I just returned from the vet.
My cat of almost 16 years, Iggy, is now at peace.
Me
Raising cane
My martial arts school had an informal gathering this afternoon. Why?
He who looks too hard at the outside gets clumsy on the inside
When you’re betting for stones in an archery contest, you shoot with skill.
When you’re betting for fancy belt buckles, you worry about your aim.
And when you’re betting for real gold, you’re a nervous wreck.
Your skill is the same in all three cases – but because one prize means more to you than another, you let outside concerns weigh on your mind.
He who looks too hard at the outside gets clumsy on the inside.
-Chuang Tzu
This came into my inbox a few days ago. It’s relevant to where I am in life right now. When things don’t matter, I’m doing great. When important things are on the line, I don’t do so well. I’ve written about my trials in this, and also what I’m doing about it and how it’s working well.
Just good things to keep in mind.
Grab bag of gun stuff
A couple months ago I walked into a local gun store just to check it out. I actually was shopping for a .22 pistol but ended up walking out with a new AR-15. Why? Why not. It was there. It’s a Bushmaster, which isn’t my #1 choice, but these days beggars can’t be choosers.
Until last night I kept the rifle locked up. I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep it. After much thought I opted to keep it, so last night I broke it out, gave it a cleaning and lubrication, and packed up my range bag so I could head to the range in the morning to get her broken in and zeroed in. So what follows here are a bunch of random thoughts and experiences from it all.
Cat update
The two older cats were slated for the one-way trip to the vet earlier this week, but Wife belayed that action. Too many things were tugging on her mental and emotional state, so she wanted to postpone it.
It was good that she did.
Seems Orange Cat is getting better. It may not be lymphoma. He may just have some ugly digestive problems. He’s been on a steady diet of canned food and it seems to be improving his situation. He’s still not totally right, there’s still something abnormal with him, but his condition’s a bit better so… we’ll see where it goes. One day at a time.
Other cat tho… she’s continuing on the slow downhill course. The tumor on her hock continues to grow. She’s still managing OK. As I’ve been thinking about it, if she was out in the wild, she’d just have to live with it. Does she have any “feelings” one way or the other about it? I don’t know… it may just “be” and she just exists with it. I really can’t say. But again, she doesn’t come across in pain or much discomfort. So she chugs along. I know there will be a line to cross that says “it’s time”, and it’s coming. Just not right now.
So… we’ll see. Life’s kinda funny and interesting.
Selling the XD(m)
Caleb links to 5 videos where top shooter Rob Leatham shills for the Springfield XD(m).(Rob is sponsored by Springfield, thus). They’re good videos and really showcase the XD(m).
I can’t justify spending the money right now, but there’s no question if I needed to replace my Springer Precision customized Springfield XD-9 that I would replace it with a Springfield XD(m) in 9mm… and of course, send it to Springer Precision for customization. I’ve gotten to shoot a couple XD(m)’s and it’s great. The new features of the XD(m) (vs. the XD) are sound, not just hype.
I’m posting this because people frequent my blog looking for advice on choosing a gun or about 9mm handguns, or what the “best handgun” is. Certainly this is a matter of opinion and who knows, someday my opinion could change. But for now, I love my customized XD and would only replace it with an XD(m) (also customized).
Mindset is everything – continued
After a shooting class I wrote about how mindset is everything. How it’s important to convey what you want to do (not what you don’t want).
When competition shooter BJ Norris reflected back on his performance at the 2008 US Steel Nationals, he found this exact same mindset approach helped his performance. Folks, it’s a real thing… mindset is everything.
I can even reflect back on my performance at work this past week. I’ve had so many other things in life going on that it’s been difficult to accomplish the tasks I’ve needed to complete. I found myself frustrated with all the things I hadn’t been able to do, and focusing on that merely accentuated my frustrations. I changed my mindset to focus on the things I wanted to do and viola… the things that needed to get done got done.
Focus on what to do.
Is Hand Placement Important?
Just finished a workout (Kuk Sool-based) in the front yard. I want to cool down before I hit the shower, so that gives me some time to write up something I observed during the workout.
Hand placement. Does it matter?
Nyko Perfect Shot Review
Geez… I bought a Nyko Perfect Shot a few weeks ago and didn’t get to play with it until now. That’s how busy my life has been.
So how is it?
Memorization, Precision, Smoothness
I’ve heard Master Harmon say this before, but he brought it up again in yesterday’s seminar, and it struck me deeper than it has in the past. I figure this is because there’s a growing harmony in the various aspects of my life, and it’s great when things flow and harmonize this way. Let me explain.
Stuff From Hsoi 