Mornings Monday and Otherwise

[farscott]

I am very much a creature of habit, and I try to use that trait to make myself safer. Today I failed.

I always select clothes, shoes, holster, mag carrier, and belt for the next day the night before so it is done properly (no brown belt with black shoes). I like to thread the holster and mag carrier onto the pants as well. This morning I woke up late and with a bit of headache. I was in a hurry to get out of the door, and I had trouble opening up the safe. So needless to say, I was frustrated and impatient. That became obvious when I tried to holster an unloaded P30 (only a range gun for me as of now) in my Glock 23 holster as I grabbed the wrong gun. The thing that finally got my attention was the gun did not feel right in my hand. I had to force myself to stop what I was doing as I was more focused on getting out the door than I was on safely gearing up for the day. The sheer stupidity of that move was enough to snap me out of "I am late!!" to "a few minutes saved is not worth dying". This was me being complacent about holstering and carrying a weapon. I put the P30 back in the safe, exited the room, got some coffee and aspirin, and then went back to the safe to properly do it. I sure paid a lot more attention the second time.

How do others handle gearing up without being complacent when rushed, not feeling well, or when the normal routine is disrupted? For me, I needed the reset that the coffee and aspirin provided as it allowed me to restart the entire process. I also need a way to not allow myself to be so distracted. I feel like such an idiot this morning.

[KeeFus]

I will just say that I'm glad my M&P 9FS has a KKM barrel. I have actually grabbed it instead of my duty weapon, a M&P 45 mid size, on my way out the door. I've actually "gotten up late" on my day off and got completely dressed before I realize what I am doing.

It seems that I get disrupted at during the night least once a week by a kid or a dog and that bleeds over to the mornings. I always lay out my clothes the evening before. If I don't do that I will undoubtedly feel late whether I am or not. Generally speaking, coffee is my great equalizer.

[LSP972]

Excellent point of interest for those who "rotate" their carry iron. I can understand the want or possible need to do so, but you gotta pay close attention to detail.

OP, I'm curious as to why you had to go into the safe to secure your weapon. You do not keep it handy at night?

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[farscott]

Excellent point of interest for those who "rotate" their carry iron. I can understand the want or possible need to do so, but you gotta pay close attention to detail.

OP, I'm curious as to why you had to go into the safe to secure your weapon. You do not keep it handy at night?

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I have one gun with a light for HD and one gun for carry. So the safe gets opened to swap guns in the morning and evening.

[Chuck Haggard]

I make it unpossible to screw up some things that would easily be screwed up if I allowed it.

Like all of my reloads are G17 mags even though I often carry a G19 off-duty. A G19 mag on my duty belt to reload my G17 ain't gonna work so well.

If a guy has .40 and 9mm pistols, say a G22 for work and a G17 for training, one needs to be really, really careful about not ending up with the worng rounds in the mag, or the wrong mags in the spare carrier for the pistol being carried.

[SailDesign]

I just pull on a pair of pants, a polo shirt (summer) and a pair of socks and shoes, and I'm good to go. No sidearm, no hair to comb, and a beard that doesn't require me to shave. Coffee IS breakfast, and I'm out the door.

Simple life...

[LSP972]

I have one gun with a light for HD and one gun for carry. So the safe gets opened to swap guns in the morning and evening.

Got it. I just put the light on at night and take it off in the morning, and keep the M3X on the nightstand during the day.

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[LSP972]

A G19 mag on my duty belt to reload my G17 ain't gonna work so well.

Nope.

I can also state, with absolute certainty, that a pager will NOT fit in the magazine well of a P220...

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[SecondsCount]

Repetition and keeping things simple will help eliminate errors when rushed.

I make it unpossible to screw up some things that would easily be screwed up if I allowed it.

Like all of my reloads are G17 mags even though I often carry a G19 off-duty. A G19 mag on my duty belt to reload my G17 ain't gonna work so well.

...

I do something similar- I carry a P30 mag for a reload as it will fit in my P2000 or P30. It also prevents my palm from getting bit during a reload on the P2000.

[rob_s]

I don't rush.

I've gotten up between 4 AM and 6 AM (mostly around 5) since my last couple of years of grad school in the late 90s. I refuse to give over the best part of my day (the first few hours after I've woken up) to anyone else, especially an employer. Currently I get up at 5 AM and leave the house between 7 and 7:30, sometimes as late as 8 but rarely.

Taking a nice leisurely morning is a hugely important part of what kind of day I'll have. I have coffee and read the internut/news, exercise, do laundry or pay bills, design home improvement projects, answer emails.. whatever. The point is that I'm never in a hurry (until, sometimes, the very end if I've lost track of time), so I never forget anything.

sleeping until the last minute is for teenagers and people with Alzheimer's.