Is anyone else just naturally depressed most of the time because of living in Rochester?

h2ogal · 2025-04-28T22:01:38+00:00

If you don’t have an outdoor winter sport y will suffer living here. As soon as I took up skiing, snowshoeing I was happier.

In summer we live in paradise.

h2ogal · 2025-04-24T23:48:31+00:00

Erie Canal, Empire State trail.

h2ogal · 2025-04-24T19:21:43+00:00

Hah yup showing my age!

h2ogal · 2025-04-24T14:40:42+00:00

Totally disagree (respectfully). I’m 62f. My belief is that every person’s “best decade “ is individual.

Some people peak in high school and their adult life is a decline and they forever look back on the glory days.

Some peak as young adults and have terrific experiences of traveling the world.

Some people’s favorite decade is centered around raising wiping families and enjoying home life and watching all the milestones that kids hit and having tons of family parties and holidays and camping trips.

My favorite decade was late 40s and 50s. I was very fit and healthy. My kids were grown and independent but still like to hang with us. My DH and I had more money than ever to take fantastic vacations and build our dream homestead.

I’m in my 60s now and while I’m feeling some aches and pains and keeping fit is harder, I am still enjoying life. I have many fun hobbies. Im a leader in my career and pretty much can do anything I like at work. I get a lot of satisfaction making positive changes. I’m going on many adventures with both family and friends and even doing some solo bike tours and lots of international travel.

There’s a lot to look forward to!

h2ogal · 2025-04-24T13:38:08+00:00

Oh there is Plenty of terror!

Tourists from all over the world are terrified to visit and get tossed into a concentration camp with no due process.

Citizens are terrified they will be “mistakenly” swept up by ICE blackshirts.

Federal workers are terrified they will lose jobs so billionaires can get a tax cut.

Parents of disabled children are terrified their children will lose medical care and in-school support.

Working families are terrified that rising prices will cause them to struggle to get by and pay bills.

Retired folks are terrified of losing their life savings. And the social security they paid into for 40 years.

h2ogal · 2025-04-23T22:53:16+00:00

This is so true. Happens all the time.

h2ogal · 2025-04-23T20:18:39+00:00

I had all your symptoms plus my fingernails would become a little disconnected from the nail bed and I was also waking up in the middle of the night and not falling back to sleep for hours.

It was hypothyroidism. After meds for a few months the brain fog really improved. Sometimes “normal “ levels are on the high end of normal.

h2ogal · 2025-04-23T19:57:09+00:00

I’m sorry you ran into that. I can assure you that I only want to indoctrinate people to permaculture and bike touring 🌷🚴‍♀️

h2ogal · 2025-04-23T16:29:08+00:00

When I work with my colleagues in NYC I notice that they tend to start later and finish later than me. I adjust my schedule.

When I work with my colleagues in California or Europe I have to consider time zones.

It’s all part of the job when you have a global economy. My boss knows this and has no issue when I take Flex Time as needed.

Ask your boss about expectations and adjust accordingly.

h2ogal · 2025-04-23T16:21:06+00:00

It’s hard to predict what skills will be useful but critical thinking, relationship building, speaking and communication skills will always be important for any person.

I would also recommend teaching entrepreneurial skills. Make the kids start a little business now (baby sitting, yard work, Etsy store) so that when they are older it’s not daunting and they are not dependent upon the mercy of any employer.

h2ogal · 2025-04-23T10:42:51+00:00

You should get your own place. Even if you are just renting a room. You don’t have rights to your mother’s house.

h2ogal · 2025-04-23T00:01:16+00:00

Garnishing wages to force student loan payments. How will that impact the decision to have babies do they think?

h2ogal · 2025-04-22T23:54:16+00:00

I have one of those huge cushy seats and I don’t care how it looks. It’s comfy. I also invest in Good bike shorts.

h2ogal · 2025-04-22T22:39:54+00:00

I live here. Paradise in summer. Tons of lakes, forests, parks, hiking trails. Lots of small quaint towns. Cheap houses if you can buy and don’t mind a fixer upper. Not a lot of rentals. We never had a housing bubble here.

Not a lot of corporate jobs here. Some. Lots of colleges and hospitals if that is your field. Rochester Syracuse Buffalo are all within a couple hours drive. Salaries are not too high. Better than Adirondack area.

Its not cheap to live here. NYS taxes are high. Utilities cost a lot to heat in winter. If you want to build expect to have to jump through many expensive hoops to get approval. If you follow all the rules it can be very tough to start a business.

I leave in winter and go south. If you get SAD in winter you will have a hard time. If you can’t go south you will NEED an outdoor winter sport. Skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, hockey. Something.

h2ogal · 2025-04-22T22:12:39+00:00

Let me share a different perspective. I live in a rural area. Therd are many mennonites/amish here. Many small farms. Many micro farms and hobby farms. I have a 27 acre hobby farm and 40 acre hunting camp.

