Finally Got A Race Gun!!!

For years I've desired a top quality competition pistol, but such a specialized firearm has just never been high enough on my list for it to ever happen.  Well that's no longer the case... I give you the Walther PPQ M2 Q5 Match Steel Frame Pro!  I bought it as an early birthday present for myself this past February & since today's actually my birthday, I thought I'd post about the firearm that I've been so very happy with. It's only the 2nd full-sized pistol that I've ever owned & quite possibly my last, unless I someday decide to quench my lingering thirst for a real-deal non-replica 1911 chambered in 45 ACP. 

Right out of the box & with very few upgrades, it performed beautifully at the range!  I've never in my life grouped any rounds as tightly as I can with the Q5... for me, it's a very natural pointer & the shorter grip of the Q5 (that so many complain about), couldn't fit my hand any better than it does.  The grip length, in conjunction with the flared magwell, creates just the right amount of downward force needed adequately counter-balance any perceived recoil for quicker on-target follow-up shots.

Now that I've had it for a bit I've gotten around to obtaining higher capacity (17-rd) magazines & added a Lok grip, dynamic performance trigger, threaded barrel, Optic plate/RDS, weapon light/laser, as well as an extended magazine release, optic/suppressor height front night sight & DPM recoil reduction spring.  I got a great deal for this PPQ Q%, now that it's replacement, the 5" PDP is finally offered with an all steel frame.  I like the PDP & even carry a compact 4" polymer version as my primary EDC option, but it just doesn't feel like a competition pistol to me, as I tend to view it more as a duty pistol, much like the standard PPQ or P99.

Shot Clock

Guess who's getting married? This guy right here... a couple weeks back I proposed to my live-in girlfriend of the past 5 years & she accepted! So now we'll be spending the better part of the next year planning various events to celebrate our pending nuptials. My fiancé & I are both water signs, so we'd really like to have a ceremony on the water... hopefully, that'll still be a reality once we begin to crunch some of the numbers. I've got a buddy who will soon jump the broom in a couple a months, so I've been bouncing a bunch of ideas off of him in recent weeks.

The engagement ring I selected is rose-gold, with a blue-ish aquamarine primary stone surrounded by white diamonds. I really wanted her ring to stand-out from other traditional platinum or white gold rings with that same-ol' solitary diamond setting. I'd actually been contemplating marriage since the beginning of the year & special ordered the bridal set about a month prior to popping the big question. Waiting for that perfect moment to make it happen was absolutely agonizing! I constantly asked myself things like... "Will she like the ring? Will we have to re-size it? Hell, will she even say yes???" Granted, I wasn't truly worried about that last one, but hey - nothing in life's a sure thing, right? As it turned-out, she loved my selection. My super-secret detective work paid-off too, because I sized the ring down to the perfect fit!

As far as the wedding... I, myself, would prefer a small, low-key ceremony (truth-be-told I would have settled for a trip to the justice of the peace just to get it all over with)... but the lady has plans far grander in scale than anything I'd ever imagined, so we'll just have to see how far down the rabbit hole I get pulled over this next year of planning. Trying to rein her in will certainly be a challenge, plus she & her planning committee are already hard at work, guess I might as well get used to the idea of some sort of a fancy-smancy affair.

#BankBlack

Over the past few years, or so, I feel like I’ve really gotten away from patronizing black-owned business... for various reasons running the gamut from sheer convenience & lower price points to extreme angst over poorly run business operations & customer service practices. 

But earlier this week, I decided to simply get over myself & do something about it. I opened new accounts with 3 black-owned & operated banks in an attempt to #bankblack & keep it trill in whatever small way I can. Sure, there are certainly banking options outside of my community with branches on every corner, account opening bonuses, higher interest rate yields, so on & so fourth… but to me, it’s an important time for my people to circle the wagons. 

How could I ever successfully impress upon others, things I think they should be doing, if I myself am not an avid practitioner of those very same strategies. With that in mind - I’ve decided to move my money from their house to our house, in hopes that my people will likewise, consider the same.

