Last night I was riding my bicycle home from work about 10PM, and heard a loud clacking sound on the edge of the forest in Germantown, MD. It was two Whitetail bucks sparring. I see all kinds of amazing stuff on my bicycle – every day.
I’m headed back to Colorado today. Total ground transportation expenses for two weeks :
- $24 round trip bus fare to DIA
- $10 round trip bus fare to BWI ($34 total)
- $40 train fares ($74 total)
- $12 brake pads for my bicycle ($86 total)
- $7 Metro fare ($93 total)
- $40 taxi fares ($133 total)
- $140 for one day of car rental to Virginia – more than my one way plane fare from Denver to Baltimore, and more than my other total ground transportation expenses. Plus I was stuck in traffic hell on I-95 and I-395 for hours.
Next trip my expenses will be lower, because I found a good cycling route to work half way through the trip, and don’t need to take the train most days any more.
Driving sucks.
Until they get ST Transporters, it still is the only viable game when riding across town. (30 miles one way).
Ditto. …when living 60 miles from major city/work.
But all is forgiven because they both vote Democratic even the guy who is now dead.
Phil, some people use the wrong vehicles, don’t drive them properly and create a huge carbon footprint. These two guys, for example, used a Suburban for errands that could have been easily done in a Prius or even on bicycles. On top of it, they made a completely inappropriate stop at a house that didn’t belong to them. They were rude to the resident, damaged his upholstery and took some of his belongings. Then they kept driving too fast for the rest of the day and I bet they didn’t get more than 10 MPG from their 5.3L V8. They violated traffic regulations in several jurisdictions and damaged other people’s cars which is also not right. They crashed the front of their Suburban and who knows how much that’s going to cost. Also, Boulder and Longmont police with deputies from two counties put wear and tear on their vehicles and burned extra fuel during the car chases. News helicopters burned even more and as if all that was not bad enough for the planet, the environmentally insensitive driver got himself shot and killed. Now there is even more driving because detectives must investigate. The other guy is still out there but seems to have taken the lesson to heart because I didn’t hear anything about more car chases.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_29097757/suspects-reported-armed-robbery-high-speed-chase-boulder
But all is forgiven because they both vote Democratic even the guy who is now dead.
(Right spot this time)
I’m taking the opposite route; have the biggest engines they make in all my cars, 354 hemi powered street rod (~14mpg), goal is to lay down the biggest, widest carbon footprint I possibly can before I die. Can’t compete with the massive footprints being laid by Hussein, Mich, Algore, SanFranNan, the Hildebeast, Slick Willie, et al of course but doing my best.
I like my big old one ton pick-up truck made of STEEL, not plastic with a nice big HEAVY diesel engine.
When I had to commute in Boston, I drove an old 1/2 ton pick-up with 80 pounds of steel pop riveted to it to cover the holes. The patches were painted all different colors. The aggressive Boston drivers in their new BMWs, Mercedes and the like gave me plenty of room and didn’t cut me off because they knew I could care less if they totaled my junker.
However I am really glad to be south of the Mason-Dixon line where people still have manners.
I 2nd that
I love my truck where the dogs hop on whenever I go out.
My feeling guilty about that led to my investigations into AGW
and I figured out that there is no AGW,
at least it is so small as to be immeasurable.
You have to travel go to work everyday? What work is that?
Negative, he was in the capital region for two weeks, according to his post. His main residence is in Colorado, and presumably he does some work there as well.
I write software for a defense contractor, to help the government record your phone calls.
Honey?
Would you pick-up a gallon of milk, an oinon, an eggplant, and some hamburger while you are picking up that plumbing part? I think I will make some Mousaka for dinner tonight.
The mention of Mousaka, a middle-eastern dish will label me as a potential Terrorist of course…..
That’s ok, Gail, it’s a popular dish and it will get lost in the chatter. They have too many calls to follow. But you must never say to him: “Honey, I will not make Mousaka tonight.” That sounds really suspicious, even to me. It will get you singled out. Why did she say it? How many people said something like that today? Why not Mousaka? Why tonight?!
