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Happy Valentines Day ♥️

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Not loving the cloudy skies today, but it’s going to be mild, heading up to 40 degrees which hopefully will help with the snow melt and the sad, desprate indivdiaul without a car can start riding his mountain bike back to work both ways using the bike trail rather then be on high alert, guarded, fighting traffic be it on Corning’s Hill or was the case last night, Second Avenue in Albany.

Do I ever consider settling down, 😻 maybe some day, but I like my freedom, my fires, 🔥 nights up in wilderness wit my big trucks and guns, burning shit and listening to music. A girl 🧒🏻 just a lot of baggage 🛄 to drag along. Plus I’m banned from Facebook Dating and most of other promotion of Facebook things, after making a stupid comment over 90 days ago on an advertisement for Criminal Defense Lawyers, noting that “I eat judges for breakfast and shoot cops with heroin.” Obviously I’m promoting narcotics on Facebook so I’m a danger to Facebook Community just like Donald Trump is. A serious violator of Facebook policy, because I hate those obnoxious ads. But then again obviously I’m a danger like Trump, as I’m a liberal Democrat who burns his trash and rarely recycles plastic (see before) , soon to drive a big-assed SuperDuty with a Godzilla engine, owns not enough guns, and voted for Trump in 2024, so he could take away my express bus downtown. And the snow depth data web server, because he cut funding to National Center on Snowpack or whatever that website. ☃️ I just want that fucking snow to be gone so I can ride my bike to work on Rail Trail without all that traffic crap, enjoy some serenity.

When those days come, I’ll certainly be riding both ways every day, 🚴 no more evening buses home, we’ll except for rainy days. Truth is without the express bus anymore, the shuttle and local bus is so much less convenient and I hate having to walk through the Capitol on session days, lest I get caught not being fully dressed up for work in the Data Services department overlooking the city garbage dump. Yesterday, riding in that sewage plant really stunk, 👃 but at least they plowed the one section of the Quay Street – Erie Boulevard connector that wasn’t cleared until yesterday. And then yesterday, with the additional evening daylight, I rode back home  🌇 via Second Avenue and Delaware. It was fine, though Elizabeth Street that connects Fourth Avenue and Second Avenue is steep and I had to push my bike up it, and Second Avenue is surprisingly narrow and I had to keep one eye 👁️ behind me to watch for cars sneaking up on the back, and one eye watching out for opening car doors. Doesn’t help the snow banks leave cars parked out halfway to the middle of street, really only leaving one lane for two directions of traffic. I guess it was better then taking the bus, but between that hill on Elizabeth Avenue, Second Avenue and Delaware Avenue crossing the Norman’s Kill and just the general fighting of traffic left me dog 🐶 tired by the time I got home. I actually snuck over behind Delaware Plaza and took the suburban streets home, just to get away from the craziness of traffic – I was home before 6 PM.  💥 I got a 5-lb bag of cornmeal at Wally World yesterday in the morning, when I got Valentines Day candy at work, so I made up a big pan of cornmeal pancakes with spinach, no onions this time.

Between heading over to Wally World before work yesterday, 🛒 to riding back home over Second Avenue, I rode quite a few miles yesterday, but whatever, it was healthy and saved on bus fare. 🚍 I really don’t love riding the bus, but yeah, I don’t have that big-assed truck yet, 🛻  and I hate driving too, much rather either ride or bus it work. Was so much more convenient with the buses when they had the express buses, and I worked downtown, but whatever, most days now I just ride my bike especially once that snow is done. I still need to think about getting new tires n the bike, I’ve been slip sliding a lot especially as it was 8 months ago when I last seriously thought about getting some more rubber. But they’ve been holding air fine, and for suburban communiting, ti’s not like I need really good traction, and if I slip slide a bit on the snow and ice, whatever. 🌨️ Finally now the trails in city that are plowed are in good shape, except on area where they pushed snow on bike trail by the Exit 2 787 Collector-Distributor.