I choose now to actively seek-out black-owned businesses offering similar services & products that I buy regularly, with a reinvigorated mindset… simply put, I help my own community so much more with each & every dollar spent there instead, moving foreward I intend to do just that. 

My Break-Up with FB

Recent revelations regarding Facebook’s complicit role in unauthorized sharing (selling) of it’s users data with 3rd party companies as well as the enormous propaganda machine the social media giant turned a blind eye to during the 2016 presidential campaign have caused me to take serious issue with the social media platform. 

To be fair, Facebook & I had already been sharing an estranged, on & off again relationship over the past 10 years or so - I guess I’d long since fallen out of love with many things people chose to share & perhaps more importantly, my (admittedly) presumed reasoning for their doing so. What once seemed like an excellent way to keep in touch with (or tabs on) friends, now very much feels like a never-ending competition among co-workers, peers & family members alike.

I hate having to witness the brazen insensitivity of folk when it comes to relationship issues, death announcements & other handle-with-care posts of the like. None of the rude comments, jealous reactions, or First 48 theories do anything to enhance my quality of life, so I’m simply choosing not to partake.

But it was really the weaponization of Facebook in recent years, by both foreign & domestic players alike, to further sew decent, hate & bigotry into the very fabric of our democracy that pissed me off. On top of that, its just hurtful to know there are so many among us who absolutely refuse to see any issue from a perspective different than their own.   

It’s recently been estimated that about 50% of Americans get their news from Facebook. Yes, an unregulated, ad driven, unverified news saturated & highly politicized social media website is now responsible for how roughly half of US citizens obtain news content - just think about that. 

In some ways, I guess its all a not so friendly reminder of the work we have left to do in this country. Still, the general lack of accountability that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has shown before, during & since the past presidential campaign when paired with recent trends of cyber-bullying, suicide posts & racial stand-offs have all left a bad taste in my mouth.

Moving forward, I anticipate using Facebook as more of an emergency telephone book of sort… if absolutely necessary, I can always reactivate my account with the sole intention of retrieving pertinent information regarding friends & deactivate immediately afterward. Otherwise, I really don’t expect to miss it much, if at all.

Headed Across the Pond

​So yea... last night I kinda booked a trip to London, England, lol. 

 

About a month or so back it was announced by the NFL that the Ravens would play their 1st international game at Wembley Stadium in a regular season (Week 3 or Week 4) road game versus the Jaguars. At that point, I made it my business to somehow fund the trip an entire 8 months in advance of the game & 3 months ahead of the NFL's official schedule release.

 

*1/21/17 edit: the NFL confirmed the game for Week 3 (Sept. 24th) prior to the official schedule release in April - now I won't have to wait until to attach specific dates to various activities & events* 

 

But already, I've taken care of all of the major trip-related expenses to include a travel package that includes airfare, hotel accommodations, a River Thames cruise, London Eye ride & of course... tickets to the big game. 

 

I've been here at my desk since 6:30a researching additional things to do during the trip - I plan to make the most of it! I still have my international hall pass on ice & I'm so very anxious to get my first passport stamp in September. Now I just need to set aside more spending money & make sure I have enough Ravens gear to wear every day of the trip!

Well Alright...

Just passed the 6th year that this blog has been around about a week back, and though I'm not nearly as active on here as I'd like to be (for a myriad of reasons), it's still here & I'm still very blessed! 

It's a bit slow in the office today, so I found myself checking out a few of my friends blogs earlier which, in-turn, reminded me to check out my own, lol. Upon doing so, I realized that July is the month that everything Ghostwriter28.com began.

It's Been a Day...

Caught a really bizarre flat tire today immediately after work & completely shattered my iPad screen upon arriving at home. Oh & I was completely unproductive on the job today - yea, as this post title states, it’s been a day!  The devil has certainly been busy at work, but I’m far too blessed to be stressed so I’m not even gon’ cry about it. 

