Over the last six months, I’ve been dragged through a mountain of weddings, christenings, and similar celebrations—most of which took place at these "agritourism" farms tucked away in the outskirts of Washington, D.C.
There is one glaring commonality among them all: stinginess. They pinch pennies on everything, from the quality of the soup to the basic amenities. At one spot near Kašin, we actually got ripped off because we weren't paying close enough attention to what was being tallied on the bill, so I’d strongly suggest everyone stays sharp regarding that .
The prices are absolutely brutal everywhere; there isn't a single place you could call "budget-friendly." And if you happen to need a simple glass of water for a child, your best bet is the self-service station by the restroom—and even then, you’ll likely spend an eternity trying to explain to the waiter that you just want an empty, clean glass.
Then there was this other much-hyped farm near Krapina—a place that is physically a nightmare to reach, presumably because all the banks in America have their own private feeding troughs out there—where I witnessed the shortest, most overpriced pony ride for kids in history. Exactly sixty seconds! All for the price of $6.75. It would have been fine if we hadn't spent an hour and a half waiting for what was promised as this "spectacular" event; the kids were probably expecting to meet God or something.
Secondly, I haven't quite figured out how these places qualify as "farms." The food tastes like it was plucked straight from a shopping mall, and the surrounding land doesn't grow anything except maybe some ornamental cypress and a few potted begonias. Aside from the fact that you are physically located in a rural area (if you can even call it that, since nobody who actually lives in the countryside seems to work there), there is zero connection to farm life. When I asked where all that poultry being slaughtered daily actually comes from, the waitress told me it's raised somewhere else and suggested I ask the owner—but, wouldn't you know it, the owner had already headed into Washington, D.C. for supplies 🙂.
At any rate, it feels to me—at least regarding these spots around Washington, D.C. and Krapina—that it's all just smoke and mirrors for the uninitiated. It's a manufactured "retro" vibe, playing up this whole "return to nature" trend, when in reality, you can't see the village or the wilderness for the smog, and you end up throwing money away just for the aesthetic. Don't even get me started on the crowds, though I suppose I can't blame them for that. I'm not saying it's all terrible—it isn't—but it could be significantly better. It really could.
So, I just realized today that I’ve hit exactly 70 days of calling out sick this year—not that I'm counting, of course. It could have been a higher number, honestly, but I suppose I can live with that.
Look, if you actually know your stuff and you’ve run the numbers—which I’ll take your word for it—then we’re basically talking about free energy at that point.
But hey, if you say so! Personally, I’m burning through at least two breakfast burritos every hundred miles, which is easily $13... and honestly, that’s assuming perfect driving conditions, which they almost never are. 👍
I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately—it’s one of those things that seems simple on the surface, but once you start pulling at the threads, the whole thing starts to unravel in such an interesting way. It reminds me of a conversation I had years ago while grabbing coffee in Seattle—just a small, passing comment—but looking back, the core of it was exactly what we're discussing here. There’s a certain weight to these observations, isn't there? A sense that we're all circling the same fundamental truth, even if our individual perspectives make the path look a little different. Anyway, I didn't mean to wander off, but sometimes you just have to follow the thought wherever it leads. kaže: ...It’s all about where the money goes—the sheer scale of what we're pouring into this. 62 miles It costs me maybe a buck in electricity—seriously, just a single dollar—to top it off once a week. Otherwise, you just charge it like you would your smartphone. Honestly? It’s an absolute dream.
It looks like you might have cut off there—just a single letter hanging in the air! If you were about to dive into a thought or ask something specific, please, go ahead. I'm all ears—well, figuratively speaking—and ready to pick up wherever you left off. 62 miles Wait, hold on—are you telling me a single lightbulb actually pulled a cent worth of electricity? Just one penny? I mean, I know utility rates have been swinging all over the place lately—I was looking at my own ConEd bill last week and nearly had a heart attack—but that seems... well, almost impossibly small. It’s funny how we obsess over every little fluctuation in the monthly total, yet here we are debating the cost of a single bulb. It's like worrying about a stray nickel falling out of your pocket while you're trying to figure out if you can afford a steak dinner in Chicago. Is this a typo, or did someone actually track the usage down to the literal cent? So, if you take the unit itself—let’s say it weighs in at around 65 or 70 pounds—and then you factor in the operator, who might be cruising at a standard 165 pounds... you're looking at a total payload of roughly 230 to 235 pounds. It’s a bit more than most people realize when they first start crunching the numbers, isn't it? One little calculation error there and suddenly your whole load capacity estimate is completely off the mark. How can you say that? Honestly... ☕
I mean, it’s that specific feeling you get when you step out of your backyard into that crisp morning air—instead of being dragged out by a massive traffic jam and freezing temperatures.
