Shotgun theory...

Had requals this past week for the Department. Every six months we have to go to the range, on-duty, and requalify with our firearms. I particularly enjoy the fall requals because it is still very dark out when i shoot (0600). I prefer to shoot in a lighting environment that it similar to that which i work in. Anyway... i am there with my buddy Opie (yeah, Little Rascals).

First round with the pistol... 70... ok, relax, breathe...
Second round with the pistol... 95... that's more like it.
Opie, not to be undone by an older officer, decided that he had to shoot a 95 as well. Sigh. Rookies.

Now i am quite proud with this 95 because it upgrades my medal to a Master, which is the highest medal you can achieve for shooting. Also, the one round that i "missed" from the 50 yard line hit the target in the neck just between the two circles for headshot and bodyshot. So it isn't like i "missed" the target.

Now on to the shotgun...

First round... 68 buckshot... 6 slug... non-qualifying... ok...
Second round... 60 buckshot... too low to even shoot the slugs afterwards.... great.

And there went my shotgun...

Somebody explain to me how i can shoot a PISTOL from 50 yards away and achieve Master level scores, but when i pull out my SHOTGUN, the weapon that you give people who can't aim, the "just aim in the general direction and click" gun, i can barely hit the target, with any of the 8 pellets per shell, from 20 yards away!

Sigh......... needless to say i had to go back and requalify the next day in order to get my shotgun back. I requalified with it... barely... scoring the absolute minimum you can score and still keep the gun...

So i wonder what weapon i will use in a gunfight...

The Long Awaited Return...

Where to begin?

It has been a very crazy few months. What with work, court, grad school, and extra jobs there has been very little time for anything else... such as sleep. After a brief chat with the Sergeant, it was advised (i.e. ordered) to cut back. I agreed. Figured the best way to start that was with a vacation... thus began the long awaited return home... to New York City.

I love New York City. Felt so great to be there. Saw a couple of shows... ate tons of great food! The food is reason enough for me to move back there. Yeah... and, um... sorta kinda met a girl...

Okay, was actually introduced by a mutual friend back in April... should clarify that. Things recently reached the point however where my inner monolouge was saying, "hm... you're not pushing her away... warning! warning!" So while i was in NYC visiting family and friends i decided to make a surprise visit to a place in Astoria... not too long after that there was this great night involving a walk on the beach, moonlight, a lighthouse, and fireworks. The thing that continues to surprise me is the stillness that i feel. Amidst the excitement and "freak out" of having a fresh relationship there is a blanket of calmness that covers everything. It has been so long since i have felt a peace about anyone that it caught me off guard. Still trying to figure out what to do next...

Now i am back from the great NYC, and sitting in the rain. i much prefer sleeping in the rain as oppossed to working, however there is something rather nice about sitting in the patrol car smoking a cigar while watching the rain come down. That and the long awaited return to blogging. Though at this point it should also be mentioned that my evil MySpace page has been blooming nicely. Yeah, yeah, i know... 50 m0re years in Purgatory... sigh... building that house nicely...