I was lucky enough to be in a familiar part of DC when I caught the flat tire, & though my tire began to rapidly lose air pressure upon puncture, I was able to make it safely to a nearby Exxon station on Benning Road, popped on the spare & kept my Friday afternoon rolling. Stopped by the NTB bought a new tire, it’s now mounted to the rim & ready for pick up later this evening. 

I’m also blessed with the means to replace my iPad immediately - the new tablet cost $585 & change, but get this… there was exactly $586 available in my Best Buy account - so I didn’t even have to use any of my hard earned cash, how about that!?! It’ll arrive next week & I should be able to repair the current iPad to be repurposed afterward. Guess that’s just the way my God works - fuck wit him! Lol…

Commencement '16

Last Mother's Day weekend I attended the commencement exercises of my alma mater, Howard University, here in our nation's capital. 

I'd thought the faces of over 2,400 new members of the real HU's great family would highlight the day, but much to my delight, the best part of the ceremony would actually be my very own mother (now the Dean of HU's School of Social Work) presenting & confirming her students' graduate degrees! What a way to kick-off the holiday weekend! The weather cooperated, as it always does for an HU graduation, & everyone on the yard, including my mom, simply looked great.

The camera really seemed to love her, as I'd later discover upon returning home to catch the live coverage on my DVR & she didn't flub any of her lines either, lol.

Oh & by the way, the 44th president our great nation stopped by as well... “I know you’re all excited today. You might be a little tired, as well. Some of you were up all night making sure your credits were in order (laughter). Some of you stayed up too late, ended up at HoChi at 2am (laughter). Got some mambo sauce on your fingers (enormous laughter)…" 

Now that's the Barrack Obama I've been waiting 8 years to hear from - maybe I won't give him such a hard time moving forward, lol. 

But all jokes aside, he really did deliver an empowering speech to the graduates, one that was relevant to everyone in attendance. A truly historic & monumental day on the Hilltop & I'm so very glad that I was able to take part. Now let me break-out this checkbook, I've got money to send uptown for some much needed infrastructure improvements over at the School of C!

Home Security

As of late, home surveillance has become my newest obsession, but as not to completely compromise the details of my top-secret security layout (lol), I'll just say that I've gone a little overboard - it's a little like baby London in here! Adults & children alike, should have absolutely NO expectation of privacy upon entering my home. 

It's not that I've had any issues with security, I simply enjoy having that added peace of mind, even when I'm away. Over the past several months, I've added quite a few enhancements to supplement the standard security system currently installed in my home, all of which have remote monitoring capabilities for the added ease of deployment of law enforcement or emergency personnel should something happen. 

Throughout the home, I'm now monitoring interior movement, air climate/carbon monoxide levels, lighting conditions, wireless data management, so-on & so-fourth. But in an attempt to at least preserve the sanctity of the sleeping quarters, I've managed to minimize the camera coverage in the most upper level of my home, but that area is indeed surveilled too, lls. Certainly, there's no way to completely prevent a break-in, but if one does indeed occur, it damn-sure won't be a secret to anyone & that's my primary goal.

Every event captured on video goes straight to the cloud - those days of holding your captive(s) at gun-point, all the while demanding the video surveillance tape before making the great escape are long gone,

lol.

I love stuff just as much as the next man, but that's not at what motivated my efforts here... at the end of the day, the items I own aren't as important to me as the safety of those I love - their safety reigns paramount! In that regard, each of the above described upgrades were worth each & every penny spent.

Cheers

The year-end is now upon us & I guess I could consider 2015 to be a pretty banner year for myself. I took care of some very old debt, purchased my first home & for the very first time in my life, successfully maintained a fully-monogamous (adult) relationship for more than an entire calendar year. I pray the lord continues to bless me throughout the next year of my life as well. There will be no vision boards completed this go-round, but don't get it twisted, there are most definitely plenty of images for 2016 swimming around in this head of mine!

