Impending sense of doom and the auto-free lifestyle until I get a big-assed SuperDuty truck 😯

Maybe it’s the impending sense of being trapped in the city this winter, knowing all too soon I’ll look out my window and not see Red. But on the other hand, I do mostly ride my bike and take the bus around town, and normally rack up few winter miles except going to Walmart and my parents house once a week in the winter. And lots of visits in vein to manual car wash. Really giving up driving during the winter is hardly a loss, as I only occasionally was able to get out in country, camp in snow, have fires and giggle along with the Dire Wolf.

Still not having a vehicle seems a bit imprisoning, though I realize it’s from choice. I have the money that if I want to cut a big enough check, I can get a SuperDuty truck, even a fancy one tomorrow. Not that I want a fancy one, indeed the low feature set on basic XL heavy duty trucks make it much more appealing in my mind then the standard full-size and mid-size trucks that are full of big colorful screens and technology. And I could certainly get one of those used Honda Civics to drive to your suburban office and plastic-covered home or whatever the frugalists say you should drive as a financially responsible people say you should drive.

Certainly not having a truck will be inconvient at times. Probably the biggest issue will be when I have to do my wash and can’t get a ride out to my parents house, it will be trudging the wash to the laundromat a mile in snow either on my back or bus and asking my neighbor to use his trash bin. Or having to haul groceries home from the bike. I probably will shop primarily at Hannaford as that’s closer, though I can ride over to Walmart from time to time. And no more drives out to the country, up to camp for overnights in snow, watching the flicker of the flames as the stars rise overnight. But winter is cold, and honestly I should be saving money without a truck to gas up or insurance to pay.

I have such a bunker mentality, trying to get as much food and supplies from Walmart before it’s too late to conviently get what I need from the store. Trying to get as much rice, beans, flour as possible, as those things will last several months, are heavy to carry on my bike and are cheaper in bulk at Walmart. They also are staples in my diet. And other things that will last for a while like onions, and frozen fruits and vegetables though freezer space is a bit limited, though I can certainly take out the ice blocks if I’m not heading out camping. An extra pair or two of jeans if it’s while between getting down to the laundromat. It’s not like I can’t ride my bike or even take a bus to Hannaford, but it’s inconvient.

I often have to remind myself not owning a vehicle is a temporary situation, I will get a truck once the salt season is over and I want to travel again. I will get back out to wilderness, see the hills and hollars again. Despite my rundown apartment and my often dated and broken equipment, or riding sluggish local the bus to work, I am much better off then most Americans. I choose to live as I do, to camp in winter, to ride the bus and bike to work. Many people choose frugality out of necessity, I do because I hate excessive consumption, the bright colorful lights of modernity and all that plastic except of course besides those big pickup trucks with the old fashioned dashboards.