Notes

Own a bicycle it will be great ๐Ÿšฒ

I wasn’t wrong when I hesitated to buy a bicycle, knowing the inevitable range of parts it would need, the ongoing costs and visits to the repair shop. The necessary downtime for repairs. I try to be easy on my toys but I concede I do ride a lot of miles, especially commuting, and it’s a mountain bike so it does see some rougher terrain like trails and dirt roads but I try to keep it to reasonable terrain and speed. And I’m trying to keep up with the maintenance program.

But it’s a lot of work to keep stuff up and operating smoothly. I probably need to learn to wrench more of my stuff properly but its tough to know what tools I need, the right amount of torque to apply and into what is proper direction. Now I get there are places to learn these skills – be it the bike rescue or YouTube or books. But that takes time and frustration with so much conflicting advice out there.

Material things are really just a recipe for heart break. They may look fun, provide good experiences in the short run but rarely do they last very long before needing hauling to the local dumping grounds. Experiences is what matters but you need things for experiences. Many people do good with second hand things and keep them running for a long time smoothly but I find that very hard to do.

Blue sky, Sunshine, what a day to take a walk in the park. โ˜€

I was so troubled by so much yesterday on Friday the 13th but the sun is shining and I’m in the wilds of Rural Albany County enjoying this early autumn day that promises to be an amazing day. But Spanky and Our Gang sounds so amazing on this beautiful morning.

What a day to be alive! โ˜€ I could harp on all that is wrong in the world today ๐ŸŒŽ but I seem to have big smile on my face. Watching the colorful leaves flutter on the trees and the bee ๐Ÿ fly by. Maybe it’s the tricomes remaining on my mind last night but after a stormy yesterday, my mind gripped by fear ๐Ÿ˜ฑ it’s all so beautiful today. I’m just out for a little walk ๐Ÿšถ, listening to some upbeat music ๐ŸŽถ from the sixties with a smile on my face. It was a good night last night and I had a nice fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ. And I got a nice night of sleep ๐Ÿ˜ด.

As my bike ๐Ÿšฒ is in the shop getting the chain ๐Ÿ”— serviced, I’ll be walking ๐Ÿšถ but I’m fine with that as I’m in no rush. Didn’t pack my 22 but I’m keeping my eyes ๐Ÿ‘€ open for tree rats. ๐Ÿฟ๏ธ I still need to get my hunting license but I can do that online, probably right for my phone. ๐Ÿ“ฑ But I am so busy these days, hardly enough time for that. A few minutes to day dream before reality sets back in.

I’m really quite happy to be out in Rennselaerville away from the city even as more and more data jobs come in. โ˜บ Later on I’ll address them as I’m stone cold sober just enjoying the beauty. ๐Ÿž I do still sort of wish I had gone to Vermont but maybe next weekend. It probably it would have been too cool in Vermont to swim ๐ŸŠ at any rate and in a few weeks there will be excellent colors in that state. ๐Ÿ

One track mind ๐Ÿ“€

When I get interested in one thing, I often find myself fully engaged in the topic, reading and trying to learn as much as possible. Most recently it in cannabis – wanting to maximize my experience getting high in the wilderness but it’s certainly not limited to that. I like to focus on one thing and become an expert on the thing.

Previously it was the Robert Caro’s Power Broker. Then looking at building aย  house – or really my off grid homestead. Or restoring a house. Just trying soak up everything I can. I had an interest in becoming really prolific with the C programming language and the Unix text utilities I use at work. Then for a while I was very interested in eating healthy and getting away from the processed crap that is so common. Then I had this intense interest in the R programming language then Python programming, then electronics and power, and before that dairy and hog farming, off grid living and the wilderness.

I think it’s good to get immersed in one topic and learn everything you can about it. Then put it on the shelf, pulling back what you’ve learned when you need it. It’s not bad to be self identified with a cause for a while and then break from it. Not that you’re moving fully beyond it but because your ready in your mind to explore something new.

I survived Friday the 13th mostly unscaved ๐Ÿ—ก

It could be worse. I could have gotten into an auto wreck, arrested, had a heart attack or been victim to some random crime or terrorist attacks as the television reminds us all. Honestly I don’t want to go to jail, end up paying a lot of money or be dead. Or fired from my job.

The bike is getting a new chain put on it after I got totally balled out at Steiner’s for not replacing the chain sooner and being unable to be replaced with a new crankset because in four or five months since the last replacement it’s too far gone and that the bike is garbage, I should buy the 2025 model. I took to Mad Dog and they say I probably should have replaced it sooner for peak performance it will be fine to put a new chain on it and keep going, I’ll have it back early in the week. I was angry as I tried to keep up on the service but a bike that needs a new chain monthly is not acceptable in my book. I guess I got to get my own chain breaker, chain slack tool and just start feeding it new chains every few months.

Then I found out I messed up a label job exports for work. I always do sanitity checks with assertions on my code but I have to get the print shop estimates of the count we need to print so 300 extra copies were printed of the mailing. The count estimates come before I get the actual list to process and check, and it’s annoying in that way. I’ve been so damn busy and I’m in the fog of war but I didn’t catch it until the code halted and I didn’t realize anything was wrong until the mail house called wondering when they would be getting the list. I had to apologize to the head directors and explain my screw up. At least the assertion saved my ass, it could have been a lot more money and waste and apology calls.

