I stayed up real late last night after going over bids and then trying to relax with a couple of movies.  At three o five in the morning I remembered the conceal and carry class I had to attend at 8am...and I had not filled out any paperwork yet. (not knowing the paper work was very light).  Planned for slamming some coffee, filling out the forms, hauling butt to the class with my race face on.

Everything went fine but I was non-enthused about practicing stance/grip/clearing/loading and all that stuff.   When I went in to qualify it hit me how tired I was and how little I have shot semi-autos (been a revolver guy all my life).  It was all good, laid down a clip or so of practice because I have only shot this particular pistol once.  It felt like a welding test kinda, I was a little nervous.  Well I loaded the required 20 rds and proceeded, not caring about impressive grouping just make a passing score.   I was so tired I got lazy with my wrists and stovepiped a shot casing.....I started to lower and check and remembered to hold for 10 secs (safety instructions).  Looked in seen it was a shot round and said so out loud tried to drop the clip and nothing....then my brain just seized smooth up...I thought well I just wasted that money...still thinking...the instructor looked at me and cut his eyes behind me...I sat there for a good 20 seconds...still blank ....pulled back the slide a little further and got it to lock, dropped the clip...showed him the spent casing and tapped the butt of the gun on the table the spent round dropped out and he said "carry on".    I almost lost my money because of an increasingly weakening ability to keep my schedule/remember things ....I dunno maybe I am just a little stressed out.  But I felt this is old age rearing its head in my thought capability.

All I know is I want to thank that instructor for patience and doing something he did not have to do...and probably should not have in all reality.  Nice guy and he saved my butt.