After discussing my weird feelings the other day with several commenters, I think I figured it out--I was having an anxiety attack. It had been so long since I'd had one that I guess I'd forgotten what they feel like! I used to get them all the time back when I was teaching college English (1990-1996). After I quit, my ulcer, my anxiety attacks, and my general bad mood mysteriously went away.
It's strange; all my life I had wanted to be a teacher. Yet from the beginning of my career, the day-to-day life of a teacher was just so tough for me. The teaching part was easy; it was the meeting of new people every semester, the constant sense that I was "performing" as if onstage each day--that's what I couldn't stand. I had my moments of fun, especially when I designed a course with a teaching colleague, but the actual standing in front of people always kinda beat me down. And I won't even go into the ceaseless and exhausting grading. Students would complain about having to write a paper every week in my composition classes; I would tell them, "You have to write one paper a week. I have to grade 150 papers a week. I'd trade places with you any day!"
Anyway, that was many years (and many careers) ago. On to the birdy excitement of the moment! Here's the status on my camera-to-scope adapter.
Here's a picture of the little knobs and rubber strips I found at Lowe's:
So tonight, I have to take some measurements of the scope eyepiece and the camera lens etc. and cut a piece of PVC pipe to serve as the adapter itself. I drill a few holes for the clamping knobs and thumbscrews. As to why I got the thumbscrews: I figure I'll leave the thumb screws set, and I'll loosen and tighten the clamping knobs to attach/detach the adapter. We'll see if that works.
I'll have an update for you tomorrow! And thank you to all the commenters who wished me well after my weird feeling attack. Happily, nothing was wrong with anyone -- at least no one I know. And I got a little insight into my "inner birds" as FranSheIs called them, those inner thoughts and subconscious goings-on that we all must face from time to time.
It's strange; all my life I had wanted to be a teacher. Yet from the beginning of my career, the day-to-day life of a teacher was just so tough for me. The teaching part was easy; it was the meeting of new people every semester, the constant sense that I was "performing" as if onstage each day--that's what I couldn't stand. I had my moments of fun, especially when I designed a course with a teaching colleague, but the actual standing in front of people always kinda beat me down. And I won't even go into the ceaseless and exhausting grading. Students would complain about having to write a paper every week in my composition classes; I would tell them, "You have to write one paper a week. I have to grade 150 papers a week. I'd trade places with you any day!"
Anyway, that was many years (and many careers) ago. On to the birdy excitement of the moment! Here's the status on my camera-to-scope adapter.
Here's a picture of the little knobs and rubber strips I found at Lowe's:
thumb screws, clamping knobs, and vacuum cleaner belt
So tonight, I have to take some measurements of the scope eyepiece and the camera lens etc. and cut a piece of PVC pipe to serve as the adapter itself. I drill a few holes for the clamping knobs and thumbscrews. As to why I got the thumbscrews: I figure I'll leave the thumb screws set, and I'll loosen and tighten the clamping knobs to attach/detach the adapter. We'll see if that works.
I'll have an update for you tomorrow! And thank you to all the commenters who wished me well after my weird feeling attack. Happily, nothing was wrong with anyone -- at least no one I know. And I got a little insight into my "inner birds" as FranSheIs called them, those inner thoughts and subconscious goings-on that we all must face from time to time.
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