Holy cow!!!
It's pretty bad that the last time I posted was over a month ago. There's really no excuse for it. Well, I mean I guess there was some of an excuse. Let's run it down, shall we?
The Weather: They say that April Showers bring May flowers. Well, there were plenty of showers this April, usually on days when I needed to go to campus. I'll bike in the cold but I'm not up for doing wet too often, as it is much more dangerous. So, when the rains come, it means that Schmeevus gets a little more time on the road and my bike doesn't.
My Head: Here's another thing that April Showers bring... migraines. There's nothing quite like waking up in the morning with a pounding headache and knowing that it's going to rain because every time it's going to rain you wake up with a pounding headache. Some of the April storms this year have been really weird where they don't dump all at once but take their time coming through for 15 minutes then waiting an hour. Those are days when I pretty much hate life. It's tough to bike when you can't stand up without getting dizzy, that's for sure.
Time Away: Of course, none of that actually matters if you aren't in Columbia to do stuff on campus anyway. This month saw a fair amount of travel with trips to Saint Louis a few times and even a trip to Iowa for a day. The little times all add up. Remember, a day in the car is a day not on the bike. I love the car but I prefer days on the bike.
So, friends, there you have it. I won't pretend that I haven't been riding at all. I've actually had a few good days in the past few weeks but they have been sporadic at best. Now that the school year is over we'll see what we can throw together. Here's hoping we can keep peddling!
Stats:
Distance: 15 miles ($1.06)
Meters: 20 hours on campus ($20) + 3 hours downtown ($1.80)
Total: $22.86
Grand Total: $489.43
Left to Save: $113.70
Happy Biking!
~Adam
The story of a guy trying to rationalize the money he spent on his bike and other random thoughts.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
A New Addition to the Family!
Hello, friends!
Just in case you were hoping to click on this link to see a blog post about how Megan is pregnant, Happy April Fool's Day to you! =0). As an offer of peace, please watch this video...
Ok, seriously, there IS a new addition to the family. After 10 years of faithful service, we decided to trade in Megan's Malibu for a new car.
Meet Schmeevus the Prius!
We were looking at the Prius for a few different reasons, which I outlined in a previous post here. The reason that we bought Schmeevus is simple: It was available and we got a good deal.
Our first stop was actually to look at a Honda Fit (another contestant in the running) but literally as we walked into the dealership, walking out was the gal who just bought the Fit we wanted. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.
The second stop was to look at the Prius. We drove it. We loved it. We went to dinner and prayed about it a little. We decided to go for it. We made an offer. They accepted. On Saturday we made the trade.
I feel pretty good about the trade. I negotiated $3000 off the asking price, which wasn't too bad in my book. Better than that, we have a car that we both like and we plan on driving for a long time to come.
All the things we've read about the Prius appear to be true. It's not the world's most fun car to drive but the MPG is pretty incredible and it does everything we want it to do.
One thing that will have to change are my calculations. Now that we are driving a WAY efficient car, my calculations for how much money I'm saving now have to move from 36mpg (with The Rolla) to 50mpg with Schmeevus.
Stats:
Miles: 5 ($.35)
Meters: 1 hour on campus ($1)
Total: $1.35
Grand Total: $466.57
Left to Save: $136.56
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Just in case you were hoping to click on this link to see a blog post about how Megan is pregnant, Happy April Fool's Day to you! =0). As an offer of peace, please watch this video...
Ok, seriously, there IS a new addition to the family. After 10 years of faithful service, we decided to trade in Megan's Malibu for a new car.
Meet Schmeevus the Prius!
We were looking at the Prius for a few different reasons, which I outlined in a previous post here. The reason that we bought Schmeevus is simple: It was available and we got a good deal.
Our first stop was actually to look at a Honda Fit (another contestant in the running) but literally as we walked into the dealership, walking out was the gal who just bought the Fit we wanted. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.
The second stop was to look at the Prius. We drove it. We loved it. We went to dinner and prayed about it a little. We decided to go for it. We made an offer. They accepted. On Saturday we made the trade.
