Just got back from paintball...
 

only three notable injuries (for me, dunno about the rest of the family -I'm sure beest must look like a bad case of bubonic plague) ...and two dehyrated kids. they lie about how much water they've drunk, you know. gits. And i shot my best friend's kid in the head. :D (he needed it, I think he has more respect for me now)

poor old Thor, the only Beestmonsterlet too young to play now. he did pick up a nice collection of paintballs to squish at a later date, though. This was Hector's first official game (although he joined a pistol shoot-out on Sunday and got a welt to be proud of) he didn't start off so well, because he was determined to use Beest's new pistol and really, that's like taking a pea shooter to Iraq. You need to be Arnie to get away with it. once we persuaded him to use a regular gun, it went much better.

it was an indoor place with only two fields and it stank and was sticky and more swampy than an outdoor place. But we had a private evening game of 20 with 7 in to 10-11 range, one 13yo, one 15yo, 4 in the 17/18 range and 7 old folks (38-50ish), mostly from the pool (the 17/18yo were the lifeguards, so kids were desperate to shoot them -and it was reciprocal) hebe and i were the only girls, and there was only one other female playing in the maybe100 people there. it's always low on women, but that was the lowest % I've seen. Mind you, given the stench, I think I'll stick to outdoor paintball. Maybe the women only even play once there! :lol:

Good time had by all -although it got dodgy for beest who not only was the organizer but was also the weapons master for the beestmonster clan, and the weapons were not co-operating. On the very last game, he resorted to a rental and that got fucked up too, but I was happy to step out and apparently he had a great time blasting the 13yo who refused to give up :lol:

Periodically, the FBI bust people for engaging in "military-style training". I wonder when they'll come down on these paintball militias? :haha:

My boss owns a laser tag arena. Pretty cool, but the pain factor of paintball adds to the intensity IMO.

Also the noise, weight of the equipment, recoil of the shooting, it's a much more wholly physically engaging experience.

Aden wanted to have a paintball party for his 13th birthday, but I've just found out that you have to be at least 15 to do it in the state we live in. I'm not sure if it's different in other states, but it's a bummer anyway.

Aden is much bigger than most 15yr olds anyway...although most of his friends aren't.

Anyway, it sux.

I've never done it, but paintball looks like damn good fun.

I am a *little* concerned about unstable individuals who *might* get too wrapped up in it and find it a gateway to actual gun-rampages. I believe this could be managed because paintball is a group activity, and it is generally loners who go postal. Group sports keep you stabilised.

However, I read recently that there were moves in Germany towards banning paintball, because it encourages people to run around shooting other people. Killjoys.

Hmm. More "organized loners" than "group" in the main I'd say (not us, not the adults, but the teens who make up the generla entry crowd....), but I'd be sceptical about it leading to gun rampage here, because it's not like it's hard to get hold of real guns if that's what you're drawn to. I'm not a gun fan, but paintball is fun. The "higher echelons" of paintball call the weapons "markers".... but this place called them guns. well it was right next to Detroit metro Airport. not your most salubrious neighborhood. :lol:

It sounds like fun. I'm afraid I'd pass out tired after the first landed shot. :) I really would like to try it, but it sounds expensive. Is it?

it can be. but beest chose this place b/c it was cheap. You coulda had a good 3 hours for $29 I reckon.

You should be able to rent everything you need to play, cost is similar to a lot of recreational activities, day at a theme park, day at a spa and massage, round of golf, just depends want you like spending you time and money on.

I'll take "all of the above."

I should try it sometime, I bet it's great for relieving stress!

We bought most of our gear used, and have 250 private acres of desert with old abandonded houses to play in/around - sometimes we even attempt to play on dirt bikes/quads/sand rails. It is a blast, and amazing stress relief.

I feel another road trip destination coming on, cause that's near Yellowstone right ( in the way Death Valley is just a short hop from Vegas and we should see while we're passing on the way to Utah :D).

The property I'm speaking of is actually in the Eastern Sierras in Cali, but I'll be glad to meet you there!

Paintball is good fun, I go often with friends.

I get shot in the facemask pretty much every time, though, so I can't pretend nothing hit me often :p