Marching, Again and A Special Announcement

The Women's March felt empowering, uplifting. The
March for Science felt like a parade for science, for the Earth, for our best aspirations and intentions. This latest march, the March For Our Lives, was empowering and uplifting, it was for our best aspirations and intentions, and it was sad, too. The senseless losses, the grief of families, the expectation that children should throw stones, or learn CPR... it's beyond the pale. I am not going to use this space to defend, rationalize, or explain what we believe. But, then again, I cannot believe how blindly enraged the opposition is, and it's hard not to address the low depths and dark lies they will turn to for the sake of machines built to tear bodies apart. Our country, our government, our culture, and values must do better to address the needs and expectations of the people of this century, of this generation. My confidence in young people has always been high, and hopeful, and it is heartening to see their intelligence, resilience, and fortitude in action. Democracy at work is good. "Kids are dying at school, and they'd rather not. They are asking for help." That seems fair and reasonable enough to march, vote, and stand up for.



Sean, Max, Alex J, Cory, Amira, Maria, William, Grant, and Alexi~



Speaking of intelligent and inspiring youth... we've been enjoying spring break moments, adventures, arrivals, occasions, and gatherings. Grant is home from France, and practically already on his way to his next venture: Teaching in Japan! Alex is skiing with Bambi... she's a pro, and he's taking his first ski lift rides. He sends me pictures from beautiful Mammoth, and I feel so excited for what he's experiencing.

I wish Geoff's time off and the school breaks could have aligned, and my head is so full of making our summer plans, that this break almost slipped by without me noticing. But I know Max enjoyed the breather, before mid-terms, and the long push to finals. Oh! Gosh, and Easter! It's practically tradition... that day sneaking up on me.

Here is the look I imagine Life casting me... when I forget Easter, or haven't cleaned my desk, or have failed to make that appointment, again. Fair enough. I don't even try to excuse or defend myself these days... if it requires thought, energy, planning, reading instructions, there's a strong chance I will disappoint someone. I am pretty threadbare these days.


Geoff ordered some aluminum. Or did he bid on it? I'm not sure. He's got a system... a bargain finding, deal making system, and that's how we score big pieces of aluminum to weld a storage setup for our workshop. It's also how we, after years of searching and hoping, score a big piece of CNC machinery...

This almost feels like an adoption announcement. Allow me to formally introduce our newest member of the BOoM-Nerd Family, the bride of Frankenrouter, Elsa the CNC mill...



Frankenrouter was built to mill wood, and other softer materials. Elsa will mill metal. When Geoff joked that this 2 ton machine would be the bride to Frankenrouter, I immediately pictured wide-eyed Elsa Lanchester's iconic portrayal of the reluctant bride.

She came from the theater department of San Diego State University... ha! another nod to a dramatic lineage. And she came "as is." The first thing Geoff discovered was a stuck collet (stripped drawbar threads.) It took some doing to figure out how to resolve this, but Geoff saved Elsa by boring up into the collet. This was precision work, and risky. He couldn't see exactly what he was doing, because of the angle of the pieces, but the operation was a success.

"Let's just call it 'innovative' fixturing," Geoff explained on FB. Sounds good to me.

Ido was the first to meet Elsa, and other friends have been by. Packages arrive, and now I know they're for Elsa. It's like a newborn is delivered, and she has needs, steals all the attention, receives gifts. Geoff announced, I have to go to the lumber supply, late one evening, and he came back with a blanket for Elsa.

This morning he texted me... it's a link to another thrilled Maker, making his own proud adoption announcement. Geoff could not be more giddy, I think. It's like he and Adam Savage have been on the same baby honeymoon, with mills.

This? Oh, this is just a baby picture of Elsa. Geoff found it when he was searching the Internet for her history, lineage, early years. He keeps it in his wallet. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. (Okay, that was Ilsa, not Elsa... I am mixing my dramatic references.)

Congratulations, Adam. We share in your enthusiasm and vision of great things to make!