Hay Jim: Happy New Year to you and Peggy. It sounds like your New Year's Eve was about the same as mine. I usually go to a good friend's birthday party on New Year's Eve and it turned out to be just great, as usual. This was her 50th and her husband cooked up an incredible gormet (pronounced gor-met: we are so classy) meal for the occasion.
I made certain I stayed within the legal limit for the drive home, as it had rained and the streets weren't the best. In addition, the radio had told us that the local Sheriffs Departments and the State Police were having DWI checkpoints, so I just didn't want to chance anything. Even if you are within the limit, if the Boyz in Blue think you smell like you may have had too much they will offer you an alternative to driving home - usually from the local State Police substation. I'd rather pretend to be an old man and play it safe. The only thing that really bothers me is that I never get stopped by any of the really attractive State Police women (who might also be single and uninvolved). With them I might have a chance, if I behave myself but the guys usually do not have a sense of humor.
Ah well, it ended soon enough. The hostess was out like a light by 10:00; her hubby was sandwiched between his two labradors on the front room floor and coping 'Zs' by 10:15. The rest of us finished the coffee, washed out the pot and locked the door on the way out. That was at 10:30 and I was home by almost 11:00. A quiet and peaceful night. Didn't even see any checkpoints on the way home but did manage to share a stop light with a pair of Troopers who were covering the back country.
On another note Jim, that kid had yanked just about everybody's chain and after my response I even asked a couple of folks what they though of how I responded to him. One was a 20 year old gal and the only other person in a single family household. None of the folks I asked disagreed with me. I knew it was a harsh response but they thought it was probably necessary.
I didn't really want to rip him a new anything, just set him straight. We never really knew anything about him except through his complaints and darn it, he needs to grow up. He is an attention seeker. They do this sort of thing and he surely got everyone's attention. They are basically selfish. This isn't a clinical thing so much as it is a 'mis-behavior'. Darn it to all get out if every single responder didn't offer their heartfelt advice and lots of their personal background to show that it is neither the end of the world or a situation that cannot or will not improve. I'll bet he wasn't about to listen to anything that didn't tell him he was doing the right thing. And Jim, I am so proud to be a member on these forums and to be able to communicate with these people that I simply couldn't tolerate that kind of abuse to people who care enough to extend themselves as far as these folks have.
Attention seekers are like that. It will start with one subject and then bounce or move to another, and then another and continue like that until the attention seeker has burned everyone out chasing his pipedreams. People like that don't last long with one group of people after someone turns it back to them and tells them it is their responsibility to make the kind of changes that need to be made. Usually it is about two weeks worth of running around. They won't do that in a face to face situation (which is why I recommended a nurse or guidance counsellor) because whoever they are talking to, especially if an adult (or even a more mature teen), just doesn't buy it and the kid knows he can't milk that situation any longer.
He will find another forum with another focus, and pull the same thing again on some more unsuspecting victims. And he will keep at it until he finds someone dumb enough to agree with his selfish and immature 15 year old way of thinking, and then he will be justified, so he will think. I am just glad however, that Matt leveled the field with him first. I think he may have seen the next one coming. Matt is no kid, but probably closer to his age than most of us are and I think the kid may have seen the way the winds were starting to change. I'm glad he jumped in.
Jim, most people never seem to catch a break and have to bust their basses just to stay ahead and provide for their families. It's never easy for them but they don't whine and moan about it, they just do what they have to do to do the right thing. They work their jobs, raise their children and take pride in their families and then maybe get a break after they have retired. They parent their children properly by setting the right type of examples and by showing their children what is right and what is wrong. Some folks grow up as orphans, never knowing their parents or having the warmth of the sort of home life that many of us benefit from and relish. But, they turn out to be the salt of the earth. Good people. Law abiding citizens who contribute to their lives and communities. They have their own issues to deal with and their own backgrounds but gee whiz, here they are standing shoulder to shoulder with you and never complaining about what has to be done, they just ask what has to be done next so they can get to it. They have earned their rights and freedoms. He has yet to get there.
Snow....We didn't get much in the way of accumulation here, just some rain, then icing, then a bit of snow. Didn't even get out the snowthrower - I'll wait for some more to come in either tonight or tomorrow night and then do my manly man's thing with my new monster thrower. Actually, it is a pretty lightweight machine but it is 16 years newer than my old one was and chuck full of new technology and does the job I need it to do, without my having to bull the darn thing around.
You never mentioned what has happended to your Swede. You must not be too happy with what that gunsmith has been telling you, or has not been telling you. Is he going to try and bed that action, or shall we do it ourselves and get it right the first time???????? Give Peggy a hug. Let me know about the rifle. This is Mikey. :-D
