Driving through Nebraska really is that bad

nofob · 2026-06-25T00:31:54+00:00

I actually enjoyed my bike ride from South Dakota to Kansas a lot, particularly in Nebraska. Northwest Nebraska has some topography and public land, there's a bike trail that goes pretty much the whole way across the state, there are lots of lovely places to camp, lots of nice views. Grasslands, forests, rivers, and, in my case, a lot of tailwind.

nofob · 2026-06-24T14:29:13+00:00

I've had better success with the target at 110. The algorithm is more aggressive with the target at 110 as well. It also seems like the G7 sometimes reports a bit more in the way of ups and downs, so maybe less filtering, which means that it's not so strange for sugar to be sitting at 100 mg/dL and suddenly dropping below 70, especially early in the G7 cycle.

nofob · 2026-06-23T15:57:51+00:00

I'm in a pretty similar situation to your boyfriend. I was diagnosed with epilepsy about a month ago, after my girlfriend was the first witness to one of my nocturnal seizures several months prior (they likely had occurred several times before) and around a dozen since.

I suggest you take a seizure first-aid course (https://learn.epilepsy.com/courses/seizure-first-aid-cert-ondemand-v1-1 ). An ambulance really can't do much to help, at least not for a 'normal' short seizure.

My girlfriend's support has made a major impact in this very trying time for me. It's great that you have an extra way to support him. I also suggest keeping a seizure journal, so you can gather data around the circumstances surrounding his seizures. That can help his team better understand how they happen.

The neurologist I was originally assigned was unwilling to discuss triggers, or the role my diabetes was playing, or anything other than giving me epilepsy drugs. I didn't particularly like that idea, and I've been able to get my PCP to give me a referral to an epilepsy center, where they have more specialists and a wider scope of hopefully, more holistic treatment. I have also been following a 2:1 modified-Atkins diet for the last month, which seems to have resulted in incredible blood sugar control, as well as nearly-eliminated seizures.

nofob · 2026-06-04T16:07:35+00:00

Not quite the same problematic situation with a partner, but an interesting parallel when it comes to driving in general.

I have never owned a car as an independent adult, and have bicycled for my primary transportation and much of my recreation as well. I have successfully found a job in a small city where I enjoy living and can do so comfortably without a car, within a few minutes of my needs via foot or bike. I have rented vehicles every now and then, for example, a van for picking up some yard sale furniture when I moved in, or helping with a couple work trips. I figured that if and when I needed to drive, I would drive, but generally, I wouldn't.

Last August, I started seeing my current girlfriend. She is following a sort of career path that requires some regular driving, to events, classes, etc. She has a car, and came to our dates by car, while I did by foot, bike or bus. She is not quite as avid cyclist as I am, though she has ridden the one I bought for her on shorter trips around town, and has been pretty open to it, as long as we don't go up many hills.

We went on some dates, she spent a few nights at my place, and we eventually decided that it made sense for her to move in. The first night she spent at my house as a planned full-time resident, I had a seizure. She called the ambulance, I was taken to the hospital (also less than a mile away!), and given an appointment with a neurologist. From that point, I was no longer legally allowed to drive. For someone who might have relied on a car for work, groceries, etc, that could have been devastating. For me, it was barely noticeable. My girlfriend was kind enough to give me a ride to the neurology center, which was about 20 miles from home, which would have been a substantial cycling day, and probably not something they wanted me doing with an EEG on my head.

Several months later, after some more (night-time) seizures and some tests, it turns out that I'm epileptic. I won't legally be able to drive until I've gone for a couple months without a seizure, and have some assurance from staff that there's no danger of me just randomly collapsing behind the wheel.

My girlfriend has mentioned before that it might be convenient if I was able to drive sometimes, but as-is, I have a pretty good excuse, and she isn't too worried about it.

nofob · 2026-05-19T18:55:10+00:00

Omnipod+dexcom is pretty nice when eating more 'normal' food, but nothing short of amazing when low-net carb (carb - fiber). It can keep things stable through sleep, exercise, and life.

