Update on Burglary Deal

They seem to have excluded their main lead on the little gang that burglarized my home. And the insurance guy said, actually, cases like this, low percentage of recovery. Take the money.
So... I wrote off some nostalgia figuring, only really me that cares. I wasn't using those things. The two guns that were so precious to me, I never used them. I was keeping them for posterity or whatever. I came out okay. They only depreciated me about 12%, so that and my deductible, not too bad. I opted not to replace a couple of them and just finished installing the biggest fireproof gun vault I thought would fit in my home. Not one of those $6,000 monsters, but better than a Stack On. (Which probably would have been fine. I think I overdid it).
Just that... geez. I took a half day off work today to get my 14-year-old stepson a replacement rifle and bow. He chose to combine the value and get this really, really pretty Ruger 10-22 with a crapload of accessories. Really set him up nice. And the 9mm replacement for my wife I had on layaway, paid for that, too.
Got it all-llllllll set up. All excited about going shooting with him, letting him get used to this new beauty (wood stock, scale-style checkering, big Ruger logo relief on both sides of the stock butt)... and the frickin' system kicks me.
Patience, Joe. Patience.
I live in Minnesota. I was born in Kansas. The national check system gal is not a Kansas specialist, I think. Have to wait till it's reviewed by someone else. I have a CCW. Isn't that a good enough check already?
Oy. Kid obviously felt the letdown but knows there's nothing we can do about it but wait. If no one calls back, I get to pick everything up Saturday.
(Guess it could be worse. I could live in a state like New York.)
And here's the Pipesmagazine tie-in, just so's I'm not totally irrelevant here: I'm smoking Hamborger Veermaster in a meerschaum-lined Grabow to self-Medico... er, medicate. Meditate, I mean!

Oh, and since I couldn't go shooting with the boy (he went to his old sister's place), I just finished jarring up some tobaccos that came, rearranging my tobacco storage, and cleaning some pipes. Good to have more than one hobby!

Wow! Nice one, ranger.
@rsuninv, +1
@ cobguy: she carries an LCP most of the time. This other is an S&W M&P 9 Shield. In Minnesota, so, this is the new one they came out with. No thumb safety. Not available in some states.

I think I will use the rest of the money on a pipe to smoke while watching him shoot:

Since gunsmoke and pipesmoke kinda go together (in my rural American mind), show us your pick for a good shooter's pipe? Rangerearthpig -- you got something that matches up with that fine rifle?

Now that's my kinda gal!

Hope Hunter185 (member here) doesn't mind me linking to a picture he put up a few months ago:

Oh I see I'm not the only one. Here is a thread from this very site:
Pipes & Guns thread

Well, I can't all the credit. He's had work done. Trying his best to keep up with cigrmaster's daughter.

Now... where's the pipe you made that matches the rifle you gave your boy?

Thanks, cmdrmcbragg. Keeping it light by keeping it lit.
@rangerearthpig ... be sure to post it!

Looks like a great match up!

Hey, trailboss -- thanks for the link!
I married into an anti-gun family but have been slowly converting the MIL. Got her daughter and grandson hooked. They love muzzleloading, too, so I picked up a few more this past year. From casting our own bullets to shooting homemade ice-targets, literally having a "blast" as a family.
It's kinda addicting, ain't it. (I counted on that as the "blended family" outsider). It's working! Quality family time.
(I even converted them to accepting my pipe smoking. )