A Yawner

 Buried

Colorado bankruptcy filings are up 35% in the same period over 2022. My delinquent mortgage assignments are pouring in keeping me busy. The money is nice but I’ve been ignoring other things like this blog.

A story that warms my cold, cold heart. Mayor steps on his pee pee.

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Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-3) gets a backhand endorsement

President 10% was in town fund raising and promoting green energy. He took the opportunity to bad mouth her. Given the demographics of her district, that will get her more votes.

Winter Driving

So far this has been a mild winter along the Front Range. Last week we had a storm which got me to thinking about all these nifty spoke wheels that seem popular. Let that slush freeze over night and then wonder why your tires are so out of balance.

Computer Woes

Being a Latter Day Luddite who loathes reading instructions, I find myself often frustrated using computers, tablets, and smart phones.

 This is written on an old HP with Windows 7 Professional. I have a new HP all in one with Windows 11 which I’m slowly learning. I’m frustrated with Microsoft Pictures. I have 11k+ digital pictures scattered around CDs, thumb drives, and this computer. I need to organize them.

Can someone recommend a library program that is easy for a rank amateur to use? I simply want to catalog the pictures by category. When I need to rework a picture I use Window Picture Editor and find that easy to use. A useful feature would be switching formats. Most are JPEG but not all.

As always, YMMV

 

 

 

Every Winter

 

The foolish are always with us.

All across the snow belt people don’t think about how their snug warm car can become a death trap.

Recently a truck went off the road between Evanston, WY and Utah on I-80. The truck slid sideways into deep snow, the snow came through the windshield filling the cab then freezing solid. The driver and co-driver were trapped in the sleeper cab where they froze to death.

Sisty, who investigates truck crashes as an insurance adjuster, says she has seen truck drivers, during Wyoming blizzards, dressed in shorts, wife beaters, and flip flops.

Other bloggers have commented on map programs showing alternate routes. As far as I know, no program has, “select a safe alternative route” as a feature.

As always, YMMV

Annoying

 Wiggins, CO. Only railroad crossing in town with a 3 mile long empty eastbound train waiting for a 3 mile long loaded westbound train to pass. I knew a way around - saved 30 minutes.

The past few days have seen some large storms in the Nebraska Panhandle. This is Sutherland, NE.  I waited three days to do my assignments in the area.

Several wrecks are still waiting to be towed along I-80 and I-75. There are many more tracks where vehicles left the road and have been retrieved.

In years past I would have gone regardless. Am I older and wiser? Older, for sure; wiser or gutless?

Not all are Drones

When a government does work for the benefit of the people, the critics still keep yelling. Is it any wonder the people doing those jobs become cynical and jaded? What I have in mind is the State of Wyoming and more specifically the Wyoming Department of Transportation and the Wyoming State Patrol.

Wyoming weather can be and often is, horrible. Year around the wind can gust to 65+ mph. Snow, blowing blinding snow and black ice is a fact of life. Thunderstorms in the summer can bring intense rain.

Wyoming, the least populated state with a population under 600,000 has three Interstate Highways. The expectation of “outsiders” is for Wyoming to keep them open for the benefit of the rest of the country no matter what weather problems occur.

Like most states, Wyoming collects fees from trucks passing through. Unlike other states, Wyoming actually spends those fees on their highways. Every summer the potholes are being filled, the frost heaves dealt with, guard rails repaired, etc. By contrast, Illinois anyone?

Outsiders tend to ignore the actual residents of Wyoming like to have their secondary roads plowed and maintained. Selfish, aren’t they?

Colorado, where I live, has ten times the population of Wyoming. I-70 is closed often in the winter and Vail Pass looks like something found in a third world country.

Another challenge for WDOT is hiring snowplow drivers. Wages are low and the skills need high. Working conditions?

Then you have the idiot drivers. I once ran hotshot freight and made frequent trips to the coal mines near Gillette. One night returning I should have stopped in Douglas and got a room but pressed on in a one ton 2wd van. The road was black ice with about 4” of snow and the night was blacker than a (P)regressives heart. Some idiot in a Jeep Compass passed me going a lot faster than me. Further down the highway I saw it about 50’ down the embankment. The headlights were bright so I knew the engine was still running. I also knew my old fat body wasn’t going to make it down that ice covered ground and then get back up to the road. Cell phone out, I made a call. I couldn’t give a mile marker as all were coated with ice. In the distance I could see the lights of Cheyenne and emergency vehicle coming. When they arrived I drove on.

