Personal

You need a place to live 🏚️

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I keep repeating that phrase time and time again in my mind. Got to live somewhere, have a place where you get your mail and stay at least part of the time, close enough to work to commute back and forth. And I am blessed with a good job, that despite my complaints in my mind, actually pays quite well. Not that many people do make $100k a year, even if with inflation it doesn’t seem like what it once was. I know, I was studying the public pay records for the many people in my company — and looking at the region’s average wages. And I do good work, I have saved a lot money up, I can afford to buy a house with cash if I want. These are the facts.

I am going to look at that somewhat run-down, abandoned house next to my parents house out in the country Monday morning at 7:30 AM. I didn’t have to call the Realtor or make an appointment to look at it. But I did. It costs me nothing but time, and it’s a good way to learn about one option. I like the size and the price, and the idea of fixing up an old house. It’s right on the highway, which means the constant roar of truck traffic and borders my parents house. But easy commute for living relatively rural. It seems less moldy then my current apartment, and when you consider it’s paid for, much of what I am paying now in rent could go into fixing it up — adding a heat pump, solar power, etc. Big enough to have some livestock, next to my parents house so I could take care of them. But who knows if I can get it in this competitive market. Plus I don’t want to spend the next few days doing paperwork when I could be in the Adirondacks.

And I’m not sure I’m ready to settle down. I am looking forward to my next 5 days in wilderness, come Tuesday. I like being able to get away without animals to feed or property to take care off. Yet, at the same time, it feels so kiddish to be living in same run-down apartment I’ve had since being a researcher, making less then a 1/3rd what I make as a director now. I like riding my mountain bike to work, but how many adults do that? Plus I don’t really want to settle down in New York State, even if it’s where I am now with my job — one that I do damn good work at and are relatively well compensated at. Still, I neither like the options avaliable and I don’t like New York. I really want that off-grid property in a pro-second admendment state. But could I live there for a decade, building my career and skills, before moving on?

I really feel damned if I do, damned if I don’t.

Friday, putting off heading out of town until Tuesday 🏕️

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I just wasn’t sure about the weather this evening, and I was like do I need two nights camping in Vermont when I’m heading up north come Tuesday after work through Sunday to beat the heat wave. I am at one level bummed out about not camping this weekend, but this evening looks stormy and wet and it would be a lot of work to pack and unpack for the weekend. Plus my bike broke down again yesterday, only hours after I got it back on the road.

Yesterday was a pretty nice day, 😎 warm but not super humid. Put the fixed tire back on the bike, I went to Albany Rural Cementary for a ride and to take a second look at Erastus Corning’s grave stone, because I accidentially deleted the previous photos 🖼 I took of the grave. Then I rode home, got refreshed with some kefir and blueberries along with rice and beans, laid back for a minutes and headed out on my way. Then I rode home.

Last night I rode down to Pine Hill Arboretum. 🌲 I was going to go to the bank but forgot my check at home. It was nice there, but buggy. I do wish they also had more of the trees identified for easy knowledge. Still it’s a place of serenity — bar the road noise — I should visit more often, it’s not far from home.

Then I rode out to the Bender Mellon Farm Preserve until a little before dusk. 🌆 Started hearing a louder clicking noise from the front wheel. I thought I had a loose or broken spoke — but when I got home and started checking the tightness of spokes — all seemed good, I was worried I might have a failing wheel bearing. It’s the front wheel, so it’s cheaper to replace if necessary. I didn’t ride into work today, as I didn’t want to damaged things. But coming home tonight, studying the wheel more carefully and watching the rotator spin, I think I might have caused the problem myself — I tried adjusting the wheel and bent spoke myself and I think I just made it even more out of true. I got to go back to the shop and hand over even more money tomorrow. 💰 It’s a bike, I ride it a lot, it’s cheaper then car repairs I tell myself. Hopefully they’ll have it fixed by Tuesday.

I was going to go out to Vermont this weekend, 🏕 but with the heat wave coming and my desire to get to the Potholers, I decided against it. I took off Thursday and Friday — Wednesday is also a holiday, so I plan to head north on Tuesday. Originally I planning on going to Stewart Landing and maybe hammock camping there Tuesday or Wednesday, then heading up to the Potholers but I am concern I’ll have work shit to do and need good cell service. 📱Better to camp up around Mason Lake for the first two or three nights, then on Thursday or Friday head over to Piseco-Powley for two or three nights. I figure if I’m unreachable come Friday and Saturday, it’s not the end of world, I’m doing the vacation thing and all of the targets 🎯 that need to be cut will be cut and the rest of things can wait or others can do it. I might be talented with the SQL statements and AWK and R but others know how to use computers too. 🖥 I’m going to miss the Save the Pine Bush organizational meeting, at some bar off of New Scotland, but I’d rather be in the wilderness then trying to stay cool in my nasty old apartment.