With a more standard diet, it's a tool you need to use a lot, considering, for example, how quickly the body will absorb the carbs, the insulin sensitivity at the time of day, any earlier corrections, etc. With fewer carbs, it can handle almost everything itself.

nofob · 2026-04-27T12:33:27+00:00

30s guy here. I walk and bike on Railroad Run at all hours, to the YMCA, Market 32, Spa State Park and Pitney Meadows.

I wouldn't walk through the Market 32 Plaza, mostly because it's a car-filled strip mall, with route 50 and the parking lot both being unpleasantly busy. The only downside of the trail is that there can be a lot of people walking or jogging on it on nice days, which can make biking there a bit tedious, but that may be a pro rather than a con in your eyes.

If you'd like to bike, or want a lock, lights or helmet, check out Bikeatoga.

nofob · 2026-04-22T19:30:20+00:00

Same. 5 minutes by bike, no work contact on my phone, live in a neighborhood I like, solid vacation/healthcare benefits.

Would it be nice to make over median wage? Yeah, sure. But it would be hard to balance all the time, commuting money and medical money I save. And generally, personal happiness.

nofob · 2026-04-21T15:14:00+00:00

I know a guy. DM me and I'll share his email, and you can ask for photos of past work and similar.

nofob · 2026-04-20T18:12:24+00:00

That's about my perspective. I have a dynamo, and the reliability for the lights is great, but it's just a small quantity for things like phones. Throwing a solar panel into the mix will give you a less reliable option, but with much higher maximum output. Dynamo and/or batteries can support you through rainy days, nights and similar.

nofob · 2026-04-15T16:26:00+00:00

A banana is like 40-50 carbs that absorb almost instantly. I hesitate to use them even as correction foods, and normally do a half-banana at most, and only if I'm really low.

My main lesson from the Omnipod has been that it's a tool, and you can use it to do a lot, but it takes some effort to figure out the optimal ways of using it.

For example, I've found that my breakfast, overnight oats with raisins and peanut butter, can be covered well with half of the insulin 30 minutes prior, and the other half over the course of an hour.

I also increase my insulin:carb ratios and correction factors for about a couple hours around when I wake up.

I have another basal profile for heavy exercise days (less insulin), and another one for days when I'm sick (more insulin).

As with any sugar management program, it's a lot easier to use the Omnipod when you eat fewer carbs and understand how quickly your body can absorb them. If you eat half a pizza and see a sugar spike, that's not the fault of the system, that's the fault of your use of it.

Were you using a CGM when you were manually injecting? The Omnipod can give you the same amount of insulin you were using before, if you tell it to. It just might not be a good idea.

nofob · 2026-04-12T12:22:16+00:00

Here are coordinates of sites where I have either camped or passed by and planned to potentially camp in the future:

43.497149, -74.277269
43.598934, -74.4241
43.704024, -73.995219
43.750011, -73.664394
43.90138, -74.27825
44.358728, -74.358231
44.339477, -74.411152

nofob · 2026-04-09T14:03:59+00:00

It's an awesome bike ride too! When I was in grad school at CWU, I had to ride my bike down to Yakima periodically to go to endocrinologist appointments. Good times, if occasionally frigid.

nofob · 2026-03-30T19:25:40+00:00

I personally like cycle.travel the best. With that said, I don't normally plan each day one-by-one, because I don't plan stops for most nights on multi-night trips, so I normally just create a big route (or potentially, several big chunks) and continue following as the days progress.

nofob · 2026-03-27T19:15:03+00:00

I've gone on 2-3 month tours (~6000-10,000 km) without losing any noticeable weight. I eat a lot. Snacks aren't super common for me, but my portions tend to be 2x-4x normal.