My sister is an insurance adjuster and is called by some truck companies to accidents in Wyoming. She has a 4wd vehicle and years of experience driving in adverse conditions. Even for her, getting to the scene is challenging. Well known to the State Patrol and the tow truck people, she is allowed through even when the roads are closed. I don’t envy her that task, especially when there are fatalities. She knows just how dedicated and professional are the Wyoming state employees.

The point of this rambling post is people doing their best, regardless of their employer, need to be recognized and applauded. Think, before you criticize.

As always, YMMV. 

Tire Chains

Surfing around YouTube channels regarding tire chains I see a glaring omission. Tire pressure.

I grew up driving on the Western Slope of Colorado and have been, over the years, in many situations requiring tire chains. What I see lacking on the YouTube channels showing various traction aids is tire air pressure being discussed.

What follows is the Frank the Tank guide to using tire chains. First, year around have a cigarette lighter powered air compressor. Should be obvious. Slow leak in your tire? Stop as often as needed to reinflate until you can get to a repair facility. Better than walking out of some remote area or breaking down in the ghetto.

Before installing tire chains, let some air out of the tires. How much? Not critical but if you must have a number. 5-10 psi. Put on the chains as tight as you can, move one or two rotations of the tires, then reinflate with your air compressor. This takes all the slack out of the chains and reduces the chances of links breaking.

Chains, cables, or whatever? I prefer chains but have, and have used cables. Cables are better if you need to get across Wyoming on I-80. Chains when things are really nasty. I’ve no experience with “socks” and wouldn’t trust strap on items to do more than get out of a parking lot. Just my opinion, YMMV.

Happy motoring! 

Slip Sliding Away

Nasty short term snow storm blew through today. Sisty was returning on a flight to DIA and I was on my way to fetch her.

Several truck owners around here put fancy rims and oversized tires on their short bed pickups. Looks real cool until they drive on  roads like today’s.

Sisty reports the plane had a slight slip and slide turning off the runway. 

Grumble, Bitch, Complain

DISCLAIMER:  I have the highest respect for big rig drivers. That is a job I found, in my earlier years, I wasn’t able to do in a safe manner.

As opposed to owner/operator trucks, most company trucks have speed governors to limit top speed. Many are set at 70 mph. What happens when one truck, limited to the same top speed, is 2-3 mph faster than another? Why, the faster truck passes the slower truck at an agonizing snail pace.

Yesterday business took me to North Platte, NE allowing me to share Interstate 76 and Interstate 80 with the big rigs. Patience, of which I’m especially deficient, was tested.

Another modern convenience that will kill us.

https://scitechdaily.com/a-single-clothes-dryer-can-discharge-up-to-120-million-airborne-microfibers-annually/

Upside is useless government parasites and office holder will have a new fertile field to tax and impose burdensome regulations. Strictly for our own good, of course. Note at the bottom the funding sources for the study are listed.

Cannabis vs COVID?

https://scitechdaily.com/cannabinoids-from-hemp-prevent-covid-19-coronavirus-from-entering-human-cells/

That could seriously damage the pharmacy industry’s bottom line.

Inflation

Remember when new tires were under $75? This week my primary vehicle got four dedicated and aggressive snow tires. With all the add on fees and taxes the final tab was $510+. My work requires driving on dirt roads that become muddy and all season tires are inadequate. The tires perform well but cost me about 1-2 mpg vs all season tires. While I don’t plan any trips over the Rockies, I’m ready if I need to go.

A set of snow chains and an air pump live year around in my vehicles. If you need to use chains, put them on as tight as you can then inflate your tires to take out all the slack.

Political Correctness Stupidity

The Winter Fool

Some comments on recent blogs centered on vehicles and winter driving prompt more development. The elephant in the room is why I do it? Short answer is usually I’m paid.

The picture is from one of my vehicles. My truck is far better equipped as I often venture to the back of beyond in it.

The small beat up backpack goes into any vehicle I’m driving. It carries supplies to keep me from hypothermia and frostbite for up to 72 hours. At my age and fitness I’m not walking far, especially in winter conditions, so I need to hunker down until the roads are opened.

 If I must travel or move around on foot, I have YAKTRAXs, slip on cleats. Mine are several years old and still serviceable.

A lot of what goes into winter driving preparation is from lessons learned. As an example, my father once spent four days on top of US 40 Berthoud Pass because avalanches closed both sides. He was ok but many of the others stranded weren’t. Being the man he was, he helped all who needed it. 

When he, and my older relatives, talked about what worked and what didn’t I listened closely.

