What's the stupidest thing you're lusting after right now?

[Dancin'Dog]

I rode in a powered paraglider for the first time last weekend.  It was an awesome experience and it seems to be relatively safe.  The cost seems to be about the same as riding a motorcycle.  A beginner foot launch setup costs about $8K.  They're compact enough to pack into the back of a small hatchback. 


I also rode in an unpowered paraglider a few years ago.  It was fun, but the engine offers so many advantages.  The main advantage, obviously, is it doesn't require a mountain to launch from.  Your flight isn't limited by your ability to catch thermals.  Having an engine made me feel much safer because it gives the pilot many more options about when and where to land. 



I don't actually consider them "stupid", but since most people probably do I figured it belongs in this thread. 


The tandem rides were being offered for free at the fly-in.  If you'd like to try it sometime, or just want to watch hundreds of powered paragliders flying around, you should attend a fly-in.  Here's a link to their schedule: https://usppa.org/event-calendar/ . I attended the Moonshiners fly-in in Mountain City, TN.  (There wasn't a "free rides" sign.  I just chatted with a few of the attendees and one asked if I'd like to try it & introduced me to the right guy.)  They only fly for a couple of hours in the morning and again late in the day because that is when the air is calmest.










 

[PlanetDee]

A Nintendo Switch. One of my friends got one recently and started talking about Zelda and Mario Kart and the nostalgia is so strong. Do I need it - no way. I have a perfectly functioning Xbox, but I am still coveting the new shiny toy!

Get a bike instead. Nobody on their deathbed wished they'd spent more time on video games.

Probably the biggest regret of my life is the wasted time I spent in my youth playing video games.  Kicking that habit was one of the best things I've ever done.

Oh yeah I am also very active, but live in the PNW. There are a couple months of the year where staying inside to read, play video games, do puzzles, etc. is the only thing to do if you want to stay warm and dry. I certainly don’t want to spend ALL my time playing games, but everything in moderation.

[Miss Piggy]

I'm really really really lusting after a Onewheel. https://onewheel.com/

But 98% of me thinks I'm too old for a toy like that (buuuuuttt...there's a guy in my neighborhood who appears to be older than me, and he rides his Onewheel everywhere). And the other 2% of me knows I already have sooooo many other cool toys. But dammit, I want that Onewheel!

[Luke Warm]

I'm really really really lusting after a Onewheel. https://onewheel.com/

But 98% of me thinks I'm too old for a toy like that (buuuuuttt...there's a guy in my neighborhood who appears to be older than me, and he rides his Onewheel everywhere). And the other 2% of me knows I already have sooooo many other cool toys. But dammit, I want that Onewheel!

I like their advertisement: STOP THINKING! START RIDING!

[Dancin'Dog]

I'm really really really lusting after a Onewheel. https://onewheel.com/

But 98% of me thinks I'm too old for a toy like that (buuuuuttt...there's a guy in my neighborhood who appears to be older than me, and he rides his Onewheel everywhere). And the other 2% of me knows I already have sooooo many other cool toys. But dammit, I want that Onewheel!

There were a lot of folks at the PPG fly-in zipping around the airport on those things. They also had the mini Segway things, e-scooters, and there was a kid riding a thing that looked like just a 16" e-wheel.  They all seemed to be having fun on them.


It all reminded me of a likely scene from The Jetsons.

[ChpBstrd]

A Nintendo Switch. One of my friends got one recently and started talking about Zelda and Mario Kart and the nostalgia is so strong. Do I need it - no way. I have a perfectly functioning Xbox, but I am still coveting the new shiny toy!

Get a bike instead. Nobody on their deathbed wished they'd spent more time on video games.

Probably the biggest regret of my life is the wasted time I spent in my youth playing video games.  Kicking that habit was one of the best things I've ever done.

Oh yeah I am also very active, but live in the PNW. There are a couple months of the year where staying inside to read, play video games, do puzzles, etc. is the only thing to do if you want to stay warm and dry. I certainly don’t want to spend ALL my time playing games, but everything in moderation.

I like to think outside the box WRT cultural norms, and one of the things I've wondered is why we don't wear neoprene wetsuits on land when the weather is bad. With a wetsuit, it doesn't matter if the cold drizzle absolutely soaks you, you'll stay warm. It doesn't matter if you slip down the mud into an icy creek, you'll be fine. In theory one could run around absolutely impervious to nasty, dank weather. I've never ridden a bike while wearing my wetsuit, but I might try the experiment this winter. I might also try it hiking. When walking, I find my 3mm suit with 2mm limbs is actually less restrictive and heavy than layers of cloth clothing. Would I be a weirdo out on the hiking trail in a wetsuit? Yes. Would I care? Not if I'm comfortable. And if I'm the only one who can tolerate the weather conditions there's no one to impress out there anyway.