I want to ride to Hannaford today, 🛒 and pick up some groceries in the afternoon, 📚 read some books I on my phone and probably watch more videos. Black beans cooking up on stove this morning after having apple pancakes. 🍏 No big plans, I could go out to Five Rivers but I think the snow will be too deep to do much walking unless of course it’s well packed down, but even then with the warm temperatures expected today it will be quite sloppy. ☀️ Sunday or Monday Dad is going to pick me up to visit the family. Other then that, no real plans for the weekend, I left my laptop in office, 🖥️ I rarely use it at home, and with electricity prices, I don’t even want to think about plugging it in at this point. I was kind of pissed about the $140 electric bill for February, highest ever, but electric rates are soaring, 🔌 I’ve used the electric blanket a lot and space heater more than in years past as I’m home more on weekends without a vehicle, and I think my apartment is only getting more drafty. I can’t complain that much though, as many are paying far more, 💰 especially homeowners with big houses, I don’t have a fuel or insurance bill, and even my credit card bill has dropped 💳 as it’s not like I can buy as many groceries on a bike – and I don’t want to have a bunch of trash to get rid of without having a fire 🔥 or a vehicle to haul to the transfer station.

So yeah, I had this dream in middle of night that I got the Godzilla truck, 🐲 and despite it being the best researched truck ever, when I actually started to drive it, I hated how ugly it was with the base trim and all the plastic, and that on way home the engine started to knock and it had all these mechanical issues – because I while it seemed perfect on paper – I didn’t listen to dealer’s advice or maybe I fell in love 😍 with the Big Ford when I saw it next week test driving it and didn’t have time to critically think it through. But I was then stuck with this jalopy that was too expensive and unreliable to actually drive anywhere. It was of course because I watched that video on lifter failures on Godzilla engine, especially the older ones used for fleet use and idled all day. But what engine can you get today that doesn’t have mechanical issues? The blown engines in full-size pickups and compacts are all even more unreliable. 🧑‍🔧 You can dive deep into the forums and videos, and even the most reliable car out there has “issues” when you look at the fleet as a whole. I think if anything, the Godzilla is more reliable then anything GM or Dodge or even Toyota puts out today. Remember, I had a Chevy 5.3L famous for lifter issues, and despite oil consumption for a few years at times, it was flawless until the frame rotted out. I just want to look at the SuperDuty trucks I’m interested in, get an out-the-door price breakdown, and figure out where things stand before taking the next step. 🔎 But I know visiting a dealer in person is like stepping into a rats nest. 🐀 I don’t even know I will be able to get there this week with rain coming in, ☔ but Tuesday or Wednesday, based on the forecast I’ll decide if I should call and see if I can make an appointment to look at the trucks I’m most interested in. It’s funny, I got marketing mail from some Extended quote-un-quote “Warranty” insurance product broker scam in mail today for my Ford, warning ⚠️ that my warranty is about to run out. But fuck, I haven’t even bought the damn Ford. And I’d rather self-insure, if the engine blows 💣 after the warranty, decide if it’s better to pay for a new engine out of pocket or scrap the vehicle. Chances are good neither would be likely, and when you look at most insurance products, over time, it’s better to bet on yourself rather then insure over a loss which might suck, but isn’ t going to be catestrophic. ⚰️ I’m paying for more liability insurance instead of lower-deductible collision or glass coverage, as I’d rather protect my money in case a paralyze a four year old kid with my truck more then paying more for some body work on the truck or a broken glass. At times, money seems fake when you have days when your paper net worth falls by $25k due to market declines. Keep the SuperDuty truck purchase in context, though I don’t want to blow all my money on the truck, as I want to retire young to that off-grid hunting cabin that smells like hog shit, burnt plastic wrapper and wood smoke, with the howl of coyotes and guinea fowl in background. 🐓 Real country shit.

What is my favorite drink? 🥛

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Milk, of course.