As an example, if you need to move just a few feet, jack up your vehicle and slip your floor mats under the tires. You should be able to move a few feet. Repeat as needed. NOTE: If you can’t turn off your traction control you are screwed.

One thing not available to my father was the internet. I click on the National Weather Service and various state highway condition sites before I venture out. I will still go but with less stress about what I may find.

There are many sites and resources for what to include in a “GO” bag. YMMV. I’m not looking for the comfort of a Holiday Inn Express room, just survival.

A large part of my life centers around the phrase, “Winners do what losers won’t”. Yes, it bites me in the ass from time to time but I’m rarely bored.

Damn Fool III

Arrived to drive my route and found new tires. Also, an apology and a cash bonus.

Tough day. Yaris in Japanese means, "Wander all over the place".

Good timing as I was only in the storm system for about 45 minutes.  The downside was a very large tumbleweed over the hood at 75 mph.

A new windshield will be nice as that one is badly pitted and sand blasted.

Notice Prairie Adventure http://prairieadventure.blogspot.com/2018/11/sweet-little-lies.html has a post up with videos of the weather in Kimball. Lucky me I was about 30 minutes ahead of the storm once I got past the Double L Country store (about 10 miles south of Gering). 

So far it has been a mild winter on the High Plains. The usual suspects have been closing I-70 over the Continental Divide with multi-vehicle pileups and spin outs. I've never understood the mentality of skiers who blithely travel to the resorts when they haven't a fucking clue on how to drive on snow packed roads. (Do you hear me Californians and Texans?)

On a happy note my sister spent Thanksgiving in Reno with her daughter and was able to watch her grandson's high school football team win their semi-final game. Next stop, the state championship game in Las Vegas.

That grandson is still an underclassman but shows real promise as a future Division I player.

Damn Fool II

The wipers that were on the Taurus when I bought it were starting to leave streaks. $50 later at the auto parts store they are replaced. 

The brand is Trico and they are a one piece silicon wiper with a shield over the pivot point. Nice lady at O'Reilly  Auto Parts upsold me. She and her husband have them on both of their vehicles. We salesmen are such pushovers.

Seems I wasn't their only customer.

I do find the steering wheel a bit odd.

Time will tell if the wiper blades were a good choice. 

Used my siphon hose to drain the windshield washer reservoir. Replaced the fluid with some extreme temperature Rain X product and redid the windshield with Rain X. The product takes some elbow grease buffing to get a smooth application. I find it worth the cost and effort. As always, YMMV

Yeah, I'm about five weeks late getting all this done. Sue me.

Damn Fool

The company who employs me once a week as a medical courier is a low rent operation. I don't mind being a low rent type myself. That said, there are limits.

Friday night into Saturday we had a nasty ice storm. Just below freezing with a drizzle. The above picture shows why I buy wrapped winter windshield wipers. Ice forms inside the blade holder and the blade won't make contact.

OK, I can live with the wiper blades. PITA but work around. Not acceptable are tires.

I've written up the tires on the Daily Driver Log for three weeks. Nothing has happened. Today I sent my "boss" an email that reads, in part,

"Not trying to create drama. That said, I will not drive the route again on those tires"

I've been driving this route going on three years. First, for my current employer. Then for the competitor that underbid them. Next for the company that bought out the competitor. Lastly, back to the original.They won the last bid. I might know what I'm doing.

My next scheduled trip is the day after Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to the pre-trip inspection.

And, yes, I was a damned fool for even leaving the lot yesterday on those tires. 400+ mile in Colorado, Wyoming, and the Nebraska panhandle is no place for worn tires regardless of the road conditions.

Earning My Meager Pay

Winter weather is back. Fun, fun, fun.

Beat Up

Bad weather in Wyoming and Nebraska the past three days. Too tired to read blog posts and try to leave good comments. Should catch up in the next two days.

Baffles me how people who have lived their whole lives in the area suddenly start driving like they just moved in from Jamaica last week.

Oh No, No Snow

Once again, Nature shows who is boss. All along the Colorado/New Mexico Rockies there hasn’t been enough snow for the ski resorts to open. A huge negative economic impact for the tourist industry but a boon to commercial travels and truckers.

Last winter snow started early and stayed late. Spring followed with a lot of moisture making the prairies greener than I’ve seen them in many years. Now they are going back to brown.

This time last year my SHTF winter backpack went into the Prius I drive 500 miles a day three days a week each start of shift.This year, other than unpacking it, checking the contents, replacing batteries, etc. it hasn’t been touched.

