Tonight is it.  My first IDPA match.

Last night I went out to the range for about 45 minutes to try out my new trigger, and good thing I did.  The striker spring was a little weak and that would have not been fun during the match.  Now since I haven’t shot in a while last night was not so great but I’m going forward with tonight and just getting the first match jitters out of the way.

At least I will know what I need to work on and start practicing.  I mean I’m not going to be some expert IDPA shooter overnight that’s for sure.   I just want to do OK or well if you wish..

Well tomorrow night will be my first IDPA match.  I found a local club and a guy who I go to church with that talked me into it.  I have actually been wanting to try this for quite some time now and USPSA.  So I signed up for the new members shooting class 1 hour prior to the match and I think I have all the equipment I will need to see how bad I am for my first match.  I’m not too concerned since I have been shooting for many years, just not in a competition style shoot.

Hopefully Friday I can post another update that won’t be that bad about my first match results.

Almost 2 weeks ago I had shoulder surgery to fix an injury from 2 years ago.  I finally decided it was time to take  care of the issue and get rid of the constant dullness and other varying degrees of discomfort.  The surgery went pretty well.  And at this point I almost have my full range of motion back.  However it still gets sore from time to time and I find myself dropping some ice on it at bedtime (helps calm it down for bedtime).

Tomorrow is my follow up and I get my stitches out.  I’m sure it will only get better with time.

Christmas is always special.  This year it was extra special for my wife and I.  Since we are in the process of adopting 2 boys, this was our first Christmas with our kids.  It’s been 4 awesome months since we had them placed in our home.  We had so much fun buying them gifts and spending time with the family.  We also threw a birthday party for Jesus and had cake, etc.  It was truly a wonderful day.  We were also blessed with having a white Christmas.  A very cold but white Christmas.  I think we ended up with at least 7 inches of snow and the snow drifts from the 50mph wind conditions made it even deeper in places.

Last year we flew up to Seattle to my family for Christmas and was stuck in about 18″ of snow.  It started falling a couple hours before we landed and didn’t really stop for a day or two.  So we are blessed to have two white Christmas’ in a row.  In fact if we would have been in Texas this Christmas we would have had a white one as well. (very unusual)

I love the Christmas lights too.  This year we took the boys to a city park with all these lights and it took FOREVER, but we enjoyed them and had fun even though it was a late, late night for all of us.

Christmas – the Birth of Jesus:
Luke 2:8-16 (ESV)

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And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.10 And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

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Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!

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When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

The forecast changed rapidly and some times the news meteorologists have been wrong.  But not a few days ago.

I drove up to my Christmas destination on the evening of the 23rd.  It was really crazy.  When I left it was 73 out.  a 2.5 hour drive later and it was in the 40’s.  The original forecast earlier that day talked about a chance of a trace of snow and really cold weather over Christmas.  When I arrived the forecast change to 1-2″ of snow.  Now bedtime we check again and now it’s changed to 2-4″ of snow but not until mid day after some rain and sleet.

So when we woke up, nothing major was taking place and my mother in law and I were headed into town to get some last minute things a little more food, just in case we lost power, etc.  About 9 or so, sleet was starting to accumulate pretty fast so we took off.  For me the roads were not that bad.  Mostly slush at this point.  By the time we were done, all the non snow driving people were getting stuck and trying to do things you just don’t do in the snowy weather.  Then the winds pick up to a constant 20-30 mph level.  Sleet hurts when it pelts you in the face at this speed.

By the time we got home they issued a blizzard warning and the snow started falling.  It was just crazy.  I think in total we got 7-8″.  The snow drifts with the 50mph gusts created some areas that were over 20″ deep.  It was fun and really cold, but it was nice to have a white Christmas.

Reports are coming in that they finally found Clemmons. The one who was being sought for murdering 4 Lakewood Police Officers.  Seattle Officers tracked him down to a South Seattle neighborhood and they shot him after seeing a gun and him trying to flee.

King5.com article

Looks like the guy that has killed the 4 officers in Lakewood, WA was/is far from perfect.

A convicted criminal with a long following.  He had a 95 year prison sentence which was commuted in 2000.  Looks like he only served 11 years in Prison.  Then in Pierce County, WA he was recently charged with assault of a police officer and rape of a child.  Wow very nice…

Some witness stated after the fact the night before the shootings, he told them he was going to kill a police officer.  Too bad they didn’t say anything before he took action and now we have 4 dead officers.

I believe they have located him in a home in Seattle.

I’m still checking out the details.

4 Police Officers Slain…  Lakewood, Washington

After getting a message from my friend who lives in Tacoma, WA. and then getting a breaking news text from CNN, I really couldn’t believe what I was reading.  4 Slain Officers in Lakewood, WA.  That just sucks to be honest.  According to some news reports these 4 officers were sitting around the coffee shop awaiting the start of their shifts and someone opened fire on them.  I hope they find the one responsible who blatantly thought about these killings prior to doing them.  I will update this more as information is released..

taken from king5.com:

“All four of our slain officers had been with this department since it started five years ago.  Sergeant Mark Renninger and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold, and Greg Richards were police veterans when they started and all have been outstanding professionals,” said Lakewood Police Chief Bret Farrar in a press release. “This is a very difficult time for our families and our officers.  The families will have many challenges ahead of them and we ask that their privacy be respected. Please keep our families and Lakewood Police in your prayers.”

Those interested in supporting the families of the slain officers are welcome to make a donation through the Lakewood Police Independent Guild (LPIG) Benevolent Fund at PO Box 99579, Lakewood, WA 98499.