Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Dinner with Texas

I haven't had time to mention it and now it's fading into memory and history...like a dream....

On Thursday night, a lifetime and 500 rounds ago, all Texans were invited to Mon Ami, a swanky, fancy-schmancy joint out near Mar-lu for dinner on Charlie Wallis. Funny thing, Charlie doesn't LOOK rich but entries average about 28 bucks. You can't even wave at the waiter for less than 18.00 with a glass of water. It's a hell of a thing.

Many Texans there. Miltary folks, individuals, volunteers, team folks, juniors. Must have been 70 people sitting down to dinner. I had a vodka martini, up, with olive juice and after that......I can't quite remember what I had. I did caution the folks around me not to let me operate heavy machinery.

I usually get up to make a few remarks, starting always with an obituary of the beloved and revered team coach, Dick Curry. This year he was killed outside a WalMart by a woman in an Obama t-shirt who strangled him to death with a pair of queen-sized panty hose. His last words were, "Lady, you're making ANOTHER big-assed mistake!"

After that we call Curry up, sit him down and swear in all the first year folks who put their hands on his head and repeat after me, blah, blah, blah.

Usually a few foreigners sneak in, this years notabley David Waters, the first Austrailian Distinguished Rifle Badge who legged out with us at Camp Swift during the Service Rifle Championship. We're a state of immigrants, more a state of mind than anything else so we were proud to have him.

When David went on stage to get his distinguished medal during the awards ceremony, he wore a Texas Team shirt.

There might be a video later. Karl Schultz ran my camera. He was swilling down a saucy little chardonnet so there might be operator error.

Sure is lonesome without those team folks. And roomy. You can park at the back of the range. Randy Nash and John Rynard showed up. John Zuback still here. Glenn Edgaard, Clint Greenwood. Heard there were about 400 folks shooting the NRA Championship.

Can't load photos from here at Springfield Armory and wouldn't dare try. Gotta get a laptop. (Until then you are going to have to visualize. Use your higher power settings.)

Waiting out the second cell of rain. Flooded outside again. My gear made it through the first round in the stat shack without a drop. My rear was here. Dry as well.

Update: Wearing my absolutely worn out boots that I love to shoot standing in. They got soaked on Garand Springfield day and are fixing to get soaked again. Holy boots. You can see the water flow in and out.

2 comments:

Alan said...

It's like you're TRYING to get us all to go next year...

Robert Langham said...

Hey, if you don't enter you can't win!