain steps and all that.
I'm not familiar with all the proper terms, but I'm an expert at drinking beer! :) The grains smell delicious and the hops do also when added to the water.
At the end of the day, my chickens get leftover grain, I learned a lot about brewing and in a couple weeks we will bottle this junk. Also, my step-dad offered up a bunch of brand new gear to me; I'm not sure if I need yet another hobby.
Maybe in the future, I'll be snobbin' it up and brewing some fanciness.

$2350 dollar knife

I went into the local knife store, The Epicurean Edge, in Kirkland today to pick up my knives I had dropped off for sharpening. While I was there, I commented that I was looking for a knife as a gift and that I wanted one better that or equal to my current RAT Cutlery RC-4. That knife is a bad motherfucker and I don’t think I’ll ever get anything better.

Anyhoo, this dude busts out a knife that was very well made and hands it to me. I hold it as he tells me a story of a trucker cutting his way out of the cab of his wrecked truck with one. I asked the guy how much its costs and he looks on the pc…   “Um, that one is twenty-two, no, twenty-three fifty…. “ 

 

I about shit my pants….. So yeah, my friend, or anyone for that matter, can get fucked if he wants a knife that’s more than my car is worth… I’d do it if I could though.   J

 

Today was humbling though… My knives are CRAZY sharp and I will definitely be going back there…  

Obamaville

This neighborhood just east of mine has six houses which are bank owned on one side, and five more on the other. 11 houses out of 14?! That's awful! As it has already been said, "I don't know whether to laugh or cry" and it's true; what sad times that a small town of under 4600 people cannot sustain. The houses on either side of me are going to be vacant soon; one house is facing forclosure and the other is attempting a short sale for a little less than 2/3 the owed amount.
While I don't know what all led up to this neighborhood being this way, it is still sad. There is nothing I know of that I could do to help this from happening all around. It seems very much like an "every man for himself" situation, which is troubling.
Meanwhile, I am trying my best to keep up on everything so the same thing doesn't happen to me.

Gun-free Zones: Who Are They Kidding?!

I always cringe when I see a sign like this on private stores because I know that some people actually heed their message and allow themselves to be disarmed and stripped of their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones. When I’m alone, I just plan to run away as fast as I can if there is violence afoot, but if my family is there, I cannot guarantee that they will be able to escape safely and quickly.

This being said: I know there is no proof that something bad will happen if I do or do not carry a weapon for protection (I do sell Tiger-repelling rocks for anyone interested), but is seems like such an asinine thing to even post up. Do people walk around the local Babies R Us and pick out their next target for violence? Probably not. Should I be treated like a criminal (or trespasser) for carrying my gun completely hidden and having nothing happen? I think not.

I am not sure that having bars and government buildings as gun-free has any merit either; we don’t need drunken or angry people shooting each other, but that would not happen any more than now if it were legal. The right to keep and bear arms is also vaguely synonymous with having the wherewithal and good judgment about your actions with said firearms. The signers of the Constitution never intended to have clueless people walking around armed to the teeth, but rather be able to protect themselves, their way of life and their Liberty.

Recent tragedies have spooled up the anti-gun craze in parts of the country and it’s ridiculous; don’t allow your rights to be taken due to the deeds of fools.