At lunch I went over to Radio Shack to collect some components for a small pair of unrelated projects. 

In the first I have mostly dismantled a smoke detector and will re-work it a little so it goes off when a pair of probes register the presence of water.  This will go under the sink to let me know when I need to tighten a connection there.  Yes, these sorts of things are on the internet for about $15 but that’s not really the point, is it?  This teeny-tiny project is really an excuse to use my soldering iron (still in the packaging).

The second project is a little more interesting.  When a person launches a model rocket there’s a small “electric match” (a.k.a. igniter) that fits inside the rocket motor.  When electricity is supplied a tiny amount chemicals ignites and sets of a reaction in the rocket motor that propels the rocket.  Usually the same companies that sell rockets also sell the motors and the igniters and the launch control device to supply the electricity to the motor.  I don’t have a launch control device, but when Liz asked if I could make one I said “Sure!”  So its basically an aluminum box with a couple of switches on it.  The instructions I found suggest using a key switch as an additional safety precaution. 

Instead I chose a switch with a safety cap on it like this.  No, it is not strictly “necessary” or the cheapest way to go, but I thought it would be cool to have to flip open a little plastic safety cover to get to the “arm” switch.

So I got the box and some switches, some wire and some soldering stuff.

I have a third, top-secret project that I have been meaning to work on for maybe a year or so.  If I get any of these things completed I’ll post some photos.

Otherwise, all is well.  Gabriel is tired of Cub Scouts and wants to stop going.  he’s VERY close to finish all the requirements for his “Arrow of Light” - a very special award that normally signals a cub scout’s transition to boy scouts.  It turns out that he also lacks any interest in joining the Boy Scouts.  His older brother, Ben was in the Boy Scouts for a while but dropped out and I wonder if his disillusionment has rubbed off on his younger brother.  Well, I’m not going to force Gabriel to join the Boy Scouts - a boy has to have his own motivations for going working hard and the scouts requires some effort to be sure.  My immediate quandary is what to do about cub scouts.  He would be just as happy to make last night’s meeting his last.  But all he has to do is describe some boy scout symbolism and spend a little time with some boy scouts and that’s all.

Chloe would LOVE to be a boy scout and I admit that she would make an AWESOME scout.  So far her experiences with Brownies has confirmed that they’re NOTHING like boy/cub scouts.  She doesn’t like them as much.  Well, next year she’s supposed to be a “Junior Girl Scout” - I hope she gets more satisfaction out of that.

In the meantime I am thinking about what kind of spring-time camping trip we can take.  It might be cold and uncomfortable, though.  Maybe in May.  June might be better.  Yes, in lieu of actual cub/boy/girl scouts I am planning on taking them to the outdoors myself.  I figure that if I don’t expose them to the outdoors they’ll never get an appreciation for them.

I wonder if we could go caving somewhere.  They would like that - and so would I.

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