A day away

"Taking time to pursue different activities, maintaining a balance between work, new endeavors and that good old therapeutic day in the shop protects you from one commitment becoming overwhelming."

Today was focused on a couple of projects out in the shop, ones that have taken a back seat to the campaign.  I have been asked if I have the time for the Hospital Board and the PUD Board.  For most of the 40 years I have served as an elected Hospital Commissioner, I also had a full time "day job".

I am still as active as ever with the hospital and am attending all of the PUD Board, Citizen Advisory Board, and several other PUD related organization's meetings PLUS conducting the campaign.  To me, when elected, serving on both boards will have one less "job" (the campaign) than I have now.

Back to the shop project.  A couple of weeks ago, I picked a "fixer upper" metal lathe.  Today, I finished building a mobile stand for it.  I had some 4 inch "I" beam and some 3 inch heavy wall steel pipe, both salvaged and re-purposed for this stand.  A couple of hours of cutting and welding, add some heavy duty casters I purchased at a garage sale and a coat of paint and, well, it came out quite functional and not bad looking.  Now to give that old small lathe a lot of TLC.

Tomorrow I will be attending the Climate Change meeting.  I have heightened concerns since I heard about the discovery of large releases of methane (?) plumes off the New England Coast and wanted to hear what others think about it.  At a recent Energy Lunch, the presenter spoke to the concern that warming may cause catastrophic releases of methane as the methane hydrate on the bottom of the ocean melts.

Action must be taken preserve this fragile globe we all call home.  A famous quote by John E. Lewis seems appropriate: "If not us, then who?  If not now, then when?

Thanks and remember: Conservation can help and you can become part of the solution, reduce, reuse and recycle.  Our grandkids will thank us!

Tony