[Dancin'Dog]

A Nintendo Switch. One of my friends got one recently and started talking about Zelda and Mario Kart and the nostalgia is so strong. Do I need it - no way. I have a perfectly functioning Xbox, but I am still coveting the new shiny toy!

Get a bike instead. Nobody on their deathbed wished they'd spent more time on video games.

Probably the biggest regret of my life is the wasted time I spent in my youth playing video games.  Kicking that habit was one of the best things I've ever done.

Oh yeah I am also very active, but live in the PNW. There are a couple months of the year where staying inside to read, play video games, do puzzles, etc. is the only thing to do if you want to stay warm and dry. I certainly don’t want to spend ALL my time playing games, but everything in moderation.

I like to think outside the box WRT cultural norms, and one of the things I've wondered is why we don't wear neoprene wetsuits on land when the weather is bad. With a wetsuit, it doesn't matter if the cold drizzle absolutely soaks you, you'll stay warm. It doesn't matter if you slip down the mud into an icy creek, you'll be fine. In theory one could run around absolutely impervious to nasty, dank weather. I've never ridden a bike while wearing my wetsuit, but I might try the experiment this winter. I might also try it hiking. When walking, I find my 3mm suit with 2mm limbs is actually less restrictive and heavy than layers of cloth clothing. Would I be a weirdo out on the hiking trail in a wetsuit? Yes. Would I care? Not if I'm comfortable. And if I'm the only one who can tolerate the weather conditions there's no one to impress out there anyway.

I think you might be on to something.  Just add ventilation in the crotch & pits, and maybe increase the zipper lengths so they're a bit easier to exit. 


Neoprene could be the next Spandex. LOL! 

[JLee]

I've been eyeing NC Miatas for a while, and I just found a super clean 2013 PRHT (power retractable hardtop) Grand Touring / manual transmission / private seller with under 100k miles for sale.  Aagh.

[Villanelle]

A Nintendo Switch. One of my friends got one recently and started talking about Zelda and Mario Kart and the nostalgia is so strong. Do I need it - no way. I have a perfectly functioning Xbox, but I am still coveting the new shiny toy!

Get a bike instead. Nobody on their deathbed wished they'd spent more time on video games.

Probably the biggest regret of my life is the wasted time I spent in my youth playing video games.  Kicking that habit was one of the best things I've ever done.

Oh yeah I am also very active, but live in the PNW. There are a couple months of the year where staying inside to read, play video games, do puzzles, etc. is the only thing to do if you want to stay warm and dry. I certainly don’t want to spend ALL my time playing games, but everything in moderation.

I like to think outside the box WRT cultural norms, and one of the things I've wondered is why we don't wear neoprene wetsuits on land when the weather is bad. With a wetsuit, it doesn't matter if the cold drizzle absolutely soaks you, you'll stay warm. It doesn't matter if you slip down the mud into an icy creek, you'll be fine. In theory one could run around absolutely impervious to nasty, dank weather. I've never ridden a bike while wearing my wetsuit, but I might try the experiment this winter. I might also try it hiking. When walking, I find my 3mm suit with 2mm limbs is actually less restrictive and heavy than layers of cloth clothing. Would I be a weirdo out on the hiking trail in a wetsuit? Yes. Would I care? Not if I'm comfortable. And if I'm the only one who can tolerate the weather conditions there's no one to impress out there anyway.

Getting warm and sweaty in a wetsuit seems like a recipe for a raging fungal infection.  The entire point of a wetsuit is basically not to breath at all, so the water in it can be warmed by your body.  That means no air gets in, and no sweat dries.  I've gotten horrid athletes foot during a dive vacation when I spent too long in my neoprene booties.  I can't imagine what would happen to skin in a whole-body wetsuit.

[GuitarStv]

A Nintendo Switch. One of my friends got one recently and started talking about Zelda and Mario Kart and the nostalgia is so strong. Do I need it - no way. I have a perfectly functioning Xbox, but I am still coveting the new shiny toy!

Get a bike instead. Nobody on their deathbed wished they'd spent more time on video games.

Probably the biggest regret of my life is the wasted time I spent in my youth playing video games.  Kicking that habit was one of the best things I've ever done.

Oh yeah I am also very active, but live in the PNW. There are a couple months of the year where staying inside to read, play video games, do puzzles, etc. is the only thing to do if you want to stay warm and dry. I certainly don’t want to spend ALL my time playing games, but everything in moderation.

I like to think outside the box WRT cultural norms, and one of the things I've wondered is why we don't wear neoprene wetsuits on land when the weather is bad. With a wetsuit, it doesn't matter if the cold drizzle absolutely soaks you, you'll stay warm. It doesn't matter if you slip down the mud into an icy creek, you'll be fine. In theory one could run around absolutely impervious to nasty, dank weather. I've never ridden a bike while wearing my wetsuit, but I might try the experiment this winter. I might also try it hiking. When walking, I find my 3mm suit with 2mm limbs is actually less restrictive and heavy than layers of cloth clothing. Would I be a weirdo out on the hiking trail in a wetsuit? Yes. Would I care? Not if I'm comfortable. And if I'm the only one who can tolerate the weather conditions there's no one to impress out there anyway.

