2017 Life Logs, Day 298: Questioning My Sanity
Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Weather: Overcast and Rainy; High 69, Low 57 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
Today I started questioning my sanity, but in the end, I think I have decided that I am not the one with the problem. The questioning of my sanity started as I sat here at my computer trying to figure out what the most effective and most cost-effective water filtration system should be installed in every home in Puerto Rico. There have already been three deaths attributed to the water-borne bacterial disease leptospirosis and I read tonight hat there are now 76 more cases under investigation. The craziness comes into the picture when I start to wonder who else is working on this problem. There must be people much smarter and in positions of power who could move on this quickly before more people are added to this list. I can’t solve this problem, but I can’t stop trying to figure out a solution until I hear that someone else is dealing with it. Justin and Jo have a water filter called a Big Berkey that is rated as 99.999% effective in filtering out both water borne bacteria and viruses. So, I think they are probably safe. But I am worried about all of the other people who don’t have such a filter. A Big Berkey takes no electricity. It is a gravity feed system with very effective filters. It is big stainless steel item, but is also light-weight which makes it somewhat easy to transport. The initial cost is about $250.00. That is all good, but the filters cost a little more than $150 a year to replace and my fear is that people would not be able to afford replacement filters. My friend Alan Kanegsberg is aware of a sand filter from Pure Water for the World that has been proven to be very effective in third world countries. But Puerto Rico is not a third world country. It is a territory of the United States and our leaders should be dealing with this. I have been sending small-scale water filters with donated money, but we are now at a point where we need larger scale solutions. None of us should be standing idly by as we watch US citizens drinking unsafe water. Thousands and thousands of water bottles have been sent to Puerto Rico, but that is only a temporary fix. We need real, long-term solutions. Ideas? Suggestions?
I made a major breakthrough in my search for a solar solution for Justin and Jo today. I have made phone call after phone call all over this country and Puerto Rico to no avail. So this afternoon I started to look for a local solution. I found the name of a solar provider about 9 miles from here, so I got in my car and drove there. The young man I talked with was tremendously helpful. Once I explained the situation, he got on a computer and looked carefully at the package available in Puerto Rico. He showed me how to find detailed information on the solar panels, the inverter, and the batteries that come with the package. I had not been able to do that. And he quickly determined that it is actually a very cost-effective system that will meet most of Justin and Jo’s needs. He recommended that I continue to try and contact the company in Puerto Rico to see if any of these kits are really still available. If so, he suggested I purchase one immediately. If not, he will help me put together a similar package here that we will have to get to PR someway, somehow. The problem is the size of the solar panels. Getting a package there that is 3 feet x 5 feet x 1 foot and weighs 120 pounds is no easy feat. The other components, even the batteries, could be put in large suit cases and flown there, but not the solar panels. I thanked the young man and hurried home to call Maximo Solar in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, one more time. The line was still busy as it has been for the last two weeks. Justin drove there last Saturday but wasn’t able to get in as there were so many people. He said it felt like trying to get into a rock concert, not a store selling solar power solutions. Popular place these days. But their little online chat line told me this afternoon that a consultant will contact me within the next business day. They told me that two weeks ago and I have never been given a call. But I’ll hope this time someone will contact me.
I did hear from Justin this morning that one more Amazon package and one more USPS package arrived today. One of the two Halloween fun packages arrived for Ziggy and Coco. Hopefully the other one will arrive in the next couple of days. I was so happy to hear that, but the Amazon package that arrived today was cause for true celebration. It was the order of seed sprouting trays and sprouting seeds sent by Dave and Donna Laux. Jo has been anxiously awaiting this arrival so she can start sprouting seeds as a fresh source of green nutrition. Sprouted seeds have high levels of dietary fiber, B complex vitamins, and protein. In just three days, they can reap the benefits. So, praises to Amazon for getting that package there. It took two and half weeks instead of five days, but it is there. And thanks to the US postal service for getting that package of Halloween fun there for Ziggy and Coco. Thanks and praises.
Tonight was the last night of an eight-day docuseries I have been ‘attending’ online. This series was about repairing and maintaining brain health. I absolutely loved one thing that was said in this last program outlining the seven steps to achieve the ‘ultramind’.
Step 1—Eat Right
Step 2—Take the Right Supplements
Step 3—Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
Step 4—Sleep
Step 5—Find Ways to Relax
Step 6—Learn New Things
Step 7—Live Clean and Green
It was Step 5 that rang loud and clear with me. One thing that people would never say about me is that I spend time relaxing. But they might be wrong. One of the major ways to do this, according to these experts, is to write. It was stated that the more you write, the more you release. And the more you release, the happier your brain. So now I can justify this nightly outpouring. WordPress tells me I have published 3,977 logs since October 18, 2005. That is a lot of releasing, so hopefully a lot of brain health gained. And now it time for Step 4—Sleep. Good Night!
