The Pem-Tech Screamin' Green Meanie is basically done! Of course, I won't launch it without paint, as this is a "looks" rocket rather than a performance rocket, but it's still nice to have it essentially done. It was a fun, easy build too. I'm looking forward to building a lot more Pem-Tech rockets - they've got quite a few and all are very different and unique.

The Estes Big Daddy is also done minus paint. We have a very, er, umm, controversial, paint scheme planned for it. Stay tuned. :D

I attended my club's meeting last night - my first one. Wow. It was a lot of fun, and a lot was covered in a very organized fashion. I'll definitely be regularly attending. A couple of members brought L2-type rockets to show me, in helping to decide on which one to get for my L2 project.

Well, it's still about as clear as mud. :D I've got a budget to work with - and it's definitely enough for a seriously nice L2 project, no question there. But - and especially after hearing more about L3 type stuff last night (thermite to ignite the motors O_o) - I'm definitely staying in the L1/L2 arena. ;) So, I'll never "need" electronics. Though, if I want to push L1/2 rockets to high altitudes, dual deploy/electronics are still useful to avoid 1 mile hikes for recovery.

So, basically, do I build another motor ejection/single deploy rocket (such as the Goblin) for my L2, and mess with DD/electronics at a later date. Or, do I leverage the budget now and get a rocket that's convertible between DD and SD, such as the G3 or Mad Dog I'd mentioned before - or one of the many other available rockets, such as the LOC/Precision Hyperloc 835?

I'm just not sure! I want to get stuff ordered and in-house so I can start working soon, but of course I don't want to end up wishing I'd gone another way once I get started. Simplicity is good, but so is versatility! Gah. Anyway.

In non-rocketry news:

After asking Patrick, the owner/butcher/awesome cheesemonger at D&R Market where we could go within reasonable driving distance to have properly prepared and cooked beef liver, we decided to have a short road trip on Saturday! He'd recommended The Beef House in Covington, IN. Apparently it's regionally famous, and many regard it as the best steakhouse in Indiana. It's not a long drive, only 50 miles, so off we went.

Ok, wow. The place opened in '64 and since then they've expanded massively. It's more a complex than a restaurant - they've got TWO rental halls for events. But the main restaurant portion is (probably) still the same as it was when it opened. If you're over about 30 and remember a family steakhouse from back when you were a kid, this is it. It's still the same. Awesome salad bar, huge menu, and they serve... well... everything. :D

We'd gone for liver, though! I had liver when I was a kid, and hated it, like most kids. Heh. But, that was probably 25 or 30 years ago and your tastes change as you grow up. She'd had it in college, prepared by a friend, and liked it. So I figured it was time to try it again. Well, Patrick was right: Beef House makes it awesome, and wow, yeah, we're going to learn how to cook it at home as it's very, very good when cooked properly. You've probably heard "oh, it only tastes good when it's cooked right" and such and thought it was a load of BS. It's not. It's really good.

Next time we go, though, I'm going to have them cook me a steak on their insane fire-breathing setup. I am an awesome steak cook - no question there - but I do not have the raw cooking power they do. I get a good sear, but... yeah. Have to have a steak there. ;)

I drug out my level 66 Necromancer, Sevolution, yesterday while she was doing some work. I shelved him for Alberic, the Inquisitor, because after some testing it was working out better that way as a duo. But I wanted to play, so I figured why not. Before he hit 66 and got the new tank pet, I'd tried going to Kunark with him, and it ended in tears (and death) so I hadn't been back. Well, armed with the L66 tank pet (and @ Master level no less), he's able to function there. It's still rough going (and I still died when I got adds), but at least he can fight there. I really should find a way to put another 3-4 levels on before I do it seriously though. Of course, that's a part-time project anyhow. ;)

Grace is nearly 60, and Alb is 64. We're working Pillar of Flames quests and planning to head to probably Loping Plains soon - that's a fun area I've done before. Then it's off to probably Lesser Faydark and probably Plane of Sky stuff too, before heading to Kunark on the duo. We'll wait until probably close to or right at 70 for that though, as we have no pet to take the insane damage that Kunark mobs put out.

Well, that's kind of it for this Monday morning. Now I've got to actually, ohmigawd!, work. Have to package up a new version this morning/today... Whee, always fun.