The house down the road from my parents house 🏚is up for sale and I am going to tour with the saleperson. It’s a nice size house wise at under 800 sq feet, but it’s only 4 1/ 2acres and it’s right on the main road, so I’d be sleeping with road noise all of the time. Price is good at $150k cash as is, but it’s need a lot of work I’m told. No moldy carpet which is nice though. They won’t finance it though, the power and water is off and I don’t know about the systems. 🔍 I guess I’m serious that’s things for the home inspector to determine. Not sure if it’s right for me, though I could see adding a heat pump and solar and it might be good as a round out my career in Data Services before leaving New York for good in 13 or 14 years when I hit 45. I’m looking at it before work on Monday at 7:30 AM, probably won’t be able to catch the bus in but I can drive. Maybe my bike can be picked up after work. Plus driving in means I get home a bit earlier, which is good as I need to pack for my five days in wilderness beating the heat. 🏊 I’m really excited about using the rubber tube, floating and swimming in the potholers and going kayaking. 🛶 I’m actually not that serious about the property, more curious, and I want to get the Adirondacks then spend my days in a lawyer offices. But it’s worth a look.

That said, I’m hoping I get my bike back by Tuesday, 🚴‍♀️ and it can be an option of activities to do up north, although honestly it seems like it’s going to be too hot to do an awful lot of riding. I think it’s more of a weekend to swim and float, maybe do some kayaking. Lots of reading and relaxing, that is when work doesn’t interrupt things. ⏰ At least at the potholers nobdoy can reach me or bother me.

Tips – Tax Free

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While the idea of making tips tax-free may be popular with tip workers, I could see it encouraging many other employers, especially those in low tipped minimum-wage states to rely increasingly on tipped workers. It could mean whole new industries would cut their wages for workers, and lead to more places requiring, at least in a moral sense, you tip workers. That seems like just another tax on people whenever they interact with humans.

Trump Tax-Free-Tip Plan Opens ‘the Door to Tax Evasion,’ Expert Says – Business Insider

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Trump Tax-Free-Tip Plan Opens ‘the Door to Tax Evasion,’ Expert Says – Business Insider

Under a tax-free-tip system, employees who work for tips — such as waiters, bartenders, drivers, and some hotel staff — would have a financial advantage over other low-wage workers, such as those who work in fast food, because they could avoid taxes for Social Security, Medicare, and income.

It could also mean consumers — many already experiencing tipping fatigue as tipping culture pervades more industries — would be asked to tip in additional situations so workers could receive untaxed income.

Getting ready for that heat wave 🌊

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In other words, how little time can I spend here in Albany, in my un-air conditioned apartment. Consideration of work-in-person requirements, costs, weather and other community events are on my mind.

Brought my bike inside the office,  🚴 and stored it in the office overnight. The guy at the front desk gave me a bit of a look as I hauled it into the office last night, but he didn’t say anything. Probably because I am paid like twice what he is, being a director. And I have that private office overlooking the old city garbage dump so I could lock it at away. I brought the wheel home on the shuttle bus 🚀 which actually does not contain a rocket, and the city bus home. Repaired the tire — actually swapped out for other tube I patched. Did the same thing this morning, put the wheel on the bike and now it’s sitting back outside, ready for me to ride later either a lunch time or home at the end of the day if it’s not too hot. 🥵

First off the upcoming weekend, I want to go to Vermont 🌲 either Prospect Mountain Road or maybe Somerset Airfield Road, which I’m happy is open now. Not going to be a super warm weekend, but going to be sunny. The thing that gives me pause is now the rain showers threaten to persist into Friday evening, and I don’t want to be setting up camp in the rain. Somerset Airfield road offers the option of lots of miles of dirt road to ride that is relatively flat bar a few big hills like just beyond Shep Meadow, and the Deerfield River swimming hole. Prospect Mountain Road is closer, and I could ride/walk down to Lake Hannock.

The alternative remains to do just one overnight and hammock camp ⛺ in Northern Schoharie County and spend one or more days most of the day observing the Gas Up exhibits up close without dad needing to rest or keep going. Or I could just do Thacher Park and the Nature Bus though I don’t want to do that. Tha said, I just kind of want a quiet full weekend in the woods, I’m exhausted after this week. Come back late on Sunday, go to the laundromat and stock up for the next time I can escape town. Or maybe I just do the overnight, and get ready for leaving on Tuesday. Maybe that’s a better option — put off Somerset Airfield Road for later in July or uAuust, on a weekend when I might have to work part of the weekend.

I need to check staffing in my office, but Wednesday is a holiday, Juneteenth ✊🏿 and I’m thinking with the heat wave coming, 😅 I should planning on heading north come Tuesday evening after work to beat the heat. I need to see if I can take off Thursday and Friday of next week, so I could have a real long weekend. Can’t stay at the same campsite all those days, but I’m thinking I might head up to Spectulator-area for the first few days — in case any work projects come in and to paddle the Kunjamunk or similiar rivers, then head down to the Potholers and Piseco-Powley Road come Thursday or Friday and either camp at the House Pond Campsite or somewhere else.

Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈

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I concede I’ve been a bit slow at switching the CSS to reflect pride month, but it’s now upon us. One of the great strengths of nation is it’s diversity, and we should let people live as they so please as long as they’re not impacting our own lives. Live and let live!