misc

I've been working on the mark III hovercraft. It will have a much more advanced 'tube skirt' design, and a much greater surface area for both lifting power and stability. At 4' x 4' it is far too large to be put on a bench. That means a lot of crawling around on hands and knees on the hard, concrete floor. After a few days of this my knees were a solid bruise. So I finally bought some cheap kneepads, and I'm in love. They're great! A couple bucks and the problem is completely solved. Plus, it feels like wearing armor.

I want to do more long distance biking this summer. I at least want to do all of STP, and I'm looking at the possibility of a 3 or 4 day solo camping trip to Spokane. My problem before has always been joint pain: wrists, ankles, neck and back. My actual muscle endurance was fine, as long as I was careful not to let my blood sugar crash, but the grating joint pain was a huge barrier to training properly. The solution was obvious: a recumbent bike. Last week I found one used on craigslist for cheap and bought it. Short-wheel base, so I'm not too low to the ground and under-seat steering, to prevent arm strain for long distances. If I'm ever home when it isn't dark and raining, I'll be able to say something about it other than 'it sure is pretty'. I might even post pictures.

Finally, the printing press should be arriving any day now! Squee!