Just a quick reminder that the NoVA / SoMD spring blogdinner is this coming Saturday!
The specifics:
DATE: Saturday, June 6th
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: The Cajun Experience in Leesburg, VA
RESERVATIONS: Under "Jay"
So far, the following folks have indicated they were "in":
Murphy's Law
Turk Turon
Stretch
Old NFO
Proud Hillbilly
Chris
Wandering Neurons
Formynder
Mike W.
If anyone else is planning to attend and hasn't commented on the previous threads (original, update 1, update 2, update 3), comment now so I can give The Cajun Experience an accurate head count when I call tomorrow. Also, if anyone listed above can't make it, now would be a great time to let me know...
Also, there's a gun show at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly for the folks coming from a distance who might get in early. I've been a few times, and if you budget a few extra hours, it's worth the $13 admission.
It's high time we sat down and broke bread again!
That is all.
Showing posts with label Bloggershoot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bloggershoot. Show all posts
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
NoVA Blogdinner Update...
Okay, got an e-mail from Murph reminding me that the blogdinner is ZOMG NEXT SATURDAY (my panic, not his) and that he'd already taken the night off from work, so we *WERE* having a dinner, regardless.
Since I heard a few folks say they'd like to try The Cajun Experience (in Leesburg, VA, for Glenn B.who asked) again, and no other suggestions, let's meet there. They've got an outdoor area that should be able to accommodate a group up to 25 on Saturday night, so give a holler and let me know if you can or can't make it ASAP so we can firm things up.
DATE: Saturday, June 6th
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: The Cajun Experience in Leesburg, VA
RESERVATIONS: Under "Jay"
Hope to see you there!
That is all.
Since I heard a few folks say they'd like to try The Cajun Experience (in Leesburg, VA, for Glenn B.who asked) again, and no other suggestions, let's meet there. They've got an outdoor area that should be able to accommodate a group up to 25 on Saturday night, so give a holler and let me know if you can or can't make it ASAP so we can firm things up.
DATE: Saturday, June 6th
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: The Cajun Experience in Leesburg, VA
RESERVATIONS: Under "Jay"
Hope to see you there!
That is all.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Blog Dinner Update...
Had lunch with Old NFO yesterday, and he lit a fire under me reminded me that we needed to move on the blog dinner. We discussed possible dates, and one that worked for both of us was Saturday, June 6th. That's a little over three weeks, so it should be enough advance warning.
So, that leaves us with location. I'm thinking somewhere in the general NoVA area, as we have folks that would like to participate coming from MD (and further north, even). It doesn't necessarily mean we have to stick to the greater DC area (although I refuse to go into the District, period). I'd prefer to avoid MD if at all possible, sorry folks in that area.
Now, Murphy's Law has scouted out The Cajun Experience and testifies that they now have a large outdoor eating area. That matches what NFO, MBtGE, Stretch, and Wandering Neurons and I found last year. If we'd like to try that again, only in a larger venue where we can mingle, I'd be up for that. Otherwise, let's come up with a restaurant, or a general location, and finish these plans up quick.
It's been too long - let's eat!
That is all.
So, that leaves us with location. I'm thinking somewhere in the general NoVA area, as we have folks that would like to participate coming from MD (and further north, even). It doesn't necessarily mean we have to stick to the greater DC area (although I refuse to go into the District, period). I'd prefer to avoid MD if at all possible, sorry folks in that area.
Now, Murphy's Law has scouted out The Cajun Experience and testifies that they now have a large outdoor eating area. That matches what NFO, MBtGE, Stretch, and Wandering Neurons and I found last year. If we'd like to try that again, only in a larger venue where we can mingle, I'd be up for that. Otherwise, let's come up with a restaurant, or a general location, and finish these plans up quick.
It's been too long - let's eat!
That is all.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Talk About Dropping the Ball...
So, a while back I was talking about a blog dinner. Yeah, that kinda fell by the wayside. I've got a dozen excuses, work, family, etc. but the fact is, I dropped the ball. I should have followed up sooner and didn't. Mea culpa.
SO.
Let's pick a date and a general area. Last time was in northern northern VA at The Cajun Experience. Advance scouts (that would be Murphy's Law) tell me that The Cajun Experience has significantly expanded their seating, so if we'd like to revisit a 2A supporter that'd be one thing. That's not to say other venues aren't open. I'd prefer to avoid MD and DC for, well, obvious reasons, but if that's the only thing available, well...
If we're going to do a Saturday evening, I'm free through Memorial Day weekend. Actually, I'm even open then, but I'm thinking that might be a little too far out. In any case, let's settle on which Saturday night we want to get together, then figure out the general area in which to make this happen.
It's been too long since we've had a blog dinner!
That is all.
SO.
Let's pick a date and a general area. Last time was in northern northern VA at The Cajun Experience. Advance scouts (that would be Murphy's Law) tell me that The Cajun Experience has significantly expanded their seating, so if we'd like to revisit a 2A supporter that'd be one thing. That's not to say other venues aren't open. I'd prefer to avoid MD and DC for, well, obvious reasons, but if that's the only thing available, well...
If we're going to do a Saturday evening, I'm free through Memorial Day weekend. Actually, I'm even open then, but I'm thinking that might be a little too far out. In any case, let's settle on which Saturday night we want to get together, then figure out the general area in which to make this happen.
It's been too long since we've had a blog dinner!
That is all.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Second Annual NoVA Spring Blogdinner
I've been watching the goings-on from my Northeast Blogger friends on Facebook as they organize a Spring blog dinner, and it dawned on me that it has been over a year since we've had a NoVA/SoMD blog dinner.
Well, it's time to rectify that, post-haste!
As much as I really enjoyed The Cajun Experience, I think it's more than obvious that they are ill-equipped to handle a large group, and we need a restaurant so equipped. I'd like to keep the venue to somewhere in the Northern Virginia area, as we have a number of attendees coming from Maryland. I don't think we'd want to go any further than Woodbridge or so.
Obviously, the District is right out...
So, let's get the ball rolling. Who's in for a spring blog dinner? Once we have a general idea who wants to attend we can start hammering out details. I'm thinking mid-April, as the end of March is the kids' spring break and we've got plans, followed by Easter weekend, then NRA Annual meeting. Trying to squeeze a dinner in by March 21st is just too close.
I'm thinking a Saturday night would get the most folks able to attend, so let's start there. Pick a Saturday: April 4th, 18th, 25th. Which works best for everyone? If we have to, we can push into May, but I'm thinking that if we're going that late we should look into a blog shoot, too... ;)
Who's in for the Second Annual NoVA/SoMD Spring Blogdinner?
That is all.
Well, it's time to rectify that, post-haste!
As much as I really enjoyed The Cajun Experience, I think it's more than obvious that they are ill-equipped to handle a large group, and we need a restaurant so equipped. I'd like to keep the venue to somewhere in the Northern Virginia area, as we have a number of attendees coming from Maryland. I don't think we'd want to go any further than Woodbridge or so.
Obviously, the District is right out...
So, let's get the ball rolling. Who's in for a spring blog dinner? Once we have a general idea who wants to attend we can start hammering out details. I'm thinking mid-April, as the end of March is the kids' spring break and we've got plans, followed by Easter weekend, then NRA Annual meeting. Trying to squeeze a dinner in by March 21st is just too close.
