Monday, June 25, 2007
Fuel Savings Update!
I'm up to having saved 57.5 gallons of gasoline now! That's a serious savings now, if you think about just the volume of 57 gallons! I think I haven't been keeping track carefully enough, as I would have spent a lot more than that on gas by now, but it only takes into account the gas saved on my commute to and from work. Still, that's about 4 tanks of gas! Considering the amount of gas that is, the monetary cost (around $180ish, but I just kind of estimated from the time that gas was near $4 and now when it's back around $3 and used $3.15/gallon), and how much pollution would have been put out by my burning that much fuel, it really shows the difference that one person can make (which really negates my "...But I'm only one man!" argument). You won't step outside and smell cleaner air, but the difference is being made little by little. Considering all of the other people that I ride alongside on the trails, it all adds up and that little by little becomes more and more consequential.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Riding the bus...
I have to admit, I've been loving it! I've only ridden the bus a few times from my home to work now, preferring to ride my bike, but it's been fantastic! The first time, I felt like it was the biggest hassle in the world, transferring not once, not twice, but three times for a total of four bus rides! I couldn't believe it and I was worried about making my transitions and such. By now, it's only the 3rd or 4th time, but it's totally comfortable and while I still carry a paper documenting my travel plans that I scrawled down, I don't really need it now. Seriously, it's been good times! Yesterday, I spent $1.25 on the trip to and $1.50 on the trip from work. That's a grand total of $2.75!! Way less than a gallon of gas (and I found a $1 in my work parking lot technically bringing my spending down to $1.75, though I wouldn't expect this as a daily occurrance)!
As much as I do love to bike, now that I've gotten into the "whole biking scene", it has been such a joy to not have to on these occasions that I haven't felt like it or when my legs were feeling a little stiff because I didn't stretch when I got home. On top of that was the greatest thing yesterday! When I got onto the Community Transit #441, they had free Wi-Fi on the bus! Unfortunately, I couldn't get my Nintendo DS to link up to it properly, but I was able to find the bus' network and that means I can bring my laptop or Compaq Ipaq and surf the web and take care of email and such on the way home! That's a more reliable internet source than I have in my own home (I search around for unlocked wireless networks that I can get a signal from)! For the price of the bus ride, there's free internet, comfy seats and I still don't have to deal with the traffic, just like on the bike! I'm definitely going to be taking the bus at least once or twice a week now!
As much as I do love to bike, now that I've gotten into the "whole biking scene", it has been such a joy to not have to on these occasions that I haven't felt like it or when my legs were feeling a little stiff because I didn't stretch when I got home. On top of that was the greatest thing yesterday! When I got onto the Community Transit #441, they had free Wi-Fi on the bus! Unfortunately, I couldn't get my Nintendo DS to link up to it properly, but I was able to find the bus' network and that means I can bring my laptop or Compaq Ipaq and surf the web and take care of email and such on the way home! That's a more reliable internet source than I have in my own home (I search around for unlocked wireless networks that I can get a signal from)! For the price of the bus ride, there's free internet, comfy seats and I still don't have to deal with the traffic, just like on the bike! I'm definitely going to be taking the bus at least once or twice a week now!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Fuel Savings Update
I don't know if I've been keeping track so accurately as I just try to remember to write it up on the whiteboard at work, but so far, I've added up at least 25 gallons of gas that hasn't been burned or purchased! According to AAA's average gas price estimates for the area of $3.38 per gallon today, it would cost $84.50! That's a pretty good chunk of change! I'm sure I've spent that on "biking parts" and such, but I'd rather it go there than into burning more fuel!
Transportation Woes...
There's a lot of things that I've been pretty lucky with; randomly jumping into things that I have no prior knowledge of and succeeding (or at the least, not failing miserably), obtaining and maintaining enough work to support my self, and basically just always being able to sate my various appetites for nourishment and things to maintain my amusement, but one thing that hasn't been at the top of my "lucky list" lately has been transportation. It really seems like it's just been one thing after another...
Cars
As of late, I've been severely reducing the numbers of cars I've had. It's been a bit of a part of my plan to simplify, a bit financial, and a bit of some of my other reasons.
