What's been going on...
Three more days, and I will be a fully "legal" adult. That is, I will be legally able to buy and consumer alcoholic beverages. Aside from the fact that I think this particular law is bullshit since I could legally brew and give away beer at 18 (not to mention the whole requirement of singing up for military conscription, of course) but I'm slightly urked because I will not be able to fully exercise my new freedom for at least a couple of weeks, and I'm not sure that I'll want to.
After a few achy chest pains, my doctor put me on these beta blockers that are supposed to help with hypertension. I'm not hypertensive (my blood pressure if 122/84, perfectly normal for my age/height/weight) but the doc said it might help with my symptoms, so he started me on a trial. I don't really like these things very much. The first couple of days I was very woozy and fatigued. I wanted to start an exercise regiment yesterday, but I was so tired I stayed in bed most of the day. I did get to watch the IRL race at Watkins Glen though, that was good.
But anyway, if alcohol is imbibed while on beta blockers, it can fuck your shit up. Beta blockers lower BP, but of course alcohol can shoot it right back up again. This fluctuation could cause problems, so I'm going to have to take it easy. I might not even smoke a cigar like I planned to, which sucks because I found this terrific cigar shop only a few blocks from my apartment.
Regardless, I'm not going to be able to celebrate much anyway because of the Linguistics conference. I've looked over the schedule of events, and I think it's going to be pretty good. Some of the speaking topics are pretty cool, and it'll be interesting to meet some real-life linguists outside of the department. Might even be a good networking opportunity...
There are other benefits of turning 21 as well. I will now legally be able to buy a handgun, a right which I fully intend to exercise. I want to get my concealed carry permit, but I'm not sure which caliber or gun is right for me. I want to take the CCW permit course as soon as possible, then get a little range time before I make a decision. The caliber discussion on the internet it crazy. I've heard some people say they won't carry anything less than a .380 ACP, while others say the caliber doesn't matter nearly as much as accuracy does.
I can certainly agree with that last part, but at the same time I don't think a .22 is going to be nearly as effective as a 9mm or .45 might, regardless of where you shoot. A .22 will hurt - and can certainly kill - but the simple fact of it being lighter means the physics works against it. Most of the weapons i've seen that conceal well (i.e., can we worn with a t-shirt and shorts) are no bigger than a .380. I'll never carry a .25, I'll tell you that right now. Still, a .22 has economic advantages, since the price of ammo has shot up along with everything else these days. Then again, I'm not buying a personal defense weapon to be economical, am I?
Like I said, no decisions until I get out there and shoot stuff. I wasn't even sure how well I could ride a motorcycle until I took the class. As it turned out the only guys really better than me were the ones who had been riding for a few years already. Maybe I'll surprise myself and be able to handle a .45 or something. You never know.
After a few achy chest pains, my doctor put me on these beta blockers that are supposed to help with hypertension. I'm not hypertensive (my blood pressure if 122/84, perfectly normal for my age/height/weight) but the doc said it might help with my symptoms, so he started me on a trial. I don't really like these things very much. The first couple of days I was very woozy and fatigued. I wanted to start an exercise regiment yesterday, but I was so tired I stayed in bed most of the day. I did get to watch the IRL race at Watkins Glen though, that was good.
But anyway, if alcohol is imbibed while on beta blockers, it can fuck your shit up. Beta blockers lower BP, but of course alcohol can shoot it right back up again. This fluctuation could cause problems, so I'm going to have to take it easy. I might not even smoke a cigar like I planned to, which sucks because I found this terrific cigar shop only a few blocks from my apartment.
Regardless, I'm not going to be able to celebrate much anyway because of the Linguistics conference. I've looked over the schedule of events, and I think it's going to be pretty good. Some of the speaking topics are pretty cool, and it'll be interesting to meet some real-life linguists outside of the department. Might even be a good networking opportunity...
There are other benefits of turning 21 as well. I will now legally be able to buy a handgun, a right which I fully intend to exercise. I want to get my concealed carry permit, but I'm not sure which caliber or gun is right for me. I want to take the CCW permit course as soon as possible, then get a little range time before I make a decision. The caliber discussion on the internet it crazy. I've heard some people say they won't carry anything less than a .380 ACP, while others say the caliber doesn't matter nearly as much as accuracy does.
I can certainly agree with that last part, but at the same time I don't think a .22 is going to be nearly as effective as a 9mm or .45 might, regardless of where you shoot. A .22 will hurt - and can certainly kill - but the simple fact of it being lighter means the physics works against it. Most of the weapons i've seen that conceal well (i.e., can we worn with a t-shirt and shorts) are no bigger than a .380. I'll never carry a .25, I'll tell you that right now. Still, a .22 has economic advantages, since the price of ammo has shot up along with everything else these days. Then again, I'm not buying a personal defense weapon to be economical, am I?
Like I said, no decisions until I get out there and shoot stuff. I wasn't even sure how well I could ride a motorcycle until I took the class. As it turned out the only guys really better than me were the ones who had been riding for a few years already. Maybe I'll surprise myself and be able to handle a .45 or something. You never know.