10:00 Nov 24 2016
Thanksgiving Day
There are a zillion
mosquitos flying around this morning. All over the RV windows and the
cars.
Notice the word “cars”.
Next to the RV are my
buddy's car he loaned me, and my other friends delivered my Metro
from town yesterday. :-) I love my Chevy Metro. It is a great little
car that gets great fuel consumption. But it is a manual
transmission, and needs a left leg to push the clutch. :-(
It has been acting like a
scarecrow in a friends driveway. To add to the impression that
someone is home while she is at work.
There is something about
me, that I am sure is not normal. When confronted with a possible
action, I often think “Why would I want to do that?”
I analyze the “intention”
of my actions.
It is not as if I need a
“reason” to do something, but I do want to understand “why” I
want to do something. Often when I do something to help someone, I do
it because it makes “me” feel good to help them. I am not being
nice because I want to be nice, I am being nice because it makes “me”
feel good.
It is like my only purpose
in being nice, is because I am selfish. Being nice, makes ME ME ME,
feel good.
Yesterday, two of my
friends brought my Metro out to the property. They both were very
busy getting ready for a large Thanksgiving dinner and gathering, yet
they took time to do something that was not pleasant, and time
consuming. They did this for me.
I immediately question
their motives. Why would they do that for me? What is in it for
them? Do they also get pleasure from helping people? Are they just
good people, and want to help others. Altruistic by nature.
Motiveless giving. The world needs more people like these.
Having friends like this
is a great thing, but I question my “worthiness”.
When it comes to being
friends, I don't think I am very good at it.
--
I have many projects for
the long weekend.
I want to install a
wireless alarm. It will sound an alarm in the RV when ever anything
goes through the property gate. The gate is about 100 yards/meters
away from the RV.
I need to install 3 grab
bars in the bathroom.
I have hooked up one of
the living room lights to the voice controlled Arduino. I can turn on
and off the living room light by voice now. I need to also hook up
the hall and bathroom lights.
Wow! A hawk/eagle/big bird
just attacked the bushes, it got a squirrel.
It's a hawk. Bare legs.
Smaller than I thought. Bad luck for the squirrel, but good luck for
the hawk. Life is not a “zero sum” game.
The biggest project for
the weekend, is trying to figure something to do with the Metro. I
spent a few hours online, trying to figure out some options. I want
to be able to drive it, and tow it behind the RV.
Option 1. Make the Metro
electric. This would cost about $5,000. Twice, what the whole car is
worth. Electric cars don't need a left leg.
Option 2. Buy/install an
electric clutch conversion kit. About $2000.
Option 3. Invent, and make
a cable pulley system to allow hand operation of the clutch. About
$200 for parts, plus lots of labor.
Option 4. Design and build
a holder for the prosthetic foot onto the clutch pedal. Then use
force on my stump to push the prosthetic foot, to move the clutch.
$10.
Yesterday I tried to drive
the Metro using my prosthetic leg to push the clutch. With the seat
almost all the way back to minimize the angle and increase the
leverage to push the clutch pedal. With correct placement of the
prosthetic foot, I was able to push the clutch in, BUT...The knee
locked. I was pushing the pedal with the prosthetic heal, so as soon
as the leg went straight, it locked. I was jammed tight in the seat,
and no way to release the knee lock.
I slid the seat all the
way back, and used my cane to pry the prosthetic foot down far enough
on the clutch pedal. Enough to put pressure on the toe, which broke
the knee loose.
This solution will need
lots of thinking, and planing to be able to use the clutch with the
prosthetic leg in a fail safe way.
I also need to move the RV
about 2 feet back. But first I need to fill in some holes. I dread
shoveling sand into the holes. My balance seems to be the problem. I
would make a lousy gardener.
--
I just learned that many
Chinese stores, that specialize in women's things, have “man caves”
for men to wait while their women shop.
--
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