For the first time this year I had trouble going to sleep and staying asleep due to the Boomershoot. Even now my stomach is tied in knots. There aren't really any big obstacles to overcome. Things are a little behind but we have a plan to take care of that. Everything is looking pretty good. Even the weather isn't too awfully bad. Probably one of the best weather forecasts ever for a Boomershoot. I think part of the problem is that I'm not working on it. Tomorrow I start and don't stop until it's done.

We got a little bit of a late start when Kim didn't come home last night and I had to go find the van to move stuff from it to the pickup.  During the night someone had sideswiped the van which was parked on the street in front of a friend's house.  Then Tidyman's didn't have any sandwiches made up and I had to wait for them to be built.

It took a while to set things up and move things out of the shed so we could have room to work.  We didn't really get building targets until about 11:00.  Then one of the grinders died.  I called Barb who was coming out with Tim and Lisa (to deliver their camping trailer) later in the afternoon and asked her to buy two new ones.  I got the truck with the rest of the ammonium nitrate on it and we off loaded what we could from that.  But because we were running behind schedule on the consumption of AN we didn't have enough room for it.  Barb showed up with the grinders about 15:30.  We used the new grinders with great success for about 45 minutes until one of them died too.  We built targets until 19:00 or so, off loaded all the AN we could squeeze into any decent sized container we could find.  The AN had absorbed some moisture and made a mess of the truck bed in places so we had to put the rest of the probably 200 or 300 pounds of AN in sacks and use a pressure washer to clean up the truck.  Back to the field with the pickup to load up the stuff that needed to be cleaned and had to come home.  Made it home about 23:45.  Cleaned up the mixing stuff and was in bed by 23:58.  This morning another grinder was dead.  Three out of four died.  The cheapest and most difficult to use one survived.

Also had problems with fireballs not working and the mix not detonating with a .22LR.  We're going back out on Wednesday to do more tests and try and get our production line going.  Then get caught up with the production we didn't get done yesterday.

The guy at the repair shop is an idiot.  If he had accepted any of my money I would post his place of business (he is the owner) here.  He replaced the fuel line, which needed replacing, but he routed it wrong such that when the throttle/choke lever was in the choke position it would pinch the fuel line off.  It should have been obvious because the lever wouldn't go all the way into the full choke position.  He lost one of the screws that holds the housing on.  He didn't position one of the hose clamps right and a different fuel line came part way off while I was working on something else and leaked fuel all over the steps to the house were I was working on things.  And he put a bracket on slightly wrong such that the kill switch would only be engaged if the throttle lever was in just the right position.  I rerouted the fuel line and had to cut three inches off of it so it would fit.  I adjusted the bracket, but I didn't have any metric screws to replace the missing ones (one was already missing).  And I put the clamp on properly.  The generator now starts and runs just fine.  I'm a bit worried because choke doesn't seem to be adjusted quite right.  After it is warmed up I used to be able to choke it enough to kill it.  I can't do that now.  It will run richer, but not enough to run really 'ragged'.  I'll try it again tomorrow morning when it is cold and see if it chokes enough to start.

I went to pick up the generator.  It wouldn't start while in the shop.  He didn't charge me anything.  I tried to pay him something.  I know he did work on it, but he wouldn't take it.  Said he never wanted to work on it again.

I'll tinker with it some more tonight and if I can't get it started I'll just buy another one.  I've had starting problems with this one for years.  The next one will have at least 1200 Watts of power, double my current generator capacity.

I knew I wouldn't be voting for Kerry because of his desire for more gun control, but until I looked at his web site I didn't realize what a hypocrite he was.  This is from http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/sportsmen/common_sense.html :

Strongly Supports the Second Amendment & Gun Owners Rights – John Kerry is a strong supporter of gun owners’ rights and will work to protect common sense gun laws.

His definition of “common sense gun laws” includes all Federal gun laws currently on the books.  And to the best of my knowledge he has never voted against a gun restriction.  So in just one sentence he contradicts himself.  What part of “shall not be infringed” doesn't he understand?

Of course Bush's stated position isn't much different.  The only thing better about him is that it's possible to believe he is just giving lip service to the gun banners viewpoint.  Kerry has a long history of voting for Second Amendment restrictions.

Grrr... politicians.  Can't live with them, can't shoot them.

I almost have the last of the supplies for Boomershoot 2004.  I may need a few more stakes to mount the targets on and I know I need to buy a 100 or so brown paper lunch sacks.  I won't know about the stakes until Sunday when I do an inventory.  This Sunday May 1st we will also start manufacturing the first targets.  We will be testing new tools and techniques for mass production.  Then on Thursday May 6th with the methods prefected some we will finish off the targets needed for Friday.  Friday things will open with booms and fireballs (I hope).  It is always my fear the targets will be duds on the day of the event.  But it has always been just a fear, sort of like Ry's nightmares, more imagination than reality.  We are changing things again this year.  We have new containers for the targets, a new target mounting method, a new shooting position, and a new mixing process.  We think everything is an improvement, but one never knows until we do the actual event.

Oh, one last item that is isn't in place, but I am assured will be soon is that my generator still hasn't come back from the repair shop.  Friday morning they said it would be done that day, but they never called back.  I'll call them today to see what the status is. I have a backup plan if it doesn't come through but one is always concerned when you are running on backups -- there is no room for errors.

Kim's senior prom was the same night as Xenia's play.  Other than too much makeup for my taste Kim is stunning as she gets in her limo to go pick up her date:

See all the pictures here:

http://www.joehuffman.org/pictures/Album.aspx?a=49

The Missoula Children's Theather comes to town every year and Xenia has gotten some great parts over the years.  She keeps doing better and better.  She had the lead female role (again) this year and did a great job.  This year the directors nominated her for a position in the theater summer camp.  See all the pictures of this year's play here:

http://www.joehuffman.org/pictures/Album.aspx?a=50

Someone at work just sent me an editorial by Phil Lucas, Executive Editor, Panama City News Herald. The online version is here:

http://www.newsherald.com/viewpoint/phillucas/040404.shtml

There are some interesting points that I find difficult to refute and uncomfortable accepting. I've pretty much accepted the basics for some time, but the larger picture painted by Mr. Lucas is disturbing. He says,

And goes on to say,

What isn't explicitly said, but bothers me so much, is that we might be in a position such that we have to declare on a planet wide scale that there is a religion that we will not tolerate the existence of. Wherever, whenever a sufficient size group of fanatical Muslims exist we are compelled to imprison and/or kill them to preserve our lives and freedoms. And if that is true how can we avoid sliding down the slippery slope in regards to some other group of religious (or non religious) people and justifying the use of our military against them? What is the criteria that we can use unambiguously such that when we use force we are justified? This isn't the same as declaring war on a nation state. These people exist in nearly all nations and are willing to use force, suicide bombers in public places, car bombs in the basement garages of office buildings, and nearly any means you can think of to kill the unbelievers. We can't fight just the people wearing Swastikas on their hats and when the central government collapses declare victory and go home a few years later. This is a much, much different type of war than we have ever had to fight before. How do we win this fight without risking the loss of the freedoms we are fighting for? Do we plant eavesdropping bugs or informants in mosques and/or churches to see if the clerics are advocating violence? And when they realize their houses of worship are bugged do we put bugs in their homes? Everyone's home?

Does anyone have any good answers?