But of course I stepped outside, the sun felt good as did not paying the buck thirty for the bus or the wasted time sitting on the bus when I could be riding and enjoying nature around me as I peddled to work. I rode in early, so I took my time, rode up to the Menands Exit on the Mohawk Hudson Bikeway, then into the office early.
Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday! Generally sunny with a few snow flurries around and 30 degrees in Delmar, NY ❄ Breezy, ️25 mph breeze from the west-northwest 🌬 with gusts up to 45 mph 💨💨💨. The current wind chill is 16. At times the wind was really roaring, though as the sun has risen, it has slows significantly. There is a dusting of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Things will start to thaw out at around 10 am. 🌡️
I got a fairly early start 😵 figuring that I would walk laps on the Concourse 🏃 before catching the shuttle bus over to the suburban office. But then I stepped outside, and decided the wasn’t that cold, and I’d rather save the bus fare and get the greater health advantage to riding the bike, plus then I could listen to the audio book I just started on the ride in. 🇸🇦
Today will have a chance of snow showers, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy 🌦, with a high of 34 degrees at 12pm. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 8th. Breezy, with a northwest wind 17 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 57 degrees. The record high of 61 was set in 2006. 17.3 inches of snow fell back in 1958.❄
Rode home last night 🚲 with the last part being quite dark. 🌃 It was just kind of a cloudy evening, ☁️ and I didn’t get out of the office until a little after five. I didn’t really need the light on my bike until I was out to Elsmere Avenue and back on public streets, though I did use it while I was on that section of South Pearl with a lot of cross streets, and riding down Erie Boulevard in Albany as it was already kind of dusky.
When I got home I ran into my new landlord 👷 or at least the handyman overseeing my building now that my fomer landlord has closed out the sale and has moved to the Adirondacks. He says he’ll be sending the paperwork over the next few days and an updated address to send the rent checks. 📬 Seemed like a nice guy, though being a corporate partnership owning the building, probably rent will go up. But I was evaluating the rent for similar apartments, and my rent really isn’t that much of a deal currently despite having lived there for so long at this point. At least if things break now, it won’t be quite like I’m calling somebody whose taking repairs it out of their individual family business account. 🔨 Maybe then I can get some things better fixed in my apartment like the leaky door.
I’ll read the paperwork carefully when I get it over the weekend, and decide if I should stay or look at moving. 🔍 Just a casual glance at apartment listings and there are some options there within my price range, though I kind of would rather avoid moving at this point, as things are crazy enough 🤪 with my new job. That said, if I do end up signing a new lease 📄 I think I should evaluate over the next year more seriously if I should buy a house. 🏘 The problem is it’s tough to find a small house that won’t cost a fortunate to heat and light, and I’d kind of like to move back out to country and have land and livestock. 🐮 Maybe a single-wide modullar house on significant acreage would be nice or a cabin, though I don’t love the idea of a crazy long automobile commute, especially as cars can break down.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:10 pm with sun having an altitude of 34.9° from the due south horizon (-35.9° vs. 6/21). Definitely can feel the strengthening sunlight as I rode in this morning. A six foot person will cast a 8.6 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:49 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (247°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (254°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:28 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 2 seconds with dusk around 5:56 pm, which is one minute and 18 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the south (176°) at an altitude of 71° from the horizon, 234,761 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:30 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies 🌃 and temperatures around 32 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 15 mph with gusts up to 25mph. Today will have 10 hours and 39 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 42 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will have a slight chance of light snow after 4am. Mostly cloudy 🌨, with a low of 24 degrees at 6am. Six degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 8th. Maximum wind chill around 21 at 6pm; West wind 5 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2023, we had partly cloudy skies in the evening, which became light rain by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 23 degrees. The record low of -16 occurred back in 1973.
Tomorrow will have a chance of light snow, mainly between 7am and noon, then a chance of snow showers after noon. Mostly cloudy 🌨, with a high of 34 degrees at 3pm. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 8th. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 11 to 16 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 55 degrees. The record high of 60 was set in 1981. 11.9 inches of snow fell back in 2003.❄
Looking ahead to Sunday, a slight chance of snow showers before 1pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 1pm and 4pm, then a slight chance of snow showers after 4pm. 🌦 Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Southwest wind 8 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Typical average high for the weekend is 36 degrees.
