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Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,456
5,081
Also me: chats with Amazon to get an $8 refund on a replacement remote order that I couldn't cancel and now is technically unreturnable due to 3rd party seller policy
Was that you in White Lotus?
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,642
8,685
of interest to @stoney


Subsidized-as-if-current employee health benefits if "fully retired" per the CU formula. (That subsidy makes it come out to $19/mo for the family HDHP.)

To be fully retired means at least age 55, and current age + number of years worked for CU >= 75. It's prorated for age + years worked == 70-74, with sum 70 == 50% subsidy, sum 71 == 60%, etc.

I started here on July 15, 2014, at age 33. They round up years of service after 6 months into the year, so on January 15, 2037 I'd be 55 years old and have worked here for 22 years. Then I'd be eligible for the full subsidy, which actually would be quite a boon that next decade. Would similarly be eligible on Nov 5, 2036.

I don't think I'm making it another 15 years here, though. :D
 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,642
8,685
I thought you were struggling to make the 26 week notice period :p
January-June will be great. The two fellows, each counted as 0.4 FTE, will be working as effective attendings for 80% of their cases. 2 of the 3 people out on FMLA will be back, and the two new hires will be up to speed. (Not the same two as below! two new new people, starting next week and in January, respectively.)

It's just that this past July-now has been exceptionally bad, even though July-December is usually more work than the back half of the year:

3 people out on FMLA. One new hire fired: slow and also not adequate quality. The other new hire not fired because very slow but also good quality reports. Then we've also been covering for HRH (last H being Hospital) more because of various illness-related absences here as well. We also started the year with 3 fellows, one of whom resigned abruptly after being out a ton sick in the first two months, more than we usually see for a whole year.

If I do decide to jump ship (put out feelers but nothing solid in palm) then the choice becomes of when to give notice, since the department will likely be punitive and take away some of my academic/"free" time, judging from their ill-advised reactions to prior people leaving (we notice!). Do I do that when the background work is easier or harder? hmm
 
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stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,993
7,868
Colorado
of interest to @stoney


Subsidized-as-if-current employee health benefits if "fully retired" per the CU formula. (That subsidy makes it come out to $19/mo for the family HDHP.)

To be fully retired means at least age 55, and current age + number of years worked for CU >= 75. It's prorated for age + years worked == 70-74, with sum 70 == 50% subsidy, sum 71 == 60%, etc.

I started here on July 15, 2014, at age 33. They round up years of service after 6 months into the year, so on January 15, 2037 I'd be 55 years old and have worked here for 22 years. Then I'd be eligible for the full subsidy, which actually would be quite a boon that next decade. Would similarly be eligible on Nov 5, 2036.

I don't think I'm making it another 15 years here, though. :D
For most income levels though, that's fucking huge. We get as-ee healthcare here at 55 and retired. I've figured out that I have to get a job making 45% more, saving all of it, to account for that difference in HC costs for 10 years - largely because both girls will still be on my HC for a while. It's anchored me pretty solidly, unfortunately. But also means I get a lighter workload job vs. one that pays that much more, so...
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,642
8,685
Things that I must have:

- four driven wheels
- room for all 3 kids if not an extra person or two
- 2” hitch

I may compromise on anything else to fit whims but these are necessary.
I don’t think I mentioned it, but I canceled my F-150 Lightning reservation the other day. No chance of seeing it before 2023 and then it’ll have missed its window of opportunity with me, as many more appropriate vehicles are on the horizon.

Current list of boxes to check for the eventual Land Cruiser replacement:

- four driven wheels
- 3 usable rows
- factory 2” hitch
- not a Tesla egg
- heated steering wheel, ventilated front row seats
- fancy stereo
- compelling and efficient powertrain, almost certainly all-electric
- decent perceived value proposition
- local service and support
Kia/Hyundai or Ford (EV Explorer) may well be the first to check these boxes for me.

