Some Goodies for the Nighthawk T3

Here are some goodies that I got for the Nighthawk Custom T3 prior to my leaving/losing my job. Now that I'm free of the work drama, I'm hoping to blog more regularly and get back to normal. :-)

First up are 2 boxes of Winchester Supreme Elite ammunition that I purchased from a local Big 5 Sporting Goods.

Ammunition is hard to come by in greater Los Angeles. I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but ammunition is still just trickling in...a few boxes at a time. The Walmarts are basically empty when it comes to handgun ammo and when I saw these 2 boxes at Big 5, I knew I had to snatch them up.

I have 2 other boxes of jacketed hollowpoints by Winchester, but these are a step (or 3) above those and I didn't want to be cheap when it comes to protecting my family. The Winchester Supreme Elite were roughly $23 per box (of 20 rounds) so a little over $1 a round. The other JHPs were $24 per box of 50 rounds. Here's hoping that I never have to use them. (Knock on wood!)

Next up is a leather paddle holster that I'll be using with the T3 when I take my next handgun training class.

It's a Safariland holster (model #560-53) that I purchased off of eBay for a little over $30. This holster will fit a full size Government 1911 to a subcompact 1911.

From what I can tell, this holster is no longer being sold by Safariland; however, the Wilson Combat Adjuster holster (that retails for $120) looks very much like the holster above. I wonder if Safariland is repackaging this holster for Wilson Combat? Inquiring minds would like to know, because the price difference (in my case) is $90. I wonder how much the Safariland holster originally retailed for?

Now, I just need to find a leather dual magazine holder for the 1911 and I'll be all set for my next class with Greg Block. Anyone have a suggestion on what I should consider/get? Thanks!

Taking a Severance Package...and Leaving!

Well, things came to a head today at work. Mid-year reviews are due and my manager pulled me aside to talk. He told me that I was going to be placed on a 30-day performance improvement plan. This would involve taking me off my current project and being placed on a meaningless project. Basically, I would be marginalized and would be gone after the 30-days were up because what could I truly accomplish within such a limited timeframe. Besides, I wasn't one of the "boys" and nothing I do would be able to get me out of their doghouse.

I said as much to my manager. In turn, he said that he could work with HR on getting me a small package and in return I could leave the company immediately. I readily jumped on that offer and set the wheels in motion.

So today became my last day with the company! I will meet with HR in the morning to discuss the parameters of the package being offered me. If everything goes smoothly, I'll be done and free of the drama for good.

It's weird, but I feel a sense of relief, excitement, anxiousness and hope all at the same time. I'm happy that I no longer have to work at the company and excited to be moving on, but am anxious that I need to look for a new job in an uncertain economy and hope that I can land something quickly (and to my liking).

We'll see how quickly I can land on my feet. I'll keep you posted!

Review: Taco Bell's Beefy 5-Layer Burrito

Enough posts about work...they're depressing me. Let's get to a quickie review of Taco Bell's latest addition to their Value Menu, the Beefy 5-Layer Burrito.

If you've been watching any of the college football bowl games on TV, I'm sure you've caught the Taco Bell commercial for the beefy burrito. Well, I certainly have and as I'm a sucker for the marketing, I had to try it out.

The 5-layers consist of:

• Flour tortilla
• Nacho cheese sauce
• Seasoned ground beef
• Refried beans
• Sour Cream

The first bite was great. I had a great big helping of the seasoned beef, a ton of nacho cheese and a big dollop of the sour cream. Unfortunately, things went south from there. The next bite would turn out to be the last bite of beef and sour cream. After that, it was all beans and nacho cheese sauce. Yes, I realize that I should not be expecting much for $0.89, but the person who put my burrito together could have spread the beef, beans and sour cream more evenly. It was just very disappointing.

My verdict: skip the Beefy 5-Layer Burrito. You'd be better off with one of the tacos (either the soft or crunchy taco).

Dreaming…about Work

As you can tell my blog has been preoccupied with work the past few weeks. As I think about my next career move, I thought it would be helpful to explain my thoughts on work and how it fits into my life.

I believe that there are 2 ways to think about work. Either you "live to work" or you "work to live". I, for one, subscribe to the latter. I don't spend every waking minute thinking about work. My work does not consume me (probably because I don't have/run my own business). I think of work as something I do so that I can earn enough to live comfortably, to be with my wife and family, to take care of our pets, to pursue hobbies, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not some lazy SOB. I AM very ambitious. I work hard to get promoted, to be promoted where I'll run the show one day, to get rewarded and make more money, etc. However, I want balance in my life where I can enjoy the life that work affords me.

One of the things I've told close friends is that when I start dreaming of work, it's time to look for a new job. My thought on this is that once your work seeps into one's sub-conscience, it has consumed you. That's where I am now as I had a dream about work last night.

In my dream, I was actually laid off by the company. My manager and HR rep pulled me into a conference room and gave me the news. However, rather than be shocked and saddened by the news, I got up and started dancing with joy. I know I shouldn't laugh (or make light of this) as many many people are out of work and I should be thankful to have a job. However, I found it funny that I celebrated being laid off in my dream.

How bad must it be for me to start thinking this way? Would it be better off for me to quit and be happy OR should I bear the misery to continue earning the paycheck? If I was single, the answer would be easy as I would have quit months ago. But as I'm married and have more than myself to take care of, I've chosen the latter and praying that a new profitable opportunity comes up within the next few weeks.