While in recent years I’ve cut back due to the calories in favor of water and cider vinegar, still nothing beats an ice cold glass of milk. Or on a cold night before bed, a warm glass with lots of cinnamon and ginger.

Not only is it healthy for the body, it’s good for the land that keeps it working. It keeps open space open, fields from becoming overgrown and supporting a wide variety of species. It keeps rural people employed, protects tradition and keeps land working producing feed and forage for cattle.

How to visit a dealership, according to Google

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Continuing my exploration into trucks, I asked Google AI on how it thinks I should plan a visit to the dealership to test drive some trucks and get a price quote that can be start of the negogation process and comparison to other trucks. I am thinking of doing this next week when things are quiet at work, but it could change based on weather.

To avoid spending the whole day at the dealership, you should separate your evaluation phase (the test drive) from the documentation phase (getting the quote). 

Step 1: The “Digital Handshake” (Before You Leave)

Before driving to the lot, call the dealership and ask for an “Internet Sales Manager.”

  • Verify Availability: Give them the specific stock numbers or VINs you found online. Ask them to physically lay eyes on the trucks and confirm they haven’t been sold.
  • Set the Appointment: Explicitly state: “I am coming in at [Time] to test drive stock #XXXX and #YYYY. I have other appointments scheduled and only have 90 minutes. I’m not buying today, but I will need an itemized Out-the-Door quote to take with me for my final comparison.” 

Step 2: Arrival & Physical Inspection (Minutes 0–20)

When you arrive, skip the showroom floor and go straight to the reception desk to ask for your specific contact.

  • Visual Walk-Around: Before getting the keys, do a 5-minute visual inspection. Look for “lot rash” or transport damage. For a Super Duty, check the bed for fifth-wheel prep packages if that’s a requirement for you.
  • Features Check: Sit in the cab and verify the tech features (SYNC 4 screen, camera system, trailer brake controller).

Step 3: The Targeted Test Drive (Minutes 20–50)

A standard test drive should take about 15–30 minutes. 

  • Route Control: Don’t let the salesperson dictate a “loop” around the block. Take it on Central Ave for stop-and-go handling, but ensure you get it on I-90 or the Northway to check for high-speed “death wobble” or cabin noise.
  • The “Silent” Drive: Ask the salesperson if you can have a few minutes of quiet to listen to the engine and transmission shifts without the radio or sales pitch. 

Step 4: The Quote Request (Minutes 50–75)

Once the drive is over, do not sit at the sales desk unless they are ready to print the quote immediately.

  • Request the Buyer’s Order: Say, “I’ve decided this is a top contender. Please print out an itemized Buyer’s Order for this VIN with all taxes and fees included.”
  • Deflect the “Commitment” Talk: If they ask “What will it take to get you to stay and buy today?”, respond with: “I am sticking to my process of collecting OTD quotes from three specific trucks. I will be making my final decision by [Day] once I’ve compared the bottom-line numbers.” 

Step 5: The Clean Exit (Minutes 75–90)

If the salesperson goes to “talk to the manager” and doesn’t return with a piece of paper in 10 minutes, they are likely using a stalling tactic. 

  • The Follow-up: Hand them your card and say, “It looks like you’re busy. Just email that itemized Buyer’s Order to me by the end of the day so I can include it in my final comparison.”
  • Walk Out: Leaving at your scheduled time shows you are a disciplined buyer who cannot be easily manipulated by “time pressure”. 

Friday, February 13, 2026

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Things were different back then I tell myself. Much different, I was a different younger person those 22 years ago when I got expelled and arrested for my comments in a discussion of academic freedom, forever to leave SUNY Albany and ultimately getting my degree at Plattsburgh State.