I made it up to Rennselaerville State Forest. It’s a beautiful afternoon but I’ve been so busy. I wish I was in Vermont but the bike chain needed service before I damaged the gears, apparently even worse. And I was so paranoid about getting into a wreck on the way up there or getting busted for a smoking a joint on federal land on Friday the 13th. And it’s going to be a nice weekend but already I have four data jobs to process on Saturday from camp and a campaign plan to review. Sigh, it could have been worse. But first let me make some black smoke, I mean a roaring campfire and have a smoke and enjoy this beautiful evening.

Happy Friday the 13th ๐Ÿ‘ป

I will be careful I tell myself. That’s why I am not heading to Vermont this weekend, plus I have so much crap to do. I tell myself also that future weekend will be quieter, which also is probably a lie but I figure at that point at least I’ll have code mostly completed and have the procedures down solid.

Going to be a nice late summer weekend, โ˜€ mild and sunny. Though the nights are much shorter now, it won’t feel that much like autumn. I figure though probably by the time I head north in a few weeks to peep at leaves ๐Ÿ‚ it will be cool. But then as long as it’s not too wet, I’ll bring my propane heater for warming up on the cool frosty mornings. I think a Speculator trip that last week of September or first week of October would be quite nice –  probably Friday through a Monday. Would have been nice to do some tubing, but I expect even if the mercury is warm this weekend, the water temperatures have dropped significantly as we get into the mid-point of the month, and it won’t be that warm in the hills.

Heading to the library a little after 8 AM this mroning to work for an hour or so, ๐Ÿ–ฅ then I’m going to take a break and head to Glenmont to have them check my bike chain ๐Ÿ”— and see if it is due for replacement. ๐Ÿ”ง I just don’t have the tool as mines broken, and I’d rather just pay a few bucks and have it replaced and I hopefully I can be back on the road either later this afternoon or I’ll pick it up on Monday and head into work late. Then I’ll swing by Walmart, get some later mantles and a few supplies for camping, ๐Ÿ• head back to the library to complete a few more data and supervisory jobs that will inevitably hitting my desk then I’m planning to grab my cooler, head out to Rensselearville to set up camp and work remote the balance of the day. Should be a great day. I do wish I could do the Vermont thing but this is not the weekend for doing it. Still it will be a nice, hopefully quiet weekend in the hammock, doing some reading and thinking. Maybe continue to study what properties have come on the market ๐Ÿก on Zillow and Land and Farm listings. ๐Ÿฎ

Lately I’ve been increasingly annoyed by the number of ads for mental health services and addiction treatment centers. ๐Ÿšญ I like an occasional puff from the magic dragon ๐Ÿฒ up in the woods, now legal, but despite the thoughts of the internet advertisers I’m not addict. It really annoys me to no end that the politicians can only publicly talk about cannabis as a social justice issue, as if the only people who enjoy an occasional toke at bad black dudes that cops are rounding up ๐Ÿšจ and charging with crimes to make themselves seem relevant in an era when America has never been safer or less violent. Or that the only other acceptable reason for smoking pot is to dull the pain of cancer or help with some disease. What’s wrong with a little fun? I mean people pay a lot of for fancy bottles of wine, and not all are winos needing mental help for their addiction.

One of the things I’ve realized is how dangerous the mental health establishment is these days. ๐Ÿคช One of the worse things you can do your mental health is to adopt a label ๐Ÿ”– like you are depressed, crazy, or sick. Now finding Zen and keeping things in context is important, and for many people talking out your problems can be important. I’m not saying counseling is a bad thing, or that you shouldn’t do it, but be very worried about putting yourself in a box. ๐Ÿ—ƒ Especially when most things are pretty silly in the grand scheme of things, and you just need context and some direction at times.

Truth is I’m watching the traffic, ๐Ÿš˜ and I’m glad I’m not driving up to Vermont this morning. I’ll get the bike fixed ๐Ÿ›  so it’s continuing to operate in peak condition today, and then have a nice weekend relaxed. And who knows, maybe next Friday I’ll head to Vermont. Truth is I’m kind of tired as I’ve not been sleeping good all week, and I’m hoping with a few nights in the wilderness not so far away from home, my sleep will be restored, ๐Ÿ˜ด and then by next week I’ll be feeling better. And then maybe work will slow a bit and then I can do next weekend in Vermont. We’ll see.

I’ve continued to really enjoy those earbuds, ๐ŸŽง that are totally wireless. Once or twice I’ve already misplaced the charging case, but I usually keep it close by for use. I get why people like their Apple iBuds or whatever they call them, they’re kind of great. It’s just so liberating not to have a wire hanging around your neck. Plus no wire to break. Of course, I almost dropped one of them in the toilet ๐Ÿšฝ this morning, lol. ๐Ÿ˜‚

Camp on East Branch of Sacandaga

Tiny little campsite, that's just a dirt spur off of NY 8. Rather noisy at night, but it was the only campsite that was open.