Getting warm and sweaty in a wetsuit seems like a recipe for a raging fungal infection.  The entire point of a wetsuit is basically not to breath at all, so the water in it can be warmed by your body.  That means no air gets in, and no sweat dries.  I've gotten horrid athletes foot during a dive vacation when I spent too long in my neoprene booties.  I can't imagine what would happen to skin in a whole-body wetsuit.

Can confirm.  I have some neoprene gloves that I got for wet winter bike rides.  They're OK for warmth once they're soaked through with sweat and road juice, but smell so bad after a couple hours that I pretty much had to stop using them.

[Just Joe]

Though I think conversion kits are a good option for your standard road-ish e-bike, I would definitely not consider one for an e-MTB destined for single track.  The types of abuse and terrain put on those bikes don’t lend themselves to just strapping a battery, motor, and controller to an existing bike.

No, the Bafang mid-drive hangs down under the front tube. Too vulnerable. When I cross creeks it is often momentarily partially submerged. I have had zero problems with the battery mounted to the water bottle threaded holes but I'd be concerned with it tearing those holes out during rough use like jumps. Also, would want the battery cells to be fully potted to limit the effects of frame vibration on them.

[Just Joe]

It's taking a lot of my energy not to order a new 1Up or Kuat hitch rack for $$$.  They're just so much nicer to use than wrestling a 30+ pound bike above your head.

I bought one of those 1UP racks after my old Saris rack of 15 years bit the dust. The 1UP isn't cheap and it's a bit clunky but I like how it so far. All the cool kids have one.

I'm too cheap for the high end racks (see username) and use a Bell Right-Up 350 3-bike rack, which can be had for less than $250. It operates off of velcro straps rather than mechanical clamps which can be kind of a pain, but it's the cheapest way to transport all our bikes at once to wherever we're camping. I've had no issues and it has enough rise not to scrape on my steep driveway.

A Nintendo Switch. One of my friends got one recently and started talking about Zelda and Mario Kart and the nostalgia is so strong. Do I need it - no way. I have a perfectly functioning Xbox, but I am still coveting the new shiny toy!

Get a bike instead. Nobody on their deathbed wished they'd spent more time on video games.

 I have a Curt x2 bike rack. If you buy one, buy the x4 rack so you get the stronger frame. You can still take it apart and use it in the x2 configuration. I wish I had done that b/c the x2 version has settled a little carrying two ebikes on rough roads.

[Just Joe]

Probably the biggest regret of my life is the wasted time I spent in my youth playing video games.  Kicking that habit was one of the best things I've ever done.

I save video games for cold, dark evenings over the winter. Still not investing many hours. Maybe ten hours over the whole winter. I like to dabble in simulators. I play long enough that I get passably good and then lose interest.

[Carnivore_Plant_Mom]

A used Rx 6900 xt gpu for $450 on marketplace. I have a 6700 xt right now that works the vast majority of the games I play. But I have chronic migraines and gaming is a safe escape for me. And winter is coming so... Should I invest in the upgrade??

[GuitarStv]

A used Rx 6900 xt gpu for $450 on marketplace. I have a 6700 xt right now that works the vast majority of the games I play. But I have chronic migraines and gaming is a safe escape for me. And winter is coming so... Should I invest in the upgrade??

No way, it's only 200 better.

[rothwem]

A used Rx 6900 xt gpu for $450 on marketplace. I have a 6700 xt right now that works the vast majority of the games I play. But I have chronic migraines and gaming is a safe escape for me. And winter is coming so... Should I invest in the upgrade??

Have you considered that maybe the chronic migraines might be caused by staring at a computer while gaming?

[Roadrunner53]

Not sure if I would call it stupid but I am considering a Generac generator for the whole house. I think it might raise the value of the house a little by having it if we should sell in the future. We had a power outtage last night and it was hell. Now with all these crazy weather patterns we are having over USA who knows what the future holds. I think it would cost at least $10,000 to have one installed. Maybe more. The house is about 2,000 sf. Anyone have any good, bad or ugly stories on doing this?

We know people who have been out of electricity for two plus weeks and I don't know how you live like that! We have a well which needs electricity to run the pump so no electricity, no water, no showers. We have electric oven and no gas stove so no cooking in that or the microwave.

We also have two freezers full of meat, veggies and other things and would hate to lose all that stuff. I think they say if you don't open the freezer door, the stuff stays frozen for 48 hours without worry. After that, the temps in the freezer start to elevate.

We garden too so some of the harvest ends up in the freezer.

