The Pnebleu Blog

So, it took several months but I finally purchased a .22 caliber pistol.  It is a Smith & Wesson 22A model: 107412.  I was able to go shoot it this weekend.  I quite enjoyed the semi-automatic rapid fire!

Smith & Wesson 22A

The main purpose for my purchase of this gun is target practice.  I wanted an inexpensive gun with inexpensive ammo to go plinking.  We have a wooden snowman setup on my Dad’s Back 40 to use as a target.  He’s pretty whole-y at this point.  .22LR, .30-06, .338, and 12-gauge ammunition have all be fired at the snowman.  (I’ll take a picture the next time I’m out there.)  I plan to bring some cans the next time I go.  The should make for a more satisfying target; maybe some water balloons, too.

I’m not a terrible shot, but I definitely need some practice.  I bought 1575 rounds for about $60 when I got the gun, so this is a relatively cheap hobby.  I’m looking forward to the cooler temperatures of autumn to go out an practice more regularly.

Summer doesn’t seem to be so hot this year.  Not that it is cool, but we haven’t had our 100°F+ days.  Maybe they will come with August.  I’m not complaining; I much prefer winter to summer.  It is just interesting to notice.  Also, summer seems to be progressing faster.  I’m sure this is just my perception of time speeding up.  The longer I’ve lived, the smaller the percentage of time a day will be within my life.

There have been no major hurricanes as of yet.  It will be interesting to see if the oil spill will have any effect on the Gulf’s ability to evaporate, there by release heat.

I’ve been trying to eat better food for the past couple months.  I’ve successfully reduced my soda intake, increased vegetable and fruit consumption, and decrease my primarily meat dinners.  As a result, I’ve felt better and leveled out my weight gain at a healthy level.

I haven’t take a lot of pictures lately.  Maybe I’ll have some material to shoot this weekend!

I’ve been a little burnt out lately.  I think I may be take a vacation very soon.

The Moon has a special place in my heart.  It inspires serenity and tranquility.  Because of its silvery appearance, it evokes neutral feelings.  In my opinion, it  is the most beautiful object in the sky.  I even think it far surpasses sunrise or sunsets.  It is the only other gravity-inducing body that we have visited.  My dream is to retire on the Moon, or at least visit it before I die.  The 1/6th gravity and the “magnificent desolation” are the biggest draws for me.

I took this picture from my parent’s house to get a clear shot of it without light pollution.  Smugmug and Flickr.  I want to get better lens to zoom in further and get a clearer shot, but until then this is the best photo I’ve taken of the Moon.

Last weekend I went to the Texas Reds Festival in Bryan with a few friends, Joseph and Lauren.  Lindsay was going to show up, but took a nap instead.  It was a lot of fun.  We listened to a concert by Kelly Austin Curtis, ate funnel cake, and tasted a few wines.  I didn’t find any that I was a fan of, maybe next year.  More photos can be found at Flickr and Smugmug.

The festival’s theme was steak and wine.  There were local vendors selling crafts, clothing, jewelry, and food.  A grape stomp took place throughout the day.  There were things for kids to do.  Admission was free, wine tasting was a buck or two (select versus premium wines), and we got engraved souvenir wine glasses.  The weather was quite good for a Texas summer day, but I wouldn’t mind if it had been a tad cooler.  If you are in the Bryan/College Station area, make a point to go next year.  It is a neat local event.

You know you’re entering a whole new world when shopping for a washer and dryer.  I’ve joined that world.  June 28^th, I will no longer have my apartment’s rented washer/dryer set.  Therefore, I am on the lookout to buy a new appliance duo.  The decision lies with choosing between a pair of cheaper, older models or more expensive and efficient front-loaders.  I am leaning toward the cheaper pair, but each time I look I get tempted by the flashy appearance and “economic/ecological” marketing of the newer, front-loading models.  This purchase is neither fun nor inexpensive (with which ever models I go with); it is a strange utilitarian acquisition I must make.  I would really like to get the most efficient models I can because I plan on keeping these for a very long time, but will the efficiency savings pay off the price difference in a reasonable amount of time in comparison with the time value of money?  I will post an update when I make up my mind.

What does one say when inspired to write, but has nothing to write about?  That is where I am at.

There are so many things in life to enjoy, but oft we fail to even appreciate the most obvious.  The beauty of nature, the flavors of fresh food, a good strong wind through your hair, a clear starry night sky, a long hot shower, the love of one’s family, the company of friends, God’s unending blessings.  We’ve been given taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing, and our minds  to observe the world around us, experience it, learn it, use it, and understand it.

There are times when I get caught up in the day to day and loose track of when it is.  April has just disappeared.  I’ve just let it disappear.  I need to make a change and appreciate everything and every moment God has given to me.  Life is a wonderful, one-time only experience; I want to make the most of it.

Well, the camping trip didn’t happen last Friday.  We haven’t rescheduled just yet, but I hope to soon.  April is always an incredibly busy month, so we will probably wait until May.