Settling in to Virginia

[aznav]

Well, coming up on two months in Virginia after leaving my beloved Tucson. I'm sort of in the northwestern part of the state known as the Shenandoah Valley, or "Valley" for the natives. I like it so far. We kind of got waylaid with the rental-from-hell (long story) and had to run and find another place. What should have been uber bad news became uber good news when the moving van got lost for a week. Seriously. That gave us time to find a decent townhouse. It's three floors, and very convenient to everything except my bad right knee which is not used to stairs.

Up to this point it has been just getting settled and zero time for the range. Work starts this coming week. I'm beginning to pick up that most folks just go out to their backyard to practice or zero in. Boy, I need to start making friends! We always rent the first year and then buy. You can bet I'm looking for something that will let me get in the back yard as well.

Ordered my CCW two weeks ago. Should come, hopefully, in the next week or two. When I realized that we would transfer to Harrisonburg and that is was just a half hour from the Appalachian Trail, I ordered a titanium .357 5 shot revolver. Frankly, they are no fun to shoot. None at all. But, they are light, and they are my best Plan A for the unexpected. So I ordered it two weeks before moving. When I was sure it was at my favorite FFL I went down to pick it up. After ten years, my FFL/gun dealer went belly up, no warning. UPS rules said I could not have it sent to another FFL. Back to Kansas with my pistol. So I move. Zero time to worry about my pistol. The dealer graciously said he would hold on to it and only charge my half shipping to send it again. I finally find an FFL dealer just a mile from my house. Nice. Paperwork completed again, gun is sent. Va. dealer informs me I must have a Virginia license AND it must be valid for at least 30 days and then there's the background check. So, finally, three weeks ago I get my Va. driver's license (but not before spending 5 hours at the DMV getting it and two cars registered - still don't have them totally registered - long story).

Now, to pour a little salt on the wound, I lost my Va. license last week. Sigh. Spent three days trying to find it. Nope. Order a new license and got it yesterday. Instead of reverting back to the original date I got my license (3 weeks ago), it starts the day I ordered a new one (5 days ago...). So we now resent the clock to September 6th when I can pick up my.357. You know, the one I ordered on May 25th.

Then again, my house did not burn to the ground like my boss's did in Colorado and I didn't lose my daughter to cancer like my best friend did and I didn't have to deploy for my THIRD 15 month deployment like my nephew did. Perspective.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Sontag]

Welcome to the Old Dominion, aznav.

I'm in Harrisonburg often on business. There's an indoor range across the street from one of my accounts, just past the Manheim auto auction at the end of Early Road. Haven't tried it yet, but I've heard good things about it.

By the way, please don't judge VA by our DMV; it's not one of our more efficient state-run operations.

[Hiram25]

You'll probably like VA once you get settled into a permanent spot.

[mcp1810]

Grew up in Maryland but LOVE Virginia. I have spent countless hours cruising the backroads of VA on motorcycles. Great roads, great scenery, nice people. A lot of history there too.

[aznav]

Grew up in Maryland but LOVE Virginia. I have spent countless hours cruising the backroads of VA on motorcycles. Great roads, great scenery, nice people. A lot of history there too.

Ohhhhhh, motorcycles. Ohhhhh. And, that reminds me. My Va. driver's license was $32 more than my wife's. "What gives?" I asked the clerk? "Oh, that's for your motorcycle addition." What? I didn't even take a test. It's a carry over from Az which was a carry over from Florida, which was a carry over from Germany which was a carry over from Virginia (honest), which was a carry over from Maryland.

it's all my wife can handle to have firearms all over the house. She put her foot down on motorcycles when the kids were in the house. Something about raising two hellion boys alone. But, hey! We're empty nesters!

[383]

Glad to hear you are settling in. I'm just East of Harrisonburg, if you want to use the dirt pile in my back yard when you get your .357, send me a pm.

[mcp1810]

Just wait until October when the leaves start turning. Go for a cruise on Skyline Drive. It is fantastic. You should also (time allowing) check out historic Williamsburg. It is a bit of a drive but I think well worth the trip. I liked to go in the spring when the flowers were starting to bloom and also around Christmas. They do quite a presentation.

Even in a car Skyline Drive is nice. Luray Caverns are not Carlsbad but they are worth seeing. Lexington with VMI and Stone Wall Jackson's house are nice too. Your area really has a lot going for it.

[Ghettokracker71]

Welcome.

[Lish]

I was born and raised in northern VA and tell my husband ALL the time how much I'd love to take the kids up there on vacation. I've now lived in FL 17 years but VA is home in my heart.

[BugDude]

I miss just going out on the back porch and shooting like I did when I lived in Virginia. If I did that here, I'm pretty sure a SWAT team would have me face down in the yard in about 10 minutes.

[paramedic70002]

That 30 day thing is a mess. A right delayed is a right denied. I seem to remember several states getting rid of time-in-residence requirements because of civil rights concerns, so I'm not sure how this still stands.

[aznav]

That 30 day thing is a mess. A right delayed is a right denied. I seem to remember several states getting rid of time-in-residence requirements because of civil rights concerns, so I'm not sure how this still stands.

Do you happen to know that if you have your CCW you can bypass the 3 day waiting period like they have in Arizona?

[paramedic70002]

There is no waiting period in VA (unofficially unless your background check is delayed). As of July 1 the multiple purchase limitation is gone.