Mite Poop

I managed to take my fried VFD apart, sort of. It’s really something to see. They use screws to unite parts that are also soldered together, so you take the screws out and pull, and then you see the solder, and you wonder if it’s a cruel joke.

It’s still fried. I tested my electricity again (using my magically repaired Fluke “Our Gucci Meters Don’t Need no Steenking Battery Indicators” multimeter), and I rewired the power cord. No change.

There is no real schematic included with this VFD, and even if there were, there are very few parts a mere mortal could hope to replace. I can’t identify the part I fried, and if I could, I couldn’t do anything about it. At least I got the satisfaction of getting the cabinet open.

I’m still waiting for UPS to skulk in with the motor they probably refused a damage claim on. Once it arrives, I’ll be able to order a new conduit box, and that will be the end of my major lathe headaches. The seller has already agreed to cover the cost of the box.

I’m still on hold, lathe-wise, but at least I feel good. A few days ago I got myself a dust-mite-proof mattress cover. When I replaced my pillows, I noticed an improvement in my breathing, but it didn’t last. I figured I had to go whole-hog and cover the mattress. Looks like it worked. I don’t use addictive nasal spray any more, and I sleep all night with no interruptions.

The mattress cover didn’t look too great in the store. I was hoping for cotton. You can find bug-proof cotton covers online, but the one at BBB was made from polyester, and the packaging said it was waterproof, so I was afraid it was just a big plastic bag. I poked around until I found a description of the fabric, and I found something which seemed to suggest it was microfiber. I decided to take a chance; one of my pillow covers was made by the same company, and it works fine. I didn’t want to order a mattress cover online and then wait a week for it to arrive.

The fabric feels awful, but in practice, it presents no problems. It’s under a mattress pad and a sheet, so I can’t feel the revolting texture. And it breathes, so I’m not swimming in sweat all night. The best part is that you can throw it in the washer and dryer without worrying. Some of the covers I found online got complaints because they were fragile.

I wonder how long my sleep has been disturbed. I would guess that I started using this mattress again two years ago, after taking it out of storage.

Dust mites are really something. What I’ve read is that they literally crawl out of mattresses at night to eat dead skin and poop on people. I guess when you imprison them in a mattress cover, they can’t do that. You would think mite-poop vapor would come up through the cover and cause congestion, but it doesn’t.

From now on, every time I buy a mattress, one of these covers is going on it from the first day. Why give the mites a chance to establish a foothold? I keep reading horrifying factoids, like the one that says dust mites can double the weight of a mattress over time. I am not interested in maintaining a mite farm.

The fabric is called Microguard, in case you’re interested in trying it.

I feel a little silly, sleeping on a waterproof mattress cover at my age, but I guess now I’m free to take up bedwetting.