Truth is I was a lot more innocent back in those days, 🧒🏻 with my long curly hair looking like Bob Dylan, it was before the days of wearing the cowboy hat, working my way through college and eventually graduating two years later after the Assembly Internship. Three years of hell, probation officer visits, $15,000 in legal costs, working, getting back to college, graduating, and eventually getting a job that I’ve served in various rolls over the past 18 1/2 years. It’s been quite the journey, though there is much to do. I was ignorant, stubborn, if I had only agreed to plea to a violation and pay a fine, I could have avoided a long, expensive drawn our court fight and getting convicted of a crime. 🚨 All for 38 words in discussion over academic freedom. You can see why I’m kind of sympathetic to Trump’s efforts to reform academic. ⚖️ But it also got me much more interested in homesteading and the land, spending more time in the woods, especially as I lost more and more interest in computers and technology. 🐐 But I’ve also stayed in city all these years. I am sure I would be a lot more successful at my career if I was more willing to go along and not push back on things. I guess in many ways I’ve learned if you want to get along you have to go along – as the Lyndon Johnson slogan went – and I’ve become more agreeable while remaining committed to cre principals but it’s been a journey.

It really was such a different world 🌍 back then, two decades ago, back when the War on Iraq was raging, I had that summer job at the asbestos laboratory. 🔬 I was kind of an innocent country boy, I remember the bumperstickers and the slogans, “No War for Oil” and how it was a popular meme on the left to say, “How Many Lives Be Gallon”. ⛽ As people protested the enormous Hummer dealerships and those who drove Ford Excursions. And me after all these years is thinking of getting a Ford SuperDuty – you know an ginormous F-250 or F-350 three-quarters or one truck. But I make good money now, done well at investing, and I want a reliable engine without all the complicated things that frequently break that the EPA is mandating on passenger cars and trucks. 🛢️ Back then out in country, you could have a burn barrel, and plenty did burn most of their trash, nobody cared with the occasional wift of burnt plastic, got to get rid of the trash. The liberals were advocating for a ban, but the Republicans in the State Senate held the line until of course they lost with Obama wave 🌊 after the Great Recession. Hell, even back then I had a glimmer in my eyes for those big smelly diesel farm trucks, with memories of High School and all the farm kids, but it was a different world back then, And like that, I was pulled in different directions, though I used to believe far more in the CAFE standards and government mandates for fuel economy, before I learned how badly they are trashing the engines of modern cars.

It is kind of the deepest and darkest days of winter, 🌃 even though we are getting more daylight, February often has the coldest and bleakest days before spring starts. Maybe that’s what pushed me towards risks at SUNY Albany all those years ago, I really believed in freedom. ✊ By then I pretty much hitched my way to the Democratic Party, as that’s where the money is locally, made piece with liberal ideas after reading books about Adali Stevenson and the battles against those who believed in the Communist Scare. 🇨🇳 How things are so much more similar today with Trump in White House, though honestly I’m a bit undecided when it comes down to it all. I do believe in Second Amendment 🔫 and I think liberals can be very problematic in their own way, just like the Trumpster and conservatives are a problem. This climate change thing is real, we can’t ignore it forever, though I still want my big-assed SuperDuty truck.

Then I’m brought back to that phone call 📞 two years ago, when I learned my landlord had sold the building and in subsequent days learned my neighbor was moving out. I met the new landlord in the dark, after riding home from work that relatively warm and snow-free February two years ago, the burly construction worker and farmer dude 👷 with his big ol Dodge Ram one-ton. Just one of his income streams. My moving out neighbor was piling bags and bags of rotting garbage 🗑️ next to my unit, and I thought I had to find a new place to live. I really didn’t want to pay a lot more in rent – money forever lost – and new landlord hiked rent by $100 a month though by far it’s still the cheapest place around. I looked at the plastic houses and even some places out in the country, applied to some banks for mortgages, and even toured a house or two, 🏡 but honestly I like living the city and my truly dumpy old apartment.

