billcoe

It's the first part of the second part that troubles me......I was thinking if I had to go climbing Saturday:, Beacon, via aid, in the rain, is as good as it gets if you dress warm. Next would be digging dirt off at the Far Side. Or hiking up to Jimmys and doing the combo shooting the Noveske or the 9's/drinking water fill-up from the artesian well there and sawing the downfall timber from last year. Should have done some bouldering then laps with young Jim yesterday up there after work....ahhh sublime! And warm yet! Rocky Butte in the wet sucks. Short routes, no sun....condoms...blah blah Got to pass on that.

I would find it difficult to actually use one of them. I couldn't bring myself to go sit in the mud and pull the trigger on any of those things as it would be like adding some crayon art to fill in a Monet.

That's hilarious! Someones been hard at work I see! Keep that around in case you need it in 4 years.

Well, Eric Clapton isn't waiting around for that, he's quite the collector and is putting up 14 of his custom high-end shotguns up for auction and YOU can buy them. OMG these make my panties wet. Wet panty link Says: "On a warm Friday evening in the summer of 1965, I was dragged to a Guildford, Surrey dance club called the Ricky Tick by a reluctant cousin. He had come to meet his girlfriend, but I had come to see John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and their new guitarist, Eric Clapton. What I heard that evening was, for me, epiphanal. I recall later telling my father, who was dying at the time, that I’d heard a man bend guitar strings until they sounded like someone singing. I began to understand why fellow Mods wrote “Clapton is God” on the walls of the London Underground. All these years later Eric Clapton is not only still with us, he has done what a lot of successful chaps have done in the past, he has taken up shooting. Now, 13 of his shotguns are to go under the hammer, so to speak, at Holt’s Auctioneers in the UK. A raft of Purdeys and pairs by E. J. Churchill, Watson Brothers, and William Evans will be auctioned off December 11th and could fetch as much as £500,000. Clapton has claimed that his passion has gotten out of hand in much the same way his guitar collection did. “It’s following the same pattern as when I collected guitars, cars and watches. I start out with a fairly broad spectrum, get obsessed and engulfed and finally narrow the collection down. I built a gunroom that can house a certain amount of guns and now I have to clear the decks for the new guns I have on order.” One of Clapton’s guns even features a vignette of Slowhand himself picking an acoustic under a tree. The scene is by Marcus Hunt. All have the escutcheon engraved with the guitarist’s initials, “EPC”. Several of the others feature classic English scroll by famed Brit engravers such as Martin Smith, Simon Coggan and Wesley Tallett. If they have a consistent theme it is of English scroll surrounding a solitary glowing rose. There are many reasons to engrave a rose—that most British of symbols—on a London gun, but Mr. Clapton has made the flower his own, even recording a couple of songs with “rose” in the title. Clapton was born in 1945, the son of 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton and 24-year-old Canadian soldier Edward Walter Fryer, who were not married. Fryer shipped off to war prior to Clapton's birth, then returned to Canada. Clapton grew up with his loving grandmother, believing her to be his mother. And her name? Rose. WILLIAM EVANS A FINE AND UNUSED PAIR OF MARCUS HUNT-ENGRAVED 20-BORE SINGLE-TRIGGER SELF-OPENING SIDELOCK EJECTORS, serial no. 20060 / 1, 28in. nitro chopperlump barrels, ribs engraved 'WILLIAM EVANS LIMITED. 