Hump Day, Feb 4th, '26...

ST1100Y

ST1100Y

Site Supporter
ST1100 50,000 Mile Badge
Joined
Dec 4, 2012
Messages
677
Age
60
Location
Vienna, AuSTria
Bike
ST1100Y, ST1100R
Some people just ‘rise and shine.’
I rather ‘brew and brood'... :coffee:

622362293_1429560851978441_5548544659486638301_n.jpg

G'Day...

0°/2°C, overcast, damp, possible rain in the afternoon and into the night...

Home and office... :coffee:

Day 3 of my "do not use m/way" challenge... ;)

Thinking of it they are literally taxing the life out of you... :unsure:
First they charge not only 20% VAT on a new vehicle, but also a NoVA, based on its 'estimated' future fuel consumption...
Then an annual vehicle tax... cars: rated by engine output/power, bikes: rated by displacement (odd since "large" touring bikes bear less danger, as like 500cc Power Ranger squids...)
Then 20% VAT on your annual insurance rates, plus an additional "insurance tax"...
And then the fuel is charged with: a mineral oil tax*, a CO₂ tax, then 20% VAT on top of that... equals ~53% on gas/petrol, and ~49% on diesel as total... :cautious:
(* aeons ago this was intended for road-building and maintenance, but hey... )

And then the "road pricing" on motorways...
Which of course many try to escape...
So you'll end up with HGVs/semis, RVs and cars from abroad on the weirdest roads & places... just to save a few squid...
Like riding through nice, narrow twisty B and C roads through solitaire 'no man's land', to be suddenly blocked by some stinking, soothing semis from the east,
or the obvious very frightened driver of an RV originating from 'the country with the great plains' up north... :cautious:
So frequently farmers, fire brigades and wreckers (sometimes even the army has to assist with an M88... ) have to pull them out the ditches... pfffff...

Office, dull, will have to update product prices in the database... the dullest job of all... might get me another... ☕
 
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Good morning everyone

Thanks for the coffee, Martin. Sorry about the taxes.

It's 30°F and cloudy in Rockville, where the chances of overnight snow failed to produce any fresh precipitation. Fine with me, as we still have on the ground what appears to be about 95 percent of what came down the Sunday before last. Annoyingly, there are spots along the major secondary roads where snowbanks encroach far enough into the right hand lane that they pinch traffic and effectively close the lanes at those points. It's been a week and a half- why haven't those spots been cleared yet?

We'll hover and s-l-o-o-o-w-w-w-w-l-y drop from 30 to 21 by the wee hours of tomorrow morning; it won't get any warmer today than it is right now. Then again, it won't feel especially colder, as we won't have a lot of wind.

On today's agenda: an evening event at the Japan International Cooperation Center, but nothing else of consequence. I'm not sure even that event counts as "consequential", except insofar as it will claim several hours of my time.

Stay safe and well everyone and tell your dear ones you love them. Do it today, NOW, for tomorrow may be too late.

(Speaking of loved ones, I wonder what's become of @Peppermint. I don't recall having seen her check in for the past few days- her last activity on the board was last Friday. Perhaps she's run off with @Upt' North / @He's Watching and @Nashcat to someplace tropical?)
 
Good morning, and thanks for the coffee start, Martin.

It's cloudy and 15 in MA this morning rising to 29 and becoming mostly sunny, later.
While it's cloudy, we have the chance of a snow shower.

Yesterday's haircut went off okay, then on to the gym for a long-ish stint there.
Our first Tuesday event was lightly attended, with 5 of us showing.

Today, I'll try for the gym, again, or maybe a walk with the neighbor's dog in the Outback. It's been awhile, and the snow should be trampled down enough to walk on, now. The Corps of Engineers typically runs snowmobiles down the trails, so I expect some rough but doable walking.

Enjoy the day,
Steve
 
Good morning all!
Thanks for the get along, Martin!

Keith, hopefully Miss Patty and the rest are ok!

A 🆒 44F here with a high of 74 in the works, that (I believe) is the warmest day this week.

I’m (hopefully) done getting things sorted out for now, but you do know how that goes! I’m sure something else will come up!
Enjoy your day, especially if your name is Ray!
WB
 
ibike2havefun said:
(Speaking of loved ones, I wonder what's become of @Peppermint. I don't recall having seen her check in for the past few days- her last activity on the board was last Friday. Perhaps she's run off with @Upt' North / @He's Watching and @Nashcat to someplace tropical?)
Click to expand...

I've seen Patty posting in the Wordle thread, so I'm assume she's alive and well, and just still slogging teaching AI to translate poorly (and not because she can't, but because you can't replace real folks with AI. You just get a poor approximation.)
 