The other thing that is of concern is that we have hot water baseboard heat. If we lost electricity in the middle of winter during a very cold snap, our pipes could freeze up and burst. Water would ruin everything.

We have the money to do it but hate to spend it! But can't take it with us to the grave either! We have no children to will our money! I think the pro's outweigh the cons.

[Taran Wanderer]

When we built our house, we had it wired for a whole house generator, but we haven’t pulled the trigger on that yet. Instead, I got a hand portable 2000W generator. It will power the fridges and chargers and a few lights and things. It’s also possible to take camping. And I can exercise it by using in the yard instead of pulling an extension cord. Depending on brand, you can get one for between $800 and $1400. Or you could get a 4000W+ on wheels for a similar price or not much more. It would be less portable. Either would protect your fridges and allow you to run your well in an emergency, and if you find it’s not enough, you can always go full-house later.

[Dancin'Dog]

Not sure if I would call it stupid but I am considering a Generac generator for the whole house. I think it might raise the value of the house a little by having it if we should sell in the future. We had a power outtage last night and it was hell. Now with all these crazy weather patterns we are having over USA who knows what the future holds. I think it would cost at least $10,000 to have one installed. Maybe more. The house is about 2,000 sf. Anyone have any good, bad or ugly stories on doing this?

We know people who have been out of electricity for two plus weeks and I don't know how you live like that! We have a well which needs electricity to run the pump so no electricity, no water, no showers. We have electric oven and no gas stove so no cooking in that or the microwave.

We also have two freezers full of meat, veggies and other things and would hate to lose all that stuff. I think they say if you don't open the freezer door, the stuff stays frozen for 48 hours without worry. After that, the temps in the freezer start to elevate.

We garden too so some of the harvest ends up in the freezer.

The other thing that is of concern is that we have hot water baseboard heat. If we lost electricity in the middle of winter during a very cold snap, our pipes could freeze up and burst. Water would ruin everything.

We have the money to do it but hate to spend it! But can't take it with us to the grave either! We have no children to will our money! I think the pro's outweigh the cons.

When C-19 began DW wanted me to buy a generator.  I just went to Harbor Frt. and bought a 9000W model for about $800.  It has an electric starter, but starts so easily with the pull starter I didn't bother buying a battery. It's quite loud, but it sits outside & when the power is out "who cares" about a little noise?


After purchasing the big, noisy, cheap model they now offer a big, super quiet, with inverter technology, for $2500.  I'd rather have it of course but not sure it would really be worthwhile, considering we've never had to use it yet anyway.  Power outages rarely last more than a few hours here.   


If we lived in an area where I was concerned about frequent long-duration outages I'd consider a whole house unit.  But you could just try the $800 unit and see how it goes.  You can easily resell it later if you decide to upgrade.


I don't know what all we could operate with 9000W, but figure we could turn some things off at the breaker panel to lighten the load. 

[Taran Wanderer]

We have a pretty big house, but no air conditioning.  Based on the power company data portal, 9000W would cover us unless we were on full heat and cooking and drying clothes and taking multiple showers or baths at the same time.  So yeah, for basically everything.  Good old Harbor Freight!

[Just Joe]

Our used house came with a Kohler whole house unit. It only powers a sub-panel. The fridge, family room, HVAC and the master bedroom. It is loud b/c it must run 3600 rpm to make the right frequency (Hz). Just a big lawnmower engine. The house reduces the noise a little, the enclosure reduces the noise a little. We're in the country so no neighbors close. It has been trouble free for the four years we've lived here. It is approaching 8 years old I think. I have changed the oil once. Cleaned inside the enclosure once. Need to spot paint some rust on the inside of the enclosure door.

Consider how you'd power it long term. We were on expensive Suburban Propane. North of $4K for 500 gallons of propane. Switched to MUCH cheaper Nat Gas. Hopefully the gas never goes out in an extended weather event. Look at the fuel consumption charts. Ours was pretty expensive to run for 24 hours on expensive propane. However, if we didn't loose a freezer of beef, we'd be money ahead.

A few years ago we had a week long ice storm. No lasting power interruption at our house but a friend came to stay with us b/c they had no power for a whole week and no backup heat aka fireplace or fuel space heater.

Mostly just wanted to mention a competing brand. Might be worth shopping that brand too.

If we ever replace it I'll buy an inverter generator. Much more frugal on fuel, much quieter.

[sonofsven]

Not sure if I would call it stupid but I am considering a Generac generator for the whole house. I think it might raise the value of the house a little by having it if we should sell in the future. We had a power outtage last night and it was hell. Now with all these crazy weather patterns we are having over USA who knows what the future holds. I think it would cost at least $10,000 to have one installed. Maybe more. The house is about 2,000 sf. Anyone have any good, bad or ugly stories on doing this?

We know people who have been out of electricity for two plus weeks and I don't know how you live like that! We have a well which needs electricity to run the pump so no electricity, no water, no showers. We have electric oven and no gas stove so no cooking in that or the microwave.