I knew that already
My better half just hands me a list and I comply. I like grocery shopping because I get what I want when I go. This morning for breakfast I had Dole tropical fruit and instant Maple/brown sugar oatmeal. Neither of those things would have been here had I not picked them up for myself.
My ex-fiancé also gives me a list. That’s easy. I’m still struggling with the part where I’m supposed to know which groceries she didn’t write down. Getting better, though.
RAH, Hubby likes to do the shopping too but he takes off with out telling me or asking if I have a list.
It’s amazing that I still Love oatmeal. Great trail food when living out of a rucksack. Light to carry and easy to fix and eat. Just pour a packet or two of whatever instant oatmeal you like in a ziploc bag. When you want it and the opportunity presents it’s self heat the water and pour it in the bag, reseal it, and just squish it around to mix it. Then bite a corner off the ziploc and squeeze the oatmeal into your mouth. You can eat it while on the move. I would make up a bunch of bags like that before deployment especially when we were going into a winter environment.
Instant quaker oatmeal plus Swiss Miss chocolate was always a staple esp. for road trips or backpacking. Heat some water on the Svea and you are good to go.
I like the Raisin, Date and Walnut, and Peaches and Cream. They used to have one with bran I really liked but they quit making it.
Most mornings I start with a bowl if oatmeal, and I am still trying to choke down the Raisin, Date and Walnut oatmeal a guest of mine left with me recently. I can’t stand cooked raisins, but then I hate throwing out food, so twice a week I hold my nose and eat the Raisin, Date and Walnut.
I prefer the more traditional flavors, with a little honey.
At this point I eat one boiled egg and a cuppa tea no sugar since I am avoiding carbs. I still use the oatmeal for road trips. Beats the $5-$10 per person for eating out at breakfast. (I bring my own tea bags too even if we stay in a motel and it has ‘breakfast’ since their tea selection usually sucks.)
Colorado,
There is now way I would say I will not make Mousaka. I love the stuff. I just had it for lunch. {:>D
Although it is a bit of a pain to make since I used eggplant and that requires a lot of prep time. (Slice, soak in salt water for 2 hrs then fry in olive oil….)
NSA is the end user most likely.
Please say no more. Don’t want you to have to kill us.
Sounds like a freedom fighter.
Personally I love driving most of the time and it’s a good thing too. Did over 1,200 mi in less than 36 hours this week. Plenty of times I’ve done 1,400 mi in under 32 hours. (Required to take a 10 hour break after 11 hours of driving) but there were many times I did 700 mi without leaving the drivers seat. Back when my pay was determined by miles I shot for 3,000 mi a week solo. My best week solo ever I did over 4,400 mi. When I team drove for six months for Schneider National we normally put about 7,500 mi per week on the truck. Had a little over 147,000 mi behind the wheel of a big truck that first year driving for a living. Now, 9 years later, though I haven’t sat down and audited my log books for miles for some time, I’m sure I have over 1,000,000 mi behind the wheel of a big truck and driven a big truck in every one of the lower 48 states plus Ontario and Quebec. The only Major city in the US I have never driven a big truck in is New Orleans, LA. So far the worst thing that’s happened was when I hit an elk cow on I-40 about 13 east of Flagstaff, AZ. I will freely admit though that fact has as much to do with luck as skill.
I wonder if Martin Smith has as low a CO2 and environmental impact profile as Tony (aka SG)? Tony makes most “greens” look hypocritical in that regard. I can just imagine all the CO2 being generated for the huge and totally wasteful 2015 Paris climate change conference. Not that the CO2 is bad, but it’s very hypocritical and ironic. The attendees should be traveling by sailboat and bicycles to live up to their professed ideals of minimizing CO2 emissions. And what a huge waste of money that could be much better spent.
Don’t forget the Solar Powered Plane!