Well, I sold my Mercedes for a song and a handshake, thinking there was something pretty wrong with it. The new owner spent about 30 minutes in my condo parking lot and drove it out happy as a clam. Oh well... I didn't need one more car. Heck, I'm not a Mercedes mechanic (and I say this because I'm obviously a great VW mechanic).
Well, I had such good luck with this and decided that it was time to get rid of the VW Westfalia (a camper Bus). It was a beautiful van, but it didn't get great gas mileage and the last thing I needed was another vehicle. So, right after making this decision, my Jetta starts faltering and decides to stop being my trusty steed. No big deal, right? I've still got the van. Then, I decide I'm selling the van anyways. I post an ad on Craigslist and almost immediately after I do, it develops this weird trait where it decides not to start all the time. Not that it won't start, but the starter doesn't want to do its part. I figure I've got a good back and keep compression starting it (push-starting) and hoping I can always keep it on top of a hill or at the very least, not at the bottom of a lot of hills. Then, I realize that no one is going to buy it at any price that I'll be happy with if it doesn't start. That's how I've gotten a lot of cars, by buying them cheap because of some "small" problem that made them seem pretty worthless that I then later fixed. Well, I took it to Buttera Motors and they couldn't figure out the problem. They kept it overnight and the next day, told me they had figured out the problem. The ground wire had been loose and the connection hadn't been solid enough. It was fairly cheap and so I also had a new shift coupler installed as I didn't want to to it, but it would really make for a better sale if the car went into the gears buyers expected. I was happy and on my way and it was a bright and sunny Friday afternoon! By Monday, the problem was back and I'd had trouble getting it started and had to push it out of the parking lot. I leave for work at 6 AM if I'm driving, and by this time, it was getting light at 6 in the morning, so I couldn't slink off in the night while I was pushing my van. Now, everybody could see plain as day, old Sione pushing his beat-up junker of a van... Embarassing. Well, I call them up and take it back to Buttera once more on Tuesday. They once again have a hard time figuring out the problem, but this time they say that the ground cable is not sufficient (I guess it had been before), replace that and "tighten some wires". They keep it for 2 days again, so I had to find a way home and to the shop. They also see it as acceptable to charge me again and send me on my way. I pick it up midday, head back to work and it starts up fine at the end of the day! Woo hoo!! I've been making up stories to potential buyers about being out of town for work and this and that, rather then say that the van's been on the fritz, so I'm happy! I stop off at the 99 Ranch Market (no reason to provide a link, but I do love shopping here!) and pick up some groceries. I load up my van and hop in. I turn the key. Nothing. Again. Nothing. I am parked right in front of the grocery and it's about 5PM so it's pretty busy. I don't want to try to push-start it right now. It's embarassing and I don't want to push it, not get it started, then roll somewhere and have to get out of the way. I get back out, grab my groceries, and start walking home. It's only about a mile or two... I ride my bike to my friend's house and he and I later go and get the van started and I take it home. I call Buttera Motors the next day, explaining the situation and how it's happened again. They ask me if I can bring it in. I explain that I've ridden my bike to work and I'm 17 miles away from the vehicle. They offer to tow it and tell me I just need to get the keys to the car. I explain again... "I'm SEVENTEEN MILES AWAY. I RODE MY BIKE TO WORK. I'M AT WORK. I can't just be at the van with the keys. It's getting really embarassing breaking down everywhere..." He says he understands, blah blah blah, and I hang up. I bring the car in one more time a few days later when I can and they keep it and say that they can find nothing wrong with it. I explain that I've been trying to sell the car and he says that it should be cool and I should go ahead and show the car. I explain that it's been really embarassing breaking down everywhere, but that it happening while I'm showing the car is really going to be embarassing. He agrees and says that this time, no charge. NO CHARGE??? I got charged twice for the same problem, they can't find the problem, I've broken down on the road numerous times after they gave me my car back assuring me it was good to go, but this third time he figures there shouldn't be a charge?!?!?!? Sons of a guns.... I show the car to a guy and his girlfriend later that day. He had been calling and emailing me like crazy while I was "out of town" and I know he'll buy it if it starts. Well, it starts at least the 3 times that he tried it, up until the third when he drove away so I got the price I asked and it's gone. One less problem, although I still haven't even tried to fix my Jetta. It's still biking time!