Looking ahead, there are 2 weeks until March 🌨 when the sun will be setting at 5:46 pm with dusk at 6:13 pm. On that day in 2023, we had mostly cloudy, snow showers and temperatures between 39 and 20 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 40 degrees. We hit a record high of 66 back in 2017.
I often don’t want to change but the world keeps changing around me. Not only are things different with my new job out in the suburbs, I may likely have to move now that my landlord sold the apartment. It’s really falling apart and I’ve been rough on it over the past 16 ½ years and maybe it’s time to move on. I knew this day would come some day.
Good morning! Happy Thursday. Clear and 15 degrees in Delmar. 🌅 There is a northwest breeze at 9 mph. 🍃. The current wind chill is 3. There is a dusting of snow on the ground. ☃ Things will start to thaw out at around 11 am. 🌡️
That doesn’t sound like the warmest morning ever for the ride into work 🚲 but at least it won’t be quite as windy. The gloves 🧤 mom got me for my birthday 🎂 definitely help with the winter riding. Should a bit warmer once the sun rises.
Somehow I thought my evening commute last night would be cold but by the time I had climbed out of the gorge I was sweating. 😰 Felt great with my heart pumping as I reached out to the summit climbing out of the gorge. 💓 Now that I’m riding back and forth to work in Menands, my bicycle commute is 17 ½ miles total. 🏞 And that doesn’t include if I decide visit the Riverfront, Albany Rural Cementary or random back streets in North Albany at lunch time.
Today will have a chance of snow, mainly after 5pm. Increasing clouds 🌞, with a high of 36 degrees at 1pm. Typical for today. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. The high last year was 64 degrees. The record high of 55 was set in 2006. 9.0 inches of snow fell back in 1894.❄
Breakfast this morning was red onions, peas, corn, eggs and corn meal 🥚 and an apple 🍏 for dessert. Dark and chilly when I first awoke but the sun is rising. 🌅 Drinking coffee ☕ chewing over the bombshell 💣 that was last night. It’s not a big deal, I have options but a lot to think 🤔 about in the coming days. Last night was sweet potatoes and onions fried with spinach and corn with turmeric and other spices. Then too much mango as I was stress eating. 🫦
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:11 pm with sun having an altitude of 34.6° from the due south horizon (-36.3° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 8.7 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:47 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (247°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (253°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:27 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 1 seconds with dusk around 5:55 pm, which is one minute and 18 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the south-southwest (206°) at an altitude of 64° from the horizon, 232,122 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:29 pm. At sunset, look for snow 🌨 and temperatures around 34 degrees. There will be a south-southeast breeze at 9 mph. Tomorrow will have 10 hours and 39 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 42 seconds over today.
It is what it is, 🚚 I have options when it comes to moving or deciding to stay. My apartment has a lot of issues I’ve been rough on it but also not super demanding on the landlord when things wore out. I keep trying to patch the air leaks around the door 🚪 but that’s falling apart like so many other things. Maybe it’s a sign to start anew. My lease could change at any point, I’m sure rent will go up with the new landlord but how much is the question. Where to move to next, it would be nicer to be closer to my office 🏢 in suburban Menands but also I wouldn’t mind moving back to the country 🐔 but I don’t really love driving 🚘.
I fret the additional costs of moving on, 🏡 but I’ve been saving a lot and I do have options. Really if I had to I could find quite a bit more money 💵 in my budget but I fret to spend what I want to go towards my future 🔮. But maybe now is the time to cash in some of those stocks and bonds – or just cut back on my investing. 📊 It all depends on what I decide to do. I’d love to move back to the country and have land but being single in many ways that’s hard to do. I’m so jealous of my friends and colleagues that have land while I’m still in the apartment I’ve been in since a few months after graduation 🎓 from college and my first real post college job. But I’ve been saving end investing towards this next step though I’ll probably end up paying a lot of capital gains taxes should I end up having to sell a lot of stock to finance this next big step. 👣
Tonight will snow, mainly before 1am. 🌨 Low of 28 degrees at 5am. 10 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 21st. Breezy, with a south wind 14 to 19 mph becoming west 20 to 25 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 43 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. In 2023, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 40 degrees. The record low of -20 occurred back in 1943.
