This past weekend was amazing, it restored so much to me. Even with the dose of reality that was Monday, somehow I had a lot of enjoyment just thinking back to the week that was.
My cellphone had some kind of issue renewing, so I am currently off the network. My phone was supposed to auto-renew last night, maybe my credit card was declined. Going to be a pain to have to call the bank when the phone is dead. I’ll check my account when I get into the office. Kind of annoying, I get so used to looking at New York Times and the local papers in the morning. It’s not the worse thing though, as I didn’t get up real early as I got ot bed closer to 10 PM then 9 PM after heading home relatively late from Five Rivers. Still not having access to outside world seems to throw off the whole morning, as I get used to the routine, though it’s no different then camping in wilderness without internet service. At first I was worried I had used too much unlimited data streaming things and not having internet at home but it’s not that. Texting and calls are down too. It’s stupid but it feeds my anxiety.
Yesterday after work I rode out to Five Rivers until around 8 PM or so. Just watched some videos and poked through some of ebooks I had, along with reading the news about the State Budget agreement. I don’t mind not being so involved in all that stuff now that I work in the suburban office, indeed working 9-5 PM and having the ability to enjoy the nice evening was delightful. I did have a rush project that came in at 8 PM last night but I got it done in like 15 minutes. It was a beautiful spring evening though towards dusk it started to get cool. That said, maybe not the most productive evening but I like spending it in the woods. Got home and fried up some onions, cornmeal and broccoli. Simple but good.
It’s just kind of nice in my mind to think that in a few days it will be May and that Memorial Day Weekend is but four weeks away. Yes, I know about the black flies, still it’s nice to be able to get away, travel, have fires. I was looking at the comments on DEC Facebook post reminding people about not burning trash, and how controversial the burn ban is in most rural communities. I get it, burn barrels in Pennsylvania are kind of stinky if you let plastic garbage smoulder and you’re not on a farm or have good amount of acerage. Between that and gun restrictions, it’s another reminder why I don’t want to build my off-grid homestead in New York. I just got to get through the next 13 years, continue to build my savings and investments, then I put in for retirement so I have time and freedom to live where I want. I still will want to work then, but maybe more with livestock and a hammer but also maybe I can do some kind of consulting, if I could ever adopt more of a business mindset. Rural jobs are tough though. As much as I dislike so much about New York political culture, and some people are like you work for who – I point out that I do good work and good jobs are hard to find in most areas outside of big cities.
That said, it was good to watch as those wrappers disappeared into bright yellow flames over the past weekend. Recycling is such a scam. Especially plastic stuff but even paper now that they’ve adopted single stream recycling. Made an excellent fire starter, in the hot fire didn’t smell much and except for some metal bits I pulled out of ash, it all burnt up. Plus smoking all that weed was good too. Not sure when ro where my next trip will be but next weekend is the Save the Pine Bush Hike. Probably too early for the Karner Blue and lupine to be out, and like usual it’s going to rain on Saturday, but hopefully not a wash out. Maybe the following week I can get back out again. Maybe Charles Baker or Schoharie. The Green Mountains with my office on north side of Albany, and the alternatives I’ve discovered to congested NY 7, along with discovering Prospect Mountain Road and the VT 279 Bypass will be good come summer but I don’t know if the road is open yet for the year.
This evening, I need to get to laundromat and shopping. Another nice evening but maybe not quite as nice as yesterday and it could be stormy. So I figure it will be good to be out ands shopping. Hopefully by then my phone service will be restored, so I can play on my phone while the wash is being done, and then get groceries while it dries. I might do Glenmont and Walmart, as they typically have the bulk sized packages I prefer at a reasonable price,. Plus I want to get some more grease and brake cleaner for the bike. But I do like the Four Corners Laundromat better. Hannaford isn’t awful, and I might stop there and get bananas this morning to hold me off until this evening.
Well, I better get off to work. First shower, then head up to Menands on my bike. Rear wheel has been a bit loose, but it’s been riding good besides making some occasional noise. Seems to be worse in the evening. Maybe it’s mostly in my mind, but I noticed the other day that wheel is cracked by some of spokes, so eventually I’m going to need to replace that. Also there is some play in the bearings – I could be loose, but I think they’re shot. I probably am going to have to replace that soon, but I’m going to wait for now until get. Just another thing to stress about but again it’s not a new problem, it developed after all that hard riding back and forth to work in February on the icy bike trail. Also that rear tire is pretty much shot. Not a big deal, bicycle parts are quite inexpensive if you do your own work and avoid the woke bike shop.
had some kind of issue renewing, so I am currently off the network. My phone was supposed to auto-renew last night, maybe my credit card was declined. 
