Random Thoughts....

He is why I posted that. This is the time of year he should go and spend up there. He can go skiing in a couple of different ways, and snowmobiling. He should also try using a snow scoop. I have one like this.

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The best thing about these is when you've built lots of momentum and hit something hard under the snow. It stops dead, giving you a roundhouse kick in the stomach.

Snow is supposed to be removed using internal combustion. :LOL:
 
The best thing about these is when you've built lots of momentum and hit something hard under the snow. It stops dead, giving you a roundhouse kick in the stomach.

Snow is supposed to be removed using internal combustion. :LOL:


Momentum? Obstacles? You aren't doing it right.

There are battery powered snowblower these days. Far less noise.
 
There are battery powered snowblower these days. Far less noise.

I'm thinking more like a mini wheel loader or a tractor, or perhaps an ATV with a plow on it. Makes snow work fun.
 
Sitting here in the dark. It's 1f/-17c and there's no power. Fun stuff...

Edit: It has returned.


Lack of power is no fun. Lack of power when it is cold is downright frustrating.
 
*grumblegrumble*

Seems the belts for my snowblower are getting worn. I replaced the auger belt last winter and I burned it a little a few weeks ago with the slushy snow we had, the drive wheels have the original engage belt from the 80s so it's looking pretty worn, and the fasteners that hold the back half and the front half together have almost all fallen out. Only 2 of the 4 or 6 that supposed to keep things together are still there. Plus, one of the 2 tires have fallen off the bead. It's been cold as fuck and I'm absolutely not going to try and fix this unless I absolutely have to before it warms up outside...
 
Sounds like you need to give it a good restoration this summer.

Yeah, absolutely. And to figure out where that oil came from that blew out when I killed the engine engaging the auger...
 
So today marks 15 years on FinalGear, slightly under half of my life. I've looked through my old posts, I apparently just stumbled across the site and SL65 and fbc were the first members to greet me. Kind of cringeworthy looking through posts from the first year as I didn't seem able to use punctuation but since then I've done a number of things on or related to the site:
  • Taken part in the Photoshop competitions.
  • Raced with members on Liveforspeed.
  • Organised a few Forza time attack leagues and attended online races with members for about a year.
  • Joined in with the wacky races threads.
  • Attended the filming of TG with the help of FG members.
  • Bought a fair amount of FG merch.
  • Attended 7 (I think) Ringmeets.
  • Been on 3.5 roadtrips.
  • Owned 6 cars (including a lease). 4 Land Rovers, a Smart and a Tesla.
  • Completed the first ever FG UK car sale (I think).
  • Written nearly 15.5 thousand forgettable posts, often taking the piss.
I don't plan on going anywhere so here's to another however many years, looking forward to actually being able to meet up in person again at some time. I still have the 'rudetrip' mapped out if/when the world returns to normal.
 
looking forward to actually being able to meet up in person again at some time. I still have the 'rudetrip' mapped out if/when the world returns to normal.

Likewise! Congrats! :D
 
I'm going to post the Rudetrip idea at some point but I had another idea today while watching the WRC. They mentioned the Baltic sea a few times and I wondered if anyone had planned a roadtrip... no, a race, around that body of water...

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This is just a rough idea and I was limited by the number of Maps waypoints but starting from somewhere like Kiel it would take in Germany, Poland, Russia (?!), Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia (again), Finland, Sweden, Denmark and back to Germany.

Here's the twist. The entire idea is to stick to the coast, so the rally/race/whatever would be based around proximity to the coast as well as speed. Essentially multipliers depending on the proximity, points eventually meaning time deductions. You could waste your time on coastal roads but the extra points you rack up could deduct more time that it takes to drive that route. Kaliningrad has a tiny road that goes up a thin stretch of land but is a dead end, good for points but it might not be worth it. I looked on Street View and I was also creeped out by the place. Avoiding it would cost dear in points but maybe not in body-cavity searches.

That brings me to two other things. Firstly, no ferries would be allowed. Since the whole coastal thing would be calculated by GPS, it would be obvious if a ferry was used. Secondly, that island with the marker thinks it's Iceland and has a road that essentially goes around the coast. Joined to the Swedish mainland by a bridge, a lap of it would be part of the route. I found a pub on Street View that has mini golf along with a windmill and a helicopter in the yard. Yep.

The oddest thing is that on Street View, most of the coastal roads I've looked at are lined with forest and you simply can't see the... sea. Even while driving right along the coast to Kolka, Latvia. St. Petersburg has a massive points-scoring feature of a motorway bridge that goes out to sea before diving under it. Lots of the roads look very Autopilot friendly too, if I could borrow a fusion reactor I could do it without stopping...

Certainly if someone makes a world driving sim I'd do this, whether or not it's doable in the real world can be decided when roadtrips are actually possible again.
 
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Looks like a fun trip. I know you were limited by the waypoints, but at the southern tip of Sweden, driving the coastal road actually means one get to see the sea. ;) At least in some spots.

Skåne.jpg


For example here. Route 9 along the coast.
 
That's excellent, exactly the kind of route planning I had in mind and the coastal routes would of course be the most spectacular.

Russia might continue to be a problem even after the pandemic.

Indeed, driving through Russia at all isn't something I would take lightly. Fortunately, sticking to the coast and going around St Petersburg would reduce the risk/hassle.

It looks like this might be possible in Euro Truck Simulator 2 with mods, there are lots of high quality car mods too! I'm going to look into it. I'd love to drive this route and live stream it. Virtual coast-to-coast and Cannonball runs in the US would be great too.
 
Indeed, driving through Russia at all isn't something I would take lightly. Fortunately, sticking to the coast and going around St Petersburg would reduce the risk/hassle.
Not only because of the infamous Russian driving - there's also visa and stuff. I don't know if it's even possible to go there just to leave again. There's a reason Tallinn- Helsinki is such a busy ferry route. ;)
 
Not only because of the infamous Russian driving - there's also visa and stuff. I don't know if it's even possible to go there just to leave again. There's a reason Tallinn- Helsinki is such a busy ferry route. ;)
As far as I know, an EU citizen can go there easily for a vacation. As a US citizen? You might as well not even bother. I would need a host to take full responsibility of me while there and the Russian consulate would want to know all about where and what I’m doing.
 
And then you get a plain white Lada van following you around.
 
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