It's a depressing, dreary, damp and foggy morning. I reckon Martin started it. So thanks for that.
Colder weather, like 24, coming around again in a night or two.
Reminds me of winter, and I've been over it for quite some time.
At the moment I'm still on my first cup of Black Rifle, which coincidentally at the moment is the single greatest joy in my life.
Except, if course, the innate joy of hanging out with all of you guys.
(Where's Patty?)
"I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal." — Jane Austen
 
Good Morning, Thanks Martin. Only sure things in life is Taxes and I won't say the second thing. Today weather is 45 F with a high of 57 F , Cloudy, still dark outside. Gate and breakfast was done. Today's agenda, get two wheels for the Mazda 2 , the left side rims are bent from hitting a Concrete block, wife found two on marketplace at a good price, with winter tires on the rims. Stay safe and happy, G
 
G'mornin' from SoMD! 33F/0.5C and the sun is shining. We got a few flakes overnight, but unless you were looking, it can't be seen atop the icy mounds already everywhere. Thanks for the morning swill, Martin, much needed!

WFH today since I had a dentist appt to replace a filling lost over the weekend. Getting ready for a trip to visit/help out the MIL. My anxiety level is high after our last attempt. But she did reach out to my wife to make amends, so we'll give it another college try...ONE more try.

Keith, we're having the same issues down here. Through lanes that just disappear, no turn or merge lanes. And haven't seen a plow in days as if their work is done. And our town simply dismisses requests for additional plowing. Anyone wanting to use a sidewalk has to dodge mounds of snow/ice PLUS 6-8 feet wide crust that covers the gutter areas. We have children walking to the bus stops in the roads, and that's forcing them even further out into the street (and we have deadbeat owners that haven't cleared their sidewalks either, a separate issue being addressed by yours truly, who happens to be the HOA president). So, yes, we feel you.

That's enough for now..coffee levels dangerously low...must recharge...take care y'all!
 
ST1100Y said:
Some people just ‘rise and shine.’
I rather ‘brew and brood'... :coffee:

622362293_1429560851978441_5548544659486638301_n.jpg

G'Day...

0°/2°C, overcast, damp, possible rain in the afternoon and into the night...

Home and office... :coffee:

Day 3 of my "do not use m/way" challenge... ;)

Thinking of it they are literally taxing the life out of you... :unsure:
First they charge not only 20% VAT on a new vehicle, but also a NoVA, based on its 'estimated' future fuel consumption...
Then an annual vehicle tax... cars: rated by engine output/power, bikes: rated by displacement (odd since "large" touring bikes bear less danger, as like 500cc Power Ranger squids...)
Then 20% VAT on your annual insurance rates, plus an additional "insurance tax"...
And then the fuel is charged with: a mineral oil tax*, a CO₂ tax, then 20% VAT on top of that... equals ~53% on gas/petrol, and ~49% on diesel as total... :cautious:
(* aeons ago this was intended for road-building and maintenance, but hey... )

And then the "road pricing" on motorways...
Which of course many try to escape...
So you'll end up with HGVs/semis, RVs and cars from abroad on the weirdest roads & places... just to save a few squid...
Like riding through nice, narrow twisty B and C roads through solitaire 'no man's land', to be suddenly blocked by some stinking, soothing semis from the east,
or the obvious very frightened driver of an RV originating from 'the country with the great plains' up north... :cautious:
So frequently farmers, fire brigades and wreckers (sometimes even the army has to assist with an M88... ) have to pull them out the ditches... pfffff...

Office, dull, will have to update product prices in the database... the dullest job of all... might get me another... ☕
Click to expand...
I must say I very much agree with you in your descriptions of fees, taxes, price levels and especially after the pandemic. Heavy transport from the east on small roads, great motorcycle roads I am well aware of.
 
Morning Martin & All from sunny, Southern Utah!

Currently it is 41F, up 22F and heading for 58F. No breeze yet, but later, the winds will be out of the NNW @ 7 to 9 mph.

Even back in the late 70s, when Chris and I were in Germany, the gas taxes were crazy! We were able to buy gas coupons, on base and use those while out on the economy, which helped.

I was able to move some more gravel to cover the ground, up against the one shed, I've been working on. I also rearraigned the "junk" pile and started restacking the landscaping blocks to that side. I'll continue moving the blocks today. I have two half pallets of them. One red and one sand color blocks. That will make the back yard "nicer" to look out at, but I still a VERY long way to go on that project!

Boiled eggs, bacon, toast & OJ to start the morning. Pepsi(s) on the menu for later.

Anyone :dr13:, have a great day on the roads! :hat3:
 
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