Going to be a pain to have to call the bank when the phone is dead. I’ll check my account when I get into the office. Kind of annoying, I get so used to looking at New York Times and the local papers 
in the morning. It’s not the worse thing though, as I didn’t get up real early as I got ot bed closer to 10 PM then 9 PM after heading home relatively late from Five Rivers. Still not having access to outside world seems to throw off the whole morning, as I get used to the routine, though it’s no different then camping in wilderness without internet service. At first I was worried I had used too much unlimited data streaming things and not having internet at home but it’s not that. Texting and calls are down too. 
It’s stupid but it feeds my anxiety. 
until around 8 PM or so. Just watched some videos and poked through some of ebooks I had, along with reading the news about the State Budget agreement. I don’t mind not being so involved in all that stuff now that I work in the suburban office, indeed working 9-5 PM and having the ability to enjoy the nice evening was delightful. I did have a rush project that came in at 8 PM last night but I got it done in like 15 minutes. It was a beautiful spring evening 
though towards dusk it started to get cool. That said, maybe not the most productive evening but I like spending it in the woods. Got home and fried up some onions, cornmeal and broccoli. 
Simple but good. 
that in a few days it will be May and that Memorial Day Weekend is but four weeks away. 
Yes, I know about the black flies, still it’s nice to be able to get away, travel, have fires. 
I was looking at the comments on DEC Facebook post reminding people about not burning trash, and how controversial the burn ban is in most rural communities. 
I get it, burn barrels in Pennsylvania are kind of stinky if you let plastic garbage smoulder and you’re not on a farm or have good amount of acerage. Between that and gun restrictions, it’s another reminder why I don’t want to build my off-grid homestead in New York. 
I just got to get through the next 13 years, continue to build my savings and investments, then I put in for retirement so I have time and freedom to live where I want. I still will want to work then, but maybe more with livestock and a hammer 
but also maybe I can do some kind of consulting, if I could ever adopt more of a business mindset. Rural jobs are tough though. As much as I dislike so much about New York political culture, and some people are like you work for who – I point out that I do good work and good jobs are hard to find in most areas outside of big cities. 
Recycling is such a scam. Especially plastic stuff but even paper 
now that they’ve adopted single stream recycling. Made an excellent fire starter, in the hot fire didn’t smell much and except for some metal bits I pulled out of ash, it all burnt up. Plus smoking all that weed was good too. 
Not sure when ro where my next trip will be but next weekend is the Save the Pine Bush Hike. 
Probably too early for the Karner Blue and lupine to be out, and like usual it’s going to rain on Saturday, 
but hopefully not a wash out. Maybe the following week I can get back out again. Maybe Charles Baker or Schoharie. The Green Mountains with my office on north side of Albany, and the alternatives I’ve discovered to congested NY 7, along with discovering Prospect Mountain Road and the VT 279 Bypass will be good come summer but I don’t know if the road is open yet for the year. 
I need to get to laundromat and shopping. 
Another nice evening but maybe not quite as nice as yesterday and it could be stormy. So I figure it will be good to be out ands shopping. 
Plus I want to get some more grease and brake cleaner for the bike. But I do like the Four Corners Laundromat better. Hannaford isn’t awful, and I might stop there and get bananas 
this morning to hold me off until this evening.
First shower, then head up to Menands on my bike. 
Rear wheel has been a bit loose, but it’s been riding good besides making some occasional noise. Seems to be worse in the evening. 
Maybe it’s mostly in my mind, but I noticed the other day that wheel is cracked by some of spokes, so eventually I’m going to need to replace that. Also there is some play in the bearings – I could be loose, but I think they’re shot. I probably am going to have to replace that soon, 
but I’m going to wait for now until get. Just another thing to stress about but again it’s not a new problem, it developed after all that hard riding back and forth to work in February on the icy bike trail. Also that rear tire is pretty much shot. Not a big deal, 
bicycle parts are quite inexpensive if you do your own work and avoid the woke bike shop. 
