I've stopped at the gun store several times in the last couple of months, including yesterday, to put my hands on a Kel-Tec P3AT. It's a nice little gun, damn tiny, and would drop right into a pocket. I would like a pocket gun to carry when I can't carry a gun. Loaded with 80gr CorBon DPX, this gun gets about the same performance as a snubby .38, in a smaller package, and with faster reloads. My store has about a half dozen in stock, in an assortment of colors, for about $260. Except for the current shortage of .380 ammunition, I can't see a downside to buying one.

So why can't I bring myself to buy one?

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All is well here, generally speaking. The girl child brought home the pig flu, but had so mild a case of it that we dismissed it as "just a cold". Then the wife became infected, and it knocked her on her ass, despite the early administration of Tamiflu. Somehow, despite caring for both of them, I avoided getting ill. Perhaps the Vitamin C & D I've been taking.

Fall is upon us - the leaves are all over the ground and just waiting for me to do something about it. We've turned the heat on to help take the chill out of the house in the morning. I'm looking forward to a cold, snowy winter - my favorite time of year.

It looks as though I won't have time to take a heavily armed walk through the woods this year. It's a shame, I enjoy doing that. I've been meaning to get another hunting rifle - as I've continued to upgrade my PBR, it's gotten heavier and heavier. Great fun and great accuracy from the bench, but I'm not real interested in hauling it through the woods. The current optics on it are a little much for the short-range shots on deer I might be presented with around here, anyway. I'm thinking a nice light .270 with a fixed 4x scope should be more than enough. However, keeping it in .308 makes more sense logistically.

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I read today about the newest product offering from Monolithic Domes: Cabins. These are preformed domes that can be trucked in from their factory in Texas. I'm sure shipping a 9-14 ton concrete shell isn't cheap. The shell itself isn't cheap either, starting around $15,000 unfinished. But, I still find the concept of a concrete home extremely appealing.

Got back from San Fran late Thursday night. Erratic posting to resume soon.

Today I'm headed to the home town of Dianne & Nancy for a rare business trip. Back in a couple of days - try not to let the world end in the meantime. If it does, feel free to pick up the hitchhiker headed east on I-80.

My wife and I are beginning the process of moving to a bigger house. Today we went and looked at a home that we found on the internet, and met most of our requirements. The only reason I mention it here is because the house had some unusual features that screamed "prepared" to me. (Might have screamed "paranoid" to others, like the realtor!)

- 3.5 acre hillside lot, southern exposure, entirely fenced, with an automatic gate across the driveway. It offered a fairly uninviting feel from the street, with "No trespassing" and "24 hour video surveillance" signs at the end of the driveway. Even though I was expected, approaching the house made me little uncomfortable. I consider that an unexpected selling point.

- As indicated above, it's already wired up with perimeter CCTV cameras.

- Dual 200-amp electrical service, including power to the 12x24' "shed". Which houses the back-up generator.

- Built in air compressor in the heated garage with drops to the basement workshop.

- The basement workshop was probably the most unusual feature. It was accessed through a heavy door on a magnetic lock, that was controlled through a ScramblePad. You don't see that in many houses. The realtor made a point of telling us, several times, that it was put in by the original owner, and not the current owner. She though he might have had guns or something. You could almost taste her fear - little did she know.

It was an interesting house to view, with some potential. It was also nice to see some other survivalists blending into society.