Firearms Friday: Finding Local Stores And Ranges

No matter where we have lived in recent years one of the first things that I have done is try to find the local gun shops and ranges in the area. While this was a rather fruitless endeavor in the past when we lived in Bala Cynwyd, the ease with which I am able to find these places has drastically improved in subsequent moves. Our last rental did provide me with some hope as there were a few places within an easy 20 minute drive but I quickly found that either prices were exorbitant at the local chain store or the selection was lacking and the, hole in the wall, mom and pop shop.

Now that we have finally been able to settle into our new home, this task has been rather easy as there is a bounty of options within about a 20 minute drive from our house. Of course, I have yet to visit these places so I cannot speak to the quality of selection or the prices that can be found in the area but given the sheer number of shops I don’t expect this to be an issue. Given my experiences at one of the shops just beyond this search area, in Elizabethtown, the search should provide an interesting mix of both large and small stores with both prices and selection varying across the area.

And that is just the buying side of things… finding a range is even easier. Put it this way, we are not on the Main Line anymore. I haven’t even started looking for a place to practice and I already know of about a half dozen places where I can enjoy this relaxing hobby. I was able to spot all of these places during our explorations of the area over the past couple of years. Literally, no effort in finding these places.

So, in addition to reporting on some of the discoveries and experiences in the local shops and at the ranges in the area, I will be able to compile a list of the good spots to go and the ones where the first visit will likely be my last. With that said, when it comes to price, these places still have a lot to live up to having been spoiled over the years by the deals found at Tanner’s Sports Center. Local is easier but, in the end, sometime you want to go where everybody knows your name… at least until that is the case at the local shop.

TMI Tuesday: Baby Dents

A little moon topography... now this is a moonscape!

There have been a number of occasions, especially over the past year, when we would get a package in the mail only to find that it had been battered and dented while in transit to our doorstep. I have had to make countless calls because of this but it has usually been remedied by the time all is said and done. However, we did receive one gift this year that came to us a little dented but we didn’t care. Actually, it was completely normal.

Anyone who had seen a newborn knows what I am talking about. They come into this world a little oddly shaped and with a few dents in their head that make you wonder. Over time, things smooth out but some of the indents are slower to go away than others. So much so that a topographer might go insane trying to update the changing cranial landscape so frequently.

Every once in a while I still look at our son’s head and can’t help but thinking “that looks like it hurts.” I know if my head looked like that I would probably be drooling on myself and crapping my pants too. But it is all part of the developmental process and the thought quickly goes away. It is just odd to see little dents where his head is still forming. I like to think that his head has to work a little bit harder to make room for his huge brain… he is a smart little baby after all.

There are also other things that are still developing but slowly his muscles are displacing the insulation. Heck, daddy might not have a six pack but baby certainly does. It is actually surprising how strong that our son has become and how quickly his coordination is developing. It is a daily occurrence to find him doing different things and being able to better understand what is happening around him. It is sometimes hard to keep track but it is fun trying to keep up with him.  

But even with all of these things changing around him and the development progressing faster than anyone anticipated, those odd little dents in his head remain. He also remains in my eyes to be the perfect baby (I will enjoy this while it lasts). And while I have returned packages in the past with similar dents, our baby is perfect in his imperfections and there is no way I could even consider life without him.

Snow Falling Short

Um... No!

So far the season has been as mild as we could have hoped for with little snow and reasonable temperatures. There have been a few questionable days when the ice caught everyone off guard but nothing in comparison to the frozen deluges that we experienced last year. This has been the story of the season up to this point.

However, beginning late last week the story that dominated the nightly news has been that of the storm that was making its way across the country set to veer northward as if in a sudden drunken rage. We all knew that the dry time that we have been enjoying would have to come to an end at some point but it is still an unwelcome shift in the seasonal demeanor. Of course, that is a rather mild summary of the predictions that dominate the television, internet, and radio.

Just like every other instance of any significant precipitation, it is cast as though Armageddon will be bearing down on us. The stores were bombarded yesterday leaving my wife and me to change our plans and head to an alternative place to shop. Snow removal supplies were dwindling all across the region. It was the usual effect stemming from the worst case scenarios that have been promoted for days.

