I think I'm done

[Alex_SG]

Glad to hear you're still playing some, and shooting also!
Offer is still there... I have filed down some thumb picks to about .050... If you want 'em, they're yours.
And yes, carpal tunnel syndrome is painful. If I hold something in either hand and have to "squeeze" to hang on, like a pick or a plate while I am doing dishes, the pain starts down the fleshy part of the thumb, and ends up all the way down to the elbow. I even get it while typing.

Unfortunately last time, and most likely the next time, I had to have both hands done at once. It made life "interesting" for a week or so with bathing and undoing zippers and buttons so I could get dressed or "take care of business", but I managed. Opening doors was a challenge too, mainly due to weakness and pain in the hand, and playing guitar was nigh on impossible. Once the sutures were out, I could do virtually everything, although I still had some residual weakness and stiffness for a couple of months.
Due to the extremely long time I've had off work with this workers compensation and ankle injury, I doubt they would let me take 2 lots of leave to recover from 2 separate surgeries.

As it is, I'm probably going to have to wait about another year before I take leave to get this surgery done. I'll probably see the surgeon and make arrangements within the next couple of months, but I seriously doubt I'll be in hospital before this time next year. And this time I'm going to insist on the "big" full palm incision. I've heard from others who had the arthroscopic surgery, who like me, have had a recurrence of their carpal tunnel symptoms. However, everyone I have chatted to who had the "full palm" incision done, I would say 99% are happy with the outcome.

[Old Ranger]

A year with hands that ache and hurt when ya move? Sounds like a bad deal to me. But if that outfit you work for is anything like the PD, then I understand. When my hearing was going in my right ear before I retired they were giving me a bunch of crap about it. I told 'em all to go to hell. I'm a minority and a veteran. I got lawyers standing by just to go after 'em if they try. I got to retire more on my terms... Sorta... A year.... Geeze!

Well I tried finger and thumb picks when I was going through "My Banjo Phase" and couldn't use them. Felt so damn awkward to me I about went nuts. So I tossed 'em and played with my fingers. Then about a year later the banjo went. Guess the world was a better place after it left too! I played that thing worst than I do guitar!

Bill came over today and plugged the outside upper framing of the window to my bedroom. Calked it well with silicon and stuff. Friday we had a "gully washer" (massive thunderstorm with rapid and heavy downpour) and I had water flooding in from that window. I sat at that window with every towel I had and rigged a plastic sheet taped to the glass to channel the flow of water into a bucket. It was awful..... After doing that he came in for a bit and we yacked a spell. Then I handed him my Dot as he was leaving. I had offered it to him for sale last week and he said he wanted me to think on it before I sold it. Told him I had a week to think about it and I didn't need it and that it would just sit in the case forever... He got a good deal on it and will pay me when he can. I'm gonna trim down to a Strat, SG, and a LP and one amp. That oughta cover it and not be too much. I haven't touched a guitar in a week. Likely won't again for even longer. Oh well...

But I'll keep my fingers crossed (well as long as I can anyway) that things work out with those wrists ya got there little brother....

[Alex_SG]

Philámayaye ciyewaye ki!
I'm sure I'll be ok dealing with the boss. He's not so bad, and if you do the right thing, he generally looks after you.
Glad you kept the SG big brother! I would be devastated if you got rid of that! And the LP and strat - that's a good little family you got there. The dot was a nice guitar for sure, but there's nothing you can't do on the SG that your dot could do...
Anyway, back to helping the missus with the household chores.
Take care big brother.
Al

[Old Ranger]

Washte'

Ya know I got a check from the county for serving on a jury last month. I cashed it when I was in town Sat and treated myself to lunch and then went to visit the folks in a local pawn shop just to walk about and visit. Maybe see if something "jumped out and hollered 'Buy me!' ". The guitars and amps got a big yawn. I visited with the darlings that work there. All must be about 22 and slim and pretty. Nice place to visit .... phantomman try to contain yourself!
But then I meandered near the rifles in the rack behind a counter. There, in a spot way in the back of the group, sat a Marlin Mod. 60. It looked lonely and sad. (OK, it could happen!) But looking it over I noticed the scope on that little .22LR auto loader was busted and the blade of the rear sight (the iron sights on it) was missing. Otherwise it was spotless except for needing a good cleaning inside. They had a 30% off everything in the store sale so maybe I might not be able to hustle a deal but I gave it a shot. I told this adorable little brunette that the rifle's entire sighting system is nonexistent and would require either a new rear sight or a new scope to make it usable. She asked what I'd be willing to pay for it "as is".... I gave a ridiculous low offer and she went to the blonde that was in charge that day. They talked a bit and looked at the rifle and then back at me. Of course I was displaying my most pitiful old man look. That helped I think. She came back and said it was a deal and that she hoped I could find sights to fit it. I smiled and said I was happy to get it and would find sights somehow. (I had about a dozen different rear sights that would fit this rifle in my parts locker from my gunsmithing days. I wasn't worried.)