I feel pretty good about the trade. I negotiated $3000 off the asking price, which wasn't too bad in my book. Better than that, we have a car that we both like and we plan on driving for a long time to come.
All the things we've read about the Prius appear to be true. It's not the world's most fun car to drive but the MPG is pretty incredible and it does everything we want it to do.
One thing that will have to change are my calculations. Now that we are driving a WAY efficient car, my calculations for how much money I'm saving now have to move from 36mpg (with The Rolla) to 50mpg with Schmeevus.
Stats:
Miles: 5 ($.35)
Meters: 1 hour on campus ($1)
Total: $1.35
Grand Total: $466.57
Left to Save: $136.56
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Car Shopping...
Hello, friends!
Megan and I are currently in the throes of car buying. This is definitely an area where I find great joy as someone who loves analysis and where Megan is less than enthusiastic on account of all the details. There are a lot of questions to answer! Here's what we know:
- We need something with space. Much of our job entails hauling things and people. As great as The Rolla was, and it was great, one thing it didn't have was a ton of space.
- We need something with good in town mileage. CoMO isn't a huge town and most of our driving will be in town. We will occasionally go to St. Louis for staff functions but mostly we'll be hanging out within 10 miles of home.
- Mileage is important but not a deal breaker. Generally speaking, the lower the mileage, the better shape the car is in. While we know that's important, we also know that we drive WAY less than we used to drive. We are willing to take on a little bit of an older car if it has the other things.
- We need something relatively cheap. Missionaries don't exactly rake in the big bucks, y'know? While we are certainly not in need, we also know that we need to be good stewards of what we have been given.
Right now we are leaning towards either the Honda Fit or Toyota Prius. We could also be talked into another vehicle in the "Compact Hatchback" category. =0). We'll see where the search takes us. Until then, more biking for everyone!
Stats:
Miles: 6 ($.55)
Meters: 11 hours on campus ($11)
Total: $11.55
Grand Total: $445.22
Left to Save: $137.91
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Megan and I are currently in the throes of car buying. This is definitely an area where I find great joy as someone who loves analysis and where Megan is less than enthusiastic on account of all the details. There are a lot of questions to answer! Here's what we know:
- We need something with space. Much of our job entails hauling things and people. As great as The Rolla was, and it was great, one thing it didn't have was a ton of space.
- We need something with good in town mileage. CoMO isn't a huge town and most of our driving will be in town. We will occasionally go to St. Louis for staff functions but mostly we'll be hanging out within 10 miles of home.
- Mileage is important but not a deal breaker. Generally speaking, the lower the mileage, the better shape the car is in. While we know that's important, we also know that we drive WAY less than we used to drive. We are willing to take on a little bit of an older car if it has the other things.
- We need something relatively cheap. Missionaries don't exactly rake in the big bucks, y'know? While we are certainly not in need, we also know that we need to be good stewards of what we have been given.
Right now we are leaning towards either the Honda Fit or Toyota Prius. We could also be talked into another vehicle in the "Compact Hatchback" category. =0). We'll see where the search takes us. Until then, more biking for everyone!
Stats:
Miles: 6 ($.55)
Meters: 11 hours on campus ($11)
Total: $11.55
Grand Total: $445.22
Left to Save: $137.91
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Why, Weather, Why?!
Hello, friends!
Guess what the temperature was yesterday for a high? I'll give you a hint. It was about half of what it was on Tuesday.
Yups, after 2 days of gloriously warm weather that made us think that spring was actually on its way, Mother Nature kicked us in the face with another child one, complete with wind chill, rain, and even some snow. It was not the most fun day I'd ever had biking.
Alas, this is the way things go here in the great state of Missouri. Just when you think it's safe to go outside, it gets cold. You think Weinert is in full swing and then you'll get hit with a 70 degree day. I'm not even sure if putting away or taking out my winter clothes is even worth it.
But hey, there are still chances to bike, right? That is really what I want to do. As I've said before, I can deal with the cold. It is the wet that makes things dangerous. The snow and rain melted away by the time I needed to get going so it wasn't a big hassle. I guess this is just the way it is going to be until the sweltering summer gets here. =0).