I'm thinking a Saturday night would get the most folks able to attend, so let's start there. Pick a Saturday: April 4th, 18th, 25th. Which works best for everyone? If we have to, we can push into May, but I'm thinking that if we're going that late we should look into a blog shoot, too... ;)
Who's in for the Second Annual NoVA/SoMD Spring Blogdinner?
That is all.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Of Blogshoots and Long Range Zen
So, this past weekend was Murphy's shoot. Good folks getting together to shoot cool guns and raise money to combat cancer - really, it's hard to see how this could get better, right? Folks came from as far away as Ohio, New York, and Michigan to play with us, and from the general comments, a good time was had by all (and we raised quite a bit of money, too).
Keads set up a side-match bowling pin shoot, with folks getting to choose prizes donated by several people. Five pins, best time to knock all down wins. I brought my Colt Gold Cup and high-end SIG ammo 200-grain .45 ACP for the task - and wound up using my Smith & Wesson model 27 .357 Mag. with FMJ reloads. Go figure. Ran twice, took *forever* on the first run, had a respectable run the second time, but that had to do more with the .357 Mag. blasting the pins into each other than solid hits.
Other highlights included shooting an M60 (yes, I got to run the Pig), Stretch's SWEET Swedish Mauser (5/5 hits on 10" steel at 100 yards), and Larry's Barrett M82 (I think; apologies if I got the model wrong, it's the semi-auto variant, no idea which version). #1 Blogdaughter brought her Brown Bess (bitchin' alliteration!); I brought a smattering of my favorite rifles and handguns, and a 10" AR500 steel plate for fun.
One rifle was a full-on York Arms custom .223 Wylde AR: custom trigger, custom barrel, receivers, etc. I'd tested that rifle using run-of-the-mill American Eagle 62-grain FMJ fodder, and gotten 1/2-MOA groups out of it. Ringing a 10" steel plate with it was utterly boring, especially since it was zeroed at 100 yards, so the crosshairs were *dead on*. I also had my Savage model 10 in .308 Win. for the long-range (more on that later).
Another rifle was quite the surprise: It's a York Arms lower that mates to a custom 16" carbine upper from York, but with a 20" Bravo Company rifle upper attached. It's a standard 1:7" twist, Government-profile upper with a standard A2 front sight (and bayonet lug; I haven't bought a rifle without one since leaving MA...). I picked it up thinking it would be fun to do an A3-style AR rifle, but now...
Turns out, this rifle is insanely accurate. I sighted it in at work on the 50 yard range, and turned out a 0.6", 5-shot group. Three rounds were touching. On the 100 yard range, hitting the steel plate with this setup got boring to the point where I pulled out pistols instead (The S&W model 27, ironically, got fewer hits than the Ruger 22/45 - roughly 3-4 hits every 10 shots, not bad given the wind).
And then it was off to the 400 yard range. With OldNFO. Nope, no pressure there, nossirree. I've seen NFO shoot. I'm not in his league. I'm not even in the same zip code as his league. But I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to put some of the long-range shooting skills I learned through NRA Outdoors Long Range Shooting Clinic over Memorial Day weekend, so I manned-up and shot the qualification needed (1 MOA or better at 100 yards).
Well, I decided to use the Bravo Company upper. Three shots, 1" easy, qualified for the long range. Just that easy. The group was even precisely where it was expected at 100 yards with the rifle sighted at 50 yards. Three shots from an improvised rest (my range bag) at a peel-n-stick target later and I was qualified to shoot on the long range.
NFO and I wandered over sometime after noon. We each had a steel plate, plus a hostage-type target we put in between the two 10" plates. We took turns shooting and spotting, and if you think shooting for OldNFO is intimidating, try spotting for him. Actually, that's not true, because spotting for NFO is easy; you just have to call which part of the plate he hit. Because he can hit.
NFO dials his scope in for range; I prefer to have a set zero and use the tic marks on the reticle for holdover. His method is more precise, no question about it; he let me shoot his Remington and it was crazy accurate dead-on center crosshairs at 400. I had a devil of a time getting the hold right, but when I finally nailed it on each rifle, it was damn impressive.
The Savage .308 Win. took a little getting used to. It has a 200 yard zero, and I think I was holding for 100 yards the first couple shots. Knowing you can make a shot but not seeing evidence is rattling, but it got ironed out to the point where the last 4 shots were dead-on (mental note: the 400 yard hold on the Savage is the first large tic mark under the crosshairs. Mental note2: get a freakin' log book). Even made a couple head shots on the "bad guy" in the hostage scenario.
The York Arms custom Conspirator was no surprise: with Federal Match ammo, it was absolutely dead-nuts on reliable and accurate. I think I made either 8 or 9 out of 10 hits with it, a combination of an exceptionally accurate rifle, a great trigger, and the low recoil of .223 Rem. in a large, heavy gun. I even used it to make a solid shoulder hit on the "bad guy", with NFO calling shots and telling me when to shoot.
I have no idea what possessed me to try the 20" Bravo Company upper at the 400 yard range. I suppose I was a little overconfident after making hits with three other rifles, that I figured the budget-conscious rifle deserved a turn. It took a couple shots to figure the hold (and folks, if you ever get the chance to have OldNFO spot for you, I highly recommend it...), but once I gleaned where it was hitting, I made 3 out of 5 shots with the BCM upper. Not bad for an upper I paid less than $500 for...
Finding out I hadn't lost all my long-range ability from Memorial Day weekend was great, but spending time with friends on the range (or off) is even better.
Thanks Murphy!
That is all.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Keads set up a side-match bowling pin shoot, with folks getting to choose prizes donated by several people. Five pins, best time to knock all down wins. I brought my Colt Gold Cup and high-end SIG ammo 200-grain .45 ACP for the task - and wound up using my Smith & Wesson model 27 .357 Mag. with FMJ reloads. Go figure. Ran twice, took *forever* on the first run, had a respectable run the second time, but that had to do more with the .357 Mag. blasting the pins into each other than solid hits.
Other highlights included shooting an M60 (yes, I got to run the Pig), Stretch's SWEET Swedish Mauser (5/5 hits on 10" steel at 100 yards), and Larry's Barrett M82 (I think; apologies if I got the model wrong, it's the semi-auto variant, no idea which version). #1 Blogdaughter brought her Brown Bess (bitchin' alliteration!); I brought a smattering of my favorite rifles and handguns, and a 10" AR500 steel plate for fun.
One rifle was a full-on York Arms custom .223 Wylde AR: custom trigger, custom barrel, receivers, etc. I'd tested that rifle using run-of-the-mill American Eagle 62-grain FMJ fodder, and gotten 1/2-MOA groups out of it. Ringing a 10" steel plate with it was utterly boring, especially since it was zeroed at 100 yards, so the crosshairs were *dead on*. I also had my Savage model 10 in .308 Win. for the long-range (more on that later).
Another rifle was quite the surprise: It's a York Arms lower that mates to a custom 16" carbine upper from York, but with a 20" Bravo Company rifle upper attached. It's a standard 1:7" twist, Government-profile upper with a standard A2 front sight (and bayonet lug; I haven't bought a rifle without one since leaving MA...). I picked it up thinking it would be fun to do an A3-style AR rifle, but now...
Turns out, this rifle is insanely accurate. I sighted it in at work on the 50 yard range, and turned out a 0.6", 5-shot group. Three rounds were touching. On the 100 yard range, hitting the steel plate with this setup got boring to the point where I pulled out pistols instead (The S&W model 27, ironically, got fewer hits than the Ruger 22/45 - roughly 3-4 hits every 10 shots, not bad given the wind).