I am really getting up to speed at the new job, 🕴🏻 it’s just such a cultural shock 🤯 and different from when I worked downtown. Mastering all the particularlities of the job is a challenge 📄, it’s still so paperwork based. So many procedures to learn – as the manager your expected to wear any hat 🎩🧢🤠 depending who is out on a particular day. The money is good, I often complain about that but it’s because I see so little of it because I’m investing. And the technical skills I’m practicing, refining and building into my life and resume in a professional manner really will push me forward to the next step in life.
Cloudy and windy for the weekend. ❄ Saturday, a chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. West wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Sunday, partly sunny, with a high near 34. Typical average high for the weekend is 36 degrees.
I was hoping for a nice weekend in Madison County 🐮 but it’s going to be cold, cloudy and windy. It’s President’s Weekend and that’s to be expected. I should chew over my options going forward about where I should move, looking at apartments and houses. I hate to change but time marches on. 🕰️ I remind myself I moved to this apartment when I was 24 years old back when my salary was $27,500 and I’m 41 now and significantly more. Time marches on.
One month 📅 from now will be Ides of March ✝ when the sun will be setting at 7:03 pm with dusk at 7:30 pm (Daylight Savings Time). The average high temperature is 44 degrees, with a record high of 75 in 1946. Hello, friendly strangers in a black sedan. 🖤
![Untitled [Expires May 10 2026]](https://andyarthur.org//data/photo_020649_large.jpg)
My landlord called me and said is retiring and sold my apartment building after 16 ½ years of me living here. Maybe this is a sign to move on from my dumpy apartment in the suburbs, maybe it’s time to buy land and move back out to the country. Maybe I can stay or maybe I can find a place closer to work.
Who knows how much more time I have here. Maybe it will be just a reasonable bump in rent with the new owner or maybe I’ll have to leave. It wasn’t call I was expecting tonight but it’s been a good run here and while my apartment hasn’t been wonderful – it’s been inexpensive and convenient. Now that I work in the suburbs, maybe it’s time to move on, to a different livestyle and way of living.
It’s too soon to know immediately but change is in the air like it or not for my life. As much as I wish all to remain the same, I’ve watched as the neighborhood around me has gentrified and my apartment decayed as my landlord grayed, and knew that day would come when tough decisions came down. It will be a change, probably requiring an adjustment to my budget but I have options. I knew I couldn’t live here forever.
Don’t freeze off your dipstick riding to work I tell myself. Or maybe my hands I should be concerned about. I tell myself I should take the bus but truth be told, I’d rather get the exercise from the bike at least riding in even if I bus it home in the evening from the old train station downtown.
Good morning on this Valentine’s Day. 💜❤️ Mostly clear and 23 degrees in Delmar, NY. ❄ Breezy, ️21 mph breeze from the west-northwest 🌬 with gusts up to 31 mph 💨💨💨. The current wind chill is 8. Things will start to thaw out at tomorrow around 11 am. 🌡️
It’s all good to ride to work I tell myself. 🚲 No it will be fine just cold. My office is plenty warm I guess. I can bundle up and I’ll be burning lots of calories. I don’t know, maybe I should bus it. 🚍 I just had such a great time riding back and forth to work yesterday.
Today will have a slight chance of snow showers before 7am. Mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 30 degrees at 2pm. Six degrees below normal. Blustery, with a northwest wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with sunny skies in the afternoon. The high last year was 50 degrees. I wish it was that warm this year. The record high of 63 was set in 1946. 23.5 inches of snow fell back in 1914.❄
I got candy 🍬 ready in little baggies to give out to folks at work. Didn’t eat any myself. I was good. That said I had plenty of sugar this morning with banana carrot oatmeal pancakes 🥞 topped with mango 🍍 and real maple 🍁 syrup. Soon I’m sure farm stands will be stocked with this year’s freshly boiled sap. Dinner last night was Johnny cakes with lots of onions and garlic with turmeric and jalapeños topped with Greek yogurt. Good stuff.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:11 pm with sun having an altitude of 34.2° from the due south horizon (-36.6° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 8.8 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:46 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (246°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (253°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:26 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 2 seconds with dusk around 5:54 pm, which is one minute and 18 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the southwest (222°) at an altitude of 54° from the horizon, 229,854 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:28 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 27 degrees. The wind chill around sunset will be 14. ☃️ Breezy, 18 mph breeze ⛅ from the west-northwest with gusts up to 28mph. Tomorrow will have 10 hours and 36 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 39 seconds over today.