If they went by sail boat I would be rooting for an out of season CAT V hurricane in their path. Or at least something like the rogue wave depicted in the movie ‘The Perfect Storm’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Tdw5nG4dQ
Skype?
I’ve driven less than 100 miles since last Thanksgiving, all of them for an employer. I haven’t actually started my van in over a year. (You can do that with a 66 Dodge. I wouldn’t recommend it for most vehicles) I haven’t put a drop of gas in that van, or any other vehicle, in over 11 months. In that time, I’ve put in about 8,000 miles on the bike.
I’m routinely accused of killing Mommy Earth, because I don’t drive a Prius. Somehow it doesn’t register with them that I’m not driving ANYTHING.
Boulder Progressives I know have trouble with logic. They would also be puzzled if told that not driving a 66 Dodge is pretty much the same as not driving a Prius or not driving anything.
Here is an exercise in negation you can give your detractors:
A businessman from Milan has to travel to Rome to deal with some government agencies. He had done it before. He dreads the trip and prepares himself to waste at least three days with the bureaucrats.
The first day he gets lucky at the Ministry of Commerce. It turns out they hadn’t lost any of the 37 forms he had previously mailed them and shortly past noon he is out of the building. I should be able to make it to the Ministry of Finance, he thinks. Maybe I can save a day.
He prods the cabbie across town and runs up to the entrance. He pushes and pulls the bars but the door is locked. He sees a policeman standing nearby.
“What the hell is going on here? Don’t they work in the afternoon?” he shouts in frustration.
“No, signore,” replies the policeman politely. “They don’t work in the morning. In the afternoon, they don’t come.”
I am planning on a very used pick up truck purchase and flatbed trailer to construct a house. The system is not functional – living very rural on a farm, renting land, makes more sense to me. The money that you spend trying to get to a low paying job or temporary job will never cover the costs of living. Even a high paying job because people tend to get into a higher debt status that will never be payed back!
We lived in a 33 foot travel trailer for about 20 months (bought used for ~$10K quick look shows a 27 ft for ~$7K) The lot rent around here is $50/mo. and you can easily rent in a rural area.
If I did it again I would buy land out right and just use a travel trailer forget the house.
I went through ownership and you really do not own it. Right now I am of retirement age and do not want to be attached to the land, period. I was put through the mill. Thank you for the feed back! I could surely find a farm to rent reasonable and also have a garden, place to set up framed out canvas wall tent as a studio.
All you have to do is look for an area not associated with a big city. My friends have a place in Dexter NY
I would never reside at NYS ever again! Lived there most of my life! 30yrs westchester cty, 1.2 mile from Clinton. And then over by Woodstock! It is a welfare state with allot of communist values, RUN!
All those small towns, villages are corrupt, and you have country treasurers with side line biz in real estate w judges that flip deeds like you do not exist. I do not recommend living in NYS ANYWHERE! Many scabs that just wait for people to move there to rob!
Gail the problem is the cities keep growing. So around here when you do buy you look where the property tax rates are low outside the cities and usually that will be an indication that growth in that direction is not anticipated for some time to come.
The problem is corruption keeps growing! A low tax area at NYS – expect it to keep increasing beyond your pay check by design. Best to reside in a non un agenda 21 conservative state.
LemonC, I beat feet out of New England to the South. I lived in Armonk and Rochester and Syracuse before ending up in Boston area. Now I am in NC and if we didn’t have a small business and lots of repeat customers I would head to the mountains in SC or WV.
I totally agree with you! Worked in Armonk too! Lived at Bedford Corners! I went to NC, Charlotte prior to 911 – Had a apt downtown. No jobs – if I knew about the mountains etc would have moved there instead! I totally agree SC WV
What would one expect from a state that taxes the view people have if they live along the shore of lake Erie?
Oh they even bus in kids from surrounding areas to the library – increase visitor head count for FUNding
Actually Upstate New York used to be nice fifty years ago. NC reminds me of that area people wise.
NC people are very friendly, but I could not find employment to sustain myself. Same with NYS, NJ … and I have worked for most corporations.