67A, ST. JAMES'S STREET. LONDON. S.W.1.' and gold-inlaid '1' and '2', 2 3/4in. chambers, bored approx. imp cyl and 1/4 choke, actions incorporating Holland & Holland type self-opening systems, semi-selective single-triggers, rolled-edge triggerguards, automatic safeties with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' details, gold-inlaid cocking-indicators, the actions, lockplates and furniture deeply engraved with best bold acanthus scrolls on a matt background, the pinless lockplates very finely engraved with vignettes of Eric Clapton; gun No.1 with him sat against a tree playing an acoustic guitar (left side) and catching a trout on the fly (right); gun No.2 with him having cast a fly (left) and partridge shooting (right), all signed 'M.A. Hunt', the undersides set with colour-hardened roundels, gold-inlaid with the monogram 'W.E.', bright finish overall, 14 5/8in. highly-figured stocks, weight 6lb. 6oz., with gold escutcheons bearing the initials 'E.P.C.' in their brass-cornered oak and leather case with full complement of William Evans accessories and canvas and leather outer cover. The makers have kindly confirmed that the guns were completed mid 2007. J. PURDEY & SONS A UNIQUE, DELUXE TALLETT-ENGRAVED 12-BORE SINGLE-TRIGGER OVER AND UNDER SIDELOCK EJECTOR, serial no. 29840, 28in. nitro barrels with matt game rib and side-ribs, scroll engraved at the breech end, over barrel engraved 'J. PURDEY & SONS. AUDLEY HOUSE. SOUTH AUDLEY STREET. LONDON. ENGLAND.', 2 3/4in. chambers, bored approx. 1/4 and 1/2 choke, hold-open toplever, automatic safety, non-selective single trigger, rolled-edge triggerguard, the action, lockplates and furniture deeply chiselled with bold acanthus and floral motifs on a matt background, the lockplates with vignettes of English partridge and mallard in flight and signed 'WEZ TALLETT', the underside with a pheasant, the side-bolsters carved in relief with the makers name, the fore-end iron decorated en suite, bright finish overall, 14 3/4in. highly-figured stock with Prince of Wales grip and carved steel pistolgrip-cap, gold escutcheon engraved 'E.P.C.', weight 7lb. 7oz., in its lightweight leather motor case with accessories. The makers have kindly confirmed that the gun was completed in May 2003. J. PURDEY & SONS AN EXCEPTIONAL PAIR OF UNUSED, COGGAN-ENGRAVED, 12-BORE ROUND-BODIED SINGLE-TRIGGER SELF-OPENING SIDELOCK EJECTORS, serial no. 30117 / 8, 28in. nitro chopperlump barrels, ribs gold-inlaid '1' and '2', tubes engraved 'J. PURDEY & SONS. LONDON. ENGLAND.', 2 3/4in. chambers, bored approx. 1/4 and 1/2 choke, self-opening actions with rounded bars, pinless lockplates, automatic safeties with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' details in gothic script, gold-inlaid cocking-indicators, non-selective single-triggers, the fences deeply carved in relief with grape and vine motifs, the actions, lockplates and furniture fully engraved with bold arabesques interspersed with floral bouquets, all on a matt background, the lockplates relief engraved and gold-inlaid with a single English rose, the makers name gold-inlaid in gothic script within a scrolled ribbon, the fore-end irons decorated en-suite and also gold-inlaid 'Purdey' in gothic script, the triggerplates signed 'S. COGGAN', bright finish overall, 14 1/2in. highly-figured stocks, gold escutcheons engraved 'E.P.C.', weight 6lb. 12oz., in their lightweight leather motor case with accessories and canvas outer. The makers have kindly confirmed that the guns were completed in November 2004 J. PURDEY & SONS A MAGIFICENT PAIR OF DELUXE COGGAN-ENGRAVED 20-BORE SINGLE-TRIGGER OVER AND UNDER SIDELOCK EJECTORS, serial no. 30263 / 4, 29in. ribless nitro barrels, the breech ends with bold scroll engraving and gold-inlaid '1' and '2', over barrels engraved 'J. PURDEY & SONS. LONDON. ENGLAND.', 2 3/4in. chambers, bored approx. 1/2 and full choke, hold-open toplevers, automatic safeties with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' details, rounded bars, gold-inlaid cocking-indicators, non-selective single-triggers, rolled-edge triggerguards, the actions, lockplates and furniture fully engraved with bold arabesques interspersed with floral bouquets, all on a matt background, the lockplates relief engraved and gold-inlaid in three colour gold with a single English rose, the makers name gold-inlaid in gothic script within a scrolled ribbon, the fore-end irons decorated en-suite and also gold-inlaid 'Purdey' in gothic script, the triggerplates signed 'S. COGGAN', bright finish overall, 14 1/2in. highly-figured pistolgrip stocks with carved steel pistolgrip-caps, gold escutcheons engraved 'E.P.C.', weight 6lb. 7oz., in their fitted reptilian skin motor case with accessories and canvas outer. The makers have kindly confirmed that the guns were completed in April 2007. "