And then it was off to the 400 yard range. With OldNFO. Nope, no pressure there, nossirree. I've seen NFO shoot. I'm not in his league. I'm not even in the same zip code as his league. But I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to put some of the long-range shooting skills I learned through NRA Outdoors Long Range Shooting Clinic over Memorial Day weekend, so I manned-up and shot the qualification needed (1 MOA or better at 100 yards).
Well, I decided to use the Bravo Company upper. Three shots, 1" easy, qualified for the long range. Just that easy. The group was even precisely where it was expected at 100 yards with the rifle sighted at 50 yards. Three shots from an improvised rest (my range bag) at a peel-n-stick target later and I was qualified to shoot on the long range.
NFO and I wandered over sometime after noon. We each had a steel plate, plus a hostage-type target we put in between the two 10" plates. We took turns shooting and spotting, and if you think shooting for OldNFO is intimidating, try spotting for him. Actually, that's not true, because spotting for NFO is easy; you just have to call which part of the plate he hit. Because he can hit.
NFO dials his scope in for range; I prefer to have a set zero and use the tic marks on the reticle for holdover. His method is more precise, no question about it; he let me shoot his Remington and it was crazy accurate dead-on center crosshairs at 400. I had a devil of a time getting the hold right, but when I finally nailed it on each rifle, it was damn impressive.
The Savage .308 Win. took a little getting used to. It has a 200 yard zero, and I think I was holding for 100 yards the first couple shots. Knowing you can make a shot but not seeing evidence is rattling, but it got ironed out to the point where the last 4 shots were dead-on (mental note: the 400 yard hold on the Savage is the first large tic mark under the crosshairs. Mental note2: get a freakin' log book). Even made a couple head shots on the "bad guy" in the hostage scenario.
The York Arms custom Conspirator was no surprise: with Federal Match ammo, it was absolutely dead-nuts on reliable and accurate. I think I made either 8 or 9 out of 10 hits with it, a combination of an exceptionally accurate rifle, a great trigger, and the low recoil of .223 Rem. in a large, heavy gun. I even used it to make a solid shoulder hit on the "bad guy", with NFO calling shots and telling me when to shoot.
I have no idea what possessed me to try the 20" Bravo Company upper at the 400 yard range. I suppose I was a little overconfident after making hits with three other rifles, that I figured the budget-conscious rifle deserved a turn. It took a couple shots to figure the hold (and folks, if you ever get the chance to have OldNFO spot for you, I highly recommend it...), but once I gleaned where it was hitting, I made 3 out of 5 shots with the BCM upper. Not bad for an upper I paid less than $500 for...
Finding out I hadn't lost all my long-range ability from Memorial Day weekend was great, but spending time with friends on the range (or off) is even better.
Thanks Murphy!
That is all.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, September 15, 2014
Blogshoot!
Not here. Over at Lagniappe's Lair. I'll be attending, as this is only about an hour from Casa del G., Freeland version.
This will be the first blogshoot in a while where I haven't had to traverse enemy lands to attend. WV is pretty darn gun-friendly, and has reciprocity with VA, so, much like in the old days when the shoot was in NH and I lived behind the iron curtain, I can go heeled the whole way.
Not only that, but with a 100 yard range I can bring a nice smattering of toys both close-up and distance-oriented. Might even see what I can scare up from the vast archives. I hear that there might be some blackpowder fun, as well as some of NFO's toys, so there will be a generous display of ordnance from across the spectrum.
See Murphy for details, and hope to see you there!
That is all.
This will be the first blogshoot in a while where I haven't had to traverse enemy lands to attend. WV is pretty darn gun-friendly, and has reciprocity with VA, so, much like in the old days when the shoot was in NH and I lived behind the iron curtain, I can go heeled the whole way.
Not only that, but with a 100 yard range I can bring a nice smattering of toys both close-up and distance-oriented. Might even see what I can scare up from the vast archives. I hear that there might be some blackpowder fun, as well as some of NFO's toys, so there will be a generous display of ordnance from across the spectrum.
See Murphy for details, and hope to see you there!
That is all.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Gather the Tribe...
A.K.A. Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot AAR
This year saw numerous firsts for me, with regard to the Northeast Bloggershoot. The most obvious, of course, is that I traveled a significantly greater distance this year than in years past. Rather than wake up early, hit the road and be there before start time, I started a day before the shoot and drove pretty much all day to get there. 11 ½ hours in my truck to come share in the shootie goodness, then about the same the day after the shoot (traffic was particularly bad this week).
Why would I do that, you ask?
These are my people. These are my chosen friends. These are my brothers and sisters of the gun. They are young, they are old. They are black, white, and many other colors in between. They are Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, atheist, and agnostic. They are male, female, and combinations of the two. They are gay, straight, and bisexual. They are physically challenged, able-bodied, and varying stages in between.
Sounds a lot like America, doesn't it?
This group is more than just a collection of gunnies. They are people I am proud to call friends. Every single one of them I trust implicitly; I don't have to question if they'd have my back in a bad situation, I know that not only would they cover my six, but they'd do it without being asked. We are united not by a common race, nor religion, nor gender or other construct; rather by a common belief in self-determination, free will, freedom, and love of the tools that make all these things possible.
While we do love our shiny:
It's the people that make the blogshoots so great. We have just as much fun at dinner as we do at the shoot (and, generally, are about as loud). From one single common interest, kindred souls come together, enjoy each others' company, and, oh, send thousands of rounds downrange.
And that's another thing. The ordnance. This year was a serious arms race. It's interesting that suppressed firearms and full-auto weaponry have become commonplace (although quite welcome and enjoyed, of course); it's one meet out of the year where we all try to bring our favorites. There was a .50 BMG rifle, a Brown Bess musket, an MG43, and a short-barrel KSG shotgun (yes, they *do* exist!) just to name a few.
And again, it's worth noting that with dozens of people of varying backgrounds in firearms and their usage, there was only one very minor injury (one participant got a touch of slide bite). With .50 BMG power, belt-fed machine guns, hand cannons, and everything else that was there - hundreds of guns and thousands of rounds downrange, we had only the slightest of injuries to report. No blood in the streets nor gunfights over parking spaces.
Regarding the handcannon, one of the few things I wished I'd gotten a video of was Glenn B.'s son's girlfriend. She's this tiny slip of a thing, some young 20-something barely 100 pounds dripping wet, and someone handed her Libertyman's 8" barrel S&W 500 Magnum.
Which she proceeded to run *perfectly* through all five rounds, laughing all the while.
Here's the interesting thing, though. This year, I left most of the camera gear home. Rather than bring the DSLR and the Handycam, I went with the old Nikon point-and-shoot. And then proceeded to leave it in the bag in the back of the truck the entire time. I took perhaps six pictures and two videos with my phone, and was perfectly and completely happy making memories rather than photos. I'm good with that. The guns are great, don't get me wrong, but the time I would have been taking pictures and video was better spent catching up with my friends.
Was it worth the ~ 20 hours in a car, driving through some of the fiercest anti-gun states to get there? Heck yeah. I'll do it again next year gladly, although I might look into flying up to avoid the blood pressure-increasing drive...
The biggest hit, for me, was helping a friend introduce his son to handguns and his daughter to centerfire. I brought along some .22s, as I always do, and found that the Ruger 22/45 and the Bushmaster with .22 conversion are a HUUUUUGE hit with kids - and grownups as well. The Bushmaster ran hundreds of rounds through it, being handed off from kid to kid to kid (with a grownup or two in between), and was easily the most-shot gun I brought.