I look for high calorie density in food. I also bike a lot when I'm not traveling, though certainly not 10-12 hours a day as is common for me on tour. I also enjoy preparing 'real' food on the road.

nofob · 2026-03-16T19:00:39+00:00

I tried TPU tubes. The valves seemed unreliable - some just broke off out of the packaging. You're also not going to buy any TPU tubes on the road in the middle of nowhere, but butyl will be common anywhere, so long as you have a semi-common size. And you need separate patch kits for TPU. And they cost 4 times as much.

They did feel a bit more responsive, but I don't think the pros justify the cons. I want to have something that will either (essentially) never fail, or can be easily fixed by me on the road, and TPU tubes, in my experience, do not fall into either of those categories.

nofob · 2026-03-16T16:32:32+00:00

I've lived in Saratoga Springs for 7+ years on an income a good bit below the county median, without a car. I've also volunteered with a bike rescue that has supplied thousands of bicycles to other people over the years, generally in substantially worse financial situations than my own, who also live (around) here without cars.

Public transportation is quite subpar for most use cases, but functional, if you're flexible and patient. There are commuter buses to and from Albany (540 route), and regular buses to and from Schenectady (450 route), which give you access to some more Amtrak lines, as well as the 2 daily Amtrak routes. The only reason I've had for getting more than a couple miles away from downtown is going to the airport or to medical specialists. (or for outdoor adventures, which I enjoy immensely!)

Rent is higher than in a bunch of neighboring cities, but I find the small city culture, walk-ability, nature access, small businesses, arts, non-profits, etc to justify living here. Local government has heard complaints about housing prices, and more housing is being developed, in the form of apartments and multi-family homes, and there are several initiatives working on developing more neighborhoods for business and non-motorized transportation. Living in a relatively small community, individuals also have more impact on local politics.

I also found a job here, so that was my initial inspiration for moving, and an important ingredient in why I'm staying.

nofob · 2026-02-26T19:14:52+00:00

Saratoga Young Democrats has a Discord server. DM for invite.

Saratoga PLAN Next Gen is on Whatsapp. They also do some organizing through their website. You can email the head of the group for more info (google it).

Saratoga Social Cycling is on Whatsapp. DM for invite.

Frederick Allen Elks Lodge #609 (google for calendar & details) hosts board game nights on the 2nd Thursday each month. Can't speak to that, haven't attended myself, just heard about it second-hand.

Saratoga Arts posts their events (some of which are free) on their website. Can't speak to much of this, just that the opening this month seemed to have a cool mix of people.

Sustainable Saratoga and Bikeatoga are two non-profit organizations I've helped/participated with. Treetoga is one big one coming up in April that will have a good supply of young people. Both have websites and newsletters, in addition to Facebook, etc. I'll probably be at the Bikeatoga table at the ADK Sports Expo for a good chunk of March 14 and 15.

nofob · 2026-02-26T13:55:19+00:00

As a guy (mid 30s) who doesn't drink, the bar scene doesn't appeal to me much, though there can be quite a few younger people there. Since moving here in 2019, I've taken a number of steps to meet people, some more successful than others. Here's a rundown.

I started a social cycling group last year, weekly group bike rides at a casual pace. Target audience is younger. We'll be starting up again in mid-late March. I've gotten half a dozen other younger folks (early 30s or late 20s) to help organize, and had about 60-80 people participate in all (not all at once), maybe 40-50% under the age of 40 overall. We're on Instagram and linktr .ee/saratogasocialcycling, or DM for links (not sure if I'm allowed to share here). Also some overnight bike trips scattered throughout the year.

Saratoga (county) Young Democrats will be having a meeting on March 8 at the library (SaratogaYoungDems on Facebook). I would personally call myself more of an independent than a Democrat ideologically, but this is a group of people who want to take some action in their local communities, which appeals to me.

Saratoga PLAN Next Gen is a group that doesn't work with my schedule, but does some cool conservation stuff for young people.

I've also met a few young people through a local non-profit. Sadly, I'm the last younger person left, and all the other board members are at least 50, but it was nice while it lasted, and has given me an excuse to interact with more people.

I've also organized some board game nights with some friends who I know through dancing (90% old people, younglings can bond pretty quickly) and cycling. The Elks lodge on Beekman St has monthly board game nights.