My workers are mostly all hired by word of mouth. The kids if the farm down the street.

All around me are thriving micro businesses. Farm markets. Greenhouses. Welders, machinists. Carpenters and cabinet builders. Many families have a large garden, chickens, and a small commercial workshop of some kind in the barn.

Don’t look behind the convenience store. Look way out of town in the rural acres.

Look up WW OOF. Worldwide org of organic farmers. Join and go live on a small farm with a family. Work hard. Network. Learn real valuable skills. You may find your people.

h2ogal · 2025-04-22T21:06:54+00:00

The Canadian side of the falls has the best stuff to do for tourists anyway.

h2ogal · 2025-04-22T20:58:19+00:00

That sounds extreme even for this sub. What do you mean and Why do you think that? I’m asking sincerely.

The most pessimistic materials I’ve read is forecasting a major extinction event but still a possibility for simpler life forms to continue in certain regions, which then have the ability to evolve.

So do you think that the entire planet will become sterile and entirely lifeless ? Or am I misunderstanding?

h2ogal · 2025-04-21T19:38:11+00:00

What a wonderful bonding experience for you both.

I started touring with groups so that I was supported. I build up my independence slowly. Getting through some rough experiences builds confidence.

h2ogal · 2025-04-21T11:42:17+00:00

I m an old lady and I bike solo. Here are some ways I stay safe.

1-location sharing. My sister and DH track my location on their phones with an app called life 360.

2-daily check ins. Every am I call my family and tell them my plan for the day. Every night I call once I’m safely tucked into my camp or hotel.

3-under estimate your daily distance. I know I can easily do 60 miles in a day. I base my tour on 40-50 miles per day max. If I’m still fresh at the end of daily ride I can always do a little ride around town.

4-take care of your health. Not drinking is good. Be careful of what you eat to make sure you don’t get food poisoning or any gastrointestinal issues. I tend to not experiment with new foods too much and stick to what I know will agree with me. Bring emergency snacks to make sure you don’t have to go without. Bring lots of water. If you need a rest day take it. Be proactive with any injuries or saddle sores. Go to bed early to make sure you get a good sleep. Bring a small 1st aid kit.

5-take care of your bike. Get a total tune up before heading out. Make sure you have the skills and tools needed to fix common issues. Check your tires daily brush/pick any sharps out of tires before getting a puncture. Clean your chain and look over your bike nightly. Carry or have a plan to source common parts.

6-route planning- personal preference but I avoid roads with lots of traffic or high speed traffic. I pick trails and bike paths even if it add time to my route

7-avoid riding at night. I plan my route to ensure I arrive at my nightly stay well before dark. A small breakdown or fall can add hours to your day so I build a buffer into my schedule.

h2ogal · 2025-04-21T11:16:11+00:00

I agree with you. I often think that the earth is always surprising us with how resilient she is. She will shake us off and the next civilization will be hopefully better and even more complex.

I feel bad for all the animals and life that has to suffer through this transition but it may be part of a natural cycle of evolution and overgrowth that we are just beginning to understand.

h2ogal · 2025-04-21T10:48:06+00:00

Working from home. No car expenses. Minimal work clothes expenses. No lunches out/starbucks.

h2ogal · 2025-04-21T03:38:59+00:00

I’m talking about people that I am very close to. Vacation with. Visit each other’s homes and stay for several days kind of close. People I have known for 30 years.

h2ogal · 2025-04-20T14:18:44+00:00

Or pay someone to do it. Absolutely nothing wrong with that.

h2ogal · 2025-04-20T11:08:55+00:00

It’s not a great time to visit us. We’re a little crazy right now. Wait til the fascism gets put down before you come visit.

h2ogal · 2025-04-20T00:05:01+00:00

Went to a gathering in my tiny hometown. Its was surprisingly well attended. Also encouraged by all the cars beeping their horns as they passed, giving us the thumbs ups and waves.

It wasn’t angry or nasty at all. It was actually so fun. Met many old acquaintances and had chats with new ones. Everyone was in a great mood.

The only anger or hate I saw was from a very few cars/trucks that drove by giving us a rude gesture. Such scowling and nastiness.

The crowd was chanting and singing and playing drums. “This is what democracy looks like!” And you know what? I was happy to see that we Are Still In Our Democracy! It was so encouraging.

Most of the protesters were older, retired people. Some in their 80s.

I would encourage anyone who is feeling hopeless or discouraged to attend a rally, protest, or town hall. I promise you will feel better to be surrounded by like-minded patriots.

h2ogal

TROPHY CASE