The most random of all car problems I've had lately is an old Beetle that was in my name for an ex-girlfriend from years ago because she wasn't 18 at the time. I hadn't even seen nor heard of the car in probably at least 6 years until I started seeing some paperwork at my parents' house from a towing company. Apparently, it had been towed and impounded. It was a $400 impound charge and around $55 per day in "storage fees". It's nice that they stored it for me, but I wish I had found out sooner than I had as the fees were already pretty substantial by the time I opened the notices. By the time I paid them... priceless? Maybe I don't understand those commercials...
Bikes
Well, I've written about my trike crash and I still haven't gotten the parts I need to repair that so it's been sitting idle for the time being. It's kind of a bummer and it does take up a lot of room for something I'm not riding...
Well, I have been riding my mountain bike, once I repaired the tire on it. It's been my main mode of transportation, aside from my feet. Well, last Thursday, I'm on my way home and I realize that my left pedal is coming loose. I look at it and the nut that holds it on has been loosening. I try to tighten it but I don't have a socket or ratchet handy so I can only do so much. I get a few more miles and get tired of riding, kicking the pedal further on, and continuing. I start walking and catch a bus. I get home and put a wrench to it and don't even pay it any more mind or wonder why it happened in the first place. I get up the next morning and hop on to ride to work. I bring a pair of needle-nose pliers (I don't know why I didn't just bring a 14mm socket and ratchet, but apparently that would have weighed me down too much) just in case. Well, I get about 2 miles out before it loosens up. I use the pliers to tighten it as much as I can and continue on. I can go about 1/4 mile, kicking the pedal back on while I'm pedaling before I have to stop and tighten it again. Being a 17.5 mile ride, that's a lot of stopping. Well, needless to say, that soon ceases to be an issue. Once I get to the Burke-Gilman trail, I am on my way and it's a smooth level ride the rest of the way. I get to about 10 miles from work before the nut falls completely off (and I can narrow it down to about a 1/2 mile area). I look for it for a bit, then give up. I try riding without the nut, which requires my constantly kicking the pedal back on about every 2-3 revolutions. I realize the pedal is worn and doesn't fit snugly which is why it was loosening the nut in the first place and now it is only getting worse. Much worse. After having to turn around and go back to pick up my pedal a couple of times, I can't go on. I don't mean "go on" as continuing on to work, because I'm not going to miss work (and all the bike shops are closed this early anyways), but I can't go on riding. I'm only 8-9 miles away from work now. I'm around Kenmore and I just need to get through Kenmore, head through Woodinville, and into Redmond where I work. Well, I start jogging with my bike for as long as I can, but I'm no jogger. I walk at a very brisk pace and some people stop to check up on me and see if they can help. I really appreciate that and it feels good although there's nothing they can do at this point. Well, I make it to work only 1 hour late and my legs are really on fire. My feet are surely broken, my thigh muscles are so overworked I'm sure I'll never bike again, and I limp to the showers. Well, I hit the bike shops the next day and apparently, they don't like to sell just left pedals, but only the whole crankset with both pedals and the front gears. Bum deal as I'm not trying to invest that much right now. Fortuitously, there has been this bike sitting out by the dumpsters at my condos for days. What are the odds, seriously? Thank God that bike was there and it even had pedals that are "bolted on" and not just parts of the whole crank! I take it upstairs to my condo and pull the pedal. I brought that pedal to work yesterday, attached it and it fit like a glove, the nut fit the threads the same, and it seemed good to go! As far as I can tell, it is! Woo hoo! I'm back on the road for now and the parts for my trike should be here any day (if they ever ship them, seeing as they're in Washington and it only takes 1 day to ship)!!
I guess everything always works out in the end! Good times...
Cars
As of late, I've been severely reducing the numbers of cars I've had. It's been a bit of a part of my plan to simplify, a bit financial, and a bit of some of my other reasons.
