bigbumble
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "bigbumble" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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09:20 pm
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Zubbles
My Zubbles came today. The blue is blue, the pink is blue. I am red-green color blind so the pink is probably violet or lavender in color to those of you with fairy vision.
Tomorrow I give a model rocket talk to kids at a near by library.
Current Mood:  cheerful
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09:32 pm
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MLAS test flight
Peter was supposed to be at this rocket launch today:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/on_demand_video.html?param=http://mfile.akamai.com/20356/mov/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/qt.nasa-global/ccvideos/larc/mlas-launch.mov&_id=199926&_title=MLAS%20Launch&_tnimage=366195main_mlas-launch-100.jpg
I counted at least 10 parachutes on this NASA video. It shows some ground preparation before the actual launch footage.
Current Mood:  excited
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07:15 pm
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Zubbles
Blue and Pink (Boy and Girl?) Zubbles are now available to order.
The web page: http://www.zubbles.com/
Zubbles are brightly colored soap bubbles. It turns out that it takes pretty sophisticated chemistry to dye soap bubbles. And even more sophisticated chemistry to dye soap bubbles that won't stain the carpet permanently.
I ordered my supply last night. They are supposed to start shipping in about 2 weeks. -I can hardly wait.
Current Mood: excited
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08:02 pm
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Strawberry shortcake
I was running errands today, my Tuesday flex day, and stopped by the Kalamazoo farmer's market. There were about four stalls operating. The first one I stopped at had local strawberries "picked last night". So I bought a couple of quarts.
Tonight I made short cake and whipped cream. I invited my sister over and a couple drop in visitors to partake. The consensus was that the strawberry shortcake met the uniform standard of delicious as proved by minimal leftovers.
Life is good in June.
Current Mood: satisfied
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08:42 pm
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Busy week
Had a doctor appointment Monday to confirm an ear infection I had 3 weeks prior had been cured by antibiotics. The antibiotics also cured a nose infection that wasn't visible at the first appointment.
Thursday was rocket launch day at Alamo Elementary. Light and variable winds with lots of thermals made recovery an exiting affair. Only one of the fifty rockets augered in from a great height, but I did manage to humiliate myself by only igniting one engine in a two engine cluster rocket. The rocket gracefully arched over and stuck nose first into the lawn. Moments later the ejection charge blew the model and bright yellow parachute skyward.
I am not sure why fifth graders find such tragedies so amusing.
Thursday night I attended Renee Macdonald's high school graduation along with her parents and other well wishers.
Saturday I flew in two model rocket contests along with brother Peter. One in Delton (greater Kalamazoo area) and the other in Jackson, Michigan. Qualified in every event, but not brilliantly.
Sunday I managed to deliver photos I took at Renee's graduation.
Now it is laundry, lunches, and sleep.
Current Mood:  tired
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05:39 pm
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Rocket Contest Day
Today we had the first half of a rocket contest at the Michigan Farmer's Hall of Fame. It was suppose to be the second half, but yesterday was postponed until June 6. Unless, of course, yesterday was postponed until today and today was postponed until June 6. Which means today never happened.
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) peteralway and I flew one flight in all four events D dual eggloft duration, 1/2A parachute duration, B rocket glider, and 1/8 helicopter duration. We are allowed as least one more flight in each event. All of our flights qualified.
Our most amusing model was a "Tasmanian Devil" helicopter model made from a miniature Saturn V and popsicle sticks. It flew for about 3 seconds.
Current Mood:  accomplished
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07:18 pm
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Rockets Memorial Weekend
The National Sport Launch, sponsored by the National Association of Rocketry(NAR), will happen next weekend at Bong Recreation Area in Wisconsin. More information here: http://nsl2009.org/
Lots of big and little rockets being launched. There is a fee for entry. I think the fee is reduced if you just come to watch. peteralway and I expect to be there Saturday and Sunday.
It is a family event.
Current Mood:  geeky
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07:01 pm
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Rocket Man
Today when I was introduced to Mr. Chapman's 5th grade class, I received applause even before I began speaking. I felt like a Nobel laureate rather than the guy who comes to tell the class about rockets each year. We had a great time with lots of questions and comments. In a couple of weeks we will launch the rockets they build.
Later in the day I received my state income tax refund of $23.
It is amazing how small victories can really boost the mood.