Unfortunately, I did lose some connections with some really great folk between this year & last, but that happens... people lead very busy, separate lives in this day & age, so I've definitely learned that there's no need to take anyone's absence personally, it's just life & business of course.

Following a wonderful Christmas holiday with my family, I plan to spend New Year's Eve at home this year. 

After briefly entertaining the idea of attending yet another ball, dressed to the nines, I decided I'd simply prefer a safe, quiet & CHEAP (lol) evening in my humble abode.

I'll simply experience NYE vicariously through the various Facebook & Instagram posts that I see from my friends & family this year. Yea, I'm definitely cool wit that.

Home Automation 101

Ok, so for pretty much the entire fall, my tape measure & I were attached at the hip (& quite literally too).

"Will this fit here? How much room do I need there?" - I imagine all new homeowners probably remember the drill well. 

But now that the furniture buying, moving & assembly is done, I've been busy upgrading my home with all sorts of residential tech toys.

Yunno, completely unnecessary sh!t like a wifi thermostat, smart controlled entertainment hub, room-to-room audio, remote home security services, security webcam network, wireless lighting system, smartphone commanded garage door controller, remotely operated deadbolt, so-on & so fourth.

Hmmm... ok, perhaps it's not all so unnecessary after-all. For the sake of argument in this post, let's just call 'em all pieces convenience tech, yea - we'll go with that for now, lol.

Simply put, I've now become obsessed with controlling even the most mundane of activities even when I'm miles away from home - all in an attempt to make my new spot a smarter one. 

So while I no longer need to pull-out the hammer or paint brush nearly as often, I now live in front of my computer & pretty much know my 16-character wireless network WEP key by heart after performing so many initial setups to get my smart devices & components to play with one another. But I'd say the optional upgrades have all been well worth it thus far.

Admittedly, it was a bit of a challenge, trying to limit my purchases to pieces of tech that I thought were likely to catch-on, or would soon become the standard versus those trendy fly-by-night tech ideas that simply aren't practical in real-world application.

But I think I managed to make a lot of right choices in that regard & I've even been saving a few coins when it comes to my monthly utility payments, as a result, so I'm most definitely glad I decided to make the place a more efficient one.

For the spring, I've got my eye on a remote controlled window shading system for the living room (who's got time to get off their ass just to open & draw-back window shades, lol). But seriously, as with my previous tech investments, it's just a matter of researching my options before settling on the right manufacturer & product.

By next winter, I'd really like to get my hands on some sexier, newer & (most importantly) more energy efficient appliances for the home. Help me Lord, I've clearly got myself a bit of a problem here.

Yup, Still Here...

Just wanted to make a really quick post to let folk know I'm still blogging, just been VERY busy this year & never imagined I'd have such difficulty carving-out time to blog, but if I'm lucky, maybe I'll still get 10 posts published by the year's end, fingers crossed on that, considering it's now the start of what will be a bustling holiday season for me.

But as far as what's been happening in my world lately... I've been very poor - point-blank, period, the end. Lol, I've been pouring every cent earned right back into my new home. Though I've very much enjoyed watching the transition from just a new home to my home, it's been a challenge accomplishing the many tasks, while maintaining continuity in other areas of my life as well.

All & all, I'd like to think I've managed to sustain the quality of life I expect for myself fairly well, but boy... I'd be a liar if I said I hadn't coasted into the past few paydays on fumes alone, lol. 

But it's a sacrifice I'm voluntarily making in order to get some things accomplished ahead of schedule, plus it's definitely a satisfying feeling to know you're managing a difficult situation. And now that I've completed my budget for 2016, I can see the light at the end of the credit debt tunnel & for me, that works just fine.

So Much to Do...

Over the past two weeks I’ve become a frequent visitor at Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Lowe's & also The Home Depot. As you might expect, I've been purchasing new cookware, appliances as well as furniture to make the place mine. I also got myself a taste of my very 1^st home repair bill just days after moving in, as the existing washing machine needed immediate repair! So it didn’t take long at all for me to realize both the joys AND pit-falls of home-ownership, lol.