Nice lapping with ya Jim. Wish I'd run into you earlier in the year. I think I got to the Butte 5 times this year (exclusive of bouldering)- that was real nice. Now the rest of you ladies.....and you know who you are, NOT JH who was in the cardiac unit, NOT Kyle who's taking some recovery time, and not Ivan who's been lapping beacon daily it seems....the rest of you ladies need to get out some more!

Due to having poorly read your earlier comment, I wandered off wondering/thinking you may have been working some kind of software for a cardio unit and that's why you were there. I'm dense. Damn. Well, there may be something behind the scenes yet. Remember that extended malaise you had going in the not too distant past. I was a strange thing that, so keep paying attention. Guy at works sister was in for a routing physical with the mammogram 3 months ago, everything fine. Noticed a lump 2 weeks ago and has malignant cancer spreading through her body. Had the removal surgery yesterday, but won't know if they even got it all for a while. Keep an eye out: ....glad you're OK!

Never was president.

I can understand Wilson, the MF who was going to keep us out of WW1. However, how did we make a full page with no Warren Harding (not the climber) or Herbert Hoover? Bush isn't even on the same page. Forgotten terms? "Teapot Dome Scandal" "Hooverville"! Mal-con got Buchanan, he's on the list too.

It starts.... http://www.swissinfo.ch Switzerland, the land of the Schweitz- burrrrrr! "October 30, 2008 - 9:00 AM Record snow storm triggers delays Snow flurries throughout the night and early morning caused numerous delays for travellers using Switzerland's rail system on Thursday. A heavy, wet snow snapped trees, which fell across tracks. The most affected regions included Zurich, Schaffhausen in the north and the areas around the Gotthard pass in central Switzerland. Passengers moving between Spiez and Interlaken south of Bern were forced to take buses when rail service there was interrupted around 7am. Broken branches and trees blocked roads. Farmers in the Bernese Oberland also awoke to snow-related problems. Damaged fences allowed their cows to wander freely. According to MeteoNews, the Swiss lowlands received the most snow for any October since records began in 1931. Zurich received 20cm, beating a record of 14cm set in 1939"

Coast Guard boot camp and 3 months duty doesn't count you know. That whole being in the military thing is more difficult than it seems. I figure anyone who can take more than 2 years (my max tolerance) may be pretty bad-assed.

Bring some pics and they'll upgrade it to the Rock Climbing thread:-) Good on ya for getting on it! Damn nice for this time of year. Hey, any of you folks bitching about your kids: I'm offering a trade, Jack Russells for kids. I'll send these damn mutts right along. One of them started barking at Racoons last night and the other had to join in the action too. 1-2AM! at 5:30AM the garbageman comes and they start up again. @#$%&X dogs.

The whole thing was great. I was not drawn in until @ 1/2 way through, but the sucking sound could probably be heard next door. I felt like ripping out all the McCain Lawn signs in the neighborhood when it was over. I was going to include an autograph of Robert Kennedys wife Ethyl. She signed it for me in sympathy after the secret service knocked me flat, but it's in PDF.

Please: it was a pig with lipstick of course!

LOL! Cya tomorrow, anyone else, be there too. I'll be the short fat balding old white guy with a Misty Mt harness.

Fine, I'll try to leave work earlier as well. Whhoo Hooo! Real climbing! (ie not bouldering). You give good belay? (mine is the top notch!)

Damn, what a bunch of nattering Nabobs of negativism.... Fine, cya, I'm off to buy some guns. Ammo too. Stocking up now. Aim Centurian has .223 US made Brass cased for $370 per thousand. Whhooo Hooo! Try to be nice to some folks...... mutter mutter....... Hey, thinking of that, what did that cost btw? I mean, I guess we still have real hungry and real tired and real poor still in the US and all.... I'm not knocking the thing, amazing speech, just wondering is all.... I had tears in my eyes at the end...Sadie May the Trailer park Floozie the dog was looking at me strangely!

Screw you guys...that speech/advertisement was unfriggan unbelievable, I don't care if you think you're Rush Limbaugh you'd still feel that way. I'm not joking, I really feel that way. I don't know how much money that cost, alot I know, but I think he got his moneys worth. Wow!

Fine, so you didn't watch it either. Just say so hey? BTW, when did they say that supermodel thing would happen...cause I wouldn't want to miss that kind of thing ...? Didn't see that on the platform, just balance the budget and reduce government and more personal responsibility blah blah blah...things some of us think are good things...abiet maybe not as good as a Supermodel blowjob of course. Balancing the budget again seems more real and important to me than sugarplums....Clinton did it in between supermodels:-).

You didn't watch Barak did ya? Wuz McCain on another channel guy? WTF? This was the "I have a Dream Speech" dude. Maybe with some of the Dream parts left out of course. Best infomercial ever.

Tempted to take off work...any chance you can do it AFTER work? Say @5pm (I'll leave early).

That was unfucking indescribable Porter. Not joking.

OMG! I WATCHED THE ENTIRE 1/2 HOUR. OMG! Masterful! At the end, I had tears in my eyes. I felt shame for having voted for some one other than Barak (Bob Barr- Libertarian), and I now more than ever totally understand how Hitler got 88% of the German population to support him. OMG, still wiping my nose and my eyes. How could you NOT vote for that man? I've seen some great speeches: Robert Kennedy on the stump in person speak, and I have never, EVER! seen anything like this one...WOW! Still emotional, Wow.

Gasp! Cracker! Sick. I thought I was a Cracker, having only been called that maybe twice, both times while drinking with my black skinned buddies, but learned late in life that I'm a actually Haole. Derogatory term for white person. I find it amusing that whenever I refer to myself as a Haole amongst SE islanders like big angry Samonans etc, they invariably think I'm immediately a drinking buddy and not someone they need to whack on the head with a Mao-mao stick or a coup stick. Which I find a very interesting and enjoyable trait: so we get along fine. Thus, I've come to associate Cracker and Haole as terms that mean only "Drinking Buddy". Hows that for some fucked up etymology? I got's me more if ya need it......... PS, I've learned that Obama is a Post Turtle.

Group hug!