I am preparing for off grid rural land rental solution. Everything else does not work.
Don’t try the trailer idea in my area:
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1210-Cacique-St-SPC-28-Santa-Barbara-CA-93103/15961501_zpid/
Note the space rent of $750 a month. That’s rock bottom around here.
Location, location, location.
My commute is 15 miles and takes 19 minutes. Beautiful countryside and virtually no traffic. Bald Eagles, Red Fox, White Tail Deer, Coyotes, Bobcats, and many other critters and migratory birds are common sites along my commute. No stress, no citiots, no complaints. I love driving.
Cities suck.
I like being within a reasonable distance of one but as for living in them, I agree 100%. Cities suck!
Damn iPhone! “Sights”.
Yes cities Suck, I really like being in the middle of a 100 ac
Back to oatmeal! No sugar laced instant! The real deal regular oats, hit with a dash of cinnamon, layer on a small scoop of oatbran, add water from the tap, two minutes in the microwave! Then, stir in a “glop” of raw honey (mild flavor), sprinkle on some walnuts and slivered toasted almonds and some frozen blueberries. Add milk, and you’re good to go for hours! Also, back to the perfect lifestyle! Rural but within reach of a city big enough to fill in for the local market. No, or very little, extreme cold or snow! Not California or New England!
Barbara I prefer ‘old fashioned’ oats myself made on the stove, but the instant are great for trips.
Tony, driving does not suck. What you were stuck doing isn’t called driving in my book. First, you need an open winding road, then get one of these, and I assure you, driving won’t suck.
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/jaguar/2015-jaguar-f-type-r-coupedriven-ar168245/picture621630.html
Nah, This is DRIVING!
https://carriageassociation.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/john-white-driving-small.jpg
And yeah I drove a four-in-hand in several states in New England and a pair to a wedding carriage in the city of Boston.
Nah, this is a lot of horse shit and very expensive.
Always got the girl in the mood for me though!
The Horse balls get left on the road for the Lefties to scream about and my mares reproduce so one purchase (of $800) in 1978 and I am good for life.
But nice try. {:>)
This is what I have been driving in the past.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Fu94CWCz9mo/maxresdefault.jpg
NICE!
And you call my 4-in-hand EXPENSIVE???
510 PK (374.86 kW)
The other night while I was taking I-285 around the west side of Atlanta going south and then coming to the airport on the south side it was dark with a heavy mist like rain. Now driving around Atlanta generally sucks. The drivers are a mix of hicks and dicks and when it’s raining they get even worse. But this night I had the rhythm and was making good time through the traffic, perhaps because I was listening to the best of David Bowie. As I came around going east on the south side the road was right in line with a runway at the airport and right over my rig came a large airliner coming in for a landing. As I was looking up directly at the six o’clock off the rear of the ghostly shadow of the descending airliner in the mist there came visible came two vortexes spinning off the wing tips of the dark mass and some trick of the lighting made them appear to be almost white while the airliner was a black shape in a gray sky. That one 10 second vision alone made the trip around Atlanta worth it for me.
I live a 15 minute walk from where I work. 🙂
It is about 10km to the beach, I can take either the van or the V8 🙂
Australia has big distances between places, with very ordinary public transport, so that’s where the 5.7L V8 is very handy. 🙂
On bicycle 5 minutes to the beach (down hill) . To get home takes a bit longer.
I live 12-13 minutes from where the truck is parked. Five miles as the crow flies but seven via roads. But when I’m called I’ve gotta get there and so it’s either the 1998 Chevy 3/4 ton with a 5.3 liter Vortec V8 or the 2014 Toyota FJ cruiser with the V6. Never take the 800 cc motorcycle since I can’t secure it at work when I’m on the road.
When I get to work then it’s into a 2015 Freight Liner Cascadia Evolution with a Detroit Diesel DD13 rated at 470 hp but neutered to 440.
In top shape, I can put a bit over two hp through my pedals.
Briefly.