I'm in Qatar! For the next 9 hours, anyway.

[Dial H For Hero]

The business class lounge here is fantastic, it’s been rated the best in the world. 10 hour layover, then on to Thailand!

[viva la]

1. What a long layover.

I hope the lounge has bunks and showers! And good wifi, of course.

[Dial H For Hero]

5. It's rated the best business class lounge in the world.

All of the above perks, including an excellent restaurant.

[dewsgirl]

2. My son did a military tour there, he really liked it.

They have an indoor theme park there, he went often.

[The Magistrate]

3. Sounds A Treat, Sir

Good hunting.

[Dial H For Hero]

6. Thank you! I can *really* use this trip after my apartment fire on Monday.

[The Magistrate]

9. Sounds Like Quite A Week, Sir

Hope the damage wasn't too bad.

[Dial H For Hero]

11. Almost a total loss.

Clothes: ruined. Furniture: ruined. Thousands vintage books and roleplaying games: ruined. Appliances: ruined. Electronics: ruined.

Only exceptions of note: All firearms recovered undamaged (they were in safes), as was all ammunition (stored in a couple dozen military ammo cans in closet).

Renter’s insurance of $20K will cover some things, but it wouldn’t begin to pay for the guns & ammo.

Once I get settled, I’m downsizing the collection again. I suspect I can can get by with a dozen or so guns, and an extra $50K or so would come in real handy right now.

[The Magistrate]

12. So Sorry To Hear That

I presume some of the arsenal is collectibles?

[Dial H For Hero]

13. Thank you. As for collectibility, I've always focused on late 19th

to mid 20th Century military issue firearms with a secondary interest in “assault weapons “, although recently I’ve begun collecting civilian Smith & Wesson revolvers.

[The Magistrate]

14. When I Was A Kid

We had a Krag-Jorgensen and an Ariska about the place for a while.

The weirdest I ever saw was something a school friend had, a barely legal break-action 410 barrel, mounted on an exceedingly simple pistol grip. Hefting it felt like you were holding an old flintlock horse-pistol, and the kick was something else.

[Dial H For Hero]

15. I used to have a US Krag carbine and a Model 38 Arisaka Carbine that still had the Mum.

The weirdest I ever saw was something a school friend had, a barely legal break-action 410 barrel, mounted on an exceedingly simple pistol grip. Hefting it felt like you were holding an old flintlock horse-pistol, and the kick was something else.

Hm….American Arms .410?

[The Magistrate]

20. No, It Was A Naked Barrel

And was shorter, too. The grip was completely underneath, and just a curve of wood. The thing had a distinct home-made air about it, and had been in the family awhile. But that is pretty close, I expect, in size and heft.

[Dial H For Hero]

21. Depending upon the exact dimensions, quite possibly in violation of the 1934 NFA.

Not to mention considerably less effective than almost any legal shotgun.

[The Magistrate]

22. It Wouldn't Surprise Me Were That So

I really don't know the story behind the thing. We used it to shoot at balsa gliders on the family property in Michigan. I was pretty good at stationary targets, but didn't wing many of those. Looked fun when you hit, though.

[Bev54]

4. Where are you flying from, Europe or the UK?

Not on the way from North America.

[Dial H For Hero]

7. Los Angeles to Qatar to Thailand.

My points and award availability happened to work out that way. The LAX to Doha flight is Qatar Airway’s longest at 15 1/2 hours.

[Bev54]

8. Seems the long way around but hey if you enjoy it

I lived in Thailand for 4 years and never flew that way except when I was flying from Thailand to Europe

[Dial H For Hero]

10. I could have shaved off a few hours going via JFK, but the dates available

didn’t work as well.

[Phoenix61]

16. Where in Thailand? nt

[Dial H For Hero]

17. Phuket.

[Phoenix61]

18. I'm jealous.

I had a trip planned for a week in Singapore and a month in Bali then covid hit. I just read Phuket was open to vaccinated tourists. I’d love to hear how things are going there. Safe travels!

[Dial H For Hero]

19. I'll let you know. Thanks!

[Dial H For Hero]

23. Landed in Phuket yesterday afternoon.

First tip: Even if instructed to simply upload a form to the Thai Embassy website (or any other one, for that matter), print multiple copies of everything. The hour it took me to go through Immigration & Health Control would have been closer to 20 minutes had I not needed to find some of the forms on my phone, take screenshots, upload them, etc.

Still, I made it. Relaxing today, trying to adjust to the time difference.

[Phoenix61]

25. Thanks! Excellent advice. nt

[Dial H For Hero]

24. Whoops, replied to myself. See post above.