I got the security, water, gas, electric, Internet & television services all up & running rather quickly & care packages containing many necessities from close friends & family continue to roll-in as well - I really couldn’t be more blessed. Each day, something new gets bought, installed or assembled - it's looking more & more like a home.

I'm hoping to throw some sort of a Super Bowl party/housewarming in February (though I'm not at all a huge party thrower) - that should give me the time I need to finish decorating & without going broke to do so! Should everything continue to go according to plan, I'll have the spot looking the way I want it to by year's end.

So far, I've very much enjoyed coming home to my place daily, right now, it gives me a new sense of purpose... I don't even hate going to work (so much) now, lol.

Mr. Crewe's Neighborhood...

Let me tell you, the devil was busy at work over the past 24 hours, but I’ve got an awesome God. It took some magic & prayer to get-around some last minute procedural issues standing between me & settlement, but I successfully completed the closing process earlier this evening - so I'm now a homeowner! Some of the features I really like about the area include the many accessible running trails, the fact that it's both a child & pet friendly community & also the well-maintained structures & surrounding landscapes.

It was my intention to find a home very close to my previous residence. But after months of research, I realized that if I really wanted to live in a more modern home, located in a pleasant community with lower crime rates - I'd need to expand my search area a bit.

Upon broadening my search, I began to see just the types of 3-level, townhouse style condos I'd been looking for all along. Sure, the location of my new home adds about 6 miles to my commute to & from work, but to me it's well worth it.

Plus, I'm still just a 10-minute drive from my brother & parents' homes, respectively, so very few of my daily or weekly routines will need to change as a result of my new address. Now I can begin to get back to life as normal financially speaking, might even be able to start eating lunch at work again next week, lol.

Dog Days...

Ughhh... now that July is here, we've officially hit those dog days of summer. 

It's the hottest time of the year, here in the east & on top of that, there aren't any in-season sports on television to occupy my addiction for organized chaos, corruption & greed. Still, I absolutely love summer & the illusion of freedom that often accompanies it, lol. It's the traditional time of year for graduations, vacations, weddings & other such celebratory events, so folks' attitudes tend to be a 'bit' more relaxed.

Even though my financial transactions have been HEAVILY monitored by the budget police, I've still managed to fit-in a couple of getaways & for that, I'm quite thankful... another roadtrip or two before the fall hits & I'll be more than satisfied.

I can hardly believe half the year is gone already... before you know it, we'll be making plans for the holiday season. But I'll definitely make it my business to enjoy what remains of summer, I'm not ready to start wrestling with heavy coats, scarves & hats just yet.

Instant Equity...

Earlier today, my agent called to inform me that my contract offer on a recently viewed property, had been acccepted by the seller! Now I just have to pay for it… lol. 

But seriously, my financing is already in place & my closing costs are all lined-up as well. The sale is now contingent upon the property passing inspection & appraising for a specified amount. It's not a done deal just yet, but the hardest part is over - finding the right home & getting a contract offer accepted by the seller. Now I can shift my focus toward maintaining (or even increasing) my current credit score between now & settlement, so that I can try & lock-in an even better interest rate at closing.

After months of preparing myself financially & searching for homes, I'm so very excited to finally put down the listings & start pricing home furnishings, electronic components, so on & so fourth. I've got some great ideas for what I'd like to do with the place - I'm SO very blessed & happy to have finally reached this milestone. Nothing but smiles around here today...

First Time Home-Buyer...

I'm well into my 30s & for years, I've simply put-off buying a home of my own for various reasons - chiefly, I just didn't want to deal with the painstaking process of securing financing & then of course, there's finding that perfect home. But one day I woke-up this past February & for no reason at all, decided this would be the year I finally put myself on-track toward homeownership.

