Yep, we're heading up north to Alaska on Friday to pay homage to my adopted home state. To maintain our residency status we need to travel there a certain amount of time every two years. If flying out on Friday the 13th wasn't bad enough, we're heading to Anchorage, which is right in the path of the soon to be erupting Mt Redoubt.
I've been checking this website out for hourly updates on the mountain's status. I've tried to change our flight, but Alaskan Airlines won't change anything unless they're told to, so we're stuck heading into Anchorage. At this point I'd much rather head to Fairbanks or even Juneau, but I know that won't happen.
I am making sure we're taking along some goggles and masks in our luggage just in case. Hopefully we'll dodge the bullet, but knowing our luck, I predict we'll be stuck in an ash covered hotel for a week or more. Even better, I've been studying this 1950s era safety video on how to survive a Volcano. I think we all have the 'Duck and Cover' technique down perfectly.
......
Sweet, I just found a website called 'Emergency Dude' (Must be a cousin) and it has tips on what to do if a Volcano erupts. God bless the Internet.
In December I did something I never thought I would ever do. I exercised my 2nd Amendment rights and purchased a 'Household Protection Device'. Her name is Helga. She's German, and she's as accurate as she is sexy.
Not me in the video, but that is Helga's twin sister.
In all honesty, the Air Force only uses the M-9 Beretta, which is a 'sort of OK but not the greatest' side arm. When I was deployed I was issued an M-4 and M-9, and that M-9 lived with me 24hrs a day, yet no matter how often I had to handle it I never felt like it was a great weapon or that it fit well. The Heckler & Koch USP .40S&W is exactly what the M-9 isn't. It fits perfectly in my hand, the safety features are the best offered (which is why I didn't buy a Gloc), and the first time I fired it I unintentionally made a 2 inch circle with 8 evenly spaced rounds. It has less movement and kick than the M-9 9mm.
Yes, Helga is the best hand gun I've ever used.
Growing up in California, hand guns and any types of weapons were always frowned upon. I never imagined I'd ever want or need to buy one, but after three deployments in countries where societies had broken down, evil in its worst form had taken over, and the only way people could protect themselves and their families was to own a weapon. I can't imagine life ever getting that bad here in the US, but the idea of not being able to protect my family against the most simple threats haunted me for a long time.
Of course, the top priority was to make sure I got the safest weapon I could find, and the easiest to use for my wife. More important was the need to keep it away from the kids. This little device is the greatest thing invented since sliced bread.
Once I was able to find exactly what I was looking for in terms of safety and security, I took the plunge. It was well worth the wait and the cost, and I'd recommend this model to anyone.
Thanks definitely go to my friend Tumbleweed and my brother in law 'Bam Bam' who gave a 2nd Amendment Virgin some excellent advice, and along the way helped me figure out the right way to go about this.
