Well it's official now . . .

I over did things today but got a whole lot done. Problem now of course is that my fibro has flared up and I feel like I've been run over by one of the many trains that go lumbering through behind my house.

What I got done? Finally re-registered Jumper One (Jo for short) and put the Ohio plates on her. Frankly it's just wrong. My Colorado plates went well with Jo's color, and tickled my artist's temperament. They complimented Jo, rather than a big, ugly, garish, "look at me I don't belong here" kind of plate that I have now. Red, White, Blue and Ugly as a long summer's day. It's just wrong I tell you!

So anyway, back to what I got done. Did all the running around to have the car done, which entailed a stop at a local dealership to have them look at my existing title, and the vin number and confirm that yes, that was the car. $3.50 later I was on my way to the title office where I found out I could have done it there, by them, and paid the $3.50 without going to a dealership. But they don't tell you this on the website. So the title office wanted $8.50 to take my old title, and give me a new one for Ohio. Thankfully I only had to go right next door to get my plates. Another $35.25 later I had the aforementioned ugly, garish plates in hand and could have been done for the day. I'd not thought far enough ahead to remember to bring a screw driver with me. So, I figured I'd get on the highway, head back to the barn and change the plates there.

Not so much, rush hour was starting, so I snapped off a smart about face to go home the back way. When I say a smart about face, I do mean smart. This car for a four door has a turning radius like a motorcycle. On a two lane road with no shoulder I can bring it about with room to spare. One of the many things I love about this improbable, impossible little car. That and 43 mpg doing 80 across the plains of east CO and KS. Mind you the speed limit there is 75 and I was doing 80 in something like self defense, since people were passing me like I was standing still. My last trip from CO to here, I got nailed by the state patrol. "Ma'am is there a problem? I clocked you doing 80."

"I'm sorry officer, please don't write me a ticket, I promise I'd slow down!"

"Slow down?!? Ma'am do you know why I pulled you over?"

"Well yeah, because I was doing 80, I'm really sorry, but didn't you see all the people passing me? They were going so much faster that I was."

"Yes Ma'am, that's why I pulled you over, you really need to be going faster. I'll let you off with a warning this time, but really, for your own safety you really need to drive road speed or get off the highway. So please, drive a little faster, you should be doing 85-90 through here or you'll get hit. If you have a mechanical reason you can't go faster, put the four ways on, or take the surface streets, especially when it gets dark."

Dumbfounded I promised I'd go faster and he let me off with a warning. Anyway, this car is great on gas on the highway.

So as I was driving home, it dawned on me that I'd never heard back for the gym, and I thought I'd stop there and find out what the problem was. Oh my, what an experience. Turns out the girl I'd talked to that day was the night person and didn't know how everything worked, so I'd gotten filed away. Turns out that yeah, my health insurance comes with gym membership. Actually the whole thing, gym, pools, classes, sauna, showers and so forth. Indoor pools, as in more than one. Nothing makes me happier than being in the water, so it really appeals to me to have access to a pool. My insurance agent said all I had to do was show them my card and I'd be good to go for free. That was months ago that I stopped in. So there I was in a madhouse. Phones ringing like mad, people streaming in and out in droves and only one person at the desk expected to do everything. Debbie was apologizing to me, and I felt bad for her, she said oh, yes, you do get full membership, no-one has put you into the computer yet. I waited, thank good I could meditate because I didn't have any tranquilizers with me. So I waited, and waited some more, and more after that. It was . . .

. . . stressful. I can't imagine what it was like for poor Debbie. No, wait, I can. I used to work for one of the largest brokerages in the world, I had three different phones on my desk, and quite often they were all ringing for multiple lines at the same time. People always at my door wanting things, needing things, and so on. Looking back I keep asking myself "WHAT WERE you thinking!?!?!?"

She finally said that I could go workout if I wanted and she'd have everything entered into the computer and my new ID when she was done. I thanked her and said well I really hadn't prepared to come and work out, just wanted to stop in and make sure I could. She promised she'd get it all entered in and have my ID ready tomorrow if I wanted to come back. So, I came home, quite exhausted, changed the plates and went back out to hunt up parts for a TV lift system I designed for my Brother's boat. That involved running to a couple of different places trying to hunt up something common in me cars. Electrically operated gas shocks. Simple right? Not so much since I didn't know which car I was putting them into and everything is so computerized people have lost the ability to thing anymore. It's sad really.

So I'm still searching and trying to figure out if there is really any point to me building it since one almost identical to what I designed could be had for $450 dollars ready to install. So far with a manual system it was looking like close to 300 dollars in parts, goodness knows how much the automatic shocks are going to be. The good thing out of this is it inspired me a bit and I've figured out how to built a generator that runs on either water, or garbage, and produces clean clear water and lots of electricity. Plus it has NO moving parts!

It's surprisingly simple using existing materials and technology. Honestly I'm kinda stunned now one else has come up with one. You can build them small enough to have in an electric car, all the way up to an industrial sized model to run a whole building off of. Considering the sheer metric tonnage of garbage this country makes, using it to make power kills two birds with but one stone. Three really, since clean water can be a problem in so many areas. Plus it's got a low carbon footprint. The exhausted from the water based one is, wait for it, water! The garbage based one uses a cleaning system to wring the carbon and toxins produced by burning out of the exhaust so while it's not perfect, it is better than an existing gas or diesel engine.

So now I have to put one together at some point. Just kind of a proof of concept thing. For now I should post this so you all don't think I died or something. I also want to put another post about a dream I had this morning. Ange shared one of her's so I thought I'd do likewise so she doesn't feel all alone. Mine, may rival her's for weirdness though, it's probably weirder. But it was cool.