I used to have a philosophical/political problem with guns, but I can no longer remember what it is.

The main reason I don't own one is that I can't choose. I shoot leftie (despite being a rightie) which makes some issues more complicated. So going to the range and renting a variety of guns works out just fine for me. The first lesson I had was great, because I got to see the difference between a .22 and a .45 (Jaysus Keerist) and got to shoot a revolver too.

When it comes to weapons at home, it's just swords and knives and nunchucks and escrima. And a bullwhip. The boys should use a whip. Have we ever seen them whip? I can't work out why they would, but they totally should.

I tried archery one summer camp, and quite liked it. It might be interesting to pick up again. Exercise, difficult, but not explosively noisy, and it's low impact.

I love archery. I have a recurve longbow, unfortunately, it's delaminating and needs work. There isn't a lot of power there, but man, it's a pretty thing. H gave away his compounds; lots of power, but unless you're really into function as beauty, they're ugly things.

I like knives. A lot. I'm inept with swords but I love looking at them and feeling the balance, and watching people who know what they're doing. I can write a swordfight, so I know the moves, it's just translating it to *my* body that's the problem.

I don't have a problem personally using a knife. I actually prefer blades to guns. If you're going to hurt somebody deliberately, bladework is much more personal. Guns are fine for keeping the bad person(s) over *there*, injured, dead, or scared.

Guns are loud, blades are quiet. I prefer the quiet.

One of my good pals is a gun enthusiast, and he's offered to give me shooting lessons. I'm going to take him up on it. (He and some other friends also want to take me to a mutual friend's farm, with me in full JilliWear, and take photos of me shooting shotguns and machine guns, because they think it would be fun. Pete is not convinced about this plan.)

I like knives. A lot.

Bev is me.

I learned to shoot an M-16, a .45, a .38 and a shotgun when I was in the army a hundred years ago. Don't know if any of it would come back to me now.

I can shoot, but I'm way out of practice from back in the ancient days when I could shoot free at a police range. My vision's different, so I'd have to get used to the guns all over again, and I'd need to add more arm work to my weights. My arm strength has gone all to hell since the late unpleasantness. I've got a .22 target pistol, which is cheap to practice with. I've just never made myself go to a range alone.

Also, the guns need cleaning. Badly.

I too have a terrible weakness for knives, particularly folding ones.

I don't know if I could ever love guns the way I love knives.

That would be scary.

I really love knives. They're all over my apartment. In every room. And when I say I have knives in my kitchen, I don't just mean culinary knives. There's a fighting knife in there too.

I'm not as good with them as I'd like to be, but I'm okay if I'm holding one with a good hilt. I used to study some kendo work. That was fun.

Hearing about JP's groomsman's gift exacerbated my need of a new knife. I thought I could hold off until this replica comes out, and I probably should be saving my pennies, but a small something couldn't...hurt?

psst, Jilli - FLAMETHROWER

Pretty.

This conversation is fascinating, yet I'm somehow how stuck on BOYS and BULLWHIP.

Mrph.

Oh, don't I wish, Toddson. But when Pete, the StuntHusband, AND my parents all say NO FIRE FOR YOU, there isn't really much I can do to get around it. Even tho' one of those "dragonfire" flamethrowers for weeding and gardening purposes would be verrrry useful with our yard ...