Stats
Distance: 7 miles ($.66)
Meters: 5 hours downtown ($3) + 8 hours on campus ($8)
Total: $11.66
Grand total: $433.67
Left to Save: $149.46
Happy biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Making the One Car Thing Work
Hello, friends!
Like I'd mentioned a few weeks ago, the Rolla died a glorious death and has gone off to that racetrack in the sky. The wind will always be at its back I'm sure but I certainly won't be the one gently easing down on the accelerator. (I've been told that I drive too carefully for someone of my age. I respond that The Rolla was getting 41mpg by me driving this way so folk could drive their own gas guzzlers however they want). Until we get a new car, that means we are down to 1 car for a bit, which was part of the plan anyway.
Honestly, I'm kind of glad that we were able to get a test run at doing the 1 car thing before we actually made the jump. It's given Megan and me a chance to see if this is what we really want to do. In some ways it has been easier than we anticipated. In other ways, it's been a little tougher.
For the most part, Megan and I have been doing just fine. We go a lot of places together, in which case you only need one car. Our schedules are also compatible enough that there are very few conflicts. For example, on Tuesday mornings, my small group meets @ 6 and hers meets @ 9. I take the car to small group, bring it home, and she is out the door a few minutes later. It works out really well.
There are some situations that have proven to be a little more difficult however. Pretty much it is Wednesday night, when ACF has Large Group. Megan has been in charge of the cooking (since she is an AMAZING cook) with students which means going grocery shopping and getting there early to start cooking. Since I have been doing the teaching, my preference is to come a bit later so I can do final preparations before I move on to hanging out with students. Unfortunately, given the cold and such these past few weeks, I have been unable to bike to Large Group, meaning I have had to run over there early with Megan and try to find a happy place.
It isn't the end of the world and overall, I'm actually finding that it's working about as well as we could expect. A nice added bonus is that I have been walking and biking more since I don't always have a car, which is great for the bottom line as well as for my waist-line. =0).
Stats:
Distance: 8 miles ($.74)
Meters: 3 hours on campus ($3) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $4.94
Grand Total: $421.91
Left to Save: $161.12
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Like I'd mentioned a few weeks ago, the Rolla died a glorious death and has gone off to that racetrack in the sky. The wind will always be at its back I'm sure but I certainly won't be the one gently easing down on the accelerator. (I've been told that I drive too carefully for someone of my age. I respond that The Rolla was getting 41mpg by me driving this way so folk could drive their own gas guzzlers however they want). Until we get a new car, that means we are down to 1 car for a bit, which was part of the plan anyway.
Honestly, I'm kind of glad that we were able to get a test run at doing the 1 car thing before we actually made the jump. It's given Megan and me a chance to see if this is what we really want to do. In some ways it has been easier than we anticipated. In other ways, it's been a little tougher.
For the most part, Megan and I have been doing just fine. We go a lot of places together, in which case you only need one car. Our schedules are also compatible enough that there are very few conflicts. For example, on Tuesday mornings, my small group meets @ 6 and hers meets @ 9. I take the car to small group, bring it home, and she is out the door a few minutes later. It works out really well.
There are some situations that have proven to be a little more difficult however. Pretty much it is Wednesday night, when ACF has Large Group. Megan has been in charge of the cooking (since she is an AMAZING cook) with students which means going grocery shopping and getting there early to start cooking. Since I have been doing the teaching, my preference is to come a bit later so I can do final preparations before I move on to hanging out with students. Unfortunately, given the cold and such these past few weeks, I have been unable to bike to Large Group, meaning I have had to run over there early with Megan and try to find a happy place.
It isn't the end of the world and overall, I'm actually finding that it's working about as well as we could expect. A nice added bonus is that I have been walking and biking more since I don't always have a car, which is great for the bottom line as well as for my waist-line. =0).
Stats:
Distance: 8 miles ($.74)
Meters: 3 hours on campus ($3) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $4.94
Grand Total: $421.91
Left to Save: $161.12
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Final Thoughts About the End
Hello, friends!
