Morning Cup Of Coffee And Weather

I'm lucky to have a reliable power cooperative that owns the area where I live. Three years ago, they responded quickly after a storm knocked down a pole and replaced it in just six hours. They're also proactive about fixing issues before they become major problems, so I can't complain too much. But even they (the coop) installs generacs as a service.

For backup, I have two small inverter generators that can power my essentials like lights, TV, internet, and appliances. They only struggle with running our well pump. As a 240 volt, I'm kind of dependant on grid electricity for anything long term, or pulling a giant 5kw generator out my Dad gave me. But I think if we were in a situation where we were 'dark' for 3-5 days I'd probably have bugged out.

I'm curious -- I assume you got the natural gas version? Propane will be slightly more efficient --- how much gas does it really use? Have you had an opportunity for an extended use situation yet?

It is natural gas. We didn’t need it this weekend since the ice wasn’t too bad. Just got it hooked up so this was the first chance. We live in old part of town with lots of large trees. A lot of them are Water Oaks which rot from the inside out. A lot of times they look ok, but 2/3 of it is rotted out in the middle.
 
We finally received enough snow to cover everything except the tallest grasses. It looks like winter and at -6F it feels like winter too. By Friday the low will be -17F and the high will be -4F. Yep it’s winter in Wisconsin.
 
It is natural gas. We didn’t need it this weekend since the ice wasn’t too bad. Just got it hooked up so this was the first chance. We live in old part of town with lots of large trees. A lot of them are Water Oaks which rot from the inside out. A lot of times they look ok, but 2/3 of it is rotted out in the middle.

Yah, then it sounds like a good idea :) --- The one thing is miss, is my old neighborhood where everything was buried. Except for the power lines that carried the power to the 'hood itself, we never had an issue that was 'local' to me :) I've also lived with big trees and that is a recipe for discomfort once they get to be about 50 years old....


We finally received enough snow to cover everything except the tallest grasses. It looks like winter and at -6F it feels like winter too. By Friday the low will be -17F and the high will be -4F. Yep it’s winter in Wisconsin.

Now I'm surprised! We got 10 inches or so, and and several dusting combined with the cold -- I was able to shove out while things were still powdery. My little bitty snowblower -- a little 121cc/21 inch single state was throwing the snow a good 25 or 30 feet, and made its way through 10 inches pretty easily. The biggest problem is the driveway is breaking apart after 50 years of bad weather. Yet another item on my list of things that need attention :(
 
I woke up this morning to -1 degree weather. Not exactly what I would call motivating. Twenty years ago, I didn't mind the chill in the air; forty years ago, I would have been looking for the ice skates and asking Mom when she could take me to Howard Park, the local ice rink. I don't think I was ever there when the temperatures were below 20, but I know I was wanting to getting there. This was before I discovered indoor ice and realized the 'hard' natural ice was inferior to the groomed ice that Notre Dame maintained for the practice rink for their hockey team.

But enough about that, leave it to say I'm done with winter already and we have a couple weeks go to before Phil tells us how long winter will last :)

I've got a problem -- my driveway is starting to look more like a used car lot, and I'm adding yet another vehicle to the fleet. A cargo van that will be wrapped or at least signed out for a business that I am starting. After spending my entire adult career in the Information Technology space and funding myself unemployed, I think it's time to stop dreaming and start doing. The cargo van will let me take my tools and toys and let me use my knowledge of RV systems, working as a mobile RV tech. It will also be a billboard when camping let campers see the business. It just means I'll be camping in the front of the campground now instead of the back, where I usually hide.

I'll be selling two vehicles. Currently, there is a 12 Subaru Outback, a 2004 Ford Ranger (which was actually my dad's truck – story for another time), an '98 Jeep Cherokee, and a Toyota RAV4. I think the Jeep and Outback will probably go. Mrs. S will drive the rav4, and I'll drive my Dad's truck for personal use around town.

I hate selling any of them, they all have their purpose -- but purely from a storage and cash flow perspective...somethings got to give. The Outback is awesome in snow, better than the Jeep, and has been very mechncailly reliable. The Jeep is the most fun vehicle I have to drive. The Rav4 is boring as hell, and the Truck is a little small for my 6ft 3in frame. But I think this is the best choice.

What would you keep?

Always so much to do, and so little time.
 
Yesterday morning it was-17 and today it’s -11. I like the snow but can do without the cold and wind.
Well at least you won't have to go out and heat up the motor home to watch the Pack play anymore this winter, unless you've converted to a Lion's fan for the playoffs like I have since the last two debacles the Vike's were involved with.
 
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I woke up this morning to -1 degree weather. Not exactly what I would call motivating. Twenty years ago, I didn't mind the chill in the air; forty years ago, I would have been looking for the ice skates and asking Mom when she could take me to Howard Park, the local ice rink. I don't think I was ever there when the temperatures were below 20, but I know I was wanting to getting there. This was before I discovered indoor ice and realized the 'hard' natural ice was inferior to the groomed ice that Notre Dame maintained for the practice rink for their hockey team.

But enough about that, leave it to say I'm done with winter already and we have a couple weeks go to before Phil tells us how long winter will last :)

I've got a problem -- my driveway is starting to look more like a used car lot, and I'm adding yet another vehicle to the fleet. A cargo van that will be wrapped or at least signed out for a business that I am starting. After spending my entire adult career in the Information Technology space and funding myself unemployed, I think it's time to stop dreaming and start doing. The cargo van will let me take my tools and toys and let me use my knowledge of RV systems, working as a mobile RV tech. It will also be a billboard when camping let campers see the business. It just means I'll be camping in the front of the campground now instead of the back, where I usually hide.

