Hello, friends!
Yesterday I got hosed. No excuses, just my own mistake. Here's what went down.
I was running a ton of errands around town getting ready for Megan's parents to come and visit. One of the places I needed to hit was the grocery store. The other was the copy and print place.
The plan made perfect sense in my mind. I had a lunch meeting with a student out by the grocery store so I would stop there, pick up the groceries, get the copies done, and make my way to the my other meeting with a student on campus. Of course, things didn't quite go as planned. Lunch took a little bit longer than anticipated and grocery shopping took longer than anticipated such that I didn't have time to make the copies before my meeting on campus.
So we get to the copy place and I realize 2 things: 1) I don't know if there are any coins in the car and 2) I'm pretty sure I bought milk. The conclusion was simple. I needed to make copies REALLY quickly.
Friends, I was quick, like 7 minutes quick. But, I wasn't quick enough apparently. When I got out of the copy place, there was a little yellow envelope waiting for me. Parking tickets are the WORST!
What's the moral of the story? I suppose it could be that I should always keep some coins in my pocket. Maybe the lesson is that I need to always shop for groceries last. Perhaps the great piece of wisdom I have gleaned is that no matter what, always take the time to look for coins.
No, I think the moral of this story is simple. Biking is way better, all the time. =0).
Stats:
Distance: 8 miles ($.57)
Meters: 4 hours downtown ($2.40) + 12 hours on campus ($12.00)
Ticket: -$10
Total: $4.97
Grand Total: $506.41
Left to Save: $96.60
Happy Biking!
~Adam
The story of a guy trying to rationalize the money he spent on his bike and other random thoughts.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Consistency...
Hello, friends!
Today, May 14, 2014, I did something that I had not done in quite a long time... I wore gloves on my ride to campus. The temperature when I left was 49 degrees and there was enough of a wind to make it feel much cooler than that. For reasons unbeknownst to me, the weather has decided that being in the 80's was no fun anymore and that it was time to start acting like autumn again.
Here's the thing. I don't even mind the cold. I prefer the cold to the wet, especially when it comes to biking. In fact, biking in the low 50's or high 40's can be downright pleasant since I don't have to worry about being all sweaty and nasty when I arrive at my destination A slight breeze can be a great thing too, when it's going in the right direction.
What I can't handle is the inconsistency. For one, my head doesn't agree with it. All the changes in barometric pressure mess with my head and I am not a fan of the migraines I get. I also don't like stepping outside then having to go back inside because I am not wearing warm enough clothing. I suppose those are the joys of living in Missouri. They say that if you don't like the weather here you can wait 10 minutes because it will change. I'm sure that other states have the same saying but it sure does seem true here.
Anyway, so long as it stays dry (at least on days when I am biking) I will do my best to make sure that I keep complaining to a minimum. I'm sure in just a few weeks I will be posting again about how hot it is and how I sure wouldn't mind some cooler weather. =0).
Stats:
Distance: 10 miles ($.71)
Meters: 9.5 hours on campus ($9.50) + 3 hours downtown ($1.80)
Total: 12.01
Grand Total: $501.44
Left to Save: $101.57
Happy biking!
~Adam
Friday, May 9, 2014
The Month That Was
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
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
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
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