I do dream of living deep rural though eventually. At one point, it did make sense to buy a house at that point, as that was the first year I had a six-figure income, and a fancy new title of Director of Data Services, but honestly I was turned off by how expensive both fuel to heat and light such an enormous house and cost in fuel and time to commute. Especially when I still wouldn’t be free to have a burn barrel 🔥 or fires whenever I wanted on my own land, as it’s still New York. Not to mention all the issues with gun control, and the hassles I’ve had in the past buying guns. I did look at some pieces of land, modular cabins and stick-built models, but land development is expensive, and you have to comply with all those New York State regulations, mostly designed by big city politicians which have no clue what it means to live close to the land. 🏕️ The truth is camping and spending times in wilderness is enough for me now, as I scrimp and save on most things on live beyond my big-assed pickups. I can’t believe I’m replacing Big Red 🛻 so soon, but time marches by so quickly. By the time I need to replace Godzilla, I will be thinking seriously about retirement and actually building that off grid cabin. 🏠 My parents will certainly be gone by then, who knows, I might end up in Westerlo again at old homestead, and maybe in mean time I’ll have goats and hogs. 🐽 Burn some paper but not too much plastic as it’s a more residential neighborhood, and yeah, New York.

It’s been a journey and I get super paranoid every time there is a Friday the 13th in February, ❄️ but I know it’s just a winter day like so many others. One of the off-grid Facebook groups I’m part of was talking about the high cost of dumpsters to clean up the land, while plenty of off-gridders chimed in to say, well I live on unrestricted wild land, we just burn everything, and what doesn’t burn,  🔥 we push into the ground, bury it, use it for fill, and build over it. A simpler life powered by dirt, rock and manure, and lots of diesel fuel for the farm equipment. 🚜 Having heavy equipment and being self-reliant is all the more important as climate change only makes chaos worse. You know it’s fun to look at myself in mirror, in my private office overlooking the old city dump, a mid-level director overseeing the Data Services department, managing 13.5 million records, powering an insitition’s communication stragety. 👴🏻 Growing old so quickly, learning a lot every day, my mind changing as the world evolves.

Leading up to Valentines Day ♥️

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One of these days I should get myself a girl friend, a tough motherfucker who likes big trucks, is not afraid to ram her hand up a cow’s rear end to preg test, shovel manure or make some black smoke burning a little garbage out in the country.

I do enjoy my freedom, 🐺 the nights in the wilderness, but I am a bit jealous of all my friends and colleagues with their homesteads and often kids now heading off to college. Hard to believe it was 22 years ago now that I was expelled from college over a debate on Academic Freedom and then graduated two years later from SUNY Plattsburgh, went on to my career in Assembly going on 19 years this year. How fast time comes and goes, indeed I’m closer to retirement then my college days which seem just like yesterday. 👨‍👨‍👦 Maybe some day I’ll settle down, but I like my big trucks and the money, and nights up in wilderness. I work hard and make good money, fuck those who say I should buy a plastic house and a 20-year old Honda Civic for car commuting every day to work, so you’re not a sad desperate individual who rides his bike to work. 🏡 I’ve always hated the trapping of suburbia, I like dirt and smell of the wood smoke, farm dirt and manure, not the stink of middle class suburban life with the kids bragging about their elite colleges they attend.

The plan is to leave early this morning, and ride over to Wally World 🏪 and get some holiday candy to hand out my colleagues in the office. I’ve been putting off the meeting about reminding people to sign in, delivering a status update from the programmers on the database update, and discuss other programs I’ve been working on. 🍬  I am sure in the afternoon I’ll have meetings downtown, and then I can ride the bike home. I was out at 5 AM this morning to go to Stewart’s to get milk 🐮 in plastic, even though I told myself I would get milk delivered in glass rather then spending my days looking for public recycling ♻️ bins to dump empties in. I miss being up in woods and being able to just burn that crap. It’s nice, it’s not so cold this morning, at least when I went out to Stewart’s, so it should be good ride in. 🥶 Nothing like the bitter cold of last week, or the wet salty slop of the past Wednesday. But a plowed through it on my bike.

