Scopin'

I had in mind to take the honyocks to the Tomato Festival, but it was pointed out that of the three of us, only I like tomatoes. I had, atypically for me, bought the Thursday edition of the Kansas City Scar specifically to get the Preview section so I could scope out weekend festivities. But alas.



Mo requested (possibly with Em's encouragement) Kaleidoscope and Wonderscope. Of course it cost the gas to drive to these things, but the one is free and the other is already paid for, so that's what we did.



While there, I spotted this poster for the next Free Friday Night Movie, which we will most likely be attending. It might have too much abstract humor for Mo, but then, given the literal-minded tendencies of the autistic mind, maybe someone banging two halves of a coconut together and pretending it's really a horse will really crack her up.



I also spotted this shirt as we journeyed through Hall's to get to Kaleidoscope. I didn't see a price tag, but knowing Hall's it's probably $70 or better. But unlike most things I see in Hall's, it's as cool as it is overpriced: I don't know if the pattern is based on hops, but it sure looks like it to me. They're even embroidered into the pattern.



While in Kaleidoscope, I made a Fuel Extension Wand. Wave it at the dashboard of a car and you'll double the miles per gallon. I must have dribbled the wax wrong, though, because it hasn't seemed to slow that gas gauge needle down a bit.





It was pretty late when we got to Wonderscope, but we caught the last 45 minutes that they were open.





After dinner, we headed to the Purple Park. I wanted to take the girls to Shakespeare in the Park, but last year we had to leave about twenty seconds after we got there when Mo wouldn't shut up. And that was Romeo & Juliet, this year was Othello, which I figured would be even harder for an eleven year old autistic to sit still for. Or, for that matter, for my non-autistic twelve year old.







Rockets shouldn't wear white, I've decided. I did a second rate job of painting Dr. Tom, our D-Region Tomahawk, but I followed the directions for the color scheme. True to the sounding rocket it pays homage to, the body is white with three black fins and one red fin, and the detail painting at the upper end in red and brown with silver rivets. The rivet painting went especially badly, but it looks plausible if you're twenty feet away.



Also, per the instructions, I used 'flat' paint for all this except the silver. After just two flights, the flat white paint is showing marks and smudges. I love the rocket, it's one of the nicest kits I've found, but I think if I had it to do over, I'd paint him in colors insulting to nature and seal him in a glossy clear-coat.



I had a bit of a close call with Dr. Tom. When I put my rockets away, I generally tuck the parachute in and put the nose cone on because otherwise the shock chords and shroud lines get woven into a bird's nest in the rocket box. It's easier to pack the lines and 'chutes away than to untangle the inevitable mess. I got distracted prepping the rocket and realized only after he was airborne that I hadn't inserted recovery wadding and packed the 'chute properly. Luckily the parachute opened, but alas, it was scorched in the process. It was a nice parachute, a rip-stop nylon job, but I have others I can rotate in to fly this rocket. I lucked out in that the scorch could have easily rendered the parachute useless and allowed the rocket to fall freely. And in the case of this flight, that would have meant landing full force on an asphalt parking lot, doubtless shattering the hard plastic fin can and retiring the rocket.



I repaired Thor's Candycane (by trimming some zipper damage at the mouth of the body tube). I also came up with an anti-zipper device to protect him in the future. This 'device' is a wad of masking tape around his shock chord where it hits the mouth. It's not as elegant as a piston system, but it works.



After the Purple Park Mo was begging for fireworks. Two nights in a row, and she adores them, but the only place I found that was doing a July 5 display was Powell Gardens: 60 miles each way and a fairly hefty admission charge. So nothing doing there.