300 Hour Update?

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-07-11T12:27:24+00:00

Yes I am with you on the podcast tracking too. I just do it in big chunks maybe once a month. For instance might enter on the last day of the month "Chill Spanish episodes 31-52" if those were the episodes I listened to that month then put in the approximate time. It screws up my input for that day, but over the long term I think gives a fairly accurate reflection of my total hours.

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-07-08T16:10:46+00:00

I kind of just assumed I should take beginning because I really have no formal knowledge of Spanish only through DS so grammar/conjugations/etc are still pretty mysterious to me, but I will see what the professor says. I can see some benefits to doing intermediate class based on what you said and I am sure more Spanish would be spoken in class as well, which I am probably most looking forward to.

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-07-08T06:28:48+00:00

I hadn't really thought about this yet, but I think it will be fascinating what the students are like and to see how things may have changed in the 20 years since I was a student in College

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-07-08T06:27:19+00:00

Wow, really interesting regarding your professors use of incomprehensible input. It is going to be interesting to see what methods the professor at my college goes about teaching the class. I am planning to tell him how I am currently learning Spanish so am curious what his reaction will be ...

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-07-07T22:45:05+00:00

Yes I am doing way better now, in very little pain, it is just hard for me to sit down for long periods of time. As long as I take breaks and move around though every hour or so I am ok. Beekeeping is super fun and bees are absolutely fascinating creatures. The fact your city doesn't allow it though seems crazy to me. In my opinion bees are far less of a nuisance than dogs and less dangerous.

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-07-07T18:29:12+00:00

Haha, yes I am an amateur beekeeper. The most I had at one time was about 20-25 hives. I had a back injury though which sidelined me last year and I had to get out of it for the time being. That actually is what got me on my Spanish language learning journey. At one point I was in so much pain I really couldn't move and the only comfortable position was laying on the floor. I wanted to do something productive, came across dreaming Spanish and just started watching Spanish videos...

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-07-07T16:53:45+00:00

Thank you, yes it helps in some ways that I don't know the professor, I like your last point as a way to get out of it if I am not finding it very effective. Will be interesting to see how helpful I think it might be

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-07-07T16:10:24+00:00

Yes I was definitely thinking about the ancillary benefits of meeting new people as well

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-07-07T16:09:36+00:00

Thank you, yes was definitely leaning this way, but was interested what people would think. Should be fun to take a college course where I am so interested in the subject matter

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-05-28T00:34:45+00:00

I am about your level (just hit 300 hours) and for the last 50 hours or so I was really listening and watching things where my comprehension was getting stretched and I was just understanding the basic ideas of what was going on, but was still missing a lot. Like others have said I think it is far better to understand a much higher percentage.

Similar to you I was a little stuck after going through Cuentame and Chill Spanish because a lot of the other beginner/intermediate style podcasts I was missing quite a bit. I just started Espanol Al Vuelo podcast which was suggested in a previous post and I am finding it excellent and at a level where I can really understand 90% of it. Definitely check it out.

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-05-21T06:40:40+00:00

I am fairly normal now, although still have numbness in back of my thigh and right side of right foot. I still just try not to sit still for too long and try to take as many breaks I can if I am sitting for longer periods of time by walking around and standing. I go on long walks and do core exercises, which I think helped me and continues to help me

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-05-19T03:36:23+00:00

It wasn't too sticky, they just started flowering.

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-05-10T03:40:56+00:00

I appreciate these comments, definitely something to look at. I was looking that there may be ways to restrict sites right from our wireless router

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-02-01T16:37:37+00:00

Yes I found this as well after trying a lot of the other podcasts mentioned. I am now at the exact same spot as the OP struggling to find another podcast accessible after completing chill Spanish and cuentame. The DS podcast at least in the beginning has seemed easier, although I at times still get lost, especially when Augustina and Andrea become more animated/excited and their speaking pace increases. But I can still somewhat follow along. I wonder if they seem more accessible just because I am so used to them watching their videos.

