I'm Not Dead!!!

[bruce]

But, I ought to be!!! I would be if my wife didn't really love me! But, it's not my fault. Really! I was minding my own business. I went into a little gun shop to buy cleaning brushes. I was going to give my .22 LR and .38/.357 pistols a good cleaning. Really I was! And ... and ... it happened! You know it happens! It was just lying there like a thing I couldn't avoid seeing! It was a little itty bitty pistol thing called a Walter PPK/S made in the USA by Interarms. Oh it started calling to me. I lifted it out of the sea of plastic fantastic's that surrounded it. The price was not nice. They had a S&W made PPK for $899 so I was very pleased to get this for $600. Pretty little thing. Blued. Looks like it sat in a bunch of socks in a drawer all its life. Not a mark on it anywhere. Magazine has hardly a mark on it before I started fiddling with it. The DA trigger is smooth. Heavy ... yes, but smooth. The SA is remarkable. I have wanted one of these things for years, but I just couldn't see paying what folks wanted for guns that were rubbed up, maybe a little corroded, etc. This thing shines like new money! I've no idea when it was made, but tomorrow I'll do some looking and see what I can find out.

If ... I say ... if I can figure out how to post pictures, I'll put up some good cell phone shots tomorrow. Meantime, I've got to get some shut eye! Can't believe that thing didn't grow legs and walk off while I was at the office. Sincerely. bruce.

[Allen]

Good find.

Sometimes things pop up unexpectedly. Does that make us lucky or doomed?

You may need to buy your wife something now, a piece of jewelry, a way overpriced designer purse or something else to mend things over?

[Major Tom]

It's always good when people find their 'grail' gun! Something to treasure for sure!

[bruce]

I woke up this morning! The cat was standing on my chest making biscuits. The other cat was asleep by my wife. And ... my wife was sleeping quietly. I am now drinking my first of two morning mugs of Death Wish coffee. Staff meeting at 10 AM. Then ... record the on-line Thanksgiving service at 5 PM. Office is closed Wed. - Fri. THEN I get to head to the range for a little shooting. My wife knew that I'd wanted this little pistol for years ... about since I first saw Dr. No. Over the last three years had qualified for a nice gift card. Used it to pay for the pistol. So thankful. Didn't have to use family money. By the way ... she does like nice handbags among other things. This time, probably a bracelet. Sincerely. bruce.

[Mark in Ottawa]

If you really loved your wife, you could give her that nice little pistol, perhaps as an early birthday present.

[kj47]

You could have pulled a clinton, its the other guys fault. Enjoy that gun.

[bruce]

Re: Gift gun. Ah ... sadly, my much loved and appreciated wife does not share my enthusiasm for guns. On a number of occasions she has bought me a nice rifle and several pistols. And, on one particular occasion, she "borrowed" my 1911 to carry to work. Seems there was a dude that was giving her trouble. She settled his hash w/o firing a shot. Simply pulled it out of her handbag under her desk, cocked it and told him, "I'll chop you in half with my husbands gun!" Man I heard about that one! No one expected a preachers wife to be carrying a 1911 in her handbag that night at the hospital. She never had to carry it again. Cool. So, no I cannot gift it to her. But, like it says in that great song that Pablo Cruise made into a hit, "Love will find a way." Sincerely. bruce.

[Allen]

In our early years of marriage before kids my wife gifted me several guns at difference occasions. When I did the same for her (once) she let me know that did not interest her in the least and I still hear about it 45 years later.

She used to shoot a little back when we did things together. She isn't afraid to use a gun in defense and keeps one on her nightstand, just not the one I bought for her.

In the case of my wife, unless she specifically ask for something she doesn't want it. She once got so bad about returning things that I started buying her gift cards. She returned those as well. Now days I don't think stores will let you do that. I have to wait for her to come up with something. Not an easy task sometimes but I know not to buy her a gun or a gift card.

[Vern Humphrey]

In our early years of marriage before kids my wife gifted me several guns at difference occasions. When I did the same for her (once) she let me know that did not interest her in the least and I still hear about it 45 years later.

She used to shoot a little back when we did things together. She isn't afraid to use a gun in defense and keeps one on her nightstand, just not the one I bought for her.

In the case of my wife, unless she specifically ask for something she doesn't want it. She once got so bad about returning things that I started buying her gift cards. She returned those as well. Now days I don't think stores will let you do that. I have to wait for her to come up with something. Not an easy task sometimes but I know not to buy her a gun or a gift card.

Have you considered buying her a cemetery plot?

(No joke -- my wife bought a niche in a columbarium for me. It holds two urns, so it's for her, too.)

[Allen]

Have you considered buying her a cemetery plot?

(No joke -- my wife bought a niche in a columbarium for me. It holds two urns, so it's for her, too.)

Bought an 8 grave plot decades ago beside a little stream. We call it our waterfront property. Now, there's none left and people are lucky if they can buy a single plot. There are other cemeteries though.

And it is NO joke, something we all need to do now if not already. Passing away leaves enough headaches and problems for our family. Having to find and purchase a grave plot shouldn't be one of them.

[Mark in Ottawa]

Bought an 8 grave plot decades ago beside a little stream. We call it our waterfront property. Now, there's none left and people are lucky if they can buy a single plot. There are other cemeteries though.

And it is NO joke, something we all need to do now if not already. Passing away leaves enough headaches and problems for our family. Having to find and purchase a grave plot shouldn't be one of them.

I absolutely agree with you. We bought plots about 10 years ago just to avoid leaving the problem for our children. What was a bit spooky was that two weeks ago we had to go in to Toronto for a funeral that took place in the same cemetery. A bit uncomfortable looking around and thinking that this was where we were going to end up.

[Allen]

A bit uncomfortable looking around and thinking that this was where we were going to end up.

I've had many of the same feelings. Our cemetery is only about 1/2 mile from home so I visit frequently. To overshadow those feelings most of my family is buried there along with people I knew coming up in our small town. The family and town I once knew is there so in that regard I will be going "home".

[Vern Humphrey]

Bought an 8 grave plot decades ago beside a little stream. We call it our waterfront property. Now, there's none left and people are lucky if they can buy a single plot. There are other cemeteries though.

And it is NO joke, something we all need to do now if not already. Passing away leaves enough headaches and problems for our family. Having to find and purchase a grave plot shouldn't be one of them.

Find a rural cemetery and donate something for upkeep. They'll usually give you a plot.

[Allen]

Find a rural cemetery and donate something for upkeep. They'll usually give you a plot.

The cemetery I prefer is the one I mentioned close to home. I bought the plots back in the 70's when they were dirt cheap. Now the multi grave plots or the family plots are gone. Single plots, if you can talk someone into selling, go for about $1,000 each. I wish I'd bought more way back then but I have all I need. What's filling the cemeteries so quickly are the people moving here.

Only in the very rural areas are more cemeteries being opened. As you know, land is expensive and upkeep is hard work so they aren't numerous.

[Vern Humphrey]

The cemetery I prefer is the one I mentioned close to home. I bought the plots back in the 70's when they were dirt cheap. Now the multi grave plots or the family plots are gone. Single plots, if you can talk someone into selling, go for about $1,000 each. I wish I'd bought more way back then but I have all I need. What's filling the cemeteries so quickly are the people moving here.

Only in the very rural areas are more cemeteries being opened. As you know, land is expensive and upkeep is hard work so they aren't numerous.

Cremation and columbariums seem to be the answer. WE were planning to start a cemetery here with our little church, but a member of the congregation was a retired funeral director, and he explained why we shouldn't get into that.