[Toshi]

cost per mile math:

I drove 84 miles each way to and from the mountains yesterday/today. this took 40% SOC headed up, 20% SOC headed down.

the bZ4X pack is 71.4 kWh. let's call charger efficiency 90% (L2 EVSE at 240V). the 40% was refilled with off-peak MPEI electrons at 7 cents/kWh (ignoring fixed monthly service charges here, only marginal extra cost), and the 20% will be refilled starting in a few minutes using off-peak Xcel electrons at 12 cents/kWh.

that's $4.13 electricity cost. 2.46 cents/mile driven. acceptable.

 

[Toshi]

had a literal WTF moment today while driving towards Empire

Toshi Clark (@toshi.clark) on Threads

today’s literal WTF moment on the road tofay (language warning, obviously): a Tesla Model S pulling a two axle Airstream towards Berthoud Pass. I did not expect to see _that_.

www.threads.net

(as one might guess, pulling a two axle Airstream with a Model S is a Very Bad Idea.)

 

[Toshi]

In other car news, my deck contractor guy got a new to him nice looking work truck this year. Dark blue F-450, chassis cab built up with what looks like a 9’ or so powered dump bed. I think it’s a few years old since I think it has the V-10, thus predating Godzilla.

anyway, in chatting today he mentioned he got it with 6,000 miles for $26k! And also that he gets 6 mpg with it.

 

[Pesqueeb]

had a literal WTF moment today while driving towards Empire

View attachment 213677

Toshi Clark (@toshi.clark) on Threads

today’s literal WTF moment on the road tofay (language warning, obviously): a Tesla Model S pulling a two axle Airstream towards Berthoud Pass. I did not expect to see _that_.

www.threads.net

(as one might guess, pulling a two axle Airstream with a Model S is a Very Bad Idea.)

If you needed any, further proof that money /= brains.

 

[Toshi]

can haz twin steer double decker bus pls

just because

1.3M views · 16K reactions | Saiful Malfino on Reels

www.facebook.com

 

[Toshi]

New Starlink hardware. Weatherized RJ45 connectors get my thumbs up. Shall run this up to the house and install it on July 9, also getting some DH bike laps in while at it for good measure

 

[Toshi]

books read this past half year or so, more or less:

• Chris Hadfield's The Defector (after The Apollo Murders last year)
• Asimov series: Robot, Foundation, Empire series, then a few of the standalones
• The Adventurer's Guild series
• John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice then Brotherband series
• David Weber's Off Armageddon Reef
• Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space, Chasm City, and Eversion
• Neal Stephenson's Termination Shock

corollary is currently checked out/in my queue, with a somewhat random order within authors due to availability of various copies of things:

• the first of the Ranger's Apprentice: The Early Years books, and shall continue in that short series for my elder kid snuggle minutes
• Alastair Reynolds' Inhibitor Phase, Galactic North, and the compilation Beyond the Aquila Rift
• David Weber's By Schism Rent Asunder (and then more in that series)

in conclusion, I have enough to read for a few weeks.

 

[Toshi]

"Oh let's say mid June"

so I blocked off June 10-20 (the first part of this already blocked for my family's use, just extending it as a property care block until June 20, when renters come in and then set up shop for some solid weeks of revenue.

over/under on whether the deck reinforcement work will get done by June 20?

I'd think the chances of this getting done by June 20th is *slightly* greater than 0%.

your pessimism turned out to be unfounded. well, mostly.

 

[SkaredShtles]

your pessimism turned out to be unfounded. well, mostly.

I don't think it was...

 

[Toshi]

4) commuter bike 29er conversion
no word on rear wheel status. new 150 mm spacing front wheel and fat bike fork in mail from Universal now.

update: fork and front wheel arrived 6/20 evening!

my rear wheel got done yesterday! and the shop owner is actually going to drive down tomorrow from Fort Collins rather than shipping it. (I'll pay him $100 for driving it down, which is fine by me.)

and the front wheel and that silly 150 mm spacing front fork are in boxes 5' away from me, from Universal. nice looking Schwalbe tires are in garage. shall have new bike-toys to build up when I get back from Seattle, and hopefully no more flats, ever.

 

[Toshi]

getting those Stöcklis and demoing the Blizzard Rustlers on pin bindings totally cured my itch to pick up what would be a very minimally utilized set of AT skis + fancy pin bindings.

I still do want to upgrade from Cast 1.0 to the newfangled 2.0 system on my Mindbender 116 C setup, though, when they get the latter back in stock. the 1.0's interface is a pain to work with when packed in with snow (as in actual transition conditions) and they're 242g lighter, it appears. the metal Pivot 15s + Cast 1.0 is not light, so I am ready to trade money/time to earn said money for something that is technically better and lighter simultaneously.