We also have two freezers full of meat, veggies and other things and would hate to lose all that stuff. I think they say if you don't open the freezer door, the stuff stays frozen for 48 hours without worry. After that, the temps in the freezer start to elevate.

We garden too so some of the harvest ends up in the freezer.

The other thing that is of concern is that we have hot water baseboard heat. If we lost electricity in the middle of winter during a very cold snap, our pipes could freeze up and burst. Water would ruin everything.

We have the money to do it but hate to spend it! But can't take it with us to the grave either! We have no children to will our money! I think the pro's outweigh the cons.

I don't think it's stupid at all. I don't think I'd spend 10 grand on one, but my needs are quite different than yours.
I lost power for nearly ten days in the winter years ago. I had a generator I got for free and fixed up, and it really saved the day.
I have two freezers full of meat and fish, mostly. I would run it a few hours for each freezer and the fridge, but otherwise was pretty set up with no electricity: I could cook with natural gas by lighting the burners by hand, I have one of the old style gas water heaters (purposely) that don't require electricity (warm baths!), and I heat only with wood.
The generator was so loud and vibrated so bad I had to strap it to the deck. Then the fuel filter would gum up from the rust bits shaken up and it would die.
As soon as the crisis was over I went and got a nice 2000 watt Honda inverter model. Funnily, I haven't had a long term power outage since.
One thing I learned ( the hard way) is that you should only charge cordless tool batteries with an inverter model.

[Askel]

Several years ago we used to live on the very edge of the grid of a very spread out rural electrification association. It would often take days for power to come back on in the event of a big outage.   

One night we were maybe on our 4th or 5th night without power and my wife had had enough. She said something to the effect of "come home with a generator or don't come home." 

So I bought one of the last ones on the shelf at the local gas station/grocery store/hardware store/chainsaw dealership and went home to hook it up.  Before I even got the fridge plugged in, power came back on. 

To this day, I don't think it has more than 3 or 4 hours on it, we've had it for maybe 5-6 years.   

[ChpBstrd]

Maybe the stupid thing about lusting over a generator is that you're supposed to be living in a developed country with reliable utilities and a sufficient tax base to ... IDK... preventative maintenance rotten 50 year old telephone poles or rusted out transformers?

And yet here we are living somewhere in the spectrum alongside the people in impoverished developing nations whose electricity routinely goes out. And the stupid thing is we're fine with the external situation. In face we see it as an opportunity to buy ourselves a shiny new consumer product to patch that problem as our grid becomes less and less reliable. Meanwhile more and more of our tax dollars go to enabling the rich to pay nothing in taxes and to expanding electrical service to faraway exurban developments where food used to be grown.

[jinga nation]

Adding to the generator foam, we had Hurricane Ian last year, hit our area as a Cat 2, and we were lucky it changed direction. Lost power for 4-5 hours. No big deal. But wife insisted we get a generator, because we went for almost a day without power in 2017 with Hurricane Irma.

Found one at Costco for $800 (that's over $1100 at Lowes). Tri-fuel. Got it set-up, fueled, with the cord to hook up to the transfer switch, just in time for Hurricane Idalia. Then she changes course and we barely felt a thing.

But the rainy,spinny,windy thingy season is over half the year, so having one just in case isn't a bad idea. I'd really want a whole house Generac for about $7-10k, which we can afford, but it is damn overkill IMHO.

The ultimate lust is to have solar panels and sufficient energy storage banks. But there's a lot of buggery happening with home insurers dropping customers if solar is installed, roof age shenanigans, and insurers leaving the state, so that lust isn't going to get satisfied any time, especially under our current guvnor.

[zolotiyeruki]

Maybe the stupid thing about lusting over a generator is that you're supposed to be living in a developed country with reliable utilities and a sufficient tax base to ... IDK... preventative maintenance rotten 50 year old telephone poles or rusted out transformers?

And yet here we are living somewhere in the spectrum alongside the people in impoverished developing nations whose electricity routinely goes out. And the stupid thing is we're fine with the external situation. In face we see it as an opportunity to buy ourselves a shiny new consumer product to patch that problem as our grid becomes less and less reliable. Meanwhile more and more of our tax dollars go to enabling the rich to pay nothing in taxes and to expanding electrical service to faraway exurban developments where food used to be grown.

Having lived through 9 days without power in southeast Texas after Hurricane Ike, I think it's worth pointing out that fortifying the grid against hurricanes is a Sisyphean task.  Unless you bury every power line, or clear every tree within 50 feet of every power line, you're simply not going to prevent power outages due to a hurricane.  No brand-new power pole is going to keep a 80-foot-tall Loblolly from knocking out power to a neighborhood.