Tonight will be mostly clear 🌃, with a low of 20 degrees at 6am. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around February 23rd. Maximum wind chill around 9 at 6am; Northwest wind 9 to 16 mph. In 2023, we had clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 31 degrees. The record low of -22 occurred back in 1943.
I’ve put on a few pounds this winter 🤰🏽 from all the carbs from homemade bread and pancakes 🍞 but I’m thinner then I used to be. But I’m thinking 💭 with spring coming and riding back and forth to work I should strive to get my BMI below the overweight to the normal weight by the time of my next yearly physical. Last summer I was with nine lb of doing it and now I’m probably closer to 15-20 lb above but it’s actually not that much of a jump. I don’t eat processed foods anymore except on rare occasions but I do need to think a bit more about portion sizes and less carbs. And maybe a bit less fruit 🍌 – I do love the sweetness of all that mango and grapes to say nothing about bananas and it’s healthy but anything can be overdone. That would help with the budget too. 💸
Cloudy ⛅ but more sun as the weekend progresses. Saturday, a chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Sunday, partly sunny, with a high near 37. President’s Day, mostly sunny and 43. Kind of breezy all weekend though. Typical average high for the weekend is 36 degrees.
I’m having second thoughts about heading out of town for President’s Weekend ⛺ with it sounding like it will be colder and windier in Madison County though less of a risk of snow 🌨 on Friday for the drive out as they first predicted. I guess I’ll decide tomorrow.
Definitely looking forward on this cold morning, as there are 2 weeks until Average High is 40 ☀️ when the sun will be setting at 5:44 pm with dusk at 6:11 pm. Get a, warm day and it will feel really spring like. On that day in 2023, we had snow showers, partly cloudy and temperatures between 36 and 26 degrees. Well, last year wasn’t so warm, lol 😂. We hit a record high of 63 back in 1903.
It feels great to be able to ride both in and home from work. Instead of paying the bus fare, I’m paying towards my future with better health and saved money. That buck thirty each way may not be a big expense but it still kind of gnaws at me like a dripping faucet.
It’s not to say that the ride home is a ride in the park. I mean it is most of the way literally but it’s still a good climb out of the gorge. But that cardio is good, and it’s a great way to get exercise while saving a bit of money and enjoying nature while not using much more time than I would use riding the bus.
I don’t know if I’ll ride home the rest of the week – going to be colder and cloudier but it’s a sign of spring time with the knowledge that soon I’ll be able to do this nearly every day, with some weeks never boarding the bus at all.
As a single guy, I am no fan of Valentines’ Day. We are now seven weeks into winter, often with a gray haze and clouds all around. It’s cold, I’m stuck inside in my small little apartment that is rarely warm in part because I don’t like paying for the heat, and in part because it’s drafty and falling apart. Despite the foam I put around the door, one of the days it’s going to completely fall apart again. The vinyl windows have lost their seal, and the walls don’t line up with the foundation, allowing air to leak in freely on this blustery morning.
I got the news that I am likely losing my home 16 years this week, with the landlord selling the building. A place I’ve gotten to know so well, with many in-perfections but also the niceties of living somewhere that is walk-able and bikable, with good public transportation. I have to start the home search, be it an another apartment or buying a house. But I don’t want to move or give up on the life I’ve come to love — biking to work, walking down to the library, weekends in the wilderness.
My heart is so broken to be losing my apartment in the coming months. But it’s also tough to be so alone, in what often seems like the bleakest days of winter, before the dawn of spring. The nights are getting shorter, but not by much, and the mercury slightly warmer. Things will get better soon, but it’s so bleak right now. I have much to look forward to after this period of darkness.