Something good for us older folks to know. If someone asks if you just fell, tell them you didn't. Instead, tell them you were just checking to see if gravity still works.

Okay. It's Wednesday, June 17, 2020, and I do bid each and everyone a warm welcome. That's not hard to do as we deal with this early onset heatwave. I have now joined a Facebook page devoted to those who deal with sleep issues by utilizing a CPAP unit. There are 1600 members and thus far I am finding myself in good company as many of them are dealing with similar issues. Duh! The good news is that early on in my usage I am doing mostly pretty good. I never realized how many different vendor products there are and the available huge variety of parts and pieces. Some semi-funny stuff already. Those who have pacemakers and CPAP machines talk about potential interference via the wifi connection. One lady said her pacemaker sends up information to something called a cloud and so does her CPAP machine, causing her to wonder what the two of them are telling each other. I am doing my best to train myself to become a nose breather after being a mouth breather for as long as I have been around. I do okay when I first fall asleep but when you wake up with your mouth feeling as dry as the West Texas wind, (literally), well, you know that during your sleep cycle your mouth came open. I do not want to use a chin strap. They do make other types of things to try. At any rate, I may try out, at some time in the future, the whole face mask which covers nose and mouth. My numbers are pretty good and they are holding fairly steady. One lady sent me a note and said she had many inquiries from people with beards who struggle to get a good fit. I sent her the information on the one I am using. I couldn't do much more than that since I still don't have too much of a handle on what I am doing. 

While I was at the dentist the other day I received a text from the company I worked for most recently. (Twelve years.) They needed some information on how I coordinated particular projects where independent third party testing was required. I have a fairly decent memory, but, not on stuff like that. I began to think about thinking about what they were asking. I looked up some information via the internet. I mentioned to the wife what I was doing and she said she had no doubt I could come up with what they needed. She did. I'm glad she believes in me more than I believe in myself. I looked and looked and I guess that archived file decided to show itself out on the radar screen. I called and told the fellow at the company I thought I could help him. Here's the funny part. Having come up with the consulting firm we used I gave him this input. "When you call them be sure and tell them you have an account with them. There was some type of initiation fee but once it is paid it doesn't have to be paid again. Also, be aware of the principals I dealt with are retired and no longer an active part of the firm. I then went on to explain how and what they will do and how they will coordinate the entire project. I also reminded him to add the cost to the bid they are making to our primary customer. When I finished I told the wife it was funny how quickly it all came back to me along with all the ownership pronouns that came flooding back. 

What he will learn very quickly is building everything to those specifications and getting all the approvals done before you can ship your constructed unit, well, it is a pain. This particular unit must meet the specifications in New Jersey. Up there, they seem to enjoy making life difficult for folks in Texas who try to build and ship units into their state. I do have a theory about all of this. There are fees that must be paid to the state receiving the unit. I think you know where this is going. Texas, meanwhile, has always been more open in terms of business flexibility, BUT, they too see the opportunity to cash in on this type of fee collection. I'm sure they would say they are only looking to assure a safe product. I coordinated enough of these types of certifications to at least have my opinion. Having resurrected my recollections, I did remember how I enjoyed working with the people at the consulting firm. We had a friendly and productive relationship. Dealing with state agencies. Not so much. And, I now shut that file and have no plans to be looking for it again anytime soon. Things like that make me realize I could still get the job done if that was something I needed to do. Sometimes, you do wonder about stuff like that. Or, at least I do. Have a good rest of the day and remember to thank God for His provisions. Amen. .....More later.