I have posted photos from right before The Rolla got towed on Monday. As you can probably tell from my fake smile, I was a bit of a mess and not super happy about saying goodbye. Alas, al good things must come to an end, right?
Thankfully, the weather has been dry enough for me to bike the past few days, which has helped me take my mind off the fact that we don't have the Rolla anymore. Soon we will be looking for a new car but the timing isn't quite right just yet.
Who knows, maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Maybe saying goodbye was the best thing. The Rolla was definitely getting older and a blown engine actually made the decision to not repair it pretty easy. The only remedy would have been an engine replacement, in which case it wouldn't have been the Rolla anymore.
Either way, what's done is done. Now it is time to look forward and get back to biking so I can save some more cash that way. I would like to think that this blog helped the Rolla last a little bit longer. Every mile I biked was a mile the Rolla didn't have to drive, meaning it got to spend one more day being my car. Or rather, I got to spend one more day being its owner.
Goodbye, old friend.
Stats:
Miles: 6 ($.52)
Meters: 7 hours on campus ($7.00)
New bike light: -$26.98
Total: $19.46
Grand Total: $416.97
Left to Save: $166.06
Happy biking!
~Adam
Friday, December 13, 2013
Poor Decisions...
Hello, friends!
I'm writing this blog because my pants have finally dried. =0). Say what?! Well, here's what happened.
I met with a friend of mine this morning to hang out like I always do. My friend Bob only lives about a quarter mile from my place so I normally walk or take my bike. Today it was cold but pretty gorgeous outside so I walked and had a great time.
The plan for the day was to go donate plasma then head to campus to do work, get in a workout, and then head home so I could get ready to babysit my same friend's little one while he and his wife went to a work party.
What I didn't anticipate was freezing rain. I thought I had timed it well enough so that I would get to campus before it started sleeting and that I would be able to stay inside until it was time to go, in which case it would be raining lightly. Instead, as soon as I got out from donating plasma, I saw the sleet. One really wet ride later, here I am.
There were a number of poor decisions made here. Let's run through them:
- Assuming I had the timing of the weather right.
- Not bringing my waterproof backpack
- Hitting snooze, causing me to start my day 10 minutes late.
- Wearing my beanie instead of a hat to protect from the rain
I'm sure there were other things I did wrong to put myself in a very wet situation but I guess that happens, right? =0). The important thing is that I'm getting in some hours and thus saving some money.
Stats since my last post:
Distance: 8 miles ($.65)
Meters: 4 hours downtown ($2.40) + 10 hours on campus ($10)
Total: $13.05
Grand Total: $226.43
Left to Save: $146.60
Happy Biking!
~Adam
I'm writing this blog because my pants have finally dried. =0). Say what?! Well, here's what happened.
I met with a friend of mine this morning to hang out like I always do. My friend Bob only lives about a quarter mile from my place so I normally walk or take my bike. Today it was cold but pretty gorgeous outside so I walked and had a great time.
The plan for the day was to go donate plasma then head to campus to do work, get in a workout, and then head home so I could get ready to babysit my same friend's little one while he and his wife went to a work party.
What I didn't anticipate was freezing rain. I thought I had timed it well enough so that I would get to campus before it started sleeting and that I would be able to stay inside until it was time to go, in which case it would be raining lightly. Instead, as soon as I got out from donating plasma, I saw the sleet. One really wet ride later, here I am.
There were a number of poor decisions made here. Let's run through them:
- Assuming I had the timing of the weather right.
- Not bringing my waterproof backpack
- Hitting snooze, causing me to start my day 10 minutes late.
- Wearing my beanie instead of a hat to protect from the rain
I'm sure there were other things I did wrong to put myself in a very wet situation but I guess that happens, right? =0). The important thing is that I'm getting in some hours and thus saving some money.
Stats since my last post:
Distance: 8 miles ($.65)
Meters: 4 hours downtown ($2.40) + 10 hours on campus ($10)
Total: $13.05
Grand Total: $226.43
Left to Save: $146.60
Happy Biking!
~Adam
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