I can't sleep.
No special reason.
Not cancer, or pain, or drugs.
Just a normal, garden variety, can't sleep.
I don't think my mind ever completely rests. I woke up at 03:00 thinking a jumble of thoughts.
My Florida friends and hurricane Mathew.
Air bladders for my prosthesis socket.
My poor solar batteries.
Getting my car through the roadworthy test.
All these thoughts flooding seconds apart, over and over. No one thought taking charge.
Some of my Florida friends have boarded up their houses, and some have fled to the West, and some have done both. Away from the East coast and the hurricane's path. Usually these friends either have hurricane parties while the wind and rain blows, or else they just work as normal. Not this time. The predictions must be real bad. I have these people in my thoughts.
The eye should pass right over one friends house. My poor neglected RV is only 16 miles from the center of the path. It will probably get damaged. :-( It is deep in a forest, so it is protected from the wind, but the roots of the trees are in sand, and often the wind blows the trees down.
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I have always thought of having multiple air bladders inside the prosthesis socket, which would allow the varying of pressure at different points against the stump, as needed. But the mechanics of incorporating bladders into the socket design require much thought and design work. I have a medical boot that is mainly used for sprained ankles.
A perfect fitting socket is every amputee's dream.
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Last night while I was watching TV, using headphones, we had a power failure. My solar system batteries kicked in, and the inverter supplied power to my house just like it was supposed to, but I didn't hear the alarm. After 4 hours of using the lights, TV, 2 computers, and cooking supper, I only then realized the power had failed. I normally reduce the electricity usage as soon as the power fails. This time I didn't know. So when I headed for bed at 23:30 I noticed my poor batteries were way below the minimum I normally allow them. Discharging batteries to far hurts them. :-( Sorry batteries.
Right then, before I could reduce the usage, the mains power came back on, and started recharging the batteries. They have been on high charge for about 4 hours now.
I need to devise a fail safe alarm, not just a soft buzzer to warn of power failure.
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I got the car brakes fixed. The one slave cylinder had leaked real bad. Now I need to take it through roadworthy before I can put it into my name from Maddie's name. The papers Maddie sent arrived yesterday. 14 days to get here from George.
At the brake repair place, I saw a notice for a company that waits in line for people at the motor vehicle department offices.
We-Q-4-U.
In British colonies, the word "Que" means to stand in a line. These people take all my papers, and stand in line for hours in my place. It is a good employment of poor, uneducated, people. They mainly do vehicle registrations, and renewals.
They are offering a new service, where they take your car through the roadworthy inspection, then take it to mechanic to fix any defects, then back to roadworthy, and keep doing this until the car passes.
My car has non standard tires. South Africa law requires the tires to be manufacture recommended tires. My car has Mag wheels with bigger tires.
WE-Q-4-U says they will temporarily swap tires just to pass the test, then swap the tires back. This alone will save me R3000, that I was going to have to pay for new tires.
Then they take all the papers and complete the registration into my name.
We-Q-4-U charge a lot of money, but it will save me many hours of standing in lines, and dealing with people that I would rather do harm to, than smile at.
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My hot milk drink is finished, and I am sleepy now.
I am hoping the humbling, hurricane doesn't hurt my friends.
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