Anyways, to friends old and new, to everyone that made the trek out to play with us, and *especially* our supremely gracious host and hostess I say thank you. I had a wonderful time, as always; I think most everyone else did, as well. Given the reaction and pictures up on Facebook and around the web, I think our Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot was one of the best yet!
Thanks again, everyone!
That is all.
This year saw numerous firsts for me, with regard to the Northeast Bloggershoot. The most obvious, of course, is that I traveled a significantly greater distance this year than in years past. Rather than wake up early, hit the road and be there before start time, I started a day before the shoot and drove pretty much all day to get there. 11 ½ hours in my truck to come share in the shootie goodness, then about the same the day after the shoot (traffic was particularly bad this week).
Why would I do that, you ask?
These are my people. These are my chosen friends. These are my brothers and sisters of the gun. They are young, they are old. They are black, white, and many other colors in between. They are Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, atheist, and agnostic. They are male, female, and combinations of the two. They are gay, straight, and bisexual. They are physically challenged, able-bodied, and varying stages in between.
Sounds a lot like America, doesn't it?
This group is more than just a collection of gunnies. They are people I am proud to call friends. Every single one of them I trust implicitly; I don't have to question if they'd have my back in a bad situation, I know that not only would they cover my six, but they'd do it without being asked. We are united not by a common race, nor religion, nor gender or other construct; rather by a common belief in self-determination, free will, freedom, and love of the tools that make all these things possible.
While we do love our shiny:
It's the people that make the blogshoots so great. We have just as much fun at dinner as we do at the shoot (and, generally, are about as loud). From one single common interest, kindred souls come together, enjoy each others' company, and, oh, send thousands of rounds downrange.
And that's another thing. The ordnance. This year was a serious arms race. It's interesting that suppressed firearms and full-auto weaponry have become commonplace (although quite welcome and enjoyed, of course); it's one meet out of the year where we all try to bring our favorites. There was a .50 BMG rifle, a Brown Bess musket, an MG43, and a short-barrel KSG shotgun (yes, they *do* exist!) just to name a few.
And again, it's worth noting that with dozens of people of varying backgrounds in firearms and their usage, there was only one very minor injury (one participant got a touch of slide bite). With .50 BMG power, belt-fed machine guns, hand cannons, and everything else that was there - hundreds of guns and thousands of rounds downrange, we had only the slightest of injuries to report. No blood in the streets nor gunfights over parking spaces.
Regarding the handcannon, one of the few things I wished I'd gotten a video of was Glenn B.'s son's girlfriend. She's this tiny slip of a thing, some young 20-something barely 100 pounds dripping wet, and someone handed her Libertyman's 8" barrel S&W 500 Magnum.
Which she proceeded to run *perfectly* through all five rounds, laughing all the while.
Here's the interesting thing, though. This year, I left most of the camera gear home. Rather than bring the DSLR and the Handycam, I went with the old Nikon point-and-shoot. And then proceeded to leave it in the bag in the back of the truck the entire time. I took perhaps six pictures and two videos with my phone, and was perfectly and completely happy making memories rather than photos. I'm good with that. The guns are great, don't get me wrong, but the time I would have been taking pictures and video was better spent catching up with my friends.
Was it worth the ~ 20 hours in a car, driving through some of the fiercest anti-gun states to get there? Heck yeah. I'll do it again next year gladly, although I might look into flying up to avoid the blood pressure-increasing drive...
The biggest hit, for me, was helping a friend introduce his son to handguns and his daughter to centerfire. I brought along some .22s, as I always do, and found that the Ruger 22/45 and the Bushmaster with .22 conversion are a HUUUUUGE hit with kids - and grownups as well. The Bushmaster ran hundreds of rounds through it, being handed off from kid to kid to kid (with a grownup or two in between), and was easily the most-shot gun I brought.
Anyways, to friends old and new, to everyone that made the trek out to play with us, and *especially* our supremely gracious host and hostess I say thank you. I had a wonderful time, as always; I think most everyone else did, as well. Given the reaction and pictures up on Facebook and around the web, I think our Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot was one of the best yet!
Thanks again, everyone!
That is all.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Pre-Bloggershoot Dinner Plans and Other Miscellany...
Handful of disjointed thoughts/ideas/comments pertaining to this coming weekend.
First off, Mopar was kind enough to create a Facebook group for our motley crew (thanks Mopar!) If you're on FB and not in the group, ask to join and we'll add you (it's closed, for quasi-obvious reasons).
Second, dinner Friday night. We're having trouble deciding between the Peddlar's Daughter and Martha's Exchange in Nashua. Both are about 3.5 miles from the hotel where a good number of us will be staying and both come highly recommended, so here's the scope:
Be in the lobby of the Extended Stay America at 7:45 PM on Friday, August 1st. We'll gather as a group, decide where we'd like to go, then call and see if they can accommodate our group. That gives us a more precise headcount, and we can adjust if needed.
Third, targets. I've got literally one large detergent jug to bring this year, and don't have the space for much more. If someone can bring 2L bottles or milk jugs filled with water for reactive targets that would be great. Other fun suggestions are old soda cans, crappy books, and old cookware (pots/pans, no glass or ceramic, please). We also need a sacrificial bayonet charge victim, too...
Lastly, dinner Saturday night. KC's Ribshack in Manchester. Please comment below if you are coming to the dinner (I've had a couple folks express interest in dinner even though they can't make the shoot). If I can get a headcount by Friday I'll call and make a reservation.
REALLY looking forward to seeing everyone again!
That is all.
First off, Mopar was kind enough to create a Facebook group for our motley crew (thanks Mopar!) If you're on FB and not in the group, ask to join and we'll add you (it's closed, for quasi-obvious reasons).
Second, dinner Friday night. We're having trouble deciding between the Peddlar's Daughter and Martha's Exchange in Nashua. Both are about 3.5 miles from the hotel where a good number of us will be staying and both come highly recommended, so here's the scope:
Be in the lobby of the Extended Stay America at 7:45 PM on Friday, August 1st. We'll gather as a group, decide where we'd like to go, then call and see if they can accommodate our group. That gives us a more precise headcount, and we can adjust if needed.
Third, targets. I've got literally one large detergent jug to bring this year, and don't have the space for much more. If someone can bring 2L bottles or milk jugs filled with water for reactive targets that would be great. Other fun suggestions are old soda cans, crappy books, and old cookware (pots/pans, no glass or ceramic, please). We also need a sacrificial bayonet charge victim, too...
Lastly, dinner Saturday night. KC's Ribshack in Manchester. Please comment below if you are coming to the dinner (I've had a couple folks express interest in dinner even though they can't make the shoot). If I can get a headcount by Friday I'll call and make a reservation.
REALLY looking forward to seeing everyone again!
That is all.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Last Bloggershoot Update: The Ordnance!
As I've done in years past, I figured I'd offer a roundup of ordnance coming to the Seventh Annual Northeast bloggershoot. This helps folks plan ammo purchases and gives a chance to ask for certain firearms they might like to try.
Now, I'm traveling real light this year, as I'll be driving through several quite unfriendly states on the way to the bloggershoot. I will of course have all arms unloaded and locked in a sturdy box as required under the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, so even in the darkest of dark places (I am going well around NYC, thank you), I am legal in all instances.
