Thursday, June 28, 2012

The one about the gun range


Mike and I had a really fun experience last night that I want to share.  We pride ourselves in being very open to new experiences and trying new things and although guns are not really our thing, we were invited by Mike’s boss to a team building event at the gun range.  It was a special day all around; I woke up that morning feeling quite slim and thought I’d take a chance at trying on some pre-baby slacks for work. I’m happy to report they slid right over my hips!  That was such big news, that I had to run around my office and show off for the ladies.  My boss had scheduled my annual review for lunch time, and that went really well, too.  As always, it could have been better- but I received some great information about some changes to my position that I’m excited about.  
After work, our friend Cassie came over to watch the boys while we went out. She and Keith are such a blessing to our family.  Reed was so happy to see Cassie but couldn’t hold back his disappointment at not seeing Keith, who was out of town.  Reed is a guy’s guy.  While he loves the ladies, he just prefers hanging out with the men.  Even if he just barely met a guy- he’ll continue to try to get his attention, even when it’s the husband of a friend that we hang out with about 3 times a week- the friend and her son, not the husband. He continues to ask for “Matt”.  I’ll say, “Guess what Reed? We’re going to the park to play with Josie and Luke!” The first thing Reed says is, “and Matt!”  It’s not even a question! 
  
I didn’t know it at the time, in fact I just found out this morning, but yesterday was Cassie’s birthday.  Some friends we are! Hey, come babysit for me on your birthday! Wow, my obliviousness continues to surprise me.  I was feeling so great about my pre-baby slacks, that when I changed after work I chose some prebaby jeans for the first time, too.  Another check mark on the confidence scale and a little pat on the back!
So Mike and I head of to the gun range, leaving Bryce and Reed with Cassie (sans Keith) and when we get there they ask us to pick out a gun.  I scan the guns under the counter while thinking to myself, Oh sure. Just pick a gun. I know nothing about guns! How do you pick one? They’re basically all the same thing, right? No, because that’s when I spot the pink glock. That makes the choice pretty simple- I’ll take that one.  The guy behind the counter says, “really? I wouldn’t have pegged you as a pink girl” well then, mister. You had me pegged wrong was all I could say!  He must have liked me because he made sure that I knew he was giving me a brand new pair of safety glasses, “from the box”.  I can’t say I didn’t appreciate that. 
Mike and I loaded our guns and took aim at our targets. We shared a stall, for lack of a better word, so we swapped out our targets each time we unloaded our gun on them and took turns shooting.  Surprisingly we were both great at it.  Not surprising for Mike, I suppose, he’s good at everything he does.  With me it’s hit or miss. I’m either good at something or not.  And, when I’m not- I’m so completely and miserably not.
The first round we shot at our target about a third of the distance away, but then we decided we might as well try the full distance.  It takes almost 10 minutes for the target to travel the line from the very front to the very back.  Okay, I’m exaggerating, but it’s slow!  I made a bulls-eye and Mike could hit almost anywhere he decided to target. I never knew, because I never had the opportunity to find out, but now I know just how sexy my husband is with a gun.  I’m glad I had him tucked away in my own private stall, away from all his female co-workers. We don’t need to be arousing any desires over there!  And, to be accurate, the other girls there were wives of co-workers anyway.
As we’re popping off ammunition, the expended shells are flying out of the gun at a temperature of approximately 400 degrees.  So, inevitably a shell flips right down my shirt and starts burning my tender skin as it travels through and out the bottom!  I squeal and grab my shirt, trying to get rid of the thing faster! Mike is cracking up and everyone whips their attention over to the girl who can’t keep her shirt on.  Mike’s boss, Todd, says “now it’s a party!”  This happened twice! The second time didn’t have as much of the shock value and just elicited a few chuckles but little did we know, when I shook my shirt that time- I didn’t drop the shell. So, at home that evening when I was changing my clothes there was a tink-tink of the shell hitting the bathroom tile!  I had brought home a little souvenir in my delicates!
Todd brought some guns from his personal collection to shoot, and everyone wanted to try out the assault rifle.  Mike had a much harder time getting an accurate shot on that one.  He was able to fire the “forty-five” just fine, though.  Me on the other hand, I couldn’t control that thing if my life depended on it.  And, I didn’t try the assault rifle, so I can’t put a personal account of what that was like.  I just stuck to my little 9mm mostly.  What occurred to me, was how I became so desensitized over the course of the 2 hours that we were there.  When we first walked into the shooting range area, I jumped out of my skin at the first shot that went off. Then the second, then the third and I thought, this is ridiculous, Connie! Get ahold of yourself!  I was also looking at the gun with suspicion.  Accidents happen with these things all the time, people die.  People die on purpose and on accidents because of the bullets that are forced from the barrels of these things *shiver*. Two hours later, these deadly weapons are just heavy pieces of metal in my hands. The loud pops are just background noise.  Exposure does crazy things.

Well, Mike and I both enjoyed ourselves and I’m just glad that we did it as a couple.  Our marriage is about making memories and sharing our experiences! 

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