Day: January 16, 2026

Nothing bad happened and yet another boring day in the office with database update library still broken, but then the bike basket froze on my bike, got balled out by the bus driver, and I’ve just been on edge as it’s that part of the cold and dark winter with the insane news headlines, as I do the deep dive into the auto buying process and figuring out what I really want my new rig to look like.

I thought it was going to be cold and windy to ride in this morning, but then this morning turned out not to be real windy in Delmar, and while it’s seasonably cold – 17 degrees – it is January. Some ice is left on the  left on the bike trail but it wasn’t terrible and I just unlocked the front fork and took is slow not to beat the hell out of the rear wheel and break spokes and shit. The bike trail while not perfect, it is better then it is often in the winter, and at this point it’s a better option picking it up at Elsemere rather then Cherry, as there is more ice in shaded sections. Despite the weather report, the wind was mild and sunny. Bike is running good now that I got it greased up, but I’ve been fighting all the road sign and sand on the road, and for a while until grease got up the chain was binding up and cassette skipping a bit. I will need a new cassette and chain eventually, but I figure I’ll ride it until it starts to skip a lot because I find at least with my bike you always have to replace cassette and chain at the same time. Probably should also do the crank but I’ve found that’s not essential. A lot easier since I got a crank puller.

Bike basket froze on the bike and I couldn’t get it off. We had freezing rain mid-day while I was worked. I made the bus late as I struggled to get it off, and got balled out for the driver for screwing up his schedule as I struggled to remove the basket. Ending up leaving it on but I guess it didn’t block the drivers vision too much. I was worried it would break, the lock come smashing through the windshield when it hit the bump on both sides of the Norman’s Kill Bridge. I will take the driver’s advice and pull the basket off before the bus approaches next time. I used to do that all of the time, but I haven’t had issues with it detacting in recent years, until we got freezing rain and temperature dropped during the day while I was in the office, combined with all the road salt and grime. I apologized to the driver but it was fine, traffic was light and by the time he reached Delmar he was back on schedule. I know shit happens. Live and learn.

I was just so wound up about that and all the other craziness in our country with ICE. I mean I did, as  Democrat, cast a protest vote for Trump but not for all that crap he’s done to our country. Maybe I should have taken the advice of my liberal friends to say he would kill off democracy, whatever that means. I know it’s the winter weather, the truck search, my lack of sleep the previous night but I had a lot of paranoia by end of the day, even though my bike made it home safely, riding on the front of the bus, basket attached. I was so wound up I found myself needing to go for the evening walk once I got home. I usually don’t like walking in the dark and cold anymore, but I needed it last night. Later on, I fried up onions, black beans, corn and cormael with some salt and Stevia and was feeling better. I was so sleep deprived yesterday from that late night at the Guilderland Town Hall and not being able to sleep in beyond 5 AM. Woke up in the middle of the night, listened to more of Greta Thunberg’s The Climate Book.

Got my electric bill yesterday, and it was highest bill ever – $120. Mostly thanks to my excessive use of electric blanket though a couple of times I think the refrigerator door open and that kept running, and also using the space heater a bit. It’s not like my gas bill part of it is high, I’ve kept the heat at 46-50 degrees all winter, but I do like the warmth of the electric blanket, often heading under the cover immediately after I get home and keeping it cranked up much of the night, burning through 180 watts an hour at full power, and if I run it full output all night, then that’s 1.8 kWh. Also probably because it’s cold and I’m horney, I’ve been taking longer showers. Shit adds up. Electricity and gas prices are up. I can’t believe that I averaged 34.2 cents per kilowatt hour when you consider delivery, supply and base charges. But I don’t have a car insurance bill or gasoline bills, so I guess that saves over this winter, but I also need money for the SuperDuty.

Confused but learning about all the SuperDuty options. 🛻I am pretty sure that’s the truck I want and while I originally was going to get just an regular cab long bed, I am casting my net wider and thinking maybe an extended cab (SuperCab) ain’t that much more money – the 7.3L is better built then the 6.8L — and thinking more about the various off-road packages – XL Off Road, FX4, Tremor – as I’d like at least the rear locker, and skid plates, mostly I worry about smashing through snow banks and ripping off sensors, especially around the tranny, but also getting sticks hung up under it and punching holes in shit. Not that I plan to off-road a big-assed SuperDuty, but I want something that is somewhat protected when driving rough forest haul roads. Also just more studying of deal making by watching Youtube. Really want to have as much leverage as possible to get the truck I want especially knowing how much they cost these days. I think with a little negotiation and shopping I can get it out the door for $60k, especially if I agree to put some of value like the sales tax through Ford credit. They do have 0% and if there is a financing incentive, it would be cheaper then cash if I quickly retire the note. Plus it will boost my credit, as I’ve never borrowed any money in my life except on my credit cards.

Still have very mixed feelings about spending all this money on a SuperDuty – but I can afford it with my job, and I’ve been hoarding cash for some time for this purpose. I doesn’t help that I keep also watching videos on personal financing and investing, and markets more generally, as I want a more holistic approach to investing, and keep this purchase in context of all other life goals – the off-grid cabin and homestead. Truth is I am on track for all those things, as long as I keep going. Yes, the SuperDuty is going to be a cost, but I need to get some kind of vehicle if I want to travel next summer, and while it’s certainly possible to get Big Red back on the road, and that’s the most economical decision, he’s old and tired at this point and there is no guarantee that he will keep running smoothly at this point no matter how much money I put into welding his frame. I keep seeing videos about car payments, and people burdened by paying $1,000 dollars plus per month but if I do take a loan I plan to pay it back immediately, or at least within a few days of getting it. I hate the idea of paying month by month to drive the big truck. Depreciation isn’t really thing if you don’t have a note against a vehicle and you plan to drive it until basically it has little more then scrap value. I know I am rationalizing spending a lot of money on a big truck, but let’s be honest even if I spend $10k-$20k extra over 10 years getting the truck I really want, whatever the annualized cost is pretty small. I camped over 370 nights in Big Red, so I got a lot of use out of him. This new rig will likely take me to retirement and if I end up with Mom and Dad’s homestead it will have a lot of uses around there, and I can get an old horse trailer to tow livestock or put a plow on the front.

Diversity training today. Then more meetings downtown. I am not opposed to that, as it will be riding downtown in the daylight, actually mid-day, then working over at the LOB and Capitol, and then I can catch the earlier bus on home. Almost enough light to ride a 5 PM at this point, but it’s going to be cold and probably still safer and easier to bus it home. Probably too cold to walk tonight, but who knows I did enjoy it last night. Haven’t done the evening walk since I started regularly riding to work, but I could be persuaded to change my mind.

Then it’s Martin Luther King Day Weekend. Not a terribly cold weekend, and I’m sure I would have done Rensselaerville State Forest or maybe Schoharie or even Madison County had I still had Big Red. But actually I’m not missing winter camping that much. Winter camping next year will be better when I have a new truck and a diesel heater. It will be so cozy to go into a heated truck cap after a cold night by the campfire. I might smoke some pot and go for a bike ride, the rail trail isn’t quite so icy at this point or I could ride on he road. Finish up those books on Hoopla. And watch more Youtube and learn everything I can soak up about the auto buying experience.