seems we are in the middle of a big snow storm (again), and then next week we will have below zero temps.

To top it off I lost my gloves, so now I need to modify another pair (I don't tie shoes well, much less thread for gloves).

I have received a few questions from my last blog post about the gun in the photo, so I thought I would tell a little bit more about myself.

I spent nearly 18 years in the ARMY, and I'm a vet of the first gulf war. My burn injuries happened just after I returned from the gulf war during non-duty racing activities (used to race motorcycle grand prix 185mph knee dragging all out super bikes).

When in the military I worked mostly as a gun smith, as well as the ammunition and explosive field, and I represented my unit in national shoots (combat rifle, combat pistol, composite pistol, and small bore rifle) for many years, as well as ran ranges, and taught rifle marksmanship.

When I left the military I went into programming for about 4 years, and worked as a programmer and consultant for Trane and American Standard (as well as others), but the bottom fell out of the IT industry a few years ago and millions of programmers lost thier jobs, so I thought....  ok, It's time to move on before I was one of the ones losing my job.

I started my own company doing what I knew best, which was selling gun parts, and working as a gun smith again.

about 17 months ago I lost my fingers in a vehicle related accident, which for a gun smith is a VERY big deal because I no longer have any dexterity in my left hand which I need to handle small tools and parts, and because I don't have health insurance I have no way of obtaining prosthetics (such as the X-Fingers), so my business was greatly effected last summer.

I know I have a lot of limitations now in my work (which is frustrating), but I don't let anything hold me back (things just take a lot longer). I still do a lot of shooting and instructing as it does not require a lot of use of my left hand, and I actively shoot all calibers from small to very large .50 caliber rifles (including demos where I shoot the big fifty with one hand from the hip). People see me shoot, and 99% don't realize I have any disibility at all (and when it comes to shooting, I really don't).

I don't hunt, I just shoot paper targets...  I'm a big supporter of the US constitution, as well as the second amendment, and I'm a major supporter of the US Military and the troops.

So yes, you will see me in pictures with weapons, large and small.

I'm really fighting the winter cold this year, and it's only going to get colder in the next couple months, so I don't really plan on going outside unless I have to.

My circulation is really bad these days, so I have a lot of problems with any cold weather. For my hand I had to modify some leather gloves so they were useable, and it helps a bit, but it's still painful.

A couple months back I was at the doctors office (old back injury) and he was checking out my legs and feet, and it took him 15 minutes to find a pulse in my foot (it doesn't help that it's skin grafted), so it seems my circulation in my foot is getting worse all the time, but because I go to the VA they don't really do anything about it (took 3 months just to get an x-ray of my back, and by that time it had healed). so if anything were to go really bad with my foot, I'm afraid the VA would wait long enough that I would end up losing the whole leg (I'm not too trusting of doctors, due to the burn injuries, and amputations)

My mother is a double amputee (diabetes). she was having problems with her foot and the docotrs didn't really do anything but give her pain meds (which don't work on me anyway) and they waited with her in the hospital while her foot started to turn black (couple weeks), then instead of amputating her foot they waited a bit longer and then thought they waited to long and she ended up having the leg amputated below the knee.  after the operation she was never able to be fitted with a pros because the shin bone has little pading, and despite all the refits she could not walk without great pain (I have spent a lot of time in casts and have the same problem as her with the shin bone).

Later (2 years) she had to have the leg revised to above the knee, and 2 weeks later the other leg below the knee. she has never been able to walk since her amputations and thats a bit spooky for me. I know I could handle the lose of my foot alone, but if I were to lose my leg below the knee (because the docs wait to long) then I feel I would be in the same situation and lose my mobility (which would be devistating to me because I'm an active person).

Right now I'm fine other than the cold with my hand, and pain in my foot from reduced blood flow, and I never have considered myself disabled despite the fact that I know there are some things I just cannot do (frankly I don't see any situation where I would really call myself disabled).

I guess the biggest problem I have is not having suitable health insurance (or care), and being self employed I don't see that changing for the better any time soon.  The only thing a person can do is take life one day at a time, and see what the future brings.

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slide show

I'm missing 4 fingers on my left hand (I'm right handed), and also missing 4 toes, and have burn scars on my left arm, left leg, right foot.

other than the finger amputations I do fine...  missing several fingers is much more of a disability than people would think.  I only have 10 lbs grip in that hand (used to have 140 lbs grip).

The burn scars don't bother me, and I still wear shorts and t-shirt most of the time.  I hide my amputations and scars out in the open, and as a result most people never notice.