It's a good shooter after I installed an early '90's Millet #100 rifle rear sight on it and cleaned it up. Somehow NO ONE ever cleans their weapons! For the life of me I never understood the mentality of leaving your weapon uncleaned.... But none the less I was drilling cans off the bench at 100 yds after getting sighted in. I think my range on armadillos has just been extended for the .22LR cartridge! The Varmint Cong had better watch out as the Old Ranger has a new shooter and if they run they'll only die tired. Oh, I crack myself up sometimes.

[Bill Moore]

Ranger, too am finding out about this "older" age. I went over to a friend's house Saturday, and took a little amp, and my Tele. The last few years, I've mainly played a lap, or pedal steel, and only played my 6 string for a few tunes. I played rhythm for him for several tunes, and began to notice more pain in my left thumb joint. (I always have some.) After a couple of hours, I quit, driving home, it hurt to grip the wheel. It's better today, but I need to ask the Doc about it when I get my next checkup.
(It does also affect my shooting, as I can't grip the gun as tightly, and have to (learn to) slow down for my follow up shots!)

[phantomman]

Hey, Ranger!

Y'all got javelina down there?

Prepped right, they're pretty good eatin'.

[Old Ranger]

Bill, I understand the issue. Broke the left wrist back in the mid '70's and now playing bar chords are a real pain. Just behind the thumb hurts like hell after a few minutes. Arthritis I guess. Thinking real hard about setting up a guitar for slide and going that way all the time now. Supports my theory about trimming down the number of 'em here too huh? I mean Bonnie Raitt only plays one Strat right?

Roger, those little piggies are in west Texas and along the border. Here in east Texas we got big hogs that roam the woods and pastures. Some have been a big as 450# or more. But I wouldn't eat one of them on a bet. They're just plain nasty! And cornered, they can be a handful!

[phantomman]

I remember hunting wild pigs in Tennessee way back when.

My Series 70 Colt with 180-gr Super-Vel dropped them pretty decisively.

Damn good once barbecued over an open-pit fire.



Washed down with Jack Daniels of course......

[Bill Moore]

Super Vel is a name most haven't heard of Roger. The original expanding projectile.
I found a half box of .357 in my stash a while back.

[phantomman]

That's true. But it was Super-Vel that was responsible for bringing the 1911 pistol back from the edge of extinction among handgun enthusiasts. Hell, even Smith & Wesson is making one now!

[Old Ranger]

I know that the larger boar's shoulder plate have turned more than one of my heavy forged broadheads on my cedar shafts from my recurve bows in the past. When they go beyond 200# those big hogs get "Über Tough" and tear down barbed-wire fencing and such. And they breed like rats! Here in Texas, they're viewed as a very serious nuisance and are shot on sight. Ranchers hate 'em. Farmers with crops in the field despise hogs. We can't kill 'em fast enough. Damn Varmint Cong!

[Old Ranger]

That's true. But it was Super-Vel that was responsible for bringing the 1911 pistol back from the edge of extinction among handgun enthusiasts. Hell, even Smith & Wesson is making one now!

Roger, the 1911 platform is the "Stratocaster" of auto loading handguns. Because it's so easy to modify and trick out and the gun magazine writers a few years ago touted that up. The craze caught on and the 1911 is EVERYWHERE and made by EVERYONE these days. Same thing with those pesky M16 look-a-likes! Not that greatest of a weapon at all, but popular because of all the many ways to build one. You don't have to be a gunsmith to build one up. You simply order parts and slap one together! Not worth the powder to blow them to bits, but they're so popular that they'll never go away until we get "ray-guns"!