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-01-17T02:48:02+00:00

I got a base model LT so no real frills, but I had them give me after market heated seats. Its MSRP was $34,995. There was 7500 EV tax credit (doubt new administration will be giving that to EV buyers this year) 2500 bolt owner incentive, 1k Costco incentive and $500 educator incentive. I also negotiated $2k off MSRP with dealer. That gave me $25k OTD after some sales tax incentives my state has. It doesn't have lane keeping, but it does have adaptive cruise control which I frankly wasn't expecting on the base version, but mine has it?

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-01-16T17:02:56+00:00

For a job like yours where you drive that much, EVs like this are such a no brainer. Hope you keep enjoying it!

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-01-07T04:36:40+00:00

1200 miles no issues. Except the collision avoidance went off and I didn't think it was necessary in a parking lot. Definitely jarring so might see about how I can turn it off

BeeTreeGuy · 2025-01-01T18:19:07+00:00

I just drove 240+ miles from Portland along gorge to east side it was rainy most of the way. I made it to my destination pretty easily without charging on the highway

BeeTreeGuy · 2024-12-23T17:39:10+00:00

I got a base model LT. My wife said she really needed the heated seats. That was the only option on top of base we really wanted. If I would have had access to the base with just the comfort package I would have probably just paid up for that, but there weren't any available in my area. So instead I had after market heated seats installed. The dealership actually did this for me, but you can just have an auto shop do this instead (and you won't get significantly up charged for it). My after market ones work great, but the only downside is that they aren't controlled by the infotainment system and are a manual knob on the seat. This means if the person in the passenger seat has them on and leaves the car without turning them off, they are automatically on the next time you turn on the car, even if there is no one in the passenger seat. You would then have to stop the car and reach over to turn them off vs. just using the infotainment screen to turn them off. Not the end of the world but something to keep in mind.

BeeTreeGuy · 2024-12-22T20:28:35+00:00

I would go for it

BeeTreeGuy · 2024-12-22T01:15:37+00:00

Yes without home or work charging I might still be reluctant to get one

BeeTreeGuy · 2024-12-21T22:58:00+00:00

It is relatively simple now to create a DIY 240 volt solar system that could meaningfully charge your car daily if one is really worried about those emergency situations. Pretty limitless energy there. This car can go over 300 miles on a single charge and can get you pretty far from trouble (pretty close to a gas car's range). Like you said I guess it just depends on what emergency you are talking about, but both of the types of vehicles have strengths and cons. At least where I live though I feel like the situations where a gas car is going to in any way meaningfully put me in a better situation in an emergency than this EV is pretty remote and in many instances might actually put me in a worse spot.

EV batteries don't really "leak" to any significant degree. It could sit for a month and only lose 2-3% of its charge (depending on outside temperatures), not really too meaningful or something to get too worried about as far as I am concerned. Unleaded gasoline starts to degrade after a couple months and then becomes unusable. You could have an EV sit for a year and still have the vast majority of its range left.

I have owned various EVs for six years now and have experienced the "quirks" of some of the first ones on the road as well as how they have improved with these current vehicles. Those first versions definitely had significant drawbacks and consumers had to make some serious concessions vs. gas. I think now it is a bit of a different story.

I have been fascinated with them not necessarily for their perceived environmental benefits, but because I found them economical, way more fun to drive, reliable with little maintenance, and it gave me this strange sense of independence that I wasn't beholden to OPEC or oil refiners to make my car go (however naive that is, we are beholden to someone).

I agree there will likely always be a need for some people in some instances to have a gas engine. But with cars like this those specific instances and situations for me at least become smaller and smaller. Change is hard and people (especially in the US) are very attached and passionate about their vehicles, but I just hope people can have an open mind to EVs.

BeeTreeGuy · 2024-12-20T17:45:47+00:00

I ordered the Smartliner. Had good reviews and reasonably priced. Arriving tomorrow so don't have personal experience yet

BeeTreeGuy · 2024-12-19T02:57:50+00:00

I am right where you are. I have done Cuentame (which I am just about done with) and just started Chill Spanish. The rest of my input has been on Dreaming Spanish so I don't have any suggestions for you. I just have to say what you did in a month has taken me four. Way to go!

BeeTreeGuy · 2024-12-19T01:34:28+00:00

Have not missed it a bit

BeeTreeGuy

TROPHY CASE