So it’s kinda a long story.
When Hurricane Harvey was making it’s way towards Houston, where I live, after trying to give friends warnings and some of them shushing me, I decided to pack up the family and get out of Houston and head NorthWest away from any possible path of the Hurricane. As Harvey and the Flooding wreaked Havoc on Houston we stayed in our popup camper at Possum Kingdom State Park, a couple of hours west of Dallas, with not a cloud in the sky for 10 days. Although a car took on some water, our house was mostly OK. I cannot say the same for half the homes in my neighboorhood. A friend that heeded my warning and left was unfortunately the one that lost his house entirely.
But for this story we are going to focus on the misnaming of Possum Kingdom. Its name, along with the famous song by the Toadies, is a misleading lie, a marketing ploy! Possum Kingdom State Park is, in fact, the Skunk Kingdom.
So it seems that Skunks are very … I was going to say “brave” creatures but that does not apply. Because I never sensed fear from any of our picturesque waterfront campsite’s visitors. They were very sure of themselves, as if to know … to say “Screw you, I’m a skunk. Whadya gonna do 'bout it?” They are not very distractable and not concerned with our excitement in their inspection of our naively left out outside half-packed boxes and bags on our first evening away from the storms.
Now we didn’t think we left food outside, we knew better than that. I also didn’t intend to leave my high-level nerd empowering “electronics box” I brought with me for camping … just in case … for security … I didn’t mean to leave the cover off. An exploded trailer tire, from a locked up brake, from a wire in the road that wrapped around the brake’s wires and engaged it, in gale-force wind and rain as the storm came in … the tire had to be changed. The brake, unlocked. And already 5 hours drive from home. Then the pigs in the road, just over the hill, with our trailer still behind us, without brakes. Spread in a row across the lanes, I had to choose among them in an instant… one little piggy, two little piggies, three little … I’ll take the second!! $500 deductible. Gotta keep going… I’ll forget about it for now.
I was tired. The campground was empty 'cept for us. I left the box out. And my Pimax 4k was in there with the portable hard drives and USB cables, chargers, the Nolo box, all safe with us like the gaming PC behind the second row of seats in the van. My wife rushed to pack in what she had time to think of. Even the sweet touches. Wherever she could find space. Two pine tree shaped camp cookies fit just right in the box. A skunk is gonna smell.
So I tried to get its attention with a holler, but skunk don’t care. It just snorts at me and the Pimax. I’m a gadget nerd, with a tiny Shopvac packed under the dinette seat, and the hose connected to the blowhole got it’s attention, with the winds with me now. Now I’m boss, skunk doesn’t want to piss in the wind. But it doesn’t run. It saunters away more in frustration. As if I’d sent it to its room without dessert. But still, tonights dinner a main course of one pine tree cookie. The other one still in its bag. Waste not want not.
When we get back and settled about 2 weeks later I take a look at Pimax, knowing I’m going to have to clean it up. I wiped off the little bit of mud tracks on the strap and HMD. Clean it some more … and some more … it was a skunk … some disinfecting. Looks good as new! But on first light I see it. Skunk snot? A few drops on the screen? Very small, I can live with it for a bit. I’ve seen them open these things up. I can even take out that screen filter that makes it too dim. When I have time. Time to get over the shock of what has happened to us, Our City. The van, the pig. Our other car.
So tonight was the night. I’ll pop it open like in the video, take my Zeiss cleaning wipes and disinfectant and get restored. But this isn’t a 4k, this isn’t the video version. It BE different. The cover pops off the same, but then it all comes out, like all my vital organs. I can see the lenses, and the other glass you can’t tell is there. They are clean. The screen shows the snot dots. But they don’t wipe off. They’re in there, behind the glass. It snot snot. It’ looks … chipped? flaked? still showed an image in the dot, but just as if a filter had chipped or flaked off. And there is no filter, at least one I can peel off. This looks like I have to live with it.
And is this panel flexible? Did I feel that flex? I don’t see it, or do I? There on the corner. Did that happen? … I’ve been through too much lately to get very emotional. But I know that might be it. I plug in the fragile cables. It might be. That’s probably it. Done. Try again. Unplug everything, back in. See if you can get better contact. I’m a nerd, I know how to be stubborn, to bend this tech to my will. Which then I pulled too hard on that tiny proximity sensor ribbon cable, and now I have alternating blinking red and green lights to scold me.
So that’s that. Am I done? Do I have any recourse. Stupid tax. Wait for the 8k? I can get a 4k here sometime next week for a little over 3 bills, but shouldn’t I punish myself? I was about to get that 8700k this holiday. Would it be worth it without a clear vision of purpose? Do I even deserve that anymore? Just give Cesar his stupid tax. My wife tells me unenthusiastically to “ask them about it”. Ask them what? Who? I’ll tell them my tribulations. That’s what I’ll do. Pity me oh community.
Can I get this panel? The ribbon? Is the actual 4k going to be it’s equal? Will the 8k have pity on me and be available soon? Can I run that without the system I may now no longer deserve?
All of this will be showcased on the Avsim Prepar3d forum (user d3n4l1).