[phantomman]

I guess we'll have to split the blanket over the Armalite issue, Kemosabe. I've got "trigger time" on three different continents (southeast Asia, Central America, sub-Saharan Africa) and I've never had a serious problem with the weapon or any of its variants. I prefer it over the Kalashnikov, the FNC, the Galil, and the HK93. It may not be a "main battle rifle" in the classic sense like the Garand, the M-14, or the FAL but for the type of work I did, the AR always got the job done.

[Bill Moore]

Ranger, I was fortunate enough to see the writing on the wall, and bought 4 Olympic Arms AR-15 receivers before Mr. Clinton tried to ban the little guns. I ended up trading for a 70's Gold Cup, and making a little money from the guns I put together.

[phantomman]

Ranger, I was fortunate enough to see the writing on the wall, and bought 4 Olympic Arms AR-15 receivers before Mr. Clinton tried to ban the little guns. I ended up trading for a 70's Gold Cup, and making a little money from the guns I put together.

On the day that reprobate signed his "omnibus crime bill" into law (just what happened to those "100,000 new cops on the streets" anyway?), I bought a pair of Polytech AK's, one with traditional furniture and the other a side-folder. The very next month I flipped the full-stock version for nearly three times what I paid for it.

Ironically, capitalism under Billy often paid handsome dividends.

[Old Ranger]

I am from a very different discipline of combat. For the mission intended, the M16 was not accurate enough and way too underpowered. Being far more subject to wind drift and other ballistic issues they were simply not suitable for my like of work. And still aren't. Is is not a distance shooter, and therefore I had/have little use for one. I preferred a boltgun in .30'06 or at least an M14 in 7.62NATO for my old line of work. That's all I've got to say on the subject, and I'm far from trying to be even remotely rude here. OK?

[Bill Moore]

Ranger, on the same note, my favorite uncle worked Border Patrol in the 60's, and moved to Customs in the 70's. Crossing the border in the wee hours of the morning with my friend, and his girlfriend after only spending 20 minutes in Palomas, (too many Federales!), the border officer may have thought our actions were suspect. I mentioned my uncle's name to the officer we were standing next to, and he told the other officer, "hey this is Crazy Jack's nephew". The other officer gave me my friend's pistol he was holding, and asked about my uncle.
When I next visited him, he told the story of stopping an 18 wheeler attempting to run a roadblock using his Rem 700, and AP rounds, (he actually broke the block!) His partner kept telling him to let him move the car, "you're crazy Jack", but he persevered, and the 3rd round stopped the engine at about 80 yds out. Yeah, it was full of drugs, but nobody was hurt. He liked to say that he never had to fire a weapon at anybody, (but he thought vehicles were fair game), he said that was also prohibited later.

[phantomman]

I can appreciate your position, Ranger. And I share your sentiments regarding the range-challenged ballistics of the M-193 or even the heavier M-855 round. Beyond about three hundred meters, neither projectile is a sure bet (what .22 bullet would be?). But for CQB in the bush or in a MOUT environment, the 5.56mm does fine. Any target requiring servicing farther out than three hundred meters, I'll call for a guy with your skill set. Or arty.

[Old Ranger]

Well back on the original subject, yesterday my retirement check hit the bank. Yea, and the minstrels were happy.. After doing all my payday activities, I meandered over to the pawn shop that had my LP and .50 Hawken in pawn. The nice lads inside were glad to see my get my babies back. One whistled when he saw the LP with it's super flamed top and all that gold.... But, when I got home I wiped the .50cal down and put it back into the rifle cabinet. Then I got the LP out of the case and plugged into my Crate RFX30 amp. After sitting in pawn for well over 5 months it was just slightly flat when I went to tune up.

My right hand acted OK for once. Didn't drop a pick at all. The left wrist behind the thumb started it's crap with that feeling like it was being jabbed with a soldering iron, but I remembered my training with the Cheetos Cheetah and pressed on. Got about 25 minutes in before my wrist was killing me and even my Cheetos Cheetah training failed me. But my goodness I'd forgotten just how good that LP sounds and how easy it plays! OK, so I sold the Dot last week. And will likely sell the little Peavey Raptor, but I gotta keep my LP..... and my Strat, and my SG. Will still sell the other amps as I need the real estate that three take up in my tiny place though. Since I hate digital stuff I'll likely sell the modeling amps and just keep my humble, and hated by others, Fender Frontman 25RII since it's simple and not digital. Besides, it's in Texas Red!! Ya gotta love that!