Since that time, I've taken several home buying & competitive market courses, selected a real estate agent, secured pre-approval from a lender, set aside money for estimated closing costs & have recently been touring properties that have grabbed my attention. I don't have a whole lot of amenities or features on my must-have list, but the few I've come-up with have significantly lowered the number of viable properties available to me.

Still, I've indeed been seeing the types of homes I'm looking for hit the market over the spring & summer, so I'm fairly confident I'll get an offer accepted & be able to close by the fall or early winter, when the market is a little less competitive. Early on, I was discouraged by what I saw out there, but things have definitely picked-up in terms of inventory, so I'm certainly gonna hold-out for the perfect home, not just settle for something with an attractive list price.

I'd be a liar if I said this entire process hasn't been entirely consuming though... no matter what I'm doing, home shopping never seems to be far from my mind. Quite frequently, I find myself immersed in online home listings at work, watching house hunting shows on HGTV at home & driving through desirable neighborhoods while out & about.

One thing's for certain, I'm gonna breathe SUCH a sigh of relief once I'm done with the forthcoming inspections, appraisals & document signings - just put the house keys in my hand already & be done with it, lol.

Mem'l Day Shenanigans...

On Saturday, I replaced what would have been my 5th annual MCVET 5k race with the Color Run in Baltimore, MD. It was a fun event – race participants ranged from the little ones to senior citizens… some running, some walking & some just flat-out in the way, lol.

The cluttered field indeed turned what should have been a race into more of an obstacle course, but I wasn’t out there to break any personal records, I simply needed to complete my annual Memorial Day weekend race tradition & that, I accomplished!

After running through the many color stations, I definitely finished the race in vibrant style. Even got myself a medal :-) I didn’t stay for any of the post-race activities (& there were plenty of them), but the duration of my holiday weekend was fun as well.

On Sunday, I hit the beach in Ocean City, MD, along with my girlfriend & others. We enjoyed the day on the beach. A tad windy & cool for our collective liking, but the drive to & from the beach was traffic-free, scenic & relaxing. Perhaps next time I’ll stay a night on the beach, versus driving back the same day, as I always do.

Hello, Who's This?

It's Friday!!! But a pretty long one for me - so I've been sitting here at work, impatiently awaiting the start of the weekend.

To help kill some time, I decided to audit my phone contacts & weed-out all those who haven't contacted me in well over a year & visa versa. 

In doing so, I was rather amazed to discover just how many people I've fallen completely out of touch with over the past year or so. My list of contacts, once an endless trove of email addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates & such, has been on the steady decline.

After this official audit, I fear it'll soon be reduced to a mere list of emergency contacts, lol. But I guess that's to be expected... I've come to learn that as we grow, our circle of trust shrinks, rather than expand, but I'm completely ok with that.

Besides, I've become somewhat of a minimalist in recent years, so the more clutter I'm able to eliminate from my life (both literally & figuratively speaking), the better I tend to feel. But I do miss those I'm no longer in contact with on a regular basis.

I have many great memories of wonderful (& admittedly, not so wonderful) people, so I'm happy to access archived files whenever I find time to reflect. I may not recognize the number the next time you call, but know you're not far from mind.

Muscle-Up...

So… last month I went out & bought myself a new car. I went with a Dodge Challenger & I got a pretty decent deal on it too!

It had been some time since I treated myself to a new toy of any sort & I'd planned to switch-up the ride this month anyway, so I decided to make it happen a couple weeks earlier than anticipated (since there was a little extra wiggle room in the budget last month).

It's a hemi loaded with most of the tech toys that I'll ever need - overall, it's a beautiful machine! All summer long I had been making plans to purchase some sort of crossover SUV to accommodate my increasingly active lifestyle...

...but at the dealership, I was immediately side-tracked by what reminded me of a childhood dream vehicle. I've always wanted a car similar to the one in "The Dukes of Hazzard" (a 1969 Dodge Charger - AKA the "General Lee"). Now I've got one - minus the orange paint & confederate flag, of course, lol.