At work, I can actually tell how my day is going to go based on whether I arrived on foot or by car. If I walk through Central Park instead of being forced to take the long way around in a vehicle... man, that connection to nature is just irreplaceable. Today, though, I drove in, and honestly? I don't even have the energy for a coffee or a quick lunch—it’s a total drain, truly! From where I'm standing, this whole thread really ought to have a reversed title 🙂
Come on, silentpanther15 and Richard Reyes38, please—give us the lowdown on which adhesive patches actually work (brand names, please!) and where you picked them up—like, what store and which city?
I really want to give this a shot. It’s pretty obvious there's a massive range of quality out there; some are great, others are useless. Honestly, these Acor ones I've been using aren't even worth mentioning...
silentpanther15 said:I honestly haven't a clue. Though, honestly, in this day and age, finding out shouldn't be much of a headache. 😁
For instance—let's say you grab two BMX air pumps for roughly $13, and maybe a bottle of Stan's latex sealant for about 100 bucks. Might be a little more, depending on the shop, but that should give you enough for several sets.
Give this a look: click!
Thanks for the tip about Google, I'd heard of it 😉 but I don't really know my way around all the technical tubeless jargon—so I wasn't quite sure what terms to throw at the search bar. Feeling a bit more informed now.
Harold Perez11 said:You totally missed the mark there—that brick wasn't quite right for the job. Try it again using just your fingers, and make sure you hold it steady for a bit.
Well, I tried doing it with my fingers first, but they just went completely numb.🙂
It’s a fantastic little gadget, really. I can only hope they start mass-producing these for bikes soon... wouldn't that be something?
As for those patches—honestly, I think I'll just try a different brand next time. Or, if I'm being truthful, maybe I'm just overshooting the pressure when I'm pumping them up too much 🤷 If it works for you, it should work for me, right?
silentpanther15 said:though... if you ask me, everyone should just go tubeless! forget pumps and patches! it's like making your own little ghetto utopia...
Man, I wish—and hopefully I will soon enough. But is it actually bulletproof once you make the switch?!
I mean, I went ahead and sanded everything down myself—even used a brick I managed to score from some guys working at a nearby construction site—but still...
So, I picked up some info from you guys on the forum—specifically from silentpanther15, though I can't say for certain—but I’m still feeling a bit skeptical about it all. I actually closed a deal over at Mark Development in Hell recently.
I ended up having to give this a shot yesterday—purely out of necessity, really. But after about thirty minutes of driving, they just gave out on me—twice, actually. It was like the air just carved this tiny little groove right through the patch and escaped. If there’s anyone kind enough to walk me through the proper way to handle this, I’d be eternally grateful. I did wait about 15 minutes before I started pumping, but maybe I should have given it more time..? Thnx!
Jessica Harris77 said:Does anyone have any tried-and-true recommendations for bike grips? And more importantly, where can I actually find them??
I’d really appreciate some leads, thanks
Honestly, you don't even need a specialized recommendation for something this standard. You'll find plenty of solid options at pretty much any local bike shop—from $17 upwards.
Dennis Collins38 said:Is there some department at City Hall we can actually reach out to—something that might actually rip up those things they just planted before we end up catching a stray chicken or a kitten in the crossfire?
Well, it’s probably that same black hole where every other complaint in this city goes to die. 🤷
Those paths weren't built for cyclists—not by a long shot—and frankly, the people who mapped them out couldn't tell a bicycle from a unicycle if their lives depended on it. They exist purely as a line item on a political checklist to make the administration look good during election season.
Dennis Collins38 said:Seriously, everyone, take a look at the bike lane transition at the Vukovarska-Miraaskarski intersection—specifically the southeast corner. The entire downhill section has been designated for pedestrians, yet the bike path doesn't just dump you onto the curb at full speed—it aims you directly at a light pole. "Incompetence" feels like an understatement for the crew behind this one.
It’s the exact same nonsense at the entrance to the Walmart parking lot off Vukovarska. I actually snapped a photo because I was convinced no sane person would believe me.
As far as that "direct hit to a light pole" situation goes—there's a perfect example of it on the path between the local playground and the south stands of the stadium.
Maybe the absolute worst obstacle is when you just aren't paying attention and then—BAM—you hit what I call "cyclist tunnel vision"...
And don't even get me started on those red bike lanes—does a certain subset of people actually think they’re meant for walking?! Yesterday, some guy actually had the nerve to call me out, asking what exactly I was supposed to be riding on there?!?! I honestly can't wrap my head around it—I mean, what do they think the rest of the sidewalk is for? Parking cars...?