So I guess I'm not totally done. I'll likely play once a week or so just to keep the left fingertips tough and such. Meanwhile, I'm still teaching Bill across the road all my trade secrets of luthier stuff and amp design..... not to mention intervals, modes, off the wall tunings, and remotely used scales. I may even have him reading music soon I hope. And he's already got my old Fender Strat, Epi Dot, three amps from me and "The Book" (a massive ring binder filled with 55 years of accumulated knowledge, schematics, personal building methods, and such).

So the old saying is true; Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach!

[JDUB]

Well back on the original subject, yesterday my retirement check hit the bank. Yea, and the minstrels were happy.. After doing all my payday activities, I meandered over to the pawn shop that had my LP and .50 Hawken in pawn. The nice lads inside were glad to see my get my babies back. One whistled when he saw the LP with it's super flamed top and all that gold.... But, when I got home I wiped the .50cal down and put it back into the rifle cabinet. Then I got the LP out of the case and plugged into my Crate RFX30 amp. After sitting in pawn for well over 5 months it was just slightly flat when I went to tune up.

My right hand acted OK for once. Didn't drop a pick at all. The left wrist behind the thumb started it's crap with that feeling like it was being jabbed with a soldering iron, but I remembered my training with the Cheetos Cheetah and pressed on. Got about 25 minutes in before my wrist was killing me and even my Cheetos Cheetah training failed me. But my goodness I'd forgotten just how good that LP sounds and how easy it plays! OK, so I sold the Dot last week. And will likely sell the little Peavey Raptor, but I gotta keep my LP..... and my Strat, and my SG. Will still sell the other amps as I need the real estate that three take up in my tiny place though. Since I hate digital stuff I'll likely sell the modeling amps and just keep my humble, and hated by others, Fender Frontman 25RII since it's simple and not digital. Besides, it's in Texas Red!! Ya gotta love that!

So I guess I'm not totally done. I'll likely play once a week or so just to keep the left fingertips tough and such. Meanwhile, I'm still teaching Bill across the road all my trade secrets of luthier stuff and amp design..... not to mention intervals, modes, off the wall tunings, and remotely used scales. I may even have him reading music soon I hope. And he's already got my old Fender Strat, Epi Dot, three amps from me and "The Book" (a massive ring binder filled with 55 years of accumulated knowledge, schematics, personal building methods, and such).

So the old saying is true; Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach!

Hang in there and keep scrappin' Ranger. I ain't heard no fat lady singin'!
;>)/

[Old Ranger]

Is that you John?

[JDUB]

Is that you John?

Yep, they let me in the back door.

[smitty_p]

Yep, they let me in the back door.

Welcome! You found the hideaway!

[Alex_SG]

Welcome, John. Told you they'd let anyone in here!

[NTBluesGuitar]

The only picture I have of the Colt... The only mod was a Geissele SSA-E trigger. The best $200.00 that you can spend on your AR, in my opinion. It came with a single stage, grunt trigger, that really sucked.

Did someone say Colt?



I've got an LE6920 as well.

[phantomman]

Your new carry gun, TJ?

[NTBluesGuitar]

Your new carry gun, TJ?

If the TX Legislature can get off its ass and pass the Open Carry bill that's ready to be reconciled, then, yes!

Otherwise, it may or may not be my concealed carry iron.

[phantomman]

Nothing says "business" like a professionally-appointed 1911.

I'm putting a new .45 together myself.

[Bill Moore]

When NM got a new state police trainer in the 90's, he pushed for the Glock 31 issue. Some of the old timers (who had been allowed to carry their 45's after the 9mm changeover), objected. He challenged any who would, to fire their 45acp caliber handgun at a B27 target at 200 yds, and he would use a 357sig chambered Glock.
He put 15 out of 15 rounds in the scoring area of the target (prone)! The scoring was never published for the 45 shooter.
He said at distance, a sidearm should not replace a rifle, but if circumstances dictate, you should feel confident that the sidearm/cartridge will be effective. (All cadets at the academy would be required to shoot at distance).
Several years later, NM kept the cartridge, but started issuing other makes as the Glocks were beating themselves to death, (and most LEO's only shoot enough to qualify)!