Friday, March 10, 2017

End of Life

We all have to go at some point.  To date, only one has gotten out alive and that's because He was resurrected.  Our days are numbered and if we are lucky, we get to choose the time an place.

My mother-in-law has been ill and in and out of hospital for nearly a year now.  Yesterday, She became non -responsive and was not breathing.  Someone missed the DNR and the ambulance crew revived her.  She is now set on a track to the end of her life.  She is refusing all medications, all therapies.  She is confident of her place in the afterlife.

At what point do we make that call?  As I age, I better understand this process.  The pain of day-to-day living becomes less worthwhile, whether it is painful, physically or emotionally, or just too tough to slog through.  Or maybe we just decide we are "done".  If one is ready, at peace and prepared for what comes after, one should feel free to let go of this life and move on to the next.

The Grid

The Beer:  I am well past due for a Brew Day.  The last one was a disaster.

The Bicycle:  Slowly getting back.  This HAS to be the year.

The VRWC:  The "Grid" is the country's electrical distribution system.  There is only enough energy on the grid to meet all the loads plus the losses.  Losses are in the form of heat from what I would call "electrical friction".

The grid runs at 60 hertz and consists of "base load" which are large generating units that run full-out all the time.  Then there are reserve units that follow load.  As load varies throughout the day, they pick up the slack.  All these units are known quantities.  The load follow units also make up for other generators that might accidentally fall off-line (trip).

Wind is a variable source of energy.  It varies not just by the day or hour, but by the minute...even by the second.  Because of the variability, conventional generators must be available to make up for that variability.  Remember, there is only enough energy to meet all the loads and all the losses.  Solar is also variable for the most part, but somewhat more predictable.