For some reason (read "TV"), Dyson started bugging me to build a rocket for him. Since Kel & Keira were doing a "girls’ day" on Saturday, I promised Dyson that we would build a rocket.

Not a rocket that could really fly.

And not a rocket with a little door that he could open and put in SpongeBob and Patrick. And it wouldn’t include miniature figures of SpongeBob and Patrick…

So, we went to Lowe’s and I picked out various sizes of schedule 40 PVC pipe, associated fittings, some 1/4" poplar project board and a "For Sale" sign.

Once we got home, Barley (who had joined us on the ride) jumped out of the truck, ran into the garage and immediately peed all over the ramp. Dumb ass dog…

After I cleaned that up, gave Dyson the McD’s Happy Meal, and set up the new wireless router, we started building the rocket.

By "we", I mean that I started working on it while Dyson continuously whined about wanting to go inside and watch the SpongeBob DVD that we picked up at Best Buy. I told him that if he didn’t want to "help" me, then he wouldn’t get a rocket. (What a mean daddy I am…)

The "For Sale" sign formed the nose cone and the stabilizer fins on the final stage (which can be removed for convenient play - the final stage, that is, not the fins…).

The main fins are cut from the project board. Since I don’t have a jig saw, I had to use the table saw to make a bunch of parallel cuts, break off the "comb teeth" and use the Dremel grinding tool to reach the pencil line.

While I was doing all this, Dyson was shredding a piece of Styrofoam. I convinced him to participate in the cleaning up portion of the endeavor…

(Kel took Dyson away during the "cussing loudly" phase as I tried to superglue the top stabilizer fins on - plastic on plastic dries slowly - no absorbtion - but it dries quickly on my fingers…)

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He’s played with it quite a bit since I finished it. That should end soon…