In the meantime, I think I am going to un-bro my Land Cruiser, and get some small 31” rollers for it come time in the spring to swap out from the 32” Nokians. It drives perceptibly better with the lighter and 1” shorter Nokians. I’ll keep the 33”s in the garage for sale time.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,642
8,685
Current list of boxes to check for the eventual Land Cruiser replacement:

Kia/Hyundai or Ford (EV Explorer) may well be the first to check these boxes for me.
or maybe we will have two VW ID Buzzes in our garage!


can haz now pls
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,642
8,685
Took off from the Stanley Market on ye olde e-bike at the same time my wife left from there in her minivan. (Started from right where she was as I gave her a lift to her car on the back of the bike!)

Both of us took 12 minutes to home. Had there been traffic I’d have taken the same 12 minutes as I was on multiuse paths the whole time.
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,151
14,628
Took off from the Stanley Market on ye olde e-bike at the same time my wife left from there in her minivan. (Started from right where she was as I gave her a lift to her car on the back of the bike!)

Both of us took 12 minutes to home. Had there been traffic I’d have taken the same 12 minutes as I was on multiuse paths the whole time.
So the van is getting traded for an e cargo bike and studded tyres?
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,151
14,628
Reporting seems to suggest the Rivian can get about a 1/3 or it's range when towing a big load ~100miles.

Might need to base your 5th wheel in the mountains if you want to get somewhere good if the F150 electric isn't any better.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,642
8,685
Reporting seems to suggest the Rivian can get about a 1/3 or it's range when towing a big load ~100miles.

Might need to base your 5th wheel in the mountains if you want to get somewhere good if the F150 electric isn't any better.
either House 3-life or cash-out-and-emigrate-to-NZ-life is much more likely than us ever adopting trailer-life
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,642
8,685
The mountain house’s radiant heat is partially on the fritz. Couldn’t get the place above 62 Freedoms last night, but at least it wasn’t cooler than about 55 to start. All the Nests were signaling for heat, of course.

I think it’s the hot water heater failing. Can get hot water at the tap at the sink but not actually hot at the shower. Radiant controller thing (Laars Endurance) shows water temps around 100 F going to it after restarting it and the boiler. Initially it was reading LO ominously.

For now I have a bit of a workaround: seems to heat the radiant floors a bit if I leave the kitchen sink running hot water continuously, and we have the heat pump heads set to at least warm up the bedrooms and main floor living room. (We had those on last night but didn’t realize they need to be set much higher than the desired floor level temp as they’re in the ceiling, because physics.)

I will enlist professional help to remedy this during the week.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
67,689
14,089
In a van.... down by the river
The mountain house’s radiant heat is partially on the fritz. Couldn’t get the place above 62 Freedoms last night, but at least it wasn’t cooler than about 55 to start. All the Nests were signaling for heat, of course.

I think it’s the hot water heater failing. Can get hot water at the tap at the sink but not actually hot at the shower. Radiant controller thing (Laars Endurance) shows water temps around 100 F going to it after restarting it and the boiler. Initially it was reading LO ominously.

For now I have a bit of a workaround: seems to heat the radiant floors a bit if I leave the kitchen sink running hot water continuously, and we have the heat pump heads set to at least warm up the bedrooms and main floor living room. (We had those on last night but didn’t realize they need to be set much higher than the desired floor level temp as they’re in the ceiling, because physics.)

I will enlist professional help to remedy this during the week.
Fucking 2nd homes, amirite?? :D
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,642
8,685
The mountain house’s radiant heat is partially on the fritz.

I will enlist professional help to remedy this during the week.
Update: Called several plumbing outfits on Monday (plumbing because again this is radiant). Several aren't accepting new clients!

But I did get a hold of Koll from Hydrotek, "Hydrotek" being an auspicious name when seeking radiant system service. His associate, Jesus, was at the house for a few hours yesterday per the door logs and I chatted with Koll this morning. Takeaway messages:

1) The system is revived.

Apparently some multi-zone Honeywell control valve failed, and when they fail they fail shut. Jesus compelled it—via power of prayer?!—to open. The flame sensor on the Laars also was crusted over, causing it to shut off the burner. After cleaning that up it fired back up, and per my multi-Nests I can verify that all zones are at their set temps. I'm not sure if this forced-open valve means all zones must be at one shared temperature, but even if that's the case that's totally fine really.

(I had kept the heat pump zones on when we left on Sunday at 66F just to keep things from getting too cold and all, so could tell the difference not to mention the zones that are without heat pump heads.)

2) The system is also very old.