Current Mood: cheerful
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09:12 am
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Acorn
Judy Miller's daughter Sparkle's adventures with the home heating system inspired this song, sung for the first time at Acorn yesterday:
Furnace the Basement Dragon
To the tune of “Barfy the Seasick Hedgehog”
Furnace the basement dragon, never cut his oil off, no never cut his oil off,
Furnace the basement dragon, he’s your friend and mine.
Furnace the basement dragon, never cut his oil off, no never cut his oil off,
Furnace the basement dragon, he’s your friend and mine.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say, “Furnace with your breath so hot, won’t you heat my cho-co-late.”
Furnace the basement dragon, never cut his oil off, no never cut his oil off,
Furnace the basement dragon, he’s your friend and mine.
Furnace the basement dragon, never cut his oil off, no never cut his oil off,
Furnace the basement dragon, he’s your friend and mine.
-Furnace the Dragon!
Current Mood:  mischievous
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08:26 pm
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Busy
Last weekend I went to two shows, Kalamazoo Children's Chorus where Renee MacDonald solo'd and to the strings orchestra where Joshua MacDonald played his cello.
Renee did her usual superlative job and Josh made significant progress in keeping his shirt tucked in.
Tomorrow morning my rocket club has a special showing of the new Star Trek movie:
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SMASH Exclusive Showing of Star Trek
Date: Saturday May 9, 2009
Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Location: Kalamazoo 10
Street: 820 Maple Hill Dr
City State Zip: Oshtemo, MI 49077
The admission is about $4 +- fifty cents.
All who read this are welcome to come.
Then it is off to ACORN in Ann Arbor. I have my new minivan if anyone wants to hitch a ride from Kalamazoo.
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10:09 am
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1/10 scale Saturn V
It flew successfully yesterday. The video lasts about 6 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj4lj6YSwzg
Current Mood:  amused
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10:35 pm
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Belly Dancing Woo Hoo!
I went to the Cuban Lights and Cairo Nights belly dancing (and other dancing) show at Kalamazoo Valley Community College tonight. qnvhrtz had a part in one of the numbers and swiveled her hips with the best of them. Lots of colorful, sparkly costumes. At least one of the dances reminded me of the goldfish dance in Fantasia.
So many bellies and so little time.
Current Mood:  enthralled
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07:52 pm
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Dying is easy, comedy is hard
I just watched the matinee showing of "Into the Woods" put on by Loy Norrix high school. Renee MacDonald, playing Jack's mother, died comically. I'm trying to figure out if that was easy or hard.
Current Mood:  confused
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02:53 pm
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Spring
I rode my tricycle to work yesterday for the first time this year. My total tricycle commuting miles over the last six years now stand at 6,000.
I bought a minivan for my new car in part because it can hold my tricycle for trips to the bicycle repair shop. And of course it does not get the gas mileage of a regular car. Such are the contradictions of the human condition.
If I am alive a year from now, I can presume the excercise has extended my life span. If I die in a car accident or from a heart attack, then it did not. If I am hit by a car and severely crippled, then it will make for a grand philosophical debate. Let's hope for the first option.
Current Mood:  contemplative
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07:08 pm
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Buying a car
When it was time to return home from my trip to the national model rocket convention, NARCON, I arranged for a rental car from Detroit Metro Airport to my home town of Otsego, MI. My personal car, a Chevy Lumina, died on the trip out. Hence the need for a rented car.
The rental car return is in the same building as one of the local auto dealerships. I had been checking out this particular dealership because it sold the kind of minivan I had been thinking about buying for the last two years. You see I have had the money-in-the-bank to buy a new car for the last couple of years. I wanted a minivan that was big enough to get my tricycle (see userpic) to the shop. (I looked at alternatives, such as trailers and car top carriers, but they were impractical.)
Monday I called the dealership and told them the sort of vehicle I wanted and that evening I went in for a test drive. I test drove the car and $4,000 worth of rebates brought it into my price range.
"Fine, I'll take it. I can have a bank check to you tomorrow."
"Er, ah, for the last $1,000 rebate you have to use credit union loan or use a credit union draft to pay for it."
"Say what?"
"Or you could use our corporate zero interest car loan."
"But, I want to pay cash!"
I argued to no avail. We spent an extra hour in the dealership filling out an application for a zero interest, no down payment loan that I did not need. If I didn't, I would have to pay an extra $1,000.
I picked up the car last night. A spiffy Chrysler Town and Country with all kinds of fancy gizmos. So far I haven't paid a penny for it, not even a deposit.
No wonder the car companies are going broke.