With that said, I'll be bringing the following:
Rifles:
York Arms Conspirator (.223 Rem/5.56 NATO)
Kel-Tec SUB2000 (9 mm)
Handguns:
Glock 19 (9 mm)
Smith & Wesson model 17 (.22 LR)
Smith & Wesson model 27 (.38 Spl/.357 Mag.)
Ruger 22/45 (.22 LR)
Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 (.380 ACP)
North American Arms Sidewinder (.22 Mag/.22 LR)
There will also be at least one full-auto M16 (5.56 NATO, brass-cased only, please) and a H&K G3 (7.62X51mm, again, brass-cased, please). Mopar will be bringing a Serbu single shot .50 BMG for the loudening, and I suspect there will be several suppressed guns in .22LR/9mm/.45 ACP/others. If anyone is bringing anything particularly interesting/novel, let us know so we can plan ammo purchases accordingly.
See you all in five days!
That is all.
Now, I'm traveling real light this year, as I'll be driving through several quite unfriendly states on the way to the bloggershoot. I will of course have all arms unloaded and locked in a sturdy box as required under the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, so even in the darkest of dark places (I am going well around NYC, thank you), I am legal in all instances.
With that said, I'll be bringing the following:
Rifles:
York Arms Conspirator (.223 Rem/5.56 NATO)
Kel-Tec SUB2000 (9 mm)
Handguns:
Glock 19 (9 mm)
Smith & Wesson model 17 (.22 LR)
Smith & Wesson model 27 (.38 Spl/.357 Mag.)
Ruger 22/45 (.22 LR)
Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 (.380 ACP)
North American Arms Sidewinder (.22 Mag/.22 LR)
There will also be at least one full-auto M16 (5.56 NATO, brass-cased only, please) and a H&K G3 (7.62X51mm, again, brass-cased, please). Mopar will be bringing a Serbu single shot .50 BMG for the loudening, and I suspect there will be several suppressed guns in .22LR/9mm/.45 ACP/others. If anyone is bringing anything particularly interesting/novel, let us know so we can plan ammo purchases accordingly.
See you all in five days!
That is all.
Friday, July 18, 2014
10-Second Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot Update
The Virginia contingent will be staying at the Extended Stay America in Nashua, NH:
Extended Stay America
Nashua - Manchester
2000 Southwood Dr.
Nashua, NH 03063
(603) 577-9900
From Mopar's glowing review, plus it only being 26 miles from the Sooper Seekrit range (and you can get there easily without going through MA), it sounded like a slam-dunk.
Let's get a head count as to who will be staying here (or nearby, or doesn't mind driving out to meet us for dinner), and then find a restaurant for dinner at 8.
Two weeks from, heck, RIGHT NOW!!!
That is all.
Extended Stay America
Nashua - Manchester
2000 Southwood Dr.
Nashua, NH 03063
(603) 577-9900
From Mopar's glowing review, plus it only being 26 miles from the Sooper Seekrit range (and you can get there easily without going through MA), it sounded like a slam-dunk.
Let's get a head count as to who will be staying here (or nearby, or doesn't mind driving out to meet us for dinner), and then find a restaurant for dinner at 8.
Two weeks from, heck, RIGHT NOW!!!
That is all.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot Update, Part II
Update #1 here.
Original post here.
Again, the recap:
What? Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot
Who? Any and all bloggers, commenters, readers, lurkers, etc. in the Northeast area, or those passing through, or anyone crazy enough to show up.
When? Saturday, August 2nd.
Where? Why, Doubletrouble's sooper seekrit range, of course!
Why? Shootin' stuff is fun? Trying out new hardware is fun? Getting together with a couple dozen of your tribe, combined with guns and reactive targets, is a recipe for a good time!
Attendees:
Dave H.
Yankeefried (+ 2 possible guests)
Wally & A.
Mopar & Cher
Brad_in_MA
Alan
Wandering Neurons
PJS
Libertyman
Les
Daniel in Brookline
OldNFO (maybe) (D'oh! Next year, NFO!)
Glenn B. +2
Your humble host
Mr. & Mrs. DoubleTrouble (of course, and thanks again!!!)
Old Windways
Andrew +1
Bubblehead Les
JD & Mrs. JD
And, the standard caveat:
As with every year, this is a "pack-in, pack-out" shoot - if you want to bring a 1:1 scale papier mache model of the Lunar Rover to shoot the hell out of, go right ahead. Just be prepared to drag the bullet-riddled carcass out with you. We can call the sub shop for lunch, but someone should step up to take care of the lunch order so Mrs. Doubletrouble doesn't have to deal with that again...
Okay, I should be in the area Friday night by 7 or so, assuming that the traffic gods don't detain me too badly. I should be able to make a late(r) dinner. Saturday night I'd still like to hit KC's one more time; if everyone's good with that, let's get a head count and I'll get in touch with the folks there to see if we can't hosey the upstairs area again.
With that said, where are folks that are staying overnight planning on staying? I still need to book a hotel room, and it has to be in NH, for fairly obvious reasons. I know there aren't a lot close to the range, but I know folks have stayed in both Nashua and Manchester with reasonable success. I remember from Nashua that it was ~ 40 - 45 minutes to the Sooper Seekrit range; anyone have better luck coming from Manchester?
In any case, where's everyone staying? I'd love a chance to get together Friday night and chat, and ditto Saturday after dinner at KC's. If we can get a good number of folks in one hotel (or hotels in reasonably close proximity), we could gather in a lobby and perhaps even indulge in an adult beverage or two (I will refrain, from the gout, so there will even be a driver if needed). Let me know where everyone's staying, if we can, let's get a consensus and I'll make reservations.
One more point, regarding ordnance: Wally has graciously offered to bring a few machine guns for folks to play with. He has a very simple request:
Additionally, Alan will be bringing his semi-auto Bren in .303 Brit, so be sure to bring some of that if you'd like to try it. Mopar just picked up a Serbu .50 BMG and will be bringing it as well, so if you want to try your hand at something BIG (that's not the cannon or the recoilless rifle...), find some .50 BMG to bring along...
Can't wait to see everyone in 2.5 weeks!
That is all.
Original post here.
Again, the recap:
What? Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot
Who? Any and all bloggers, commenters, readers, lurkers, etc. in the Northeast area, or those passing through, or anyone crazy enough to show up.
When? Saturday, August 2nd.
Where? Why, Doubletrouble's sooper seekrit range, of course!
Why? Shootin' stuff is fun? Trying out new hardware is fun? Getting together with a couple dozen of your tribe, combined with guns and reactive targets, is a recipe for a good time!
Attendees:
Dave H.
Yankeefried (+ 2 possible guests)
Wally & A.
Mopar & Cher
Brad_in_MA
Alan
Wandering Neurons
PJS
Libertyman
Les
Daniel in Brookline
Glenn B. +2
Your humble host
Mr. & Mrs. DoubleTrouble (of course, and thanks again!!!)
Old Windways
Andrew +1
Bubblehead Les
JD & Mrs. JD
And, the standard caveat:
As with every year, this is a "pack-in, pack-out" shoot - if you want to bring a 1:1 scale papier mache model of the Lunar Rover to shoot the hell out of, go right ahead. Just be prepared to drag the bullet-riddled carcass out with you. We can call the sub shop for lunch, but someone should step up to take care of the lunch order so Mrs. Doubletrouble doesn't have to deal with that again...