I'll be selling two vehicles. Currently, there is a 12 Subaru Outback, a 2004 Ford Ranger (which was actually my dad's truck – story for another time), an '98 Jeep Cherokee, and a Toyota RAV4. I think the Jeep and Outback will probably go. Mrs. S will drive the rav4, and I'll drive my Dad's truck for personal use around town.

I hate selling any of them, they all have their purpose -- but purely from a storage and cash flow perspective...somethings got to give. The Outback is awesome in snow, better than the Jeep, and has been very mechncailly reliable. The Jeep is the most fun vehicle I have to drive. The Rav4 is boring as hell, and the Truck is a little small for my 6ft 3in frame. But I think this is the best choice.

What would you keep?

Always so much to do, and so little time.
I’d probably keep the Outback & the Ranger. Jeep has some years on it.Never driven a RAV4. The car I wish I kept was a 2000 Maxima. We let my daughter drive once she could drive. She traded it in when she bought a new car. Maxima had 250k miles on it & was 23 years old so it did bring much. It was a fun car to drive. Had Ram 1500s for the last 7 years including a new I bought last week. Truck is useful, but I miss a car sometimes.
 
Well at least you won't to go out and heat up the motor home to watch the Pack play anymore this winter, unless you've converted to a Lion's fan for the playoffs like I have since the last two debacles the Vike's were involved with.
Since the Packers are out I’m now rooting for the Lions.
 
I woke up this morning to -1 degree weather. Not exactly what I would call motivating. Twenty years ago, I didn't mind the chill in the air; forty years ago, I would have been looking for the ice skates and asking Mom when she could take me to Howard Park, the local ice rink. I don't think I was ever there when the temperatures were below 20, but I know I was wanting to getting there. This was before I discovered indoor ice and realized the 'hard' natural ice was inferior to the groomed ice that Notre Dame maintained for the practice rink for their hockey team.

But enough about that, leave it to say I'm done with winter already and we have a couple weeks go to before Phil tells us how long winter will last :)

I've got a problem -- my driveway is starting to look more like a used car lot, and I'm adding yet another vehicle to the fleet. A cargo van that will be wrapped or at least signed out for a business that I am starting. After spending my entire adult career in the Information Technology space and funding myself unemployed, I think it's time to stop dreaming and start doing. The cargo van will let me take my tools and toys and let me use my knowledge of RV systems, working as a mobile RV tech. It will also be a billboard when camping let campers see the business. It just means I'll be camping in the front of the campground now instead of the back, where I usually hide.

I'll be selling two vehicles. Currently, there is a 12 Subaru Outback, a 2004 Ford Ranger (which was actually my dad's truck – story for another time), an '98 Jeep Cherokee, and a Toyota RAV4. I think the Jeep and Outback will probably go. Mrs. S will drive the rav4, and I'll drive my Dad's truck for personal use around town.

I hate selling any of them, they all have their purpose -- but purely from a storage and cash flow perspective...somethings got to give. The Outback is awesome in snow, better than the Jeep, and has been very mechncailly reliable. The Jeep is the most fun vehicle I have to drive. The Rav4 is boring as hell, and the Truck is a little small for my 6ft 3in frame. But I think this is the best choice.

What would you keep?

Always so much to do, and so little time.
I would keep the Outback and Jeep.
 
Generator is completely installed & ready to roll. Gas upgraded our meter. Installers did the load test. Only downside is now we have to pay. We had refused to pay until it was operational.

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That's just good thinking; too many times have I been left in a lurch because a contractor was distracted by a shiny object after they got paid.

I'm sensitive to the fact that they often use deposits to cashflow the parts, but I will never pay more than 50% down, and I will only do it on credit cards to maintain some of the existing buyer protections
I would keep the Outback and Jeep.
I’d probably keep the Outback & the Ranger. Jeep has some years on it.Never driven a RAV4. The car I wish I kept was a 2000 Maxima. We let my daughter drive once she could drive. She traded it in when she bought a new car. Maxima had 250k miles on it & was 23 years old so it did bring much. It was a fun car to drive. Had Ram 1500s for the last 7 years including a new I bought last week. Truck is useful, but I miss a car sometimes.

My concern with the Outback is, that it has started to develop a personality. But the hybrid battery 'scares' me too. The achiles heel of all of these new fangled cars is the battery. I know claims of 200000 miles or more before battery degrade, but I temper my positive thinking with the fact that the same people who told me LED light bulbs would last thousands and thousands of hours! That I'd never have to buy another light bulb again! Its far better than any incandescent light bulb!

Well, those engineers brought me this - a kitchen light that doesn't work, needs cleaning, and will cost me a couple hundred bucks rather than replacing a $2 bulb.

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So selling the RAV...hadn't really given that much thought. Subaru though, I'm not sure. The 'boss' gets to make that decision, it is whatever makes her feel confident and comfortable. The subi as at the age where it is started to develop a personality, at around 180000 milse.

The Ranger has sentimental value, only has 89000 miles on it, and has been meticulously maintained. Dad was a stickler for 3000-mile oil changes or whenever he got bored, whichever happened first. Keeping the jeep is an Ranger might work. The ranger is certainly 'safe' to drive.
But if it weren't for the sentimentality of it, yeah, it'd be gone in a heartbeat. Too small and nowhere near enough capacity.
 

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Makes our investment in an AZ winter home 8yrs ago feel better and better all the time!
My original plan was to buy a summer home here and then a winter home down south or maybe just take the Class A south and live in an RV park. I still might do that in the years ahead.

Part of the reason I haven’t is because I live in such a picturesque place and the house is very comfortable with radiant floor heat.
 
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