Because of the ominous sky and the preacher-like warnings broadcast throughout the previous evening and early morning, the roads were a little lighter than usual allowing me to make good time to the office in the morning. During the day we heard much of the same from the various media outlets with an additional suggestion to purchase supplies for the specific purpose of making life sustaining French toast. An interesting suggestion given the warnings of possible power outages.

I managed to leave the office a little earlier than usual but still later than most. We put off plans and appointments earlier in the day so I was able to get on the highway and enjoy the sparse traffic all the way home. There were a few slightly slick spots along the course of my commute and the snow picked up here and there but nothing like the blizzard conditions that were being called for.  

By the time my wife headed off to bed this evening the snow had nearly stopped with a little more than a dusting falling from the sky less intense than Ally Sheedy’s artistic flair in The Breakfast Club. As I finish this post the night is nearly clear with a forecast now predicting nothing more than cold air and a white landscape. I guess Armageddon isn’t that bad after all.

Morgantown And A Smorgasbord

When I got up this morning I had a different plan for the day as I was going to relax at the range and meet up with my wife afterward to do a little bit of exploring. It was an overcast morning but it looked as though it was going to hold off. Well, the plans didn’t completely hold up and the weather decided to be uncooperative as well.

My wife headed off to a training commitment later in the morning and I was busy getting a few things done on the computer. Just a few things that needed to be cleaned up before the coming week so I didn’t mind getting up mid project to enjoy the day. Before I had a chance to get the day started I got a call from my wife to let me know that the plans for the day had changed. So, with the new plan, it was time to get the second part of the day started right away.

Half way to our meeting point – it just made more sense to meet in the middle – that is when the weather decided to be uncooperative. As I began putting air in the tires at the rest stop the light rain began to slowly falling on my back. At least this made the fact that I forgot to bring the camera a little better. After picking up my wife, we began making our way west. Not long after getting back on the road the rain was no longer light and the windshield wipers struggled to keep up with the downpour.

While we had driven around Morgantown in the past – sometime last year – it was always a quick drive through. Today we just took our time and allowed ourselves to get lost. It really is a nice area when you take the time to drive around without keeping to a particular schedule. It would have been a lot nicer had the rain stopped for more than a minute. I would like to see the views from some of the hills one of these days with a clear sky. Maybe sometime later in the fall as the leaves are beginning to change.

After a long day weaving in and out of side streets and stopping a few moments here and there to enjoy the scenery, it was time to head off to dinner – especially since neither one of us had much to eat for the day. So, we decided to head a little south and go somewhere that neither one of us had ever been, Shady Maple Smorgasbord. After 30 minutes waiting in line we were walking up and down the buffet line deciding what we wanted to eat for dinner and, looking at the people around us, feeling rather skinny. I have to say that, for a buffet, it is pretty darn good.

With bellies full we got back in the car and heading back to the apartment. It was a long day of driving and while everything didn’t really go to plan it was nice to just take the day to go exploring again. Maybe next time I will remember the camera and the weather will hold up.

Looping Around

Today was the first day in a long time when nothing was planned. We tried to schedule a few things for the day but, in the end, nothing came to fruition and we were left with some free time. While most days I prefer having something to do and/or somewhere to go, it was a nice change to not have to be anywhere and my wife and I could simply take the day as it came and enjoy just being together. So that is what we did… nothing in particular.

 

Actually, that is not completely true. With the weather clear and the temperature in the 80’s we couldn’t just stay inside and slowly simmer in our apartment with the sun beating through the windows and without the cool comfort of air conditioning. We are in one of those odd and uncomfortable in-between times when the weather fluctuates and the utilities aren’t quite in line with the daily swings. So rather than allow the discomfort test our patience, we got in the car, put the windows down, and drove in a large loop.

 

The highway was relatively clear with only the occasional insane person speeding by on a motorcycle and before we knew it we were getting off the interstate and heading north on route 611. While 611 is not the most pleasant road to drive, it is familiar and an easy way to loop around by heading north to the Route 202 intersection. Route 202, like 611, is for the most part not a pleasant weekend drive type road but between 611 and 309 it is actually a very nice mosey trip with plenty of open space and we are not the only ones who think so as there was a steady stream of cars on the road at this point and a plethora of pedestrians walking and biking on the parallel path.

