Saturday

Trip is finalized.
I didn't want to wait until closer to the holiday season to buy airfare, I can only imagine the planes filling up and no seats left and/or the prices going up dramatically.
I ended up putting it all on a credit card and then making a payment to the card account for half of what it cost from my checking account.  Just the time of month it is and other expenses I have had leaving me a bit lean on the money side, so didn't want to pay for it fully in cash.

She has finally let on fully the situation between us to her kids.  Some of the older boys are pretty messed up in their heads, she didn't want to come out with this too soon, ie: this isn't real and we aren't going there.  This second trip should be a little less stressful - I know what's going on over there, I have broken the ice with most of the kids - I know what the house looks like and the condition it's in - but these are not deterrents to me, not if the relationship is right.  Her PDA rule around the kids - in the house - is off now.  Which is good for me because hugging and holding hands and all that wasn't "allowed" to be done around the kids, which we were around a lot of the time.  The kids figured it out anyway, but wanted an official "statement" of boyfriend/girlfriend this morning from her.

Not to mention half of them are telling me they love me now, anyway, lol.  Not that I told them that, first, either!  We're kinda getting swept along with the current here, at some point, at least for me, there is no turning back.  I haven't arrived there yet and I don't know how much longer or at what point that line will be at, but I would have to say it's certainly within seeing distance.  Just holding back enough to see this all unfold without any commitment to engagement or marriage.  I still want to make sure this is right for both of us and that we are really going to be good for and with each other.

I was talking with the 17 year old today on Facebook - and yes I always let her know about it if there is any contact with them.  I'm just trying to break the ice with that kid cause' he's not a talker - at all - and it takes a while for him to get comfortable around people.  He was pretty standoffish when I was there last but from all indicators that is much less true now than it was.  He's into video games, I am fairly well versed in that having had a son around that was totally into it so I can relate  a bit.

As for another scenario unfolding.  My old friend's son - he's in his mid 20's I think.  He is an avid hunter, the son, and I friended him on Facebook a week ago and threw out the idea of going hunting with him.  He wasn't really "all over that" at first, but last night on an exchange with him on his Facebook wall, he WAS all over it.  He hunts whatever, wherever, but mostly into Javelina, Deer and Elk hunting.  Whatta rush that would be to bag an Elk!!  What a chore it would be to try to get it loaded into a pickup, even IF you have it quartered!  I am pursuing this with him because I really want to learn how to hunt and more importantly, how to skin and dress the animal after you have it down.

He informed me that some day in the future we would go and we would sit around a campfire and drink some tequila and enjoy God's creation.  Well, I can do a shot or two of tequila, beyond that I'm toast.  If there is one thing in life I do NOT want to do, it's get drunk.  I lose complete control of myself and I feel like s*** the next day, all day and it's just not that great a thing to do.  Been there, done that and not doing retakes.  But it sounds like a fun time anyway.  I don't care if he gets drunk, help yourself.  For those that would judge that, sorry folks, but I am not God and I cannot change people's hearts, only God through the Holy Spirit by the preaching of the Word can do that.  If a person wants to get drunk, I am not going to even begin to try to stop them, but if they get really stupid while they are drunk, I don't want to be around them.  I don't get that he gets stupid and belligerent while drinking, at least not after the interchange last night because he had already been drinking.  I would rather do it with someone from my past that I least know somewhat then trying to find a complete stranger to go with.  And anyway, from his account and his siblings, their dad forsook them long ago, wants nothing to do with them and has not contact with them at all.

It's utterly amazing how much of that is going on in our society nowadays.  This is almost exactly what is going on with the lady's ex. He wants very little to do with his kids and it shows, glaringly.  They all know it, too.  The 17 year old despises him and wants nothing to do with him.  The 18 year old girl plays him for his money, if he didn't have any, I doubt she would have anything to do with him, either.  Just guessing on that one though.

Well anyway, hopefully there is a hunting date somewhere on the calendar next year.  But I guess I am going to have to get a 30.30 hunting rifle with a high powered scope among other things.  I've seen them advertised used online for various prices.  Probably start off at the lower end of the pricing range.   I wasn't sure about the difference between a 30-30 and a 30.06, but the net has educated me.  30-30 less powerful and good up to around 300 yards the 30.06 more powerful, more recoil but good up to around 500 yards.  They'll both take down a deer or elk, just one will do it at a further distance than the other.

The other thing this guy is good at is finding them.  I am a totally teachable person when it comes to learning something I want to learn, I don't care how old or young the person doing the teaching is as long as they know what they are talking about.  He finds them, downs them, skins/quarters them, eats them!  That's enough for me!  3 managers went out hunting a couple of weekends ago for deer and snagged - nothing.  Their exclusive manager's club, I like to call it, where they will go on outings with each other but the rest of us dweebs are nothingness.  All fine and dandy, I don't know that they know hunting that well anyway.  If you are going to learn, might as well learn from someone who is good at it.

Lazy Saturday for me.  About to go out and get some yardwork done.  Nothing much to do in the house for chores excepting stuff that costs money and nothing that is on the priority list.

G'day.

ben