Current Mood: confused
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08:23 pm
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Adventures over the weekend
As I mentioned my last post I headed for NARCON over the weekend. The quickest way to get there was to drive to Detroit Metro Airport rather than take a commuter flight from Kalamazoo. So I left work at 4:30, with a car loaded the night before, for the two hour drive to the airport. It was a little over 100 miles, all highway and my flight was scheduled for about 9:15 -lots of time.
I planned on stopping at peteralway 's place in Ann Arbor to drop off a few things and talk for a bit. After I was somewhat more than halfway there my car did a few power jerks which came with increasing frequency. They went away after I stopped a Wendy's for some dinner, but soon returned. My engine temperature had gone volcanic and I was just able to make a ride share lot at exit 159 just before my 12 year old car died for good. After many machinations, I reached peteralway 's house dropped off stuff and we headed for the airport. I arrived in the nick of time to catch my flight with a quick side trip to the restroom.
I enjoyed meeting a lot of New England people I hadn't seen before. -This NARCON was the first national model rocket event held in the Northeast in decades. I did have an evil ulterior motive for attending. Money.
Last summer I sponsored travel grants to B division(14-18 years old) fliers to attend NARAM for the first time. This year I volunteered to match funds up to $1,200. As expected, the NAR board voted to match funds. I got to present my matching check at the "Town Hall" meeting Saturday night.
-It felt really good.
Current Mood: cheerful
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08:17 pm
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NARCON 2009
It stands for the National Association of Rocketry Convention. This year it is in Connecticut. I'm not sure why, but I have decided to fly out to this one. I suppose it is because it is on the East Coast for the first time in a forever or so.
I'm arriving late Friday night (Tomorrow) and will be heading home late afternoon Sunday. Saturday all day and Sunday am I will be busy rocket sciencing at the convention. Sunday afternoon I may see a local sight or two.
I'm staying at the Hampton Inn - Rocky Hill.
Current Mood: anxious
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08:12 pm
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High Power Rocketry
Personally, I prefer the smaller model rockets, but there is a large group of rocketeers who prefer a lot more fire and smoke to their rockets.
Over the last 9 years there has been a major court battle over the use of APCP (Ammonium Perchlorate Propellant). The BATF (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms) classified APCP as an explosive. APCP is the fuel in the Orbital Shuttle's solid boosters. It is also the fuel used in most high powered rockets. Today Judge Reggie Walton finally handed down a judgment in favor of the rocketeers.
http://www.rocketryplanet.com/images/pdf/ATFE-03-16-09.pdf
Current Mood: relieved
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08:17 pm
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Kalamazoo Children's Chorus and Space Shuttle
Busy day. XRsized in the am. (If I'm alive a year and a month from now I'll know it worked.)
Went to a model rocket build session with my rocket club an worked on a teeny tiny helicopter rocket for an hour. Then I drove to Kalamazoo to see qnvhrtz daughter, Renee, and the rest of the choirs sing.
I asked the lady in the box office which seat she recommended. She thought the balcony had the best sound, so that is where I went. It turned out that Renee's choir was sitting just across the aisle from me while they watched the first half of the show. I had ample opportunity to harass her, which I did. They really enjoyed the second youngest choir's interpretation of 3 little pigs. So did I. The little girl wolf arm pumping for huffing and puffing was a joy to behold.
Renee's choir marched off at intermission to sing in the second half of the show. About half way through her choir's set the director invited her and two other senior girls out front and gave them flowers as graduating seniors. They were the last-but-not least choir and belted out some fine singing.
I suitably harassed everyone after the show. Then I drove home and watched the space shuttle launch successfully.
Current Mood:  busy
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06:34 pm
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Snarky and Gargle
When I was just entering Jr. High (Now it is called "Middle School") I took a summer course in mathematics. I would like to be able to say I took the class because of my personal enthusiasm for the topic. In reality it was because the class concluded with an overnight trip to Chicago museums.
A big part of the class was learning to use a slide rule. That was a corollary of learning to use such functions as sines, cosines, and tangents. I was thinking about that class today and recalled seeing a series of 16mm movies in class with a couple of marionettes as the protagonist. Their names were Snarky and Gargle. (Apparently Snarky had a TV show of his own at one point.) They would run into various problems and have to solve them with mathematics as explained by the human host.
Anyway, this 1957 Time magazine article pretty well sums up the shows:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,825346-1,00.html?iid=perma_share
I well remember the one two, one two, and the heap, counting by the marionette cave man.
Current Mood: contemplative
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