 

Back on 309, our over traveled route, we stopped and took a break heading to the local Target to run a few errands. In the clean confines of the retail store we found all the items on our list and then some as the clearance racks were filled with other items that we had been putting off purchasing for some time. Nothing exciting, just some sweat pants, shirts, and coffee. The basic items that can add up quickly when paying full price but when on clearance can be a great way to stretch your money. Needless to say, I am good for another year for workout clothes and should be good for at least a month regarding coffee.

 

With bags in the back seat (my trunk is a mess that never seems to go away) and the windows flapping the plastic, we set the cruse control and headed back to the apartment. Even during the days when nothing is planned, we still tend to get things done. The constant activity can be tiring at times but today was just a relaxing day when we could go out and spend some time together without having to stick to a specific schedule. We need more of these kinds of days.  

Sometimes The Dollar Store Is Too Expensive

I am a person who is always looking for the best deal. Many times that requires comparing products, price shopping, and adding coupons into the mix. Sometimes I can only employ one or two of these factors and sometimes it requires all three. However, sometimes it just takes a little luck and a smidge of effort in order to get the best price possible… FREE!

As of late, I have been picking up a few items here and there at job fairs which have demonstrated varying degrees of quality and usefulness. This is a great way to collect a mismatched set of plastic cups, travel mugs, and random memory foam stress relievers (best used when you hear the words “we’re not looking for someone with your background at the moment”). All in all, nothing is really worth bragging about (both the item and where you got it).

My wife has also been picking up a few free items lately. She came home yesterday with a grab bag of literature from an all day conference she attended at the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia (the conference was also free which is a find in itself). I was going to attend the event with her but Mr. Sandman was being a particularly persistent bastard yesterday. Anyway, while the information may not be helpful to many it was useful to her and, therefore, a great free find.

My latest two acquisitions are of a completely different free breed. High quality useful items are something I am always looking for and getting them for free is just a bonus. The two items pictured will be used and used a lot… one right away and one in the future.

I came across the free Siddur while browsing through my Facebook feed. A few friends had shared the link for the giveaway and when I saw it I had to claim my copy. This was not a contest; it was on a first come first serve basis. Simply click on the link and fill in the shipping information.

I knew the company, Koren Publishers Jerusalem, and have other Siddurim from them so I had no qualms about sharing my information. A few weeks later and the book was waiting for me at the front desk. Now I just have the simple task of learning Hebrew and this will be a heavily used addition to our library. Like I said earlier, this is the item that will be used in the future.

An item doesn’t have to be fancy to be a great freebie. Sometimes it’s the simple items that prove to be the most useful. A perfect example of this is the map I received from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The arrival of this envelop was met with some trepidation because usually when you have an envelope in your mailbox with that return address and your registration isn’t due it means bad news. So, when this parcel arrived, I was ready to break out the check book and survey the bank account. I find it both impressive and disturbing the pucker power an envelope can have when the return address it related to a government agency. It was a pleasant surprise to find something useful enclosed in the PennDOT stationary.

With all of the traveling that we have been doing lately and all the trips that are planned over the next several months, this map is something that will be used over and over again. For me, old school maps are a much better way to find those out of the way places that the Maps App on my iPhone can’t pronounce. We often forget that technology has its limits and sometimes the best way to find something or someplace that you didn’t know you were looking for is by flipping through the pages of a book or unfolding a map on the table.

It just goes to show that free stuff (and clichés) can be found all over the place. All you need to do is pay attention and be willing to commit about 30 seconds in filling out your mailing information. Note that some of you may have to take off the tin foil from your noggin to accomplish this. Some of the items are going to be more useful than others but, who cares, it's free. If you really don’t want it I’m sure someone you know will or you can donate to charity (which would, in turn, make it free for them).  

What are some of the items you have gotten for free? What are some of the items you wish you didn’t get for free?