Well, I sold my Mercedes for a song and a handshake, thinking there was something pretty wrong with it. The new owner spent about 30 minutes in my condo parking lot and drove it out happy as a clam. Oh well... I didn't need one more car. Heck, I'm not a Mercedes mechanic (and I say this because I'm obviously a great VW mechanic).
Well, I had such good luck with this and decided that it was time to get rid of the VW Westfalia (a camper Bus). It was a beautiful van, but it didn't get great gas mileage and the last thing I needed was another vehicle. So, right after making this decision, my Jetta starts faltering and decides to stop being my trusty steed. No big deal, right? I've still got the van. Then, I decide I'm selling the van anyways. I post an ad on Craigslist and almost immediately after I do, it develops this weird trait where it decides not to start all the time. Not that it won't start, but the starter doesn't want to do its part. I figure I've got a good back and keep compression starting it (push-starting) and hoping I can always keep it on top of a hill or at the very least, not at the bottom of a lot of hills. Then, I realize that no one is going to buy it at any price that I'll be happy with if it doesn't start. That's how I've gotten a lot of cars, by buying them cheap because of some "small" problem that made them seem pretty worthless that I then later fixed. Well, I took it to Buttera Motors and they couldn't figure out the problem. They kept it overnight and the next day, told me they had figured out the problem. The ground wire had been loose and the connection hadn't been solid enough. It was fairly cheap and so I also had a new shift coupler installed as I didn't want to to it, but it would really make for a better sale if the car went into the gears buyers expected. I was happy and on my way and it was a bright and sunny Friday afternoon! By Monday, the problem was back and I'd had trouble getting it started and had to push it out of the parking lot. I leave for work at 6 AM if I'm driving, and by this time, it was getting light at 6 in the morning, so I couldn't slink off in the night while I was pushing my van. Now, everybody could see plain as day, old Sione pushing his beat-up junker of a van... Embarassing. Well, I call them up and take it back to Buttera once more on Tuesday. They once again have a hard time figuring out the problem, but this time they say that the ground cable is not sufficient (I guess it had been before), replace that and "tighten some wires". They keep it for 2 days again, so I had to find a way home and to the shop. They also see it as acceptable to charge me again and send me on my way. I pick it up midday, head back to work and it starts up fine at the end of the day! Woo hoo!! I've been making up stories to potential buyers about being out of town for work and this and that, rather then say that the van's been on the fritz, so I'm happy! I stop off at the 99 Ranch Market (no reason to provide a link, but I do love shopping here!) and pick up some groceries. I load up my van and hop in. I turn the key. Nothing. Again. Nothing. I am parked right in front of the grocery and it's about 5PM so it's pretty busy. I don't want to try to push-start it right now. It's embarassing and I don't want to push it, not get it started, then roll somewhere and have to get out of the way. I get back out, grab my groceries, and start walking home. It's only about a mile or two... I ride my bike to my friend's house and he and I later go and get the van started and I take it home. I call Buttera Motors the next day, explaining the situation and how it's happened again. They ask me if I can bring it in. I explain that I've ridden my bike to work and I'm 17 miles away from the vehicle. They offer to tow it and tell me I just need to get the keys to the car. I explain again... "I'm SEVENTEEN MILES AWAY. I RODE MY BIKE TO WORK. I'M AT WORK. I can't just be at the van with the keys. It's getting really embarassing breaking down everywhere..." He says he understands, blah blah blah, and I hang up. I bring the car in one more time a few days later when I can and they keep it and say that they can find nothing wrong with it. I explain that I've been trying to sell the car and he says that it should be cool and I should go ahead and show the car. I explain that it's been really embarassing breaking down everywhere, but that it happening while I'm showing the car is really going to be embarassing. He agrees and says that this time, no charge. NO CHARGE??? I got charged twice for the same problem, they can't find the problem, I've broken down on the road numerous times after they gave me my car back assuring me it was good to go, but this third time he figures there shouldn't be a charge?!?!?!? Sons of a guns.... I show the car to a guy and his girlfriend later that day. He had been calling and emailing me like crazy while I was "out of town" and I know he'll buy it if it starts. Well, it starts at least the 3 times that he tried it, up until the third when he drove away so I got the price I asked and it's gone. One less problem, although I still haven't even tried to fix my Jetta. It's still biking time!