 

[Toshi]

my rear wheel got done yesterday! and the shop owner is actually going to drive down tomorrow from Fort Collins rather than shipping it. (I'll pay him $100 for driving it down, which is fine by me.)

and the front wheel and that silly 150 mm spacing front fork are in boxes 5' away from me, from Universal. nice looking Schwalbe tires are in garage. shall have new bike-toys to build up when I get back from Seattle, and hopefully no more flats, ever.

New bike toys indeed.

Plenty of clearance for that 29 x 2.35” Schwalbe Al Grounder tire and a fender under the 468 mm a-c fork. 150 mm front and 170 mm rear spacing now. Big 203 mm rotors as before, which I put on when I upgraded to XT 4 piston disc brakes for more surety.

 

[Toshi]

so it turns out you can fit a big Ogio rolling duffel + a 24" roller + a 22" roller (+ a few backpacks) in the back of a Bolt. wedged two more 22"s at the feet of the 2nd row.

on the upside, we won't have to make that particular journey again (5 people + luggage) as Mariko's off to a camp at the end of this week. 4 people + the 4 smaller bags shall return. Mariko + the Ogio will come back two weeks after us, flying as an unaccompanied minor.

Toshi Clark (@toshi.clark) on Threads

Ultimately ended up with a non-EUV Bolt from Budget. With taking out the false floor on the cargo compartment I got the Ogio rolling duffel + a 22" and a 24" roller back there + a few backpacks. Other two 22" rollers at the kids' feet, the false floor vertical behind my seat. Kids fit ok 3 wide...

www.threads.net

MIL's house, now with 100% more Washlet. I even brought a roll of Charmin with me!

Toshi Clark (@toshi.clark) on Threads

how it started / how it's going

www.threads.net

 

[Toshi]

meanwhile in Zermatt

NBC News (@nbcnews) on Threads

The Swiss ski resort of Zermatt, in the Matterhorn mountain, was cut off by heavy rainfall and flooding.

www.threads.net

 

[SkaredShtles]

meanwhile in Zermatt

NBC News (@nbcnews) on Threads

The Swiss ski resort of Zermatt, in the Matterhorn mountain, was cut off by heavy rainfall and flooding.

www.threads.net

 

[canadmos]

That flooding sucks, but surely they expect it to happen from time to time? All the run off from the mountains, being funneled into one narrow concrete ditch through town...

 

[Toshi]

when I saw the Toyota bZ4X/Subaru Solterra/Lexus RZ trio introduced I thought to myself that those might be interesting at the proper, highly discounted price point given that on paper they're unexciting.

well, my musings certainly came to bear fruit with my screaming Busy Forks lease deal (as you all will recall is net $54.91 x 24 mo with 0 extra down when factoring in the CO state credit). and in this short thread I will attempt to build a rational case for why the Lexus RZ should be my next lease.

on a practical level I can say that an RZ 450e's 220 mi of EPA range would be fine, as the 228 of the XLE AWD bZ that I have in the garage has been similarly fine. and so, too, with the packaging: it's an adequate size for us as a supplement to a minivan-size vehicle.

and on a purely aesthetic level I like that Lexus is making a bold Toyota Crown-like statement by offering the two tone combinations as above.

from the financial side of things there are two arguments to make in its favor. one is that Lexus Financial Services is throwing a bunch of lease cash towards it, and due to its non-hot nature front side discounts off of MSRP should be easily attainable.

with the context of Toyota Financial Services punting $16,250 lease subvention cash towards my Busy Forks lease, here's $22,350 that Lexus is offering currently towards RZ leases for the trim I'd want.

but, wait, there's more: one thing that I haven't seen in my admittedly very cursory reading of media takes on the Lexus RZ is that they offer 30 free Lexus rental days… days which are redeemable at any US Lexus dealer, not just your local one!

this is actually kind of huge. I could use this in lieu of renting vehicles from Seatac when visiting Seattle, as we regularly do. this is a $4k+ value to me in and of itself.

one last, minor in the grand scheme thing is of wheel sizes: the RZ 450e Premium trim comes with 18"s. I have 18" snow tires from our current PacHy, which I'll use on the leased Busy Forks assuming my PacHy -> ID.Buzz plans come to fruition prior to ski season.

in contrast, the Solterra lineup forces one to go to the Touring before one gets the pano roof, which I like on the Busy Forks. Tourings get 20"s. I want more sidewall and range, not less of each. similarly bZ4X Limited == 20"s. meh.

the RZ 450e Premium thus offers a unique slot among the trio: 18"s, surround view, memory seats with heat and ventilation alike. low price options for headlight washers and wiper heaters (actually nice in snow country!), front seat leg radiant heaters that sound nice, and a digital rearview mirror that might be nice?

in conclusion: thanks to the extra 30 free Lexus-rental days perk and generous lease incentives spurred by the fact that no one else is thinking like I am, an RZ might make sense.