Apple pancakes this morning, 🍏 with lots of ginger and cinnamon. Pretty damn good tasting, 😋 good fuel for the day, with added carrots for the fiber. Yum just the smell of the shredded apples. Watching the sun rise 🌅 as the days rapidly get longer and the winter fades away. I look forward to warmer days, and traveling, especially once I get the cap and things wired up on the new rig. Looking forward to that ride this morning, and getting through the work day. Maybe leave a bit before five PM and then ride home. It is nice to avoid the bus as much as possible. Hoping by next week if the snow disappears from the rail trail after the rain and warmer weather, I can go back to riding both ways to work nearly every day. I hate dealing with buses, loading the bike on the bus, paying the fare, etc.

Tomorrow starts the long weekend, 🏡 but without a truck I obviously won’t be straying too far from home, but with the warmer temperatures it would have meant sloppy weather for camping 🏕️ at Rensselearville had Big Red not been retired. Do need to do more shopping. I’ll get a few things at Walmart today when I get candy, 🍬 but I want to get additional things this weekend. And maybe also shop at Hannaford. I want to get both a big bag of pinto beans and more cornmeal, as I can get those things in bulk at Walmart for a good price. 😃 And who knows where else to explore. I expect with the deep snow still around but warming temperatures, things will be kind fo we.

Next week, weather dependent ⛈ I might look at and test drive the three trucks I’ve looked at DePaula Ford, I keep reviewing dealership strategy and how to get a fair deal on the truck I actually want. I just want to be taken seriously, I don’t want to hear from dealerships, oh, but we don’t think your SuperDuty material, what you want is a blown engine F-150 or a Ranger. 🚚 I’m the fucking paying customer, I don’t need to play that game 😡 – if you don’t want to sell me the damn truck – good bye, you’re not getting my business. There are literally close 100 Ford dealers within 150 miles of Albany.

Honestly, I have my doubts about test driving next week, as I think it’s going to rain the second half of next week. ☔ Do some shopping 🛒 and ride around town this weekend. And some reading. 📚 I was looking at that Ford F-350 I was eying the other day with the XL Off-Road base package, and realized it has the Minizilla and not the Godzilla engine, so that gave me some pause. Really think I’d be better off with an STX-FX4 package and Godzilla, it would look a lot nicer, get some better features and have more power for climbing mountains and resale value if I eventually decide the Godzilla doesn’t serve my needs. Plus, a Godzilla with the 10R140 without towing, isn’t going to ever be running a high load factor, which improves reliablity further. Really not that much extra. I like the bigger tires but I can always add that later on to the rig when the factory tires inevitably wear out in a few years, and then I can get 35s for it. I don’t have to decide today or even next week. 🛻  I want to close the deal though by the end of March and either take delivery late March or early April.

I was kind of pissed that my electric and gas bill was $143 for January into February, 🧊 but I concede it was cold, I’ve been home a lot, doing a lot of cooking, and especially using the heated blanket. And also during the winter weekends, the space heater, as I get chilled through quickly at 48 degrees, being thinner then I used to be. 🤰 I’ve tried to seal around the door, but it still leaks as does around the downstairs windows. I guess the landlord replacing the upstairs windows and the bad refrigerator helped, but the problem downstairs is because that outside wall keeps shifting and the windows don’t bend like the walls do, well after cracking. That building is kind of a hot mess, but it’s cheap even if it’s drafty. Everything is literally falling apart, but that’s what you get for $800 a month these days. And I’m sure another rent increase is on the way at some point soon, as everythng else is going up in prices. It’s fine, worse comes to worse, I’ll cut back on savings rates, but hopefully there will be a COLA this year at work and bonus payments. 🤑 And the market will keep growing, dividends and capital gains all around. I expect I’l have the heat off within a month, if March is anywhere similiar to recent years. Then it just will electric blanket at night.