Okay, I should be in the area Friday night by 7 or so, assuming that the traffic gods don't detain me too badly. I should be able to make a late(r) dinner. Saturday night I'd still like to hit KC's one more time; if everyone's good with that, let's get a head count and I'll get in touch with the folks there to see if we can't hosey the upstairs area again.
With that said, where are folks that are staying overnight planning on staying? I still need to book a hotel room, and it has to be in NH, for fairly obvious reasons. I know there aren't a lot close to the range, but I know folks have stayed in both Nashua and Manchester with reasonable success. I remember from Nashua that it was ~ 40 - 45 minutes to the Sooper Seekrit range; anyone have better luck coming from Manchester?
In any case, where's everyone staying? I'd love a chance to get together Friday night and chat, and ditto Saturday after dinner at KC's. If we can get a good number of folks in one hotel (or hotels in reasonably close proximity), we could gather in a lobby and perhaps even indulge in an adult beverage or two (I will refrain, from the gout, so there will even be a driver if needed). Let me know where everyone's staying, if we can, let's get a consensus and I'll make reservations.
One more point, regarding ordnance: Wally has graciously offered to bring a few machine guns for folks to play with. He has a very simple request:
I'll have an MG or two available for the extended family at NEBS, so here's the skinny on what to bring. There will be an M16 (byo brass cased) and probably a 308 auto (BYO brass cased/non magneticIOW, no steel cased (Wolf/Tulammo/Brown Bear), no steel core (surplus). If you want to shoot a machine gun, spring for brass-cased ammo please.projectile - sorry to be picky)
Additionally, Alan will be bringing his semi-auto Bren in .303 Brit, so be sure to bring some of that if you'd like to try it. Mopar just picked up a Serbu .50 BMG and will be bringing it as well, so if you want to try your hand at something BIG (that's not the cannon or the recoilless rifle...), find some .50 BMG to bring along...
Can't wait to see everyone in 2.5 weeks!
That is all.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot Update
It's been a few weeks since my first post, so I figured I'd revisit this as we're coming up close on it being a month out.
The usual format, first:
What? Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot
Who? Any and all bloggers, commenters, readers, lurkers, etc. in the Northeast area, or those passing through, or anyone crazy enough to show up.
When? Saturday, August 2nd. The following two weekends are right out for me, so it's either the 2nd, or nada.
Where? Why, Doubletrouble's sooper seekrit range, of course!
Why? Shootin' stuff is fun? Trying out new hardware is fun? Getting together with a couple dozen of your tribe, combined with guns and reactive targets, is a recipe for a good time!
Attendees:
Dave H.
Yankeefried (+ 2 possible guests)
Wally & A.
Mopar & Cher
Brad_in_MA
Alan
Wandering Neurons
PJS
Libertyman
Les
Daniel in Brookline
OldNFO (maybe)
Glenn B.
Your humble host
Mr. & Mrs. DoubleTrouble (of course, and thanks again!!!)
And, the standard caveat:
As with every year, this is a "pack-in, pack-out" shoot - if you want to bring a 1:1 scale papier mache model of the Lunar Rover to shoot the hell out of, go right ahead. Just be prepared to drag the bullet-riddled carcass out with you. We can call the sub shop for lunch, but someone should step up to take care of the lunch order so Mrs. Doubletrouble doesn't have to deal with that again...
The plan right now, for me, is to drive up Friday, arriving at some point Friday evening. I *should* get there early enough for dinner, so if folks wanted to get together for dinner Friday night we could probably arrange something. I'm leaning towards a hotel in the Nashua area, so dinner in that general vicinity would be great.
I'd also be up for a Saturday evening dinner at KC's Rib Shack after the shoot. It's been ages (a year!) since I've been there and I'm jonesin' for some of that sweet, sweet BBQ. Sunday will most likely entail getting up early and driving straight home, so anything short of a super early breakfast in the hotel lobby is right out.
Looking forward to seeing folks again!
That is all.
The usual format, first:
What? Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot
Who? Any and all bloggers, commenters, readers, lurkers, etc. in the Northeast area, or those passing through, or anyone crazy enough to show up.
When? Saturday, August 2nd. The following two weekends are right out for me, so it's either the 2nd, or nada.
Where? Why, Doubletrouble's sooper seekrit range, of course!
Why? Shootin' stuff is fun? Trying out new hardware is fun? Getting together with a couple dozen of your tribe, combined with guns and reactive targets, is a recipe for a good time!
Attendees:
Dave H.
Yankeefried (+ 2 possible guests)
Wally & A.
Mopar & Cher
Brad_in_MA
Alan
Wandering Neurons
PJS
Libertyman
Les
Daniel in Brookline
OldNFO (maybe)
Glenn B.
Your humble host
Mr. & Mrs. DoubleTrouble (of course, and thanks again!!!)
And, the standard caveat:
As with every year, this is a "pack-in, pack-out" shoot - if you want to bring a 1:1 scale papier mache model of the Lunar Rover to shoot the hell out of, go right ahead. Just be prepared to drag the bullet-riddled carcass out with you. We can call the sub shop for lunch, but someone should step up to take care of the lunch order so Mrs. Doubletrouble doesn't have to deal with that again...
The plan right now, for me, is to drive up Friday, arriving at some point Friday evening. I *should* get there early enough for dinner, so if folks wanted to get together for dinner Friday night we could probably arrange something. I'm leaning towards a hotel in the Nashua area, so dinner in that general vicinity would be great.
I'd also be up for a Saturday evening dinner at KC's Rib Shack after the shoot. It's been ages (a year!) since I've been there and I'm jonesin' for some of that sweet, sweet BBQ. Sunday will most likely entail getting up early and driving straight home, so anything short of a super early breakfast in the hotel lobby is right out.
Looking forward to seeing folks again!
That is all.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Yes, Virginia, There Is A Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot...
I'd like to continue what I consider to be a cherished tradition. I would like very much for there to be a seventh Northeast Blogger Shoot.. At press time I have not been able to confirm with Doubletrouble about the availability of the range, but I'll make a leap of faith that it will be okay.
I'll be driving up from VA, so I'll be limited in both what I can bring and what I can do to assist in preparation, so if folks wanted to help DoubleTrouble I would take that as a kindness as well. With that said, here's the standard format:
What? Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot
Who? Any and all bloggers, commenters, readers, lurkers, etc. in the Northeast area, or those passing through, or anyone crazy enough to show up.
When? Saturday, August 2nd. The following two weekends are right out for me, so it's either the 2nd, or nada.
Where? Why, Doubletrouble's sooper seekrit range, of course!
Why? Shootin' stuff is fun? Trying out new hardware is fun? Getting together with a couple dozen of your tribe, combined with guns and reactive targets, is a recipe for a good time!
And, the standard caveat:
As with every year, this is a "pack-in, pack-out" shoot - if you want to bring a 1:1 scale papier mache model of the Lunar Rover to shoot the hell out of, go right ahead. Just be prepared to drag the bullet-riddled carcass out with you. We can call the sub shop for lunch, but someone should step up to take care of the lunch order so Mrs. Doubletrouble doesn't have to deal with that again...
Looking forward to seeing everyone again!
That is all.
I'll be driving up from VA, so I'll be limited in both what I can bring and what I can do to assist in preparation, so if folks wanted to help DoubleTrouble I would take that as a kindness as well. With that said, here's the standard format:
What? Seventh Annual Northeast Bloggershoot
Who? Any and all bloggers, commenters, readers, lurkers, etc. in the Northeast area, or those passing through, or anyone crazy enough to show up.
