Ka-bar TDI Knife & Maratac AAA flashlight

Here is a pic of the Maratac AAA flashlight, which is worn daily around my neck using a piece of paracord. That might seem strange to most people to have a little flashlight hanging around their neck, but seriously I have gotten so used to having it there, that if I go to grab it and it isn't around my neck, I feel lost! I use it every single day, whether it be for looking into dark corners when I'm housekeeping, finding my way around outside at night, looking for something inside my van in the dark, or looking down to check something out inside my vehicle engine compartment. It only takes one AAA battery and has 3 different brightness settings that can be changed with a simple twist.

My KA-BAR TDI Law Enforcement Straight Edge Knife... When I am conceal-carrying my Ruger LCR behind my right hip, I wear this knife behind my opposite (left) hip. Mainly as an alternative/backup form of protection, but also in case I were to ever get into a struggle and the perpetrator were trying to grab my gun. I could then hold my gun into its holster with my right hand, while using my left hand to grab my Ka-bar and defend myself... It came with a kydex sheath that makes it easy to un-holster and re-holster without cutting myself, and it is also surprisingly comfortable to wear.

You can switch it around any way that you want, so it can easily be worn IWB (in the waistband) or OWB (on the waistband). Normally I prefer IWB b/c I can easily slip my shirt right over it, allowing it conceal quite a bit better.

                                         IWB:                                                               OWB:

I love my Ruger 10/22 !!

I hardly-ever buy anything major at a gun show, but man did I luck-out at the last one I went to... I found my very own Ruger 10/22, and it was exactly like I had wanted - a beautiful hard-wood stock and a stainless barrel. BRAND-spankin' new, for $225. It is an older model (2005), so it actually has the original metal (aluminum) trigger guard, as opposed to the plastic one that comes on the current Ruger 10/22 that you will find in the store.

For those of you who don't know, the Ruger 10/22 is semi-automatic rifle that shoots .22 LR ammo. It has basically zero recoil, excellent quality, is simple to use, shoots inexpensive ammo, and is a simply gorgeous rifle (of course this is a matter of opinion, but I sure think so...)  It is one of the most customizable rifles that you can buy, mainly due to its popularity - In other words, they have come out with tons of after-market modifications to change the look, improve the performance, increase the magazine capacity, etc. Don't like the stock? Switch it out to a different color or, better yet, a Butler Creek folding one. Want to go thru more ammo than the original factory 10-round magazine? Get a Hot Lips 25-round magazine or a tri-mag magazine coupler that will hook three 10-round factory mags together! There is even an entire book you can buy, all about how to Customize the Ruger 10/22.

I really do believe that it is the perfect first rifle for a beginner, but honestly they are not simply for beginners. In my opinion, everybody who owns a gun should have a .22 rifle, whether it be a pump-action, bolt-action, lever action, or semi-auto. They are all great for plinking, shooting small game, and blowing thru cheap ammo for practice.  My dad actually has a Mossberg bolt-action .22 rifle that is alot of fun to shoot, and I especially love the fact that his has a peep sight (EXTREMELY accurate).

The Ruger 10/22 is my very first rifle. Since picking it up, this is what I have purchased for it:

1. soft rifle case (Mossy-Oak Infinity Break-up pattern):

2. BARSKA 4x32 22 Riflescope (silver)

3. Weaver See-Thru Scope Rings (silver) (so I can look thru the scope OR use the regular front sight)

4. Power Custom Titanium Extended Mag Release (I had trouble getting the magazine out until I got this)

5. Quake Claw Contour Rifle Sling (Mossy Oak Infinity Break-up, to match my rifle case, since girls have to color coordinate. lol)

This pic shows my set-up (scope, see-thru rings, extended mag release, and rifle sling):

6. Alangator TriMag Factory 10/22 Magazine Coupler (now I can quickly blow thru 30 rounds instead of 10, still using the original Ruger 10-round mags)

Solid-State External Hard-Drives are the Best!

When it comes to backing up all my files, I've got two Cavalry Pelican Solid State external hard-drives  (a 128 GB and a 64 GB), and they both work excellent. I bought them a while back after honestly having terrible luck with regular portable external hard-drives. I had two of them crash on me for no reason, and one was a Western Digital, which is supposedly an excellent brand. At the time, I had to pay someone to try and salvage whatever files they could off of them, and I lost many of my files in the process. That is why I eventually "converted" to "Solid-State" portable external hard-drives. They don't have any moving parts, making them much more reliable than regular portable hard-drives. That little tidbit was serious music to my ears and what ultimately won me over. According to wikipedia, solid state drives are "less fragile, silent, have faster start-up, have lower power consumption, have high mechanical reliability, and they have the ability to endure extreme shock, high altitude, vibration, and extremes of temperature." This is especially important to think about if you travel alot, because things inside your vehicle can go from being really hot to really cold, and they can also be exposed to all sorts of different elevations and vibrations. For these reasons (among others), storing your electronics inside a vehicle just puts them at a higher risk of mechanical failure.

