Sunday, August 30, 2015

#63 - SUNDAY, FUNDAY #6 - AND A BRIEF LIST OF USPS SHIPPING LAW BREAKERS

Missed the last "Sunday, Funday" installment. I didn't want another to pass without my weekly, random, off-topic blog feature where I ramble in dear diary fashion ...

Last Sunday was more like "Sunday, Bloody Sunday". We had a company picnic at the home of On Target Range and Tactical Training Center Director of Operations Tom Dorsch on Saturday night after work. The food was amazing. His wife is Colombian and we had incredible carne asada tacos, chorizo quesadillas, guacamole, barbecued corn on the cob and other fare. However, I over served myself not with food, but with drink. I don't drink regularly or often but when I do I sure can put it away. I brought a gift bottle for each of my hosts, but I also brought my own bottle of my favorite tipple, Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey. I went straight from work and was the first to arrive and wasted no time diving into my whiskey and cigars. I shared some of the bottle, but I made the major dent in it. When it was gone I pretended like I was in my 20s again and joined the younger crowd in tequila shots. Cuervo Gold was my drink when I was like 21, but that was 30 years ago. I paid the price last Sunday morning and throughout the day. I was hurting. It was ugly.

Today was a much milder day off. Between the new job and selling off many spiders I have let house cleaning fall behind a bit so I pottered around in the morning organizing some stuff. Then I went to Cabela's to meet Randy Martinez and deliver a wholesale spider order. Thanks to Randy I have another 36 less mouths to feed. We meet at Cabela's because it is roughly equidistant between our homes, but for me it gives me the chance to prowl one of my favorite stores. However, there's little for me to buy there these days. I buy all my ammunition at work at cost. Although I have bought one gun from Cabela's I no longer have that need either. I've just purchased one new rifle and one new pistol and they were both through "pro staff" deals direct from manufacturer's whose products I sell. Same thing with my new Benchmade knife. But Cabela's is a wonder land and I do like to wander and wonder.

My bonus dad Joel met me there to go out to lunch. He lives five minutes from Cabela's. My diet continues and I've dropped 35 pounds. I cheated on the diet a bit last night with a little after work sushi, which I thought I deserved as I worked 9-3, took a two hour break to run home for a few things and then worked 5-8. I was hoping lunch would just be a salad or something that wouldn't make me feel guilty. But somehow when driving past the local places Joel chose Claim Jumper, which is the last place in the world for a dieting person. We discovered that they had a huge Sunday brunch in progress so I think it's fair to say that I gained back a few pounds today. Back to starvation ...

I've been spending some time lately planning the ten day trip to Costa Rica that Joel and I are taking at the beginning of December. We've got flights and rental car booked and I finally booked three nights at a hotel in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Region. Through Instagram, I've met a guy who is into reptiles, spiders and other nature and leads day or night hikes in the area. I'm trying to pin down some private bookings with him. I also intend to first stay at the same base camp as our team did during our 2006 field trip, but they don't have online booking and the emails back and forth are going at Latin American pace. That means snail slow and more than a little confusing.

In other news, Mark Pennell is going to be back in the U.S. visiting the first week of October, which is rapidly approaching! Time is flying isn't it?!? September here we almost are ... Mark will be doing some tattooing again and I will be having another Arachnoparty at my house. I spoke with Chad a few nights ago and I expect he and probably David Lawrence will again make the trip. I know I can talk Apple into it and anyone within striking distance is also welcome. Just drop me a line at spidershoppe@icloud.com.

In closing, I want to stray from relaxing "funday" for a moment. In a recent blog I asked you all to BOYCOTT sellers who are breaking the law and shipping via the USPS. I named Mike Carlton at Inland Sea and Jamie's Tarantulas. Today when I popped into Arachnoboards for a moment I noticed a few others that I will also call out here now. Joe Rossi. I've never dealt with this asshat and haven't heard anything good. Rumor has it that he a brown boxer so it is no surprise that he would ship illegally via the USPS. But as I looked at his overpriced spider list (his ad said "chrysogaster", a species I am working with and that is what caught my eye and had me looking at this dbag's advert) I noticed his shipping info. So add JOE ROSSI to the scumbag list. Let's see if I can find a few more in ten seconds or so ... I mentioned this newbie "Arachno Den" aka eldondominicano in a recent blog. He offers 2-3 day USPS priority shipping. ADD NEWBIE ARACHNO DEN to the scumbag list. I could go on and on if I wanted to look at the hobbyists who don't invent instant businesses. For example GunniesSpiders is offering el cheapo USPS shipping. Scumbag. It would be a lifetime project to add all the hobbyist sellers to the BOYCOTT LIST. So let's just start with those who are "dealers", "pseudo dealers" or "wannabe dealers". BOYCOTT INLAND SEA, JAMIE'S TARANTULAS, JOE ROSSI and the latest newbie wannabe ARACHNO DEN. Don't even get me going on the fact that Vixvy is still posting at will on Arachnoboards. I covered that a long time ago and cut AB and the Scher's some slack after discussing the issue with them. But I still would BOYCOTT and BAN this guy and every other person that is obviously promoting BROWN BOXING by Americans. I'm not cutting any slack anymore.

(BTW, for those who have never seen the law Postal code Publication 52 (Hazardous, Restricted and Perishable Items) 525.4 states: "All poisonous insects and all spiders, except scorpions under limited circumstances (see 526.5), are nonmailable. Other nonpoisonous and non-disease-conveying insects are permitted as stated in DMM 601.9.3.9 and in Exhibit 526.6." This is a FEDERAL AGENCY. MAILING SPIDERS IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW.)

Sorry, for the ranty interruption. It was just on my mind as my Sunday day off comes to a close. It's actually hard to get me pissed off and ranty these days as I'm loving my job, feeling healthier and happier, getting completely stoked about Mark's upcoming visit and looking ahead to a return to Costa Rica in three months. Life is good. My therapy is shooting and I do it daily. I'm enjoying my much smaller collection of spiders. It's off to laundry and spider feeding and soon bedtime. Perchance to dream, MJ

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

looking forward to seeing Mark again.....oh yeah hangovers suck bro....your too old for that
Apple

mj said...

Yeah, can't even remember my last hangover. I told myself going in that I was going to be mellow and hang with the people my age and older, but "Party Mike" reared his ugly head and I gravitated to the bar and the youngsters.

EpicEpic said...

Lmfao Joe Rossi has nothing but amazing reviews by everyone who is anyone on arachnoboards, and anyone who has ever met him.

Brown boxing? Completely the opposite. Will only ship Fed Ex and only to hubs, not even to your door.