Now, if you're talking about running the grid with so little margin that power fluctuations can topple the grid, or if you live in a state (CA, I'm looking at you) that seems hell-bent on systematically eliminating every reliable power source imaginable, then yeah, some changes are due.

[Askel]

I assume it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. 

Maybe just enjoy the power outage?   

Our house has wood heat. I have a lantern.  We can pull water out of the creek behind the house to flush the toilets.   

It's kind of nice for a couple days. Bonus time when you HAVE TO eat any ice cream that might be lurking in the freezer. :D     

[GuitarStv]

I assume it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. 

Maybe just enjoy the power outage?   

Our house has wood heat. I have a lantern.  We can pull water out of the creek behind the house to flush the toilets.   

It's kind of nice for a couple days. Bonus time when you HAVE TO eat any ice cream that might be lurking in the freezer. :D   

Kinda depends on the time of year.  The last big power outage we had was in the middle of winter after an ice storm, and it was about 15 below outside that night.  No power = no stove and no functioning furnace (gas furnace depends on electric blowers unfortunately).  We didn't have to worry about losing any freezer food at least . . .

:P

[zolotiyeruki]

I assume it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. 

Maybe just enjoy the power outage?   

If you're in a good climate, sure!  After Hurricane Ike, we were fortunate that the following week had pretty moderate weather. But I wouldn't want to go a week and a half without A/C in a normal Texas August.

[Metalcat]

I assume it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. 

Maybe just enjoy the power outage?   

Our house has wood heat. I have a lantern.  We can pull water out of the creek behind the house to flush the toilets.   

It's kind of nice for a couple days. Bonus time when you HAVE TO eat any ice cream that might be lurking in the freezer. :D   

Kinda depends on the time of year.  The last big power outage we had was in the middle of winter after an ice storm, and it was about 15 below outside that night.  No power = no stove and no functioning furnace (gas furnace depends on electric blowers unfortunately).  We didn't have to worry about losing any freezer food at least . . .

:P

Yeah, losing power in the winter when you have a wood stove for heat and cooking makes a huge difference.

I can't have a wood stove out here, my insurance won't allow it and I'm limited in insurance options, so if we do winters here, I'll definitely want a generator.

[Askel]

For those of you in cooler climates, kerosene space heaters might be a cheaper option than whole house generators when the power goes out. Those do come with a whole book full of dire warnings about carbon monoxide, fire risk, and condensation build up.   But I've used them and they work fine.

[Taran Wanderer]

I assume it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. 

Maybe just enjoy the power outage?   

Our house has wood heat. I have a lantern.  We can pull water out of the creek behind the house to flush the toilets.   

It's kind of nice for a couple days. Bonus time when you HAVE TO eat any ice cream that might be lurking in the freezer. :D   

Yeah, that’s basically what we do, except that we use the little generator to keep the half a beef on ice. And the ice cream since were already keeping the freezers cold.

[Roadrunner53]

There is another thing that concerns me. When my electricity went out I called the power company to report the outtage. It seems I am on a line with only two other houses! No power company is going to go out of their way to restore power in a timely fashion when it only concerns 3 houses on one power line. They will fix the bigger outtages and I will have to wait who knows how long. I live on a State Road and there are tons of houses on it. No idea how there are only three of us on this one line. Also, regarding generators that have to be powered with gas and manually hooked up and turned off and on, it is something older people are not in the best of shape to hook up the generator. With the Generac, it automatically turns itself on when power goes off and and turns itself off when power is restored.

I am still in the pro's and con's stage!

[davisgang90]

I bought an Apple watch a few years ago. It has really helped me with exercise. It tells me how many days I've burned X amount of calories, walked Y steps etc. It has conditioned me to the point I WILL NOT miss a day of walking my neighborhood and staying active. The watch combined with intermittent fasting and low carb diet has allowed me to shed and keep off about 40 pounds for a year+.

Now I want an Apple Watch Ultra which is about double the cost of the regular watch. It is chunkier, brighter, more tracking yada yada.

I absolutely don't need it, my current watch works fine...

But I lust...

[HipGnosis]

Get a nice cover to put on it? Could be a cheap fix. I’d never replace a 20-yr old workhorse with a modern machine, especially if there were chips that could fry or software that can get bricked.

That's a good idea. I do have the hard plastic cover, but it's ugly! I could probably make one too and save a few bucks.

Is Decoupage still a thing? 

[RetiredAt63]

Back to generators - if you live in a rural area and the power goes out, you have no water.  Water comes from a well, and is pumped against gravity, and no electricity means no pump.  So in the summer you can get water and your food rots, and in the winter your food is fine but there is no liquid water available.  If you have a sump and pump your pump also no longer works.

I had neighbours who, when they bought the house next door, changed out the old oil furnace for a propane one (no natural gas) and had a whole house generator hard-wired into the electrical panel, also running off the propane  It came on every Friday for 10 minutes, as a check that the system worked.

