Let’s talk costs today. My next vehicle must last seven years (2,573 days). My budget is $1.36 per day for ownership. This does not include operating costs, but I will be spared insurance because I am now immune from being sued over my pension. I do tend to keep a $10,000 blanket policy at a cost of $78 per year, however, as even riding your bicycle into somebody at 9 mph can cause a lot of damage.The purpose of this next vehicle is travel, not around town transpo. I still intend to install a 49cc motor on my bicycle, adding 19 pounds to the load weight. It would have come in handy today, as I was looking for the butane canisters. I finally located them at a catering supply but it took me three hours I didn’t really have to spare. The bicycle, powered or not, is still the most economical [in-town] system. It also saves on parking and the time that always takes.
Those canisters raise another topic, gas versus electric. I learned my lesson in 2005, but could not apply it here. A propane stove, hot water heater, and fridge would put me in luxury right now. I’d buy them in a second, relegating the electricity to lighting, a washer/dryer, and air conditioning at around $45 per month tops. Propane doesn’t require a huge deposit and when you are out, you are out. I prefer that.
Getting back to travel, I have long since located a camp trailer tow-able by a motorcycle. In fact, the model by Leisure-Ease weighs less than 18% of the hitch capacity of a Dnepr and sets up in 33 seconds. The price is ferocious but it will drop rapidly now that the product is a few years old. Coleman now has an 8-person tent that sets up in 60 seconds. See today’s photo. That’s large enough to pitch a smaller tent inside it, mind you, it weighs 45 pounds.
I’ve located a used Dnepr for $3,499.00. These things are not cheap, and they do require more than usual maintenance. I’m undecided [about buying the motorcycle] but not about the cost compared to the cheapest car when it comes to travel. My maximum travel budget for 2011 is 122 days in time and $3,100 in dollars. That’s $25.41 per day, so if I don’t camp, I don’t go. The only place I’m committed to go is Texas, so if I cut it short, I could probably afford a little luxury.
Meanwhile, we’ve checked out Dave-O’s trailer hitch and everything is compatible. I even have a place to store the trailer, but make no mistake about it—I’m not moving out of here until the second before the office puts the padlock on the door and I see the signed papers. In case anything goes wrong, I’ve covered all the readily conceivable bases. I’ll be at the office at opening time tomorrow.
Here’s something to stick in your craw. Have you seen the new banner for the Canadian Ministry of Attorney General? It pointedly goes out of the way to ensure no Anglos are shown in the artwork. That’s one thing about racial equality and cultural diversity—they never let the majority vote whether they want it. It seems, democratically, the majority never know what is good for them. Canada is heading for a disaster over immigration.
Bingo was a failure. But not as much of a failure as what happened on either side of it. I’d hang around just a bit longer to see what comes of Monday nights. For now bingo is drawing bigger crowds but five people can be a crowd around there. It is still too early to make any conclusions.
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