Topics

A variety of maps, writings, and photos on a various topics that can’t easily be categorized into a county or place.

Making Progress But Not Enough.

While I am doing fine and have stuck towards my savings goals for the year, a year in the future, I’m really noticing how difficult it can be to save for tomorrow. I do put a lot of money away each month, and certainly my retirement savings has grown significantly, it still often feels like I’m treading water, barely moving the needle. Goals take time, and as this past year has shown, time goes by much quickly, and there never really is enough time.

My new job was a bit of a leap, it’s a bit scary jumping into the unknown, and there are definite tax disadvantages to me. But I’m working hard, and trying to do what’s best for my organization, so I can make new connections and fine ways to better myself. It gets tough to squeeze more out of my budget, but I can still definitely find ways to earn more money, and save more for tomorrow.

Saving alone won’t get me there, but it will help open options for better tomorrow. I need to continue to read and learn, think and expand my knowledge. I need to keep an open mind, always be focused on my future, and think more about what my options are. I have a lot more opportunities then many, and ultimately a lot of my future will be defined by what I choose.

Replacing plastic for glass and metal is a bad idea

There are some who want to replace single use plastics with single use aluminum or glass containers, noting the greater recycablity of both materials. But I think it’s a bad idea:

  • Glass and metal, once produced last forever in the environment.
  • A glass or metal object doesn’t just rot, it also doesn’t doesn’t burn. A discarded plastic bottle may be incinerated, burned in a burn barrel or campfire or be destroyed by a wildfire
  • Plastics, especially outside of a landfill have a much shorter life than metals or glass thanks to the combustible nature of hydrocarbons
  • Metals and glass discarded can lead to cuts in children and adults when they step on the glass, are working in the woods or swimming in the creek
  • Metals and glass discarded can puncture car tires both on and off the road
  • Metals and glass discarded can get into pasture and cause painful death from hardware disease in cows and other livestock
  • Traditional deposit for recycling programs do increase recycling rates but still don’t eliminate litter or even ensure most of the material is recycled
  • Recycling is great but even with glass and metal which is said to be 100% recyclable, material is lost when the metals and glass are melted down for reprocessing
  • Glass and metal makes a lot more sense with true rewash and reuse programs – like milk delivered by a milk man
  • Milk in glass is colder and purer
  • As would be other beverages such as soda or beer produced and distributed in reused growlers

Old Unopened Beer Car

That rain sounded so good on the roof last night β˜”

I won’t say it was wonderful to be riding back in rain from Lionheart on the Green to downtown in the rain on my mountain bike to catch the bus home, but it’s good we got some much needed rain.

Up early as I have to head up to Menands first thing to do some state work and then head over to the dungeon supposedly by nine o’clock 🐲 to keep processing those early voters, absentees and other data to keep the whole system running along like a smoothly well oiled machine, that is until I run into a bad UTF-16 character that causes R Studio to bomb out.  πŸ’£

I got to say Lionheart on the Green is a nice place, 🦁 though like everything, the pints are kind of expensive. 🍻 But I only had one before hoping on my bike and heading downtown in the rain back home. I am just glad it rained to reduce the fire πŸ”₯ danger so hopefully over Veterans Day Weekend πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ I can have a big ol’ fire, drink some beer, smoke some grass and sing along with the DireΒ  Wolf. 🐺 Pumpkin πŸŽƒ pancakes πŸ₯ž fore breakfast, getting an early start with lots of coffee β˜• and caffine as I got to cover a lot of miles this morning on the bike before I get my sugar high at the campaign committee. 🍬 But first IOI Codes need to be tagged and reports run πŸ“ at the State Offices.

Riding back downtown wasn’t too bad in the near darkness, πŸŒƒ I plan to keep extra bike lights in the office to be safe. Won’t do it all winter long, but when it’s reasonably nice, I do plan to continue riding in all winter assuming the bike trail is mostly free of snow. I don’t think this year I’ll do the Corning Hill to avoid the snow, β˜ƒοΈ though my mind could certainly change, as I don’t love busing it to work 🚌 but I like driving even less. I’m just glad it’s going to be in the seventies today, and I won’t need to have my windows closed or even the heat on for what looks to be a few weeks, based on the 8-14 day outlook. β˜€οΈ That said, probably over the weekend I will have to close the windows πŸͺŸ but at least won’t need the heat. I think it’s funny how I got the heated blanket out earlier this morning but haven’t had to use it but one day. Good, it saves money πŸ’° having it off. Money is tight these days after the auto insurance payment, and I didn’t make enough ad revenue last month on the blog to get a check this month. Oh, well.

BFG to Berlin

What it was like to drive from West Germany to Berlin via East German roads in the 1989 before the wall came down.

Today’s Almanac for Tuesday October 29

Today’s Almanac

Night before dawn is 6 hours and 57 minutes,
Dawn starts at 6:57 am and runs for 27 minutes,
Sunrise is at 7:24 am which is 4 hours and 35 minutes before noon,
High noon, the transit of the sun, is at 12:39 pm,
From twelve noon to the sunset at 5:53 pm is 5 hours and 53 minutes,
Dusk lasts for 32 minutes concluding at 6:20 pm,
Leaving 5 hours and 39 minutes until midnight.

Adirondacks

Upcoming Sunsets

Standard Time Begins – Sunset on Sunday, November 3 is at 4:46 pm
4:45 pm sunset – Monday, November 4
4:30 pm sunset – Wednesday, November 20
Earliest Sunset – Monday, December 9 at 4:23 pm
4:30 pm sunset – Thursday, December 26
4:45 pm sunset – Saturday, January 11
5:00 pm sunset – Thursday, January 23
5:15 pm sunset – Tuesday, February 4
5:30 pm sunset – Saturday, February 15
5:45 pm sunset – Thursday, February 27
7:00 pm sunset – Wednesday, March 12

Stairs By Lower Falls