I can only spend so many days in a row stuck at my desk, and then I have to escape for at least a little while. I reached that point yesterday, so I took a break from working on the new issue of the Gypsy Journal, and Greg White and I drove out to Shipshewana to check out the goodies at the gun show.
I think we may have cause to be concerned, when we see the Amish stocking up on guns and ammo! At the Shipshewana gun show last year, I saw several Amish men looking over the hunting rifles and shotguns, but yesterday the exhibit hall was full of them. And I swear, one was buying a 9mm handgun!
Sometimes I forget that not everybody gets my sense of humor. While Greg was looking at something else, I found a nice toy on a display table, and was talking to the man who had it for sale, when Greg walked up. Being the typical wise guy that I am, I said to the fellow at the table, “Well, before I can buy anything, I have to ask my wife here if it’s okay.” The guy looked at his friend, back at me, and suddenly he wasn’t nearly as friendly as he had been just a few minutes earlier. “You’re not those kind of people, are you?” he asked.
Miss Terry and Greg’s wife, Jan, were off having a girl day, and when we left the gun show, we met them for a late lunch/early dinner at El Maguey, one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Terry, Jan, and I had the shrimp enchiladas, and they were delicious. Greg had a chicken plate, and was just as pleased with his choice.
Back at Elkhart Campground, longtime Gypsy Journal subscriber George Bartley stopped by to say hello, and drop off his two year renewal check. Soon afterward, somebody else came by who is staying at the campground all month, and wanted to register to attend our Eastern Gypsy Gathering rally.
Terry and Jan dropped off some stuff at the motorhome from their trip to the farmers’ market, then took off again for a WalMart run, Greg went off to do whatever it is he does, and I started back in on the paper. That didn’t last long, because somebody else stopped by to chat, and about the time I excused myself and said I really needed to get back to work, a series of telephone calls started coming in. I was finishing up the last of them when Terry and Jan got back home.
I worked the rest of the afternoon, and past midnight local time, except for a break to go to Dairy Queen with Terry, Greg, and Jan about 7 p.m. After our late lunch, nobody was very hungry, but there’s always room for dessert!
If I get an early start, and really, really work hard, I can get most of the new issue done today, making up for the time I spent goofing off yesterday. But it was worth it, I needed the break.
Thought For The Day – One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.
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Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
The question raised in the above story is, “What if you had not been joking?” It should give one pause to realize how that the vendor would have treated his customer very differently and perhaps rudely had a customer come with his partner to look at or purchase a gun.
Hey Nick, I have been an avid reader of your blog now for a couple of years, but I think I will have to stop reading it. Seems like almost every blog you mention what great food you had somewhere in your travels. I think I have gained 10 pounds just reading your posts about all the good food!!!!!
The vendor sounds like a homo-phobic. I am sure he has sold his guns to them people and not even known it. I do not care what a person choice in partners are but they deserve the same respect and courtesy, Maybe he is afraid he will catch the homosexual bug from them off their money? It is good to hear that you have taken breaks to eat from your busy schedule. We have added the good places to eat to our list to maybe try when we are there in a couple of weeks. Take care and do not eat to much.