When? Saturday, August 2nd. The following two weekends are right out for me, so it's either the 2nd, or nada.
Where? Why, Doubletrouble's sooper seekrit range, of course!
Why? Shootin' stuff is fun? Trying out new hardware is fun? Getting together with a couple dozen of your tribe, combined with guns and reactive targets, is a recipe for a good time!
And, the standard caveat:
As with every year, this is a "pack-in, pack-out" shoot - if you want to bring a 1:1 scale papier mache model of the Lunar Rover to shoot the hell out of, go right ahead. Just be prepared to drag the bullet-riddled carcass out with you. We can call the sub shop for lunch, but someone should step up to take care of the lunch order so Mrs. Doubletrouble doesn't have to deal with that again...
Looking forward to seeing everyone again!
That is all.
Monday, February 3, 2014
NoVA Blogdinner AAR
I have the same one-word recap of the blog dinner as I had for "Lone Survivor": Wow.
We started with the World's Smallest Gun Show in Manassas; there were disappointingly few used guns for sale and, as feared, no .22LR in sight. Well, there was one guy selling 50 round boxes of CCI Stingers for $15, but that was all I saw. I did see a brick of .22 Short, which I found interesting (and I wonder how many people snapped them up not bothering to read the label carefully?)
Did something I've not done in a long time: Walked out of a gun show without buying anything.
Killed some time hitting Virginia Arms right down the street. Nice place, very large (one of the blog dinner attendees quipped that it was larger than the gun show); I will have to go back there some time to spend some money. Also need to find where the heck my KTKC certificate got to so I can redeem my Ruger 22/45 Lite there - they are the kind folks that donated one of the KTKC prizes.
A quick trip to the house to change and we were off to the dinner. The Cajun Experience is easy to miss - it's a rather small restaurant - and fortunately there was public parking (Free!!!) about 500 feet down the road. When they showed us the room that they had selected for our gathering, it was shockingly small - we had 26-28 people in our group and had to put some folks in another room.
The food was outstanding, though; and the companionship was even better. Saw a lot of old friends and made some new ones; was gifted a bottle of VA bourbon, a can of dehydrated water (heh), and a NEW 30-round magazine (HEH!) as "Welcome Home" presents. Thanks everyone. The restaurant is part of 2AO - they actually encourage diners to open carry, and on certain nights offer discounts for folks who open carry into the restaurant.
I gotta tell you, it was weird walking into a restaurant with a pistol on my hip. Not something you see in Massachusetts, well, EVER.
There's another big difference between a blogdinner in Massachusetts and one in Virginia. In Massachusetts, we would do the inevitable throwdown whereby everyone puts their EDC knife and/or flashlight on the table. In Virginia, we passed around our BBQ guns. OldNFO brought his positively gorgeous 4" Python; Stretch had a magnificent 1911; I brought my S&W model 13 in the Dragon Leatherworks Flatjack.
Thanks to everyone that came out - OldNFO, Chris and Laura, T-Bolt, MBtGE, #1 Blogdaughter and SD, Formynder, Stretch & his wench (his words!), Nate G (no relation), Mike W., SailorCurt, Chris (the other one), Cargosquid, Proud Hillbilly, Murphy's Law, Wandering Neurons, PA State Cop, Turk Turon, The Historian, and anyone else whose name escapes me at this time. Awesome food, awesome company, what a great time!!!
We obviously have to do this again...
That is all.
We started with the World's Smallest Gun Show in Manassas; there were disappointingly few used guns for sale and, as feared, no .22LR in sight. Well, there was one guy selling 50 round boxes of CCI Stingers for $15, but that was all I saw. I did see a brick of .22 Short, which I found interesting (and I wonder how many people snapped them up not bothering to read the label carefully?)
Did something I've not done in a long time: Walked out of a gun show without buying anything.
Killed some time hitting Virginia Arms right down the street. Nice place, very large (one of the blog dinner attendees quipped that it was larger than the gun show); I will have to go back there some time to spend some money. Also need to find where the heck my KTKC certificate got to so I can redeem my Ruger 22/45 Lite there - they are the kind folks that donated one of the KTKC prizes.
A quick trip to the house to change and we were off to the dinner. The Cajun Experience is easy to miss - it's a rather small restaurant - and fortunately there was public parking (Free!!!) about 500 feet down the road. When they showed us the room that they had selected for our gathering, it was shockingly small - we had 26-28 people in our group and had to put some folks in another room.
The food was outstanding, though; and the companionship was even better. Saw a lot of old friends and made some new ones; was gifted a bottle of VA bourbon, a can of dehydrated water (heh), and a NEW 30-round magazine (HEH!) as "Welcome Home" presents. Thanks everyone. The restaurant is part of 2AO - they actually encourage diners to open carry, and on certain nights offer discounts for folks who open carry into the restaurant.
I gotta tell you, it was weird walking into a restaurant with a pistol on my hip. Not something you see in Massachusetts, well, EVER.
There's another big difference between a blogdinner in Massachusetts and one in Virginia. In Massachusetts, we would do the inevitable throwdown whereby everyone puts their EDC knife and/or flashlight on the table. In Virginia, we passed around our BBQ guns. OldNFO brought his positively gorgeous 4" Python; Stretch had a magnificent 1911; I brought my S&W model 13 in the Dragon Leatherworks Flatjack.
Thanks to everyone that came out - OldNFO, Chris and Laura, T-Bolt, MBtGE, #1 Blogdaughter and SD, Formynder, Stretch & his wench (his words!), Nate G (no relation), Mike W., SailorCurt, Chris (the other one), Cargosquid, Proud Hillbilly, Murphy's Law, Wandering Neurons, PA State Cop, Turk Turon, The Historian, and anyone else whose name escapes me at this time. Awesome food, awesome company, what a great time!!!
We obviously have to do this again...
That is all.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Blogdinner Reminder/Update...
Just had to get one last reminder out for the blog dinner tomorrow.
Be at The Cajun Experience at 6:30 PM (or drop in after). Ask for the party for "Jay."
Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones!
That is all.
Be at The Cajun Experience at 6:30 PM (or drop in after). Ask for the party for "Jay."
Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones!
That is all.
Monday, January 27, 2014
One Last Update...
So, the First Annual NoVA Winter Blogdinner is this coming Saturday. We have a date. We have a time. We have a pre-dinner activity. We now have both a restaurant and a reservation. So, without further ado, here's the standard format:
What: First Annual NoVA Winter Blogdinner
When: Saturday, February 1st. Start time: 6:30
Where: The Cajun Experience. I've reserved a room for ~ 30, ask for "Jay"
Why: Why not?
Attendees:
OldNFO & special guest
Formynder
Nancy R.
Nashville Beat
T-bolt
Wandering Neurons
Heath & A.
Laura and Chris
Mike W.
Broken Andy
Stretch
Turk Turon
Michael W.
PA State Cop
Clinton
Cargosquid
Glenn B.
Murphy's Law
Sailorcurt
Historian
Proud Hillbilly
Chris
Marty
NateG (no relation)
skidmark
We're coming up on three dozen people. This ought to be fun! Speaking of fun, there's afun gun show in Manassas earlier in the day if anyone wants to meet up there. I'm planning on being there around 1; let me know if you're going to be there as well! The gun show lets out at 5, so that gives some time between the show and dinner to negotiate traffic.