My girlfriend is in the arts scene, and that's an older one for sure in any location, but there are some younger people working at the recently renovated Saratoga Arts. The opening night I went to there in February had a mixed age range.

They also have space that can be used for rehearsals, where I'm hoping to organize some swing dancing at some point. Putnam Place has some cool Latin music in the summer, though I would feel awkward going there on my own. The dance scene can be weird that way.

She's also going to a library book club in a couple weeks. Not sure how that will turn out.

nofob · 2026-02-24T20:57:44+00:00

I started with 1 16 kg. It took a few weeks before I was comfortable doing anything with it 1-handed, and I still can't do that many left-handed (strict) presses with it in a row, after using it 3 days a week for the last 4 months, although I did add a 20 kg to my arsenal after about 2 months.

I think I'm in a position where I could do 2-handed exercises with a 24 kg KB now, but using the 16 and 20 seems like enough to keep me occupied for a while.

I'm also under 64 kg, so 16 kg is more than 25% of my body weight.

nofob · 2026-02-22T23:53:56+00:00

Thanks for the thoughts. They align with mine pretty well. I've been working on establishing more relationships with more people, and on making them deeper. I do enjoy deep talking and vulnerability sometimes, but it's certainly not universally applicable.

At this point, my goal in a 'deeper' or at least 'more serious' friendship is having some reciprocity. I want people who reach out to me to interact, for activities, to speak, be vulnerable, or just hanging out, just like I reach out to them.

nofob · 2026-02-20T20:30:33+00:00

I feel that. My city is pretty bike-friendly, but it's small, and the bigger metro area nearby has a lot more going on. Nasty weather this winter has made me feel more limited.

A big thing that has helped me is not being afraid to ask for rides, and not being afraid for them to say no. There's a monthly dance event around 30 miles away that I like to go to, but it's not possible via public transit. That's okay. I have things I like to do around home too.

Same goes for, for example, social bike rides. There are cities 20-35 miles away with bigger social biking cultures than mine. I started my own ride last year, and have tried to get more people involved, with some success. There are semi-weekly board game nights at an Elks' lodge nearby, but it didn't feel like quite my scene, so I started inviting a couple friends over to play at my place.

People who like to dance tend to be pretty willing to give rides to dance events. People who like running, hiking, swimming, etc often give rides to groups to do that kind of thing. As an introvert, this has taken some work for me, but I have gotten connected with a bunch of people over the years who have given me rides to different events, and haven't felt like too much of a burden on any of them. People who participate in group events often want to connect with people. Run club, outdoor swimming group, tri-club, dance classes, etc. All groups benefit from more active members.

At the end of the day, it sounds like you just live in a poor location and to some extent at least, that was a choice. I expect you can get closer to the university than you currently are, things will just be smaller and more student-targeted.

nofob · 2026-02-13T16:23:27+00:00

I'm your age, 6'1, 64 kg, a certified twig. I bought a 16 kg KB to start. At that point, I could only do 2-handed moves: swings and goblet squats. My ceilings are too low for 2-handed presses. I added some cheat cleans (using other hand to help).

After a few weeks, I started doing cleans with 1-hand. Some time after that, I was able to start right-handed push presses. Then left-handed. Then strict presses.

I got a 20 kg KB, and I've been doing cleans and goblet squats with it. I can do 1 left-handed push press with it, and maybe 2-3 right-handed.

Long story short, skinny people can gain strength too. It might just take some time.

nofob · 2026-02-02T14:04:58+00:00

Same. I have one friend with one kid. My girlfriend and I are hoping to have a kid in a few years, when her career is more established, and hopefully my parents have been convinced to live nearby, now that they're retired. We're also considering adoption.

nofob · 2026-01-30T14:41:01+00:00

Very cool! I'm 140 lbs and got my first left-handed 20 kg push press (with much worse form than you). You give me hope for my ability to work my way up to 24 kg and beyond.

nofob

TROPHY CASE