 

[Toshi]

(when this would come about would be 18 mo from now. Dec 2025. CO EV credit sunsets another step come Jan 1, 2026 and dealers have quotas to make. Nov/Dec 2025 would thus be the time to hunt out dealer inventory and craft a good deal via email.)



edit: I made a thing, as that is what I do

Q4 e-tron axed off the bat as it doesn't have ventilated seats or surround view, and GV60 axed because it doesn't have a true 2" hitch. (It has a Stealth hitch, which I will never resort to again after the wobbly experience with the EQB.)

 

[6thElement]

@Toshi what's the current status on fed/state monies towards heat pump stuff?

I've never had to look into it, but we need to add some cooling into the living area as trying to do it with just fans overnight isn't cutting it on these warmer stretches.

 

[Toshi]

@Toshi what's the current status on fed/state monies towards heat pump stuff?

I've never had to look into it, but we need to add some cooling into the living area as trying to do it with just fans overnight isn't cutting it on these warmer stretches.

Fed: 30% of equipment cost credit nominally but also capped at $2k so not super helpful for actual project costs.

CO: 10% credit and also the state component of sales tax waived. Your contractor has to play nicely for the sales tax bit, though, not automatic.

Utility/city level: assuming you’re on Xcel then $2,200 towards a cold climate heat pump (whether ducted or mini split). $600 extra if you air seal or insulate more within 6 mo of heat pump.

Xcel Energy

co.my.xcelenergy.com

Golden: $300/head for cold climate mini splits up to $1,200 total. Alternately $1,200 towards a whole house ducted cold climate but only if your house is all electric already—can’t have a NG boiler or furnace hanging out.

Sustainability Rebates

www.cityofgolden.gov

 

[Toshi]

These would be for going through a contractor on Xcel’s list and all. They often can front the credit/rebate costs if you sign them over. The DIY alternative would be to get a Mr Cool mini split from Costco.com, install it yourself, and then just claim the 30% Fed and 10% CO credits at tax time.

 

[6thElement]

Useful to get me started, thank you. We're unincorporated, so City of Golden stuff likely doesn't apply. Not looking for ducted, likely just a single unit that would have the outside part on the deck above the garage, with the indoors part then in the living area just inside.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Useful to get me started, thank you. We're unincorporated, so City of Golden stuff likely doesn't apply. Not looking for ducted, likely just a single unit that would have the outside part on the deck above the garage, with the indoors part then in the living area just inside.

You have any reasonable place to put in a whole-house fan? I wish our house had some place to put one...

 

[Westy]

Useful to get me started, thank you. We're unincorporated, so City of Golden stuff likely doesn't apply. Not looking for ducted, likely just a single unit that would have the outside part on the deck above the garage, with the indoors part then in the living area just inside.

Do it yourself, what could go wrong?

The New MRCOOL DIY Is Engineered For Comfort

The MRCOOL DIY is the only truly do-it-yourself ductless mini-split. The MRCOOL DIY series heat pumps are affordable, efficient and easy to install HVAC solutions with a clean and subtle design.

mrcooldiy.com

 

[6thElement]

You have any reasonable place to put in a whole-house fan? I wish our house had some place to put one...

You mean like an attic fan to exhaust out and pull the cool air up from downstairs? Nope

Do it yourself, what could go wrong?

The New MRCOOL DIY Is Engineered For Comfort

The MRCOOL DIY is the only truly do-it-yourself ductless mini-split. The MRCOOL DIY series heat pumps are affordable, efficient and easy to install HVAC solutions with a clean and subtle design.

mrcooldiy.com

My desire to self install is very low on this effort with needing electrical work and drilling big hole through our brick walls.

 

[Toshi]

me and old man kitty Smudge

kids in cold water and a troll

 

[Toshi]

My desire to self install is very low on this effort with needing electrical work and drilling big hole through our brick walls

gff will have you know that this would be $3.50 in parts if you did it yourself

haven’t you always wanted a hammer drill? made quite the racket indeed when the electrician was drilling through my concrete wall(s).

 

[Westy]

gff will have you know that this would be $3.50 in parts if you did it yourself

haven’t you always wanted a hammer drill? made quite the racket indeed when the electrician was drilling through my concrete wall(s).

Maybe for the pilot hole, but he would really need this, and not in hammer drill mode.

 

[Toshi]

Maybe for the pilot hole, but he would really need this, and not in hammer drill mode.

