Interesting day . . .

So, this past Sunday was pretty crazy. Most of my days tend to be that way anymore, but Sunday was more so than usual on three counts.

First, my wife asked me if I could change the battery on the car of one of her female friends. No problem, right? Well, turns out it's one of those batteries you have to pull the tire off and the battery is behind the fender. New experience, no big deal, that is, until I realize Wal-Mart gave the girl the wrong battery - top post when it was supposed to be side post. Ugh. Add that to the list of reasons I don't like that place. So, she gets the right battery, I put it on (It's now turned into an almost 3 hour project, counting the trip back to the store), and I go about my business. Now, the bad part about this battery thing is that this girl's car has needed the battery put in for 2 MONTHS. The reason it wasn't done? None of her male friends were capable of changing it. Bunch of college guys, unable to change a battery. That's enough to start a rant about the wussification of America's men. But I digress . . .

Well, my business carries me to Fred's (store). On this particular day I chose to open carry my handgun. I've done it dozens of times, most of the time people hardly blink. Not today. I go back to the cleaning supplies, turn the corner, and a worker is there (black man about my age). He looks up as I'm walking towards him, and loudly proclaims, "You've got a gun!" I smile, nod, and keep minding my business. One of his co-workers comes around the corner as he again says, "That guy's got a gun!"

"The guy in the yellow shirt?"

"Yeah."

. . .unimportant conversation . . .then to me . . .

"You a cop?"

"No," I shake my head.

"You have your gun permit?"

"Yes," I nod.

A short conversation ensued, after which I was glad neither one of them had guns for lack of maturity, though the guy talked like he wanted to carry. He doesn't have the discipline to jump through the hoops. Good. Even though I still believe those hoops shouldn't exist. He still wouldn't carry.

Finally, I get home to continue working on my barn and building the nesting boxes for some chickens I am getting ready to buy. There are a couple of small birds in the barn landing on my sunflowers and apparently trying to find a way out, not noticing the gigantic opening on the side that is both unfinished and has a door wide open. No big deal, I've been in plenty of barns with birds. What followed is what hadn't happened before. I was measuring and marking some OSB board for a cut, bent over, and one of the birds mistook my back for a perch! That was a weird feeling. It's amazing how light they are. I barely felt it.

Thus concluded the interesting afternoon/evening. As long as my days don't get more interesting than that, I'll be alright.