Better be equipped when you visit your local federal facility in the coming weeks and months, as if it’s anything like Twitter, there will be big cuts back to janitorial staff at federal facilities including parks and forests.
Honestly, it’s kind of childish to stop supplying toilet paper and cleaning the bathrooms at federal facilties just to make a political point – and maybe save a little bit of money. That said, at least so far there have not been any widespread closures announced for federal facilities, and in that sense it’s a good thing. The government is doing more with less. Maybe too little, but it’s not the silliness we saw when they closed down many National Parks and developed Forest Service facilities during the 2012 Federal Government shutdown.
Like closing the gates at National Parks and National Forests during the 2012 shutdown, it’s as much a tactic to negotiate more funding for other priorities. Cleaning toilets and buying toilet paper costs money, but it’s not the largest expense of any government agency by far. Even if you fire all the janitors, there are other government employees that can clean toilets and restock toilet paper. Janitors aren’t the only people on this earth that can clean toilets. That said, maybe it’s not the most cost effective use of staff to have management or Forest Rangers cleaning toilets and stocking toilet paper.
Childish maybe, but dirty toilets shouldn’t be an excuse to close parks and forests down. They can find alternative staff, but the concern remains – what are the alternative staff not now doing? A lack of cleaning not only makes parks disgusting, it also encourages bad behavior. If somebody dumps garbage in toilet, and it remains there, it becomes an attractive dumping ground for others. If somebody sprays poop on the walls, then what’s to stop someone else from carving their initials in it? It’s already a dump.
Truth is I suspect there aren’t a lot of government workers who don’t have a full load on their plate. So maybe we don’t need less park and forest workers, but actually more. But of course, each additional worker comes at a cost. Maybe we don’t need such fancy park facilities, maybe we can invest in simplicity that does not require so much staff to build and maintain. Maybe parks should become more primitive and less reliant on constant government staff maintenance to keep them viable.
My view is good riddens to this month. Certainly not my favorite, and this has been one of the harshest ones in recent years with cold, then snow and then a lot of ice.
It’s not at terrible day today, but I decided not to head out of town this weekend , as there is still a lot of snow around and ice. I was more then a bit worried about ice on Cheese Hill Road past the pond and state park police headquarters and how much of a snowbank there would be between the road and campsite, made up of hard to break pack ice.
The other issue I had was the solar was not charging the battery on my truck, due to a loose lead on the connector. I noticed that last weekend, and I tried to tighten it up but it was cold and I needed to restrip one of the connectors to get a good connection, and I didn’t spend the time to do it properly. While the low-voltage disconnect helped to protect the battery, I wish I had left it set higher up. Honestly though, in this cold and gray weather, I probably should be manually overriding it and shutting it off when the truck is off — there is no need to keep powered up the relays and monitoring equipment when the truck is off, though I guess that needs to be operating to send charge to starting battery, plus it will reset once there is high enough state of charge / voltage on the battery.
Made a pot ofrice, red lentils, onions and tumeric for lunch. I was hoping I would have enough food through Monday I could avoid going to store. It looks like though I will need to get groceries in the mean-time though. Turns out my pantry is a bit more bare then I first though, so I might on Sunday ride down to Hannaford to pick up a few things. Dad is sick so no visiting this week but I’m thinking Monday after work, wash my truck, refill the propane tank, do wash, and stock up at Walmart for the balance of the week.
Heading riding for the balance of day most likely. I’m sure the bike trail will be shit, but the roads are fine, not too windy and lots of sun. Finally warmed up enough for some snow melt, though it’s so icy back around my truck and anywhere that hasn’t been blasted the past few days with road salt. Next week most days will be close to normal — low forties — so that should help with the ice. The following weekend, who knows, it’s really too far out but I’m hoping to get away. I really could use some time out in the wilderness.
March used to be really bad with work, but now with my new position that isn’t so much of an issue as I don’t usually work nights or weekends. So I can get away, though I won’t have as much vacation time, as I don’t work those crazy extra hours nor do I get all that extra comp time I used to. Maybe that’s one of the downsides of my current position, that said, it’s kind of nice to be away from some of Albany’s craziness up in Menands.
, as there is still a lot of snow around and ice. I was more then a bit worried about ice on Cheese Hill Road past the pond and state park police headquarters 
and how much of a snowbank there would be between the road and campsite, 
made up of hard to break pack ice.
due to a loose lead on the connector. I noticed that last weekend, and I tried to tighten it up but it was cold and I needed to restrip one of the connectors to get a good connection, and I didn’t spend the time to do it properly. While the low-voltage disconnect helped to protect the battery, I wish I had left it set higher up. Honestly though, in this cold and gray weather, I probably should be manually overriding it and shutting it off when the truck is off — there is no need to keep powered up the relays and monitoring equipment when the truck is off, though I guess that needs to be operating to send charge to starting battery, plus it will reset once there is high enough state of charge / voltage on the battery.
I was hoping I would have enough food through Monday I could avoid going to store. 
It looks like though I will need to get groceries in the mean-time though. Turns out my pantry is a bit more bare then I first though, so I might on Sunday ride down to Hannaford to pick up a few things. Dad is sick so no visiting this week but I’m thinking Monday after work, wash my truck, refill the propane tank, do wash, and stock up at Walmart for the balance of the week.
I’m sure the bike trail will be shit, but the roads are fine, not too windy and lots of sun. 
Finally warmed up enough for some snow melt, though it’s so icy back around my truck and anywhere that hasn’t been blasted the past few days with road salt. Next week most days will be close to normal — low forties — so that should help with the ice. The following weekend, who knows, it’s really too far out but I’m hoping to get away. I really could use some time out in the wilderness.
