Have You Tried This Diet?

My daughter will be getting married soon, so I will be trying to loose some weight. If I remember, I will post the results back to you. I have already heard from other men and women that it works. I tried a 3-day diet once, and I lost weight, but it was because I was hungry for the three days.

I have heard this is a balanced diet, mixing proper foods and exercise. It is not free, but certainly is cheap for the info one receives. Click on the image below for details should you be interested in joining me, and leave comments on your progress. I'm getting hungry already........

New Store

I just wanted to let everyone know that I launched a new store this week. Please stop by and visit it here.

Dad, Happy Father's Day

Last week I wrote an article about taking my dad to a local sporting clays facility and reuniting him with his old shotgun. The back story of this gun is that it originally belonged to my dad's brother who was killed while approximately 30 years old. Being the only remaining son, Dad inherited this shotgun.

I remember hearing all kinds of hunting stories as a kid; my dad loved this shotgun. It is a Remington 878 Automaster and was later replaced by the Remington 1100. Remington made this shotgun from 1958 to 1963 if I remember correctly, with dad's being manufactured in 1960. He hunted with it every weekend as I was growing up.

Dad lost interest in hunting approximately 25 years ago and at the same time, the shotgun began to misfire. With problems continuing after several cleanings, I finally took it to a gunsmith shortly afterwards. I used the shotgun on the first dove hunt I went to after picking it up from the gunsmith. The gunsmith said, "It just needed a good cleaning." After firing it only a few times, the same problems began again. It would not cycle properly and sometimes it would fire unexpectedly. Dad later gave the shotgun to me as a keepsake and it has been in my safe for years.

As last week's article mentions, I decided to give the shotgun one more try when my brother and I surprise Dad with a trip to the sporting clays range. Gunpowder literally fell out of it as I pulled the gun apart. I soaked the parts in cleaner for hours, used compressed air to dry it, and carefully re-assembled it being careful with just the right amount of oil.

Today, I fired a box of shells through it without any issues at all. I was about 80% on the clays and quickly learned why my dad was so crazy about this smooth, light, and quick firing shotgun. It also reminded me of my own younger years when I, beginning around 8 years old, would take this gun squirrel hunting almost every morning. Dad taught me firearm safety and trusted me at a very early age. I never wanted to let him down and as far as I know, I never did. Well, there was that time I shot the window out of his car by accident - a rare car at that - but I'll save that for another story.

I know my pop is not reading this so I can proudly tell my readers, the 55 year old shotgun is going to be reunited with my 77 year old dad for Father's Day. My dad and "his boys" are going to shooting clays.

Not sure what to get Dad on his special day? I, personally, love to give gift cards and...uhmm..receive them, too! They are so easy to buy now as well as deliver if you do not live near the recipient. Just email it!

See this Amazon Gift Card selection and take care of your special one. Select from one of Amazon's previously created ones, or use your creativity to design your own. Make it special. Make it Amazon.

Father's Day is Right Around the Corner!

Nobody beats Amazon with shipping time, so if you are a last minute shopper as I am, be sure to click the link above and take care of your dad or father-in-law on their special day. Now, Amazon is not going to have firearms or ammunition as I reference in the story below, but they will have the associated accessories your dad needs to enjoy the great outdoors and a trip to the sporting clay range. Also, new or used, you will find great deals on tools for DIY projects if, like me, you enjoy those!

Recently, some friends from church and I went to a sporting clay range that recently opened. This was my first time of visiting such a place, but I scored fairly well considering I had not fired my Beretta shotgun since becoming ill almost four years ago. In addition to the fun with my church guys, almost all stations were shaded by tall pines and were connected by a winding narrow gravel road. Golf carts were used to travel from station to station and provided us with the opportunity to soak in the great outdoors, nature's beautiful streams, rocks, and small waterfalls, all from the seat of the cart.

After returning home, I had this great idea of taking my dad there for Father's Day. Now, this is not going to be easy as my dad does not get out much, but I know how much he used to enjoy a good dove shoot. Another challenge is that he gave me his shotgun, a Remington 878 Automaster, several years ago so I know he will use being "a little rusty" as an excuse to try to stay home. The final challenge is that this shotgun, around 70 years old, has a tendency to fire when IT wants to instead of when the trigger is pulled.

I did some research on this shotgun and learned that only ~70k of these were made and they were made for approximately five years. The Remington 1100 eventually replaced them. During this research, I was able to find a schematic to how this thing is assembled. Now, this firing issue has been a problem for many years. In fact, it lead to dad retiring the gun. We have cleaned the powder residue from it ourselves and have had it professionally cleaned. However, with this schematic, I feel that I will be able to take it apart and thoroughly clean the remnants of the thousands of shots it has fired in its life. This shotgun is still in mint condition on its exterior and barrel bore, so it is imperative that I get the firing order repaired in time for our trip to the sporting clays range.

To make this day even more memorable, my brother is going with us. Dad does not know about the trip and his soon to be reunion with his old shotgun. And, no, he want find out here. He does not know about my blog, and would not read it even if he did as he is not one with the patience to read.

If you are not fortunate enough to have your dad or pop around physically, I am sure he is with you spiritually. Use the coming days to reflect on your past memorable times, perhaps your trips to the sporting clay range. Talk to him, laugh a little, cry a little.