This house was built in 2001, and Koll said he's only seen two such Laars setups up in Grand County over the 30 years he's been working.

Thus he's going to schedule a few follow-up visits: one in the near term so that he can scope out the system that Jesus fixed and produce a quote to replace the relevant bits with modern, serviceable parts come spring; and another in a few weeks to make sure the makeshift fix is holding.
 

gonefirefightin

free wieners
Update: Called several plumbing outfits on Monday (plumbing because again this is radiant). Several aren't accepting new clients!

But I did get a hold of Koll from Hydrotek, "Hydrotek" being an auspicious name when seeking radiant system service. His associate, Jesus, was at the house for a few hours yesterday per the door logs and I chatted with Koll this morning. Takeaway messages:

1) The system is revived.

Apparently some multi-zone Honeywell control valve failed, and when they fail they fail shut. Jesus compelled it—via power of prayer?!—to open. The flame sensor on the Laars also was crusted over, causing it to shut off the burner. After cleaning that up it fired back up, and per my multi-Nests I can verify that all zones are at their set temps. I'm not sure if this forced-open valve means all zones must be at one shared temperature, but even if that's the case that's totally fine really.

(I had kept the heat pump zones on when we left on Sunday at 66F just to keep things from getting too cold and all, so could tell the difference not to mention the zones that are without heat pump heads.)

2) The system is also very old.

This house was built in 2001, and Koll said he's only seen two such Laars setups up in Grand County over the 30 years he's been working.

Thus he's going to schedule a few follow-up visits: one in the near term so that he can scope out the system that Jesus fixed and produce a quote to replace the relevant bits with modern, serviceable parts come spring; and another in a few weeks to make sure the makeshift fix is holding.
Praise jesus, he is your answer my son.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,642
8,685
I don’t think I mentioned it, but I canceled my F-150 Lightning reservation the other day. No chance of seeing it before 2023 and then it’ll have missed its window of opportunity with me a la Rivian above, as many more appropriate vehicles are on the horizon.

Current list of boxes to check for the eventual Land Cruiser replacement:

- four driven wheels
- 3 usable rows
- factory 2” hitch
- not a Tesla egg
- heated steering wheel, ventilated front row seats
- fancy stereo
- compelling and efficient powertrain, almost certainly all-electric
- decent perceived value proposition
- local service and support
Kia/Hyundai or Ford (EV Explorer) may well be the first to check these boxes for me.

In the meantime, I think I am going to un-bro my Land Cruiser as I’ve previously threatened to do, and get some small 31” rollers for it come time in the spring to swap out from the 32” Nokians. It drives perceptibly better with the lighter and 1” shorter Nokians, as I experienced today driving way down and back to/from Highlands Ranch today. I’ll keep the 33”s KO2s in the garage for sale time.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD 2021 UK 007.jpg


Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD 2021 UK 006.jpg


Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD 2021 UK 016.jpg


If I settle for 2 fairly roomy rows the Hyundai Ioniq 5 may be a viable option for me come next summer or fall. Perhaps I should hold off on the short-tires-for-Land Cruiser experiment.

It'll be available and thus will have local support, unlike ye olde California-only RAV4 EV:

Currently, 2022 IONIQ 5 will only be sold in AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, IL, ME, MD, MA, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, VA, and WA. Additional state availability coming in mid 2022.
It'll fit 3 car seats, not to mention that my two elder kids can be in boosters. (Eldest kid has outgrown her Britax Pinnacle by shoulder height so is 100% boostered these days.)

320 hp, AWD, and a 256 mile range are sufficient, plus there's that cool 800 V 350 kW DC quick charging that's even free for 2 years. Judging from my non-use of Supercharging I probably wouldn't use it, but nice to know it's there.

There'll be a factory hitch, albeit likely a 1.25" that I'd need an adapter for since its US tow rating will be 1,500 lb. Yakima has a roof rack for it, and it'd be big enough with the hatchback to get all 5 of us + ski gear from the mountain house to the slopes.

It's decidedly not a Tesla egg with its 80s vibe. It has the requisite heated seats and steering wheel (albeit not ventilated seats as far as I've gathered). It kind of checks the fancy stereo system box with an 8 speaker Bose setup of unknown specs.