See you Saturday night!
That is all.
What: First Annual NoVA Winter Blogdinner
When: Saturday, February 1st. Start time: 6:30
Where: The Cajun Experience. I've reserved a room for ~ 30, ask for "Jay"
Why: Why not?
Attendees:
OldNFO & special guest
Formynder
Nancy R.
Nashville Beat
T-bolt
Wandering Neurons
Heath & A.
Laura and Chris
Mike W.
Broken Andy
Stretch
Turk Turon
Michael W.
PA State Cop
Clinton
Cargosquid
Glenn B.
Murphy's Law
Sailorcurt
Historian
Proud Hillbilly
Chris
Marty
NateG (no relation)
skidmark
We're coming up on three dozen people. This ought to be fun! Speaking of fun, there's a
See you Saturday night!
That is all.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
10 Second NoVA Blogdinner Update
Murphy's Law suggested The Cajun Experience in Leesburg, VA as a possible restaurant for our gathering. He says it's OC friendly, and a look at the menu has me drooling (and reminiscing about the Cajun place in Houston that Ambulance Driver brought us to at the NRA Meeting last year).
How does that work for everyone? The restaurant is about 45 minutes north of the gun show in Manassas, so if folks wanted to hit the gun show first and then get some spicy cajun dinner after that's not unworkable. I'm planning on being at the gun show after lunch on the 1st and then heading to whichever restaurant we chose.
If folks are amenable to The Cajun Experience, let me know ASAP in comments and I'll call and reserve a table/room for ~ 25 people for Saturday night at 6:30.
That is all.
How does that work for everyone? The restaurant is about 45 minutes north of the gun show in Manassas, so if folks wanted to hit the gun show first and then get some spicy cajun dinner after that's not unworkable. I'm planning on being at the gun show after lunch on the 1st and then heading to whichever restaurant we chose.
If folks are amenable to The Cajun Experience, let me know ASAP in comments and I'll call and reserve a table/room for ~ 25 people for Saturday night at 6:30.
That is all.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
NoVA Blog Dinner Update, Part II
Original post here, first update here.
We've got a time (Saturday, February 1st).
We have a general location (Manassas, VA).
We have a reason to get together before the dinner (Gun show!)
All we need now is a specific time and location. I'm thinking 6 PM to start getting together (since the gun show ends at 5) and the location somewhere in Manassas.
Now, personally, I like the name of this restaurant (plus I'm a sucker for Italian food, go figure), but I have no idea if it's any good or not. Anyone local know anything about this place? TripAdvisor has decent reviews and the prices aren't terrible (~ $20 for a meal). It's also about 5 miles from the gun show, so anyone going to the show will be able to get there quick.
Unless anyone has a better suggestion, I'll call and see if we can make a reservation for ~ 20 people. Here's the list of attendees based on previous comments:
OldNFO & special guest
Formynder
Nancy R.
Nashville Beat
T-bolt
Wandering Neurons
Heath & A.
Laura and Chris
Broken Andy
Stretch
Turk Turon
Michael W.
PA State Cop
Clinton
Cargosquid
Glenn B.
Murphy's Law
Let me know (in comments, please) ASAP if your name is on this list and shouldn't be or if your name should be on this list and isn't.
Also, let me know if there are any strenuous objections to the restaurant - or if there's a better place in Manassas or nearby. There's a ton of inexpensive hotels in the area for those that are traveling a distance. If we can settle on a location by the end of this week, I'll make arrangements for a couple dozen of us for dinner.
Who's in for a winter NoVA blogmeet?
That is all.
We've got a time (Saturday, February 1st).
We have a general location (Manassas, VA).
We have a reason to get together before the dinner (Gun show!)
All we need now is a specific time and location. I'm thinking 6 PM to start getting together (since the gun show ends at 5) and the location somewhere in Manassas.
Now, personally, I like the name of this restaurant (plus I'm a sucker for Italian food, go figure), but I have no idea if it's any good or not. Anyone local know anything about this place? TripAdvisor has decent reviews and the prices aren't terrible (~ $20 for a meal). It's also about 5 miles from the gun show, so anyone going to the show will be able to get there quick.
Unless anyone has a better suggestion, I'll call and see if we can make a reservation for ~ 20 people. Here's the list of attendees based on previous comments:
OldNFO & special guest
Formynder
Nancy R.
Nashville Beat
T-bolt
Wandering Neurons
Heath & A.
Laura and Chris
Broken Andy
Stretch
Turk Turon
Michael W.
PA State Cop
Clinton
Cargosquid
Glenn B.
Murphy's Law
Let me know (in comments, please) ASAP if your name is on this list and shouldn't be or if your name should be on this list and isn't.
Also, let me know if there are any strenuous objections to the restaurant - or if there's a better place in Manassas or nearby. There's a ton of inexpensive hotels in the area for those that are traveling a distance. If we can settle on a location by the end of this week, I'll make arrangements for a couple dozen of us for dinner.
Who's in for a winter NoVA blogmeet?
That is all.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
NoVA Blogmeet Update!
So, the last time we discussed a Northern Virginia blogmeet, we had decided on a date (Saturday, February 1st) but not a time nor place. With the 1st coming rapidly up (and considering that I'll be out of pocket at SHOT Show for all of next week), I think we need to nail down a time (I'm thinking somewhere around 7 or so) and a place (no real strong feeling here other than "not DC or MD").
From the first call, here are the folks that have indicated they would like to come:
OldNFO
Formynder
Nancy R.
Nashville Beat
T-bolt
Wandering Neurons
Heath
Laura and Chris
Broken Andy
Stretch
Turk Turon
Michael W.
Stretch has suggested the following locations:
Hard Times Chili Parlor, Fairfax City, VA. They have billiards.
Bungalow Billiards and Brew Company, Chantilly, VA
O'Sullivan's Pub, Herndon, VA
O'Connell's, Bilbo's, or Il Porto in Alexandria, VA
My experience with the Northeast blog dinners has been that, while the dinners are great, one drawback is that everyone's at a long table at a restaurant. You get to chat with the folks immediately around you, but not so much at the other end of the table. With that in mind, when we've been able to find a venue that has other options - like billiards - there has been more chance for folks to mingle. We can find a place with everything in one spot, or we could find a place to eat and then a pool hall afterwards.
I'll defer to locals for a good place (and one that won't have multiple kittens if folks are open-carrying), but let's get this nailed down.
That is all.
From the first call, here are the folks that have indicated they would like to come:
OldNFO
Formynder
Nancy R.
Nashville Beat
T-bolt
Wandering Neurons
Heath
Laura and Chris
Broken Andy
Stretch
Turk Turon
Michael W.
Stretch has suggested the following locations:
Hard Times Chili Parlor, Fairfax City, VA. They have billiards.
Bungalow Billiards and Brew Company, Chantilly, VA
O'Sullivan's Pub, Herndon, VA
O'Connell's, Bilbo's, or Il Porto in Alexandria, VA
My experience with the Northeast blog dinners has been that, while the dinners are great, one drawback is that everyone's at a long table at a restaurant. You get to chat with the folks immediately around you, but not so much at the other end of the table. With that in mind, when we've been able to find a venue that has other options - like billiards - there has been more chance for folks to mingle. We can find a place with everything in one spot, or we could find a place to eat and then a pool hall afterwards.
I'll defer to locals for a good place (and one that won't have multiple kittens if folks are open-carrying), but let's get this nailed down.
That is all.
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