semi-automatic
Today I indulged in a new sort of stress-relieving activity, except that I spent the better part of the beginning of it tense and nervous beyond belief.

Guess what I did?? I played with guns!!!!! =D =D



OK, well, not "played with," learned to shoot. Dave, our mutual Seattle-Knights friend and an ex-army arms enthusiant, took us out into back-country Corvallis and taught me about weaponry. Seems he was shocked to learn that I'd never fired a weapon before and had to fix that problem before I went abroad. See, I WAS scared of guns. Conceptually. I don't have a political problem with them, mind you, although I'm more on the side AGAINST the free-distribution of weaponry... but I had never touched one and was a little timid about them. Let's just say I don't like loud noises.

Anyway, some flaming orange ear plugs and a few rounds off with a shotgun helped solve that problem. I think I liked the handguns the best but the assault rifle was cool for the novelty and the reverberation. Hooooly shit.

I have to admit, I didn't feel half the drive or the power I thought I'd feel the first time I shot a gun, but that may be because I'm in a pretty emotionally vulnerable place right now and I wasn't geared up or angry the way I'd have to be to feel rad with a weapon. I wasn't particularly fond of the kick on the big guns (rifles/ shotguns) at first... but by the end of it I was having fun trying to pick mauled cans and milk jugs off a log with my terrible aim.

I also learned that as strong as I am, my female arms are in no way capable of holding up a rifle or absorbing kickback as well as I'd hoped. Well, phoo. At least I can TRY to look like Rambo:




But I think the boys pulled it off better.