I didn't go that far but I had a backup sump pump wired to a large battery just for this situation, that was plugged in so always fully charged.  If the original pump died, or we lost power, my basement would not be flooded.

We were all survivors of The Ice Storm.

[Roadrunner53]

Yes, when I lose electricity, the pump in my well does not work. Besides not having water for drinking and bathing, there is no water for flushing the toilets. That situation gets old very fast! No heat in the winter because the boiler requires electricity, so baseboard pipes could freeze over an extended period of time. Freezers will maintain frozen temps for about 48 hours, then everything starts thawing at dangerous temps so all food is trash. I don't think house insurance will cover spoiled meat or frozen items. Good luck trying to get the electric company to pay for it.

Oh, and one more inconvenience is that my cell phone needed charging and could not charge it without electricity. I didn't have a car charger either but recently bought one...just in case.  I did discover that I could use my battery operated laptop to recharge the phone in a pinch too. But laptop recharging will only last till the laptop battery is drained.

[GilesMM]

Back to generators - if you live in a rural area and the power goes out, you have no water.  Water comes from a well, and is pumped against gravity, and no electricity means no pump.  So in the summer you can get water and your food rots, and in the winter your food is fine but there is no liquid water available.  If you have a sump and pump your pump also no longer works.

I had neighbours who, when they bought the house next door, changed out the old oil furnace for a propane one (no natural gas) and had a whole house generator hard-wired into the electrical panel, also running off the propane  It came on every Friday for 10 minutes, as a check that the system worked.

I didn't go that far but I had a backup sump pump wired to a large battery just for this situation, that was plugged in so always fully charged.  If the original pump died, or we lost power, my basement would not be flooded.

We were all survivors of The Ice Storm.

Or you can install a cistern to act as a buffer for usage and also as an emergency source of water. They have been used for ages!

[Villanelle]

Yes, when I lose electricity, the pump in my well does not work. Besides not having water for drinking and bathing, there is no water for flushing the toilets. That situation gets old very fast! No heat in the winter because the boiler requires electricity, so baseboard pipes could freeze over an extended period of time. Freezers will maintain frozen temps for about 48 hours, then everything starts thawing at dangerous temps so all food is trash. I don't think house insurance will cover spoiled meat or frozen items. Good luck trying to get the electric company to pay for it.

Oh, and one more inconvenience is that my cell phone needed charging and could not charge it without electricity. I didn't have a car charger either but recently bought one...just in case.  I did discover that I could use my battery operated laptop to recharge the phone in a pinch too. But laptop recharging will only last till the laptop battery is drained.

It may vary by insurance company, but mine does cover food spoilage due to power outages.  I've never done it so my recollection is fuzzy, but there's a tickle in my brain that says they may even waive the deductible on this.

[rothwem]

There is another thing that concerns me. When my electricity went out I called the power company to report the outtage. It seems I am on a line with only two other houses! No power company is going to go out of their way to restore power in a timely fashion when it only concerns 3 houses on one power line. They will fix the bigger outtages and I will have to wait who knows how long. I live on a State Road and there are tons of houses on it. No idea how there are only three of us on this one line. Also, regarding generators that have to be powered with gas and manually hooked up and turned off and on, it is something older people are not in the best of shape to hook up the generator. With the Generac, it automatically turns itself on when power goes off and and turns itself off when power is restored.

I am still in the pro's and con's stage!

Have you actually gotten quotes yet?  My inlaws just got a generator and it was $18k!  They don't live in an enormous house (~2000 square feet or so) and they didn't get a crazy oversized system, so I'm pretty surprised at the cost. 

[RetiredAt63]

Back to generators - if you live in a rural area and the power goes out, you have no water.  Water comes from a well, and is pumped against gravity, and no electricity means no pump.  So in the summer you can get water and your food rots, and in the winter your food is fine but there is no liquid water available.  If you have a sump and pump your pump also no longer works.

I had neighbours who, when they bought the house next door, changed out the old oil furnace for a propane one (no natural gas) and had a whole house generator hard-wired into the electrical panel, also running off the propane  It came on every Friday for 10 minutes, as a check that the system worked.

I didn't go that far but I had a backup sump pump wired to a large battery just for this situation, that was plugged in so always fully charged.  If the original pump died, or we lost power, my basement would not be flooded.

We were all survivors of The Ice Storm.

Or you can install a cistern to act as a buffer for usage and also as an emergency source of water. They have been used for ages!

But a cistern would have to be higher than the taps and toilets so they had gravity flow.  And given our winter temperatures, a cistern that high is going to have to be kept above freezing, which is hard during a power failure. 

The issue wasn't a lack of water, we had a great flow rate, it was a lack of electricity to get the water from the well to the pressure tank in the house.

The Ice Storm was in January (1998 if you want to Google it) so all surface water was frozen over.  We used a chain saw to get water from the pond for flushing toilets, but that wasn't drinkable water.

