Day 279. A good day after an aweful night.

Over the last few days I've gone to bed later and later. Two, three, four o'clock. My financial position is pretty dire. So it's been pretty difficult to get to sleep. Which in turn means you stop thinking clearly. So last night was the worst for a long while. Thoughts of not being around did enter my head but the idea that some poor sap has to find me and the effect on my friends and loved ones (yes, I do have a couple) soon pushed that idea out of my head. I will have to keep a grip on eating and sleeping. As I mentioned in an earlier post, "work on the things I can change" so making myself something to eat and getting to bed at a sensible hour are well within my control.
Anyway, I got up and got to work. Without touching the first three things on my "must do list". I am, however. Coming good in the back straight and fancy myself for a good finish in about an hour or so.
I took down my Christmas decorations earlier this evening. Cards, a string of lights and a little Christmas tree in a pot. I've given him a good drink and will find a nice spot in the garden for him at the weekend. I'm going to look after my little tree. It will, one day be a big tree. Which I will look at everyday and think back to when I was at my lowest. It would have grown big and strong. Which hopefully so would I have, too.
So, who is today's star?

Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis. 1906–1988.

The son of immigrants, Issigonis studied engineering at Battersea Polytechnic in London. He failed his mathematics exams three times and subsequently called pure mathematics 'the enemy of every creative genius'. After Battersea Polytechnic, Alec decided to enter the University of London External Programme ( once referred to as "People's University" by Charles Dickens because it provided access to higher education to students from less affluent backgrounds, the External Programme was chartered by Queen Victoria in 1858, making the University of London the first university to offer distance learning degrees to students).
Now I like this man because his career was devoted to good engineering solutions for the masses. He's best known for designing the Mini. First sold in 1959 and manufactured till 2000.
He was part of the team that designed the Morris Minor, which was produced from 1948 until 1971. He was most proud of his participation in the design of the Minor. He considered it to be a vehicle that combined many of the luxuries and conveniences of a good motor car with a price suitable for the working classes - in contrast to the Mini which was a spartan mode of conveyance with everything cut to the bone.
Onwards and upwards :-)