Begin Launch Sequence

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Eight years ago to the day that the church had first met in the old middle school. Eight years ago to the afternoon that Collette had entered her audition for the Young People’s Concert Orchestra at the St. Louis Symphony Music School.

Over at the house, Frances was under ammunition operations. He was in search of the perfect “compressor”. After Collette recommended that he empty the contents of the hot chocolate container, he did so and affixed it to “Little Tom”, coating it in black spray paint.

“Ready for launching,” Frances said, running into the house for his last needed item.

“Watch this!” Linnea grinned.

She ran over to the burning bush by the garage and plucked a handful of green leaves. Before Frances had returned, she jumped up to the nozzle of the gun and dropped them in.

“System loading,” said Frances, with Carrie behind him.

He snuffed baby powder down the nozzle.

“Frances, I use that,” said Carrie.

“Ooops,” said Frances, as he continued loading the nozzle.

“OK, Linnea, get ready. Open the lid, and when I tell you to close it, close it fast!”

Linnea opened the lid as Frances sent a heavy spray of aerosol hairspray into the hot chocolate tin.

“OK, close it!”

Linnea clapped on the lid, they all stood back, and Frances clicked the lighter.

Poof!

Baby powder shot into the air as the hot chocolate tin popped off the gun in an explosion of flame and a few green leaves.

Frances continued his launches throughout the day around algebra and a quick stop for poppyseed muffins and beans for lunch.

Meanwhile, Dad was inside taking Puck for a bit of a dance to the grooves of Michael Buble.

“He likes lounge music,” said Dad.

And it did, indeed, appear to Puck’s audience, that he did.

Dad had also been suggesting that Carrie and Joe move to Wyoming as a next phase in life, and for Joe to finish school while spending his free time biking and hiking the grand Tetons.

“We might even get Rose to go with you,” said Dad.

“You’d have to pay me to bring her,” Carrie replied.

“We might be able to arrange that,” Dad tried not to chuckle too hard.

Rose, apparently, had not been in hearing distance.

Puck was involved with his lunch hour, with Carrie behind the spoon. The specialty of the day – carrots and prunes.

“Put a leaf on top of him, and he’d look like a pumpkin,” Mom said.

Puck grinned through his carrot-covered cheeks.

That night it was off to another game at Busch Stadium while Denae kept an eye on the snoozing Puck.