Awake and in pretty good shape.

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I think.  I'm not completely awake yet.  Still, it seems that soreness and stiffness are mostly gone.  Just little bits left to keep me interested.  :p  Energy isn't back, but I am going to have to do something.  The cold water valve is still on.  With the handle broke I can't turn it off inside.  So, I am going to have to turn off the water, go outside, and shut off the water to the cave.  Now, I don't want to go without water for long.  Therefore, I am going to have to either cap those water pipes or put on new valves.  What is the problem?  The faucet is still connected to the water lines, and it is now leaking.  It is in a pot, and so far that is holding the water, but...  I suppose I could just drain the pot, but then I'd want another, so I would need two pots just to tend this.  Yeah, sloppy, so I will turn off the water, cap or add a valve where possible.  I think I only have one more in-line copper/brass ball valve on hand, with fittings anyway, so that is that until I get into town.

Not sure if I can do this AND get to town, but there is hope.  I have a bunch of valves to take back... one used, one broken, and two unused.  Too fragile.  Although, since I am not on a timer today, I will also look for bigger inline valves for downstairs, so I can turn water off right her in the house.  A couple of those valves have... an odd knob on them.  I want to investigate those.  If I ever get the rest of this system to work and then get a breather, I will... check those out.  They are brass valves, so perhaps they can be fixed... maybe new gaskets is all that will be needed.  I just don't want to depend on that and will simply, for now, replace with new (though I will buy, or look for, valve fix-it packets, or the parts for such).  The guys at the hardware store, if you get the right ones, usually know what for on such things.  And, I am learning.

Everybody starts out as a putz on new large areas of understanding.  Improvements are slow, learning is hard, and it costs time, money, and energy.  Still, if you consider how much one would pay to learn the standard way, on-the job learning, on one's own, is far cheaper, much more efficient to the project, and will eventually yield good stuff for far less on every front.  Most of what you learn in school starts with the very simple then goes into the very complex, often skipping over the areas that are really needed.  I don't need to learn how to mentally know righty-tighty from lefty-loosey on paper, for a test, I need to know that just by feel.  That is muscle memory.  And I don't care why the thermodynamic properties of brass make it more, or less, efficient, than some other material.  I just need to know that it is good enough for my project, and it is.  What I really would like to know is what is wrong with my faucet, and they wouldn't even touch on that.  My guess is most plumbers wouldn't know or care... they would just replace this and that until it works, or not, then just choose to replace the whole thing.  They aren't efficient minded.  Heck, it's... your money.  Bleh.

Anyway, so, while I am not in shape quite yet, my mind has been focused by need... a drip that will overflow if I don't tend it, and then keep it tended.  I don't like slow leaks... it's a submariner thing.  :)  That and... well... literal fires.  Though that... respect of fire makes wild fires all that more interesting.  Love lighting that grill.  Paraffin, egg carton base, and lint combine to make a fantastic firestarter by the way.  I used too much paraffin per 'shell', so I can't quarter them.  Next time I will use a lot less, make a lot more fire starters, and will be able to quarter them.  Yeah, that'll be all I need, I believe.  Wet, dry, doesn't matter.

Hmm... I'm going to need another hour, and some music, before I can try and push those battered energy reserves.  Bleh.  I really did need another day of rest.  This WILL cost me... a few days, maybe a week, down.  I know this.  I do.  It's, just... drip, drip, drip...  Gah!  Oh, best buy some more cream, and milk, when in town.  Yeah, this is going to cost a lot.  Might as well make sure I am ready for some down time.

Later.