The most random of all car problems I've had lately is an old Beetle that was in my name for an ex-girlfriend from years ago because she wasn't 18 at the time. I hadn't even seen nor heard of the car in probably at least 6 years until I started seeing some paperwork at my parents' house from a towing company. Apparently, it had been towed and impounded. It was a $400 impound charge and around $55 per day in "storage fees". It's nice that they stored it for me, but I wish I had found out sooner than I had as the fees were already pretty substantial by the time I opened the notices. By the time I paid them... priceless? Maybe I don't understand those commercials...
Bikes
Well, I've written about my trike crash and I still haven't gotten the parts I need to repair that so it's been sitting idle for the time being. It's kind of a bummer and it does take up a lot of room for something I'm not riding...
Well, I have been riding my mountain bike, once I repaired the tire on it. It's been my main mode of transportation, aside from my feet. Well, last Thursday, I'm on my way home and I realize that my left pedal is coming loose. I look at it and the nut that holds it on has been loosening. I try to tighten it but I don't have a socket or ratchet handy so I can only do so much. I get a few more miles and get tired of riding, kicking the pedal further on, and continuing. I start walking and catch a bus. I get home and put a wrench to it and don't even pay it any more mind or wonder why it happened in the first place. I get up the next morning and hop on to ride to work. I bring a pair of needle-nose pliers (I don't know why I didn't just bring a 14mm socket and ratchet, but apparently that would have weighed me down too much) just in case. Well, I get about 2 miles out before it loosens up. I use the pliers to tighten it as much as I can and continue on. I can go about 1/4 mile, kicking the pedal back on while I'm pedaling before I have to stop and tighten it again. Being a 17.5 mile ride, that's a lot of stopping. Well, needless to say, that soon ceases to be an issue. Once I get to the Burke-Gilman trail, I am on my way and it's a smooth level ride the rest of the way. I get to about 10 miles from work before the nut falls completely off (and I can narrow it down to about a 1/2 mile area). I look for it for a bit, then give up. I try riding without the nut, which requires my constantly kicking the pedal back on about every 2-3 revolutions. I realize the pedal is worn and doesn't fit snugly which is why it was loosening the nut in the first place and now it is only getting worse. Much worse. After having to turn around and go back to pick up my pedal a couple of times, I can't go on. I don't mean "go on" as continuing on to work, because I'm not going to miss work (and all the bike shops are closed this early anyways), but I can't go on riding. I'm only 8-9 miles away from work now. I'm around Kenmore and I just need to get through Kenmore, head through Woodinville, and into Redmond where I work. Well, I start jogging with my bike for as long as I can, but I'm no jogger. I walk at a very brisk pace and some people stop to check up on me and see if they can help. I really appreciate that and it feels good although there's nothing they can do at this point. Well, I make it to work only 1 hour late and my legs are really on fire. My feet are surely broken, my thigh muscles are so overworked I'm sure I'll never bike again, and I limp to the showers. Well, I hit the bike shops the next day and apparently, they don't like to sell just left pedals, but only the whole crankset with both pedals and the front gears. Bum deal as I'm not trying to invest that much right now. Fortuitously, there has been this bike sitting out by the dumpsters at my condos for days. What are the odds, seriously? Thank God that bike was there and it even had pedals that are "bolted on" and not just parts of the whole crank! I take it upstairs to my condo and pull the pedal. I brought that pedal to work yesterday, attached it and it fit like a glove, the nut fit the threads the same, and it seemed good to go! As far as I can tell, it is! Woo hoo! I'm back on the road for now and the parts for my trike should be here any day (if they ever ship them, seeing as they're in Washington and it only takes 1 day to ship)!!
I guess everything always works out in the end! Good times...
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Yahoo Answers!
