Final LAN Party of the Summer

This weekend, my circle of friends had our final LAN Party of the summer. It was a happy time, but the end made me a bit sad. I really miss the old LANs we used to have, with more than 16 people, lasting for more than 36 hours, and leaving us all extremely tired. We still play, but we aren't as hardcore as we once were.

On Sunday, I showed my revolver to my neighbor across the street. He likes it. He showed me his entire collection of rifles, as well as his own .357 Magnum revolver. He has a Colt King Cobra. He also found an old holster that mostly fits my gun, and gave it to me. I cleaned it up, and got it looking brand new, and am now in the process of cutting away at the material, redoing the stitching, and trying to make it fit my gun even better. I think I may have to get some leather dye and change the color from brown to black. Alternatively, I may just keep it in the original color because it is a really nice holster.

The company that made the holster went out of business in the 1970s. They originally made fine leather goods, but eventually began making gun accessories as well. I'm not sure why they went under, but I know that this holster is pretty old. I also know that it isn't worth very much, at least from the current Ebay prices. I felt pretty guilty as I put my knife to the triggerguard area, to start trimming, but honestly, what good is a holster that doesn't fit ?

I've learned a lot about leatherworking from researching how to correctly modify this holster. I went out and bought some big needles and some waxed but unflavored dental floss today on my lunch break. This is because waxed thread is the best material for leather, and waxed dental floss is merely waxed thread of a different size. I also have learned that the correct way to finish the edges of a piece of leather is to rub them with beeswax. I'm going to probably end up using a stick of Burt's Bees lip balm to achieve this, that or petroleum jelly as an alternative. I'll try to post photos once I have finished the project.

I've been playing a lot of counterstrike lately. I didn't realize exactly how much time I spent doing thing for / with Alison until she left. I've had a ton of free time and no financial obligations, giving me more flexibility than I know what to do with. I've actually found myself at a loss for what to do some days. I've been reasonably happy though.

Maybe she was right. Maybe our relationship really wasn't possible right now. I mean, I am still concerned about her, and part of me does want to know how she's doing very often, but, I don't feel any obligation. Then again, now I feel a little guilty for talking to her whenever I do. I'm not really sure how much attention she wants from me, if any at all.

Still, I do really hope that we can get back together. Remembering the beautiful, romantic night at Waterfire in Providence, Rhode Island, really makes me feel sappy. That night was absolutely wonderful, and I wish I could relive it. Maybe I can, someday. I hope so.