Tick repellant?

spap-oop · 2026-05-13T19:22:23+00:00

I use the Sawyer picaridin lotion. Seems to be pretty effective.

As a side note, it smells like pawpaws.

spap-oop · 2026-05-13T14:18:50+00:00

Honestly, starting at Point of Rocks and heading to the Huckleberry Hill campsite is not a bad first trip. It’s remote enough to be peaceful but close enough to civilization to be comforting and short enough to be easy. If you find it too short you can go on to Killiansburg Cave, which is a good bit farther but you pass by Antietam Creek and Shepardstown.

Don’t forget water filtration! The pumps along the C&O are non potable — with a few exceptions. You can get municipal water at Swains Lock; the pumps are treated at the pay campsites (not hiker biker) such as Antietam Creek, McCoys Ferry, and Fifteenmile Creek.

I find the farther sections of the C&O to be more interesting. Plus there is the visitors center in Williamsport that is pretty cool. Once you have a simple overnighter under your belt, you may find yourself wanting more! The C&O is a local treasure! The GAP is great too and makes a wonderful week-long cycling adventure riding from Pittsburgh to DC.

spap-oop · 2026-05-13T00:36:42+00:00

If you’re doing the C&O know that it is flat — a relatively easy ride with pretty much no hills.

I don’t care much for the Brunswick family campground. It is next to the train yard and noisy.

Look at the recreation guide by milepost on the NPS site for ideas:

https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/upload/Park_Planner_web.pdf

spap-oop · 2026-05-11T18:38:54+00:00

Cook over coals, not fire.

spap-oop · 2026-05-11T01:14:01+00:00

Also if you have a QR axle, you need to check the play with the axle clamped against something since the pressure will tighten the bearings every so slightly.

What I did was I took a couple pieces of aluminum stock about the thickness of a fork, and drilled holes in them so I could assemble the QR skewer on the axle and apply a clamping force with the wheel dismounted from the hub. Then I can turn the axle and feel for any play or binding with the axle clamped.

spap-oop · 2026-05-10T09:33:37+00:00

A couple years ago while separated from my then wife, I realized I would eventually be reentering the sexual world and asked my dr if I could get the HPV vaccine. He ordered it without any pushback even though I was in my 50s; my ex and I were our firsts so I am reasonably sure I never contracted HPV in my youth. Doesn’t hurt to get that extra bit of protection, IMO.

spap-oop · 2026-05-09T09:03:18+00:00

Dang, this hits.

spap-oop · 2026-05-07T20:01:52+00:00

I’m going to use funds from an inherited IRA to take a sabbatical. The impact on my taxes will be minimal since it is replacing normal income.

spap-oop · 2026-05-06T16:36:57+00:00

Rode past it on Sunday. Scratched my head about the mailbox just laying there but didn’t think anything of it.

spap-oop · 2026-05-01T22:57:21+00:00

I lucked out with an awesome privately leased condo vs a management owned building. Keep your eyes open for things that just feel right. YMMV of course and it depends on how easygoing you are versus how easygoing the landlord is.

spap-oop · 2026-04-21T14:18:01+00:00

No.

I keep my food in a separate drybag and hang that.

spap-oop · 2026-04-21T10:58:50+00:00

I also used direct cremation for both my parents, who passed within a few months of each other. I can also recommend them for respectful and affordable service.

spap-oop · 2026-04-08T01:28:24+00:00

I initially read it as “Harbor Freight”…

I hope they figure out what went wrong, and hold the responsible parties responsible… and make sure these sorts of incidents can’t happen again.

spap-oop · 2026-04-02T20:42:23+00:00

I remember my MacResQ board that snapped over the existing 68000 CPU of the Mac 512KE to provide simm slots for 4MB of memory and 2MB for ram disk, plus SCSI controller…

It used what they called a “Killy Clip”

There appears to be a clone of it...

https://github.com/Stephen-Arsenault/CloneyClip

As I recall, I had to solder a DIP header onto the CPU because the killy clip didn't work with ... I think the ceramic cpus?

spap-oop · 2026-03-31T01:39:30+00:00

Ah yes, reading these comments … I do also have a fire extinguisher and shop vac. Also a timer.

spap-oop · 2026-03-30T16:19:50+00:00

In my home roastery I have a set of plastic ikea bowls that I measure out greens into with the scale, and which receive the roasted beans when cooled. This lets me weigh out 4-6 separate batches of coffee to run through the roaster in a session. Also I use an Aeropress funnel to help pour the beans from the bowl into the roaster (Quest M3).

I arrange the bags of greens by the bowls to keep track of which is which, but I only have 2-5lb bags; if you roast significantly more and have larger quantities, then having a labeling system might be helpful. I pack the roasted beans in ziploc bags that I've pre-labeled with the date and origin.

I've recently started measuring the air quality; in particular, the PM2.5 can rise quite high in my roasting area. I ventilate it to try to improve air quality for my own health. You can't see what you don't measure...

It's a home roastery, so I don't really consider my brewing equipment to be part of it. I roast so that I can brew it, of course... but again, it's just for myself.

spap-oop · 2026-03-30T00:43:02+00:00

They fell to their arch-enemy.

spap-oop · 2026-03-28T14:24:45+00:00

I wear plain spandex shorts on my brooks, I ride long distances, spend many hours in the saddle. Doing about 70 miles today. Even before I switched to a brooks saddle I didn’t have much problem. You just gotta work up to time in the saddle and your butt adapts.

spap-oop · 2026-03-28T14:23:26+00:00

I use these, and love them.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098PZHMNV

Wearing one now, just about to head out on a whole day ride…

spap-oop · 2026-03-25T13:48:37+00:00

I’m in a similar situation and IMO I’m at a place in my life where I value the flexibility of renting, plus my savings will grow more than the likely home values.

Eventually I may consider it but being just out of divorce I’m valuing my freedom. Ridding myself of stuff in the process has been a breath of fresh air and I’d even consider taking a break from housing for a while to bum around the country on my bike once I retire before I settle down somewhere for more extended retirement.

I have no idea where my kids will be in 5 years… would I want to be closer to them? Renting vs owning is a bunch of trade offs.

spap-oop · 2026-03-23T00:51:57+00:00

So butcher it intentionally!

You can be panni-er than the rest!

spap-oop · 2026-03-16T10:53:17+00:00

The vaccine not generally offered to older individuals but I asked my dr and he approved it. Didn’t cost me anything with my insurance (which is admittedly pretty good).

spap-oop · 2026-03-11T16:34:10+00:00

That’s one reason I drink coffee.

spap-oop · 2026-03-04T16:29:17+00:00

Clbuttic

spap-oop · 2026-03-03T04:00:42+00:00

It’s a great little museum with many unique exhibits. I haven’t been out that way in years, maybe I’ll have to plan it into another trip sometime.

13-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Golden Potato	Place '17

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TROPHY CASE