Wow, if there is one thing that I have found addicting lately, it has been Yahoo Answers! It is a site that allows you to ask and answer just about any question imaginable. It also has a point-based system where you get points for answering questions, get more points for the person asking the question deeming your answer the best, and for other various things. The points allow you to move up in "the ranks" to become a "better" more active user in the Yahoo Answers environment. It almost seems like a prestigious thing to have more Best Answers and it is arranged that way to show how many that each person has. You can find questions on most anything and there are people who either just know a lot about everything or are great/quick/do not mind researching everything under the sun to get the best answers. Anyways, this has just become such a fun time-consuming diversion for me! Give it a try! If you already have a Yahoo account, you're already set to go!
Friday, May 18, 2007
A Sad 'Bike To Work Day'
This is a tough Ride Your Bike To Work Day for me... I've been telling people for a few weeks about it and how they should all ride their bikes into work on the 18th of May and on and on. Well, needless to say, I was excited about the ride in on the 18th as well! Although I was thinking about the congestion, the fact that so many people were going to be riding was a good thought!
Well, my luck with transportation has really soured lately. From cars that won't go to brakes that won't stop, things have not been going exactly as I've been planning. Well, yesterday's ride home fell right into the pattern, although I know that it was really my own carelessness that caused it all. I had gone from Redmond to Lake Forest Park via the Snohomish River/Burke Gilman trail and then had gotten off the trail to cut over towards Edmonds. I was cruising down a hill at a pace of about 25 mph on the left side of the road as it had a large shoulder to ride on, unlike the right side. When I finally decided that it was time to cut over to my side of the road, I looked in my helmet mirror to check the road and then for some reason, I turned my head all the way around (while still cruising on down the hill at around 25-30 mph) to check the traffic. When I turned my head back, I was literally 1/2 a second away from riding up this rock wall/hill on the left side and as I turned back to face forward, my trike started riding up on it. It was already way too late to turn out of it. I flew up on what became like a hard-banking ramp on the side and my trike started flipping clockwise while still continuing on down the hill. Man, if I could have landed that, that would have looked like the most amazing stunt ever! I couldn't. I couldn't even come close. It came up so fast after turning around that I just got a glimpse into the future, but before I could really process it very well, the future was here. Apparently, I landed pretty awkwardly on the right front wheel on the way over and then at some point, also onto the front gearing between the pedals. I got up, flipped over, started laughing and walking around. I made a call to get a ride and felt very defeated as the trike was not rideable.
So, fast-forward to this morning. I get up and shower and all at 4 am, gear up and carry my mountain bike downstairs. I wasn't planning on riding it, but what can you do? So, I'm downstairs about to mount up when I notice the back tire is flat. I don't have a spare. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! I already had to limp downstairs, both legs feel like I was flogged all evening, and my hip would be broken if I was any older... Now, I start pumping up quickly until I notice that the stem core of the tube has been rubbing enough on the rim of the wheel that there's a hole in it. I carry the bike upstairs very defeated. I consider swapping out rear wheel from my trike with my mountain bike. I look at the clock and realize it's just not happening. This is not the 'Bike To Work Day' I had envisioned. Well, not exactly...
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Gas Savings Update
So, now I've saved approximately 15 gallons of gasoline from being purchased and from being burned! Now that's getting to be a decent amount, as that's a full tank for my van (which I sold last weekend, forcing me to bike around and seek out alternative transportation)! This is Bike To Work Week anyways, so it's really pushed me into it even when I wake up and my legs have been tired. Knowing there's no car outside my house has been a good incentive to rise up to the challenge! Transportation is the largest source of pollution in the US. The US creates an absurd amount of pollution via automobiles and the convenience of sitting in my car, stuck in traffic, has been far outweighed by the reduced stress of not dealing with traffic jams.
Still, I'm going to get my Jetta fixed and back to the ready in a few weeks for the occasional necessary trip. I really need to get bike racks on my trike and mountain bike so I can carry more than a backpack and use them for more labor-intensive tasks than carrying me around (i.e. shopping & bringing work clothes to/from work).
Still, I'm going to get my Jetta fixed and back to the ready in a few weeks for the occasional necessary trip. I really need to get bike racks on my trike and mountain bike so I can carry more than a backpack and use them for more labor-intensive tasks than carrying me around (i.e. shopping & bringing work clothes to/from work).
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