Solid-state drives are still fairly new, so the price hasn't come down that much yet, but I personally think they are still worth it. The sound of a spinning external hard-drive just freaks me out. Through my past experiences, spinning = crashing. I'm never going back to an external hard-drive with moving parts. I've got too many files that I care about, which reminds me - Next I want to look into making some Faraday Cages for my electronic devices. Virus protection, EMP protection.... there is so much to be prepared for.

Simplifying & Minimalism :)

My friend Marke just shared this website with me, and it is GREAT!

http://mnmlist.com/

According to mnmlist, it is "uncopyrighted. Its author, Leo Babauta, has released all claims on copyright and has put all the content of this blog into the public domain.
No permission is needed to copy, distribute, or modify the content of this site. Credit is appreciated but not required"

SO. I'm going to cut and paste 2 wonderful posts, taken directly from mnmlist.com. These are NOT written by me, although reading them made me feel so RIGHT inside.

1. I COULD NEVER GIVE UP

taken from: http://mnmlist.com/never-give-up/

I’ve found that when I talk about simplifying or minimalism in general, people are generally positive … but when you get down to specifics, they’re not always so enthusiastic.

When I talk about giving up unnecessary shopping or clothes or shoes, many people balk. When I talk about giving up a car, or getting a smaller home, or not drinking sugary coffee drinks, or giving up junk food … I always hear a lot of people who say, “I’d love to be a minimalist, but I could never give up my ____.” (You can fill in the blank.)

I thought the same thing, many times, when I’d hear about other people making changes. “I could never give that up,” I thought to myself.

I was wrong.

I said I could never give up my hamburgers or fried chicken, but now I’m a vegetarian.
I said I could never give up my cable TV, but I’ve been without it for 6 or 7 years now.
I said I could never give up my cigarettes, but I’ve been tobacco-free for nearly 5 years.
I said I could never give up my sweets, and now I only have a few bites now and then.
I said I could never give up my car, but I barely drive now and am going car-free next month.
I said I could never give up packaged foods, but now I almost only eat real food, unpackaged.
I said I could never give up my coffee, but I recently have.
I said I could never give up my running shoes, but now I run barefoot.
I said I could never get down to a handful of clothes, but I have.
I said I could never give up TV altogether, but I am.

If you think you could never do something … stop saying it. You just might surprise yourself.

2. THE JOY OF WALKING

taken from: http://mnmlist.com/joy-of-walking/

Today I set out from my house and walked. And walked.

I didn’t have a specific destination in mind, but wanted to walk a bit before finding a quiet place to write. So I walked, out of the town where I live and along the tropical, white-sand coastline, to the next town over.

As others drove cocooned in their cars, I walked, and emitted nothing but my breath.

As others spent their lunch hour pounding down fat-laden burgers and greasy fries or some other cheesy fried piled-high dish, I walked, and burned calories.

As others rushed and stressed, I walked, and took my time.

As others sat at their computers, I walked, and got my blood flowing.

As others held power business meetings and made deals, I walked, and had time to think.

As others were productive and got tasks done, I walked and got nothing done, and cleared my head.

As others had the comfort of shelter and air-conditioning, I walked and worked up a light sweat and was buffeted by the wind.

As a white gull floated serenely above a calm bay, I walked, and watched, and loved it.

I walked for an hour, then wrote and read, and then walked for another hour to get back home, tired but happy.

I can’t walk this much every day, but I walk as much as I can, because you need nothing to walk, you spend nothing, you consume nothing, you emit nothing.

And yet you have everything.

the Little John experience

I just love a question that brings a smile to my face and makes me laugh out loud. I might as well post my reply to this email, just in case any other girl out there has trouble peeing into her own female adapter. If you are a man, you can just stop reading now. lol.

subject: tips to make my girl's Little John experience easier

"Hey. I know this sounds like a weird question. I bought and have been using the Little John for awhile now and recently bought the female adapter for my girlfriend as well for use on road trips. She hasn't had an easy time using it so far, do you have any special techniques that make it easier for you to pee into? What positions are easiest, etc? Thanks."

----------------

My response:

"Hey there, sorry about the delayed reply. Did you girlfriend still need help with this?

I must admit, your email made me laugh out loud.

Does she have the blue one (female adapter)? That is the one I've got.

First off, it might be upside-down. She should try it both ways to see which way "fits" against her best.

Lets see... tips on peeing into a curved funnel.

Kinda lean/tilt forward.

Don't stand up too straight.

Pee slowly.

Hold it tighly against yourself.

I think that's pretty much all I've got. "

-------------
I do want to add, however, that the female adapter (when positioned correctly) is such an essential piece of gear. I use it practically every day inside my van, and I also take it with me whenever I'm out on a boat. There is nothing worse than being a girl and waking up inside your van in the middle of night, having to pee, when you are parked somewhere with no 24-hour stores around, in a place where you cannot squat outside your vehicle without risking exposure. I don't know how I would live without it. I store the adapter inside a ziplock bag, with a paper-towel wrapped around it, and I wipe it off with paper-towel really good after every use. It also gets its share of bleach, whenever I get a chance.
Men are pretty lucky that it is so easy for them to just pee wherever. Women have to use something silly like a curved pee-funnel. Well, whatever works! I'm glad that someone created this little gadget. Hmm. Now I wonder if it was invented by a man or a woman.