[Roadrunner53]

No, have not gotten estimates for a Generac yet. I do see Costco offers perks for buying a Generac Generator thru them. You sign up with them and they forward your name to installers that work with Costco. Costco is offering a 10 year warranty, a 10% shop card which I guess is 10% of the value of your purchase price, plus normal rewards for paying with the Costco Visa card.

[NorthernFire]

Big green egg. Smoker / grill.

[BlueHouse]

Ugh!  Brother & Sister-in-law are moving out and buying ALL NEW furniture (they got rid of everything before moving cross-country). 

So I'm jealous and everything they're looking at (or if I'm looking for them at furniture or rugs or decor), I want new too. 

You never realize how dated your stuff looks until you look at new stuff. 

[Metalcat]

Ugh!  Brother & Sister-in-law are moving out and buying ALL NEW furniture (they got rid of everything before moving cross-country). 

So I'm jealous and everything they're looking at (or if I'm looking for them at furniture or rugs or decor), I want new too. 

You never realize how dated your stuff looks until you look at new stuff.

It helps to lean into a dated esthetic intentionally ;)

[GuitarStv]

The newest piece of furniture in our home is approaching a decade and a half.  And my dad built it.  :P

[ChpBstrd]

Ugh!  Brother & Sister-in-law are moving out and buying ALL NEW furniture (they got rid of everything before moving cross-country). 

So I'm jealous and everything they're looking at (or if I'm looking for them at furniture or rugs or decor), I want new too. 

You never realize how dated your stuff looks until you look at new stuff.

Funny I happen to be listening to "The Art of Money Getting" by P. T. Barnum on Librivox. It is a great read on proto-Mustachianism in a mid-1800's context.

In it, the author describes how an acquaintance who started to be successful in business bought a new couch his wife wanted. But then the couch needed matching chairs so these were purchased. Then they needed a rug and new sideboards to tie it all together. Then they needed to replace furniture in other parts of the house. Then they decided the house was too small and dated for all this new furniture and so they ended up buying a bigger house with higher costs forever. The acquaintance finally put a stop to the madness and refers to his couch as costing $30,000 - and that's in mid-1800s money!

[RWD]

Ugh!  Brother & Sister-in-law are moving out and buying ALL NEW furniture (they got rid of everything before moving cross-country). 

So I'm jealous and everything they're looking at (or if I'm looking for them at furniture or rugs or decor), I want new too. 

You never realize how dated your stuff looks until you look at new stuff.

Funny I happen to be listening to "The Art of Money Getting" by P. T. Barnum on Librivox. It is a great read on proto-Mustachianism in a mid-1800's context.

In it, the author describes how an acquaintance who started to be successful in business bought a new couch his wife wanted. But then the couch needed matching chairs so these were purchased. Then they needed a rug and new sideboards to tie it all together. Then they needed to replace furniture in other parts of the house. Then they decided the house was too small and dated for all this new furniture and so they ended up buying a bigger house with higher costs forever. The acquaintance finally put a stop to the madness and refers to his couch as costing $30,000 - and that's in mid-1800s money!

This concept predates the 1800s even!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diderot_effect

[Just Joe]

Several years ago we used to live on the very edge of the grid of a very spread out rural electrification association. It would often take days for power to come back on in the event of a big outage.   

One night we were maybe on our 4th or 5th night without power and my wife had had enough. She said something to the effect of "come home with a generator or don't come home." 

So I bought one of the last ones on the shelf at the local gas station/grocery store/hardware store/chainsaw dealership and went home to hook it up.  Before I even got the fridge plugged in, power came back on. 

To this day, I don't think it has more than 3 or 4 hours on it, we've had it for maybe 5-6 years.

I have a decade old kerosene heater that has never had fuel in it. Same story. Ice storm, bought a kerosene heater and fuel in case of power outage b/c no genny or fireplace. As a kid ice storms guaranteed days without power so we heated with a fireplace or a kerosene heater in a pinch.

We lost a power for a few hours, warmed the family room with our little Mr Buddy propane camp heater, switch off the heat while we slept in our warm sleeping bags on the beds, never needed the kerosene heater. I should really sell it.

[Just Joe]

There is another thing that concerns me. When my electricity went out I called the power company to report the outtage. It seems I am on a line with only two other houses! No power company is going to go out of their way to restore power in a timely fashion when it only concerns 3 houses on one power line. They will fix the bigger outtages and I will have to wait who knows how long. I live on a State Road and there are tons of houses on it. No idea how there are only three of us on this one line. Also, regarding generators that have to be powered with gas and manually hooked up and turned off and on, it is something older people are not in the best of shape to hook up the generator. With the Generac, it automatically turns itself on when power goes off and and turns itself off when power is restored.

I am still in the pro's and con's stage!

At least it will start up in case you are out of town if you have freezers to worry about.