View attachment 213891

One of those bi-metal things eh. I’ve got some in my wish list although the hole I have to cut is weaksauce: just through the plastic base of the swim spa to let the electrical rat tail poke up into the casing.

for the hot tub I did it with drilling successive 3/4” holes around the radius of a circle: ugly but effective ultimately and it’s on the base of the unit anyway.

 

[Westy]

One of those bi-metal things eh. I’ve got some in my wish list although the hole I have to cut is weaksauce: just through the plastic base of the swim spa to let the electrical rat tail poke up into the casing.

for the hot tub I did it with drilling successive 3/4” holes around the radius of a circle: ugly but effective ultimately and it’s on the base of the unit anyway.

For brick and concrete that would be a diamond hole saw.

 

[Toshi]

Of the various complaints I may have about the Bolt rental, range is certainly not among them

 

[Toshi]

FIL and his long time girlfriend have a weird ass house. In Burien yet built around 1900 as a hunting cabin by a senator. A true log cabin.

They had one of the decks redone. Reused posts and non-laminated but apparently fine beams. Section closer to house done with doubled 1 x 6” to give more headroom for my tall FIL. Section further out with single 1 x 10”. Under deck water management system. Deck stairs felt nice and solid under foot. And, yes, they have a pickleball court.

 

[canadmos]

Left kid clearly not impressed by the lumber work.


What do they have in all those little planters on the driveway?

 

[Toshi]

Left kid clearly not impressed by the lumber work.


What do they have in all those little planters on the driveway?

Random flowers. That’s the pickleball court, not a driveway

 

[Toshi]

vehicles of note spotted while burning 5% SOC being traffic here and there for errands:

• Tacoma with a very tall driver, like sunglasses at top of windshield tall
• baby blue + white roof Ineos Grenadier managing the off road terrain of Colorado Blvd with aplomb
• new Hyundai Kona, but in ICE HTRAC guise
• new very 8-bit Hyundai Santa Fe
• Lexus RZ with the two tone hood treatment
• several gen old Grand Cherokee with aspirational ‘22”’ badges as he was rolling on 18” steelies

 

[Toshi]

Waiting to pick up my Land Cruiser from the dent place—I’d texted them to set up tomorrow and he said this afternoon works! As my Lyft pulled in I saw the shop owner drive by the other way in the Land Cruiser—I guess he forgot something?

It’s next door to a Saab and Subaru shop. A few of the more interesting sights in their lot. A 9-2X would be doubly appropriate here but I don’t see any.

 

[Toshi]

submitted to BaT so that they might consider to list it. they might want nicer photos, we shall see.

 

[Atomic Dog]

FIL and his long time girlfriend have a weird ass house. In Burien yet built around 1900 as a hunting cabin by a senator. A true log cabin.

They had one of the decks redone. Reused posts and non-laminated but apparently fine beams. Section closer to house done with doubled 1 x 6” to give more headroom for my tall FIL. Section further out with single 1 x 10”. Under deck water management system. Deck stairs felt nice and solid under foot. And, yes, they have a pickleball court.

View attachment 214022View attachment 214023View attachment 214024View attachment 214025View attachment 214026View attachment 214027View attachment 214028View attachment 214029

Your eldest daughter seems to be slowly turning into Mike Muir. Has she started asking you for a Pepsi?

 

[Toshi]

any of y'all need some construction equipment?

https://bid.rollerauction.com/auctions/24459

 

[Toshi]

My commuter bike, newly reborn as a rigid 29er. It came from the Juiced Bikes shipping depot in 2021 as a 26 x 4.0” fatbike with a stupid high cockpit and a nigh useless front suspension fork. There are no durable tire options in that size and the original wheels were of terrible construction, so it was time.

The latest changes involved having the rear wheel rebuilt as a 29er by Precision E Bike up in Fort Collins, a matching 150 mm spacing through axle front wheel and Surly fork from Universal, and appropriate new, sturdy 60-622 Schwalbe Al Grounders. Both rims are 30 mm inner diameter to play nicely with those 60 mm tires.

I had to remount the front fender stays and miraculously had the right IS to 203 mm caliper adapter and a new star nut in my tool bench. Not burning the garage down from sparks while cutting the steerer was also a plus. I got it done and rideable for tomorrow, though, so I’ll count it as a win, even with a minor incident with the work stand falling over on me in slow mo.

Prior changes include a lower, wider redone cockpit, a road cassette, XT 4 piston brakes with 203 mm rotors, and a dropper that’s mainly useful when a kid is on the Mac Ride in front of me. I’ve changed a lot from stock, sure, but where it’s at now should be bombproof for another few thousand miles.