A mild winter isn’t good news. The areas East and West of the Rockies are high desert. Water is life.

On a personal level I’m enjoying the mild weather. Soon enough I will be driving in Wyoming blizzards.

You take the bad with the good and I do it gladly to live where my roots are.

Bitch and Moan

Tough start for the month. Everyday on our route something is closed. I-76 in Northeast Colorado. I-25 Cheyenne to Wheatland. My shift, Monday to Wednesday was three 14 hour days. 

Paul, who works Thursday to Saturday, is facing the same conditions. Black ice and blowing snow makes for a long day.

Had my first off road excursion in many years Tuesday. Asshole darted across the highway. Missed him but spun out into the median. Took out a delineator.

Two oilfield men stopped, got out a tow strap, and pulled me out. Got to love Wyoming people. Maybe karma for all the people I've pulled out over the years.

Wallowing around in the snow with a shovel, and crawling around in the snow finding a place to tie the tow rope, makes me realize I'm too fucking old for this shit. Developed a touch of a chest cold.

Maybe someday I will grow up, ya think?

Earning My Daily Bread (Three Days a Week)

Kind of a rambling and perhaps pointless blog entry. You have been warned.

The large winter storm moving through the area is more towards the South of us but the fringe is still hitting us hard. Crappy cell phone snaps, please bear with me. This morning around 0430. 40 mph in a 80 mph zone.

There were many of these out working. Not supposed to pass one but I don't have time to follow one at 40 mph.

 Then there are these signs on 78 miles of road I must travel.

And damn little after 5 am.

South of Kimball, NE. Highway 71. Strange day - the wind was from the East. Hold my beer moment when a jackass trucker missed his turn, stopped dead, then started backing up. Prius vs 53' trailer? Didn't like those odds. 

Something to make a car collector cry. Scottsbluff NE. 57' Chevy convertible.

The place has cabbage burgers but not at 0900 when I gas up.

486 miles, and I get to do it tomorrow and Wednesday. The wind wasn't bad today but the forecast for tomorrow is for worse weather.

The man who drives Wed to Saturday spent 40 years driving big rigs in 49 States and most Provinces.  We are two old silver-backs but have the jobs because we are "seasoned". The other "kids" want our routes. Not happening. Our routes are the branch's most lucrative and for the most demanding client. The managers leave us alone and the job gets done every day no matter what the weather throws at us.

I'm nearly finished paying off the deductibles and co pays on the pacemaker but think I will keep the job until summer or I win the lottery.

Tire Chains

Winter is upon us which means slipping and sliding down the road. Good tires and four wheel/all wheel drive may be all you will need.  There may be an occasion when you need traction chains. There is a certain social stigma for true mountain people chaining up - right up there with having to grab a saddle horn - but a man has to do what a man has to do (or a woman).

First, have right and proper chains. In  my experience  cable chains are crap. Maybe good for a couple of miles until they come off,  and useless in mud.  Along with chains have some means of inflating tires if you are not close to a gas station with an air hose.

Let out some air. If you have a tire pressure gauge let out about 5 lbs. Put your chains on the DRIVE wheels (you do know if your vehicle is front or rear wheel drive, don't you) hand tight. Now add 5 to 10 lbs of air. It will not hurt your tires to slightly over inflate them. This will help keep the chains tight. Loose chains can break and give you a custom body look.

Be prepared to turn off your traction control if so equipped. Traction control works by detecting wheel spin and applying momentary braking to the spinning wheel. A steep driveway, a 10 - 20 mph uphill curve  and mud in general may cause enough slippage by each drive wheel to cause you to bog down from the braking. In mud, traction control will eventually cause you to bog down.

Do I know what I'm talking about? Probably not; only had an operators license for 54 years.

Of course, if you live in the South and never leave hard surfaced roads, this is useless advice.

Not So Bad

Back from a four day trip. Compared to much of the country, weather conditions were tame. First picture was taken just before passing a traffic stop. Temperature about minus 12. Wind 25 mph and gusting. The Minnesota Trooper was walking back to the window of a Chrysler 300. My question. Do you think the driver got a ticket or a warning?

South Dakota shut down I-29. Bunch of wimps. A few big drifts, zero visibility, and two buried highway patrol cars isn't a good reason. We just headed West and got behind the storm.

The South Dakota deer seem to be in good shape. They stood around on the highway like a flock of sheep. This was on Highway 47 just South of the White River. We saw hundreds of Pheasants and one moose where no moose should be; in the middle of the North Dakota plains.