As I'm pulling the plug on my roaring thirties, I figured I might as well step outside for a bit of practical art, rather than stay indoors and mourn for my past youth.

So I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon skinning this here dead deer's head⁽¹⁾. (Why? European mount that's why. Now you think twice before calling Col. Ressler on me.)

And to any of my friends and relative who will feel smart enough to drop by, having worked for some time on the you're-not-getting-any-younger kind of jokes that made many a postcard editing house's fortune, I'm going to answer with just the required background hysterical tone in my voice:

A-ah, ah, ah very funny indeed. Now do you see this deer's head?

And then I'll check the sharpness of my knives on my forearm while starring at them with a slightly mad glint in my eyes, and without a flinch.

That should cut any attempt in the line of “Well, a recent survey showed that at the age of twenty 90% of men have sex four times a week and that by the time they reach 40 they are still capable of telling the same pathetic lie.”, and other “hey the candles cost more than the cake”. Sharpish and shortish.

Defensive? You think I am being defensive? Hey look, do you see this deer's head?

Now, slightly less seriously and hopefully without too much violin, I wish to thank you dear reader for hanging around these parts of the world wide wood, when there's so many other interesting stuff elsewhere, a large proportion of which does not even involve naked human beings at all, and be ready to face whatever I can toss at you, from dead deers' heads to terrorist mime trainers.

And come back the next day nevertheless⁽²⁾.

I've very much enjoyed your extensive feedback when I asked your advice a couple of weeks ago. I've set my mind on the 30-30 Marlin 336C, as many of you suggested — it was indeed a tough call between her and the Remington 700. I will get me the Remington, though not just now — and I'm now calling the gun shops around, in order to get the best bang for my bucks⁽³⁾. I'm down to € 730 at the moment, which is very reasonable indeed.

Unless you all rush to tell me this is a stupid idea, I'm thinking of having the following tattooed on the babe:

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
1967 - 2007

I'm still not set on the adrenalin boost, but considering the persistent lousy weather around here, I might have to postpone it anyway: correct me if I'm wrong but the constant rain and cloudy sky would ruin both the Lambo drive and the skydiving.

A-ah, ah, ah very funny indeed. No I am not backing off and do you see that there dead deer?