ME AND MY .22

I went shooting and wrote about it for Forbes: "A Girl and a .22." I had a terrific time doing this piece, and my teacher was great.

The "firearms store" at the center of the story was fantastic. I was happier than a pig in shit when I was taking the photos.  

I love this shirt. (Ammo is in short supply.)

Last Wednesday, I drove out to GAT Gus in East Dundee, Illinois, about an hour northwest of Chicago. Located down the street from Santa’s Village Azoosment Park (the day I drove by, beyond the over-sized candy cane-framed entrance, the park was still and silent) and next door to Club Premier (the flashing digital sign in front of which offered the rental space to those with upcoming banquets, quinceañeras, sweet sixteens, birthdays, and weddings), this is not your average gun store. The massive building, which used to house a restaurant with a speakeasy theme, contains a sprawling, 65,000-square-foot firearms superstore, making it one of the country’s biggest. GAT — an acronym for guns, ammo, training — draws customers with 20,000 square feet of retail space devoted to all things gun-related and 63 shooting ranges. This spring, GAT completed an $8 million renovation and expansion. And why not? Business is booming.