Hurricanes Lounge XXXII: wait, but why?

[hblueridgegal]

Looking forward to how this place evolves. The renderings are looking good thus far.

My V-day speed..post-Covid bucket list

 

[HisIceness]

"Bee-leaf" "Tree-mendous"

Dix jokes.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Professional dog walker/sitter here. Had two clients who (I'm assuming) saw the forecast for this week and decided to take a vacation.

So I've been doing 6+ visits a day in this mess since Thursday and will continue until this Friday.

It's not been a fun time

Oh I know you are (same with my wife). That’s why I said it!

But hey ... vacations pay the most. So you’ve got that going for you.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Oh I know you are (same with my wife). That’s why I said it!

But hey ... vacations pay the most. So you’ve got that going for you.

Honestly, it's the evening visits that are the worst. I'm not a morning person, but I can get used to waking up and taking care of the dogs. And if I could make a living doing nothing but midday/afternoon visits, I would.

But it's such a struggle to go out after dinner, when I want to do nothing more than grab a tablet, get under the covers, and veg until it's time to sleep. Instead, I'm going out in freezing rain to spend an hour watching the dogs bark at whatever nocturnal animal is up the nearest tree.

Worst night was a couple years back, late December. Guy went off for Christmas vacation and I was tasked with taking care of his three dogs, two Ridgebacks and a Beagle. On any normal day, it wasn't a bad gig. The Beagle was skittish around new people, other dogs and loud noises, but nothing major. The only issue the Ridgebacks had was they HATED the rain. Even the lightest drizzle turned them into cowards.

That night was not a drizzle. That night was full blown, sky opens up, get the Ark downpour. So I knew going into that visit, it was going to be a challenge. What I didn't expect was that the door latch would literally be frozen shut when I arrived. So I spent the first 30 minutes (of what should have been a 30 minute visit) holding a towel to the latch to try and thaw it enough to move, all while the 3 dogs lost their shit inside.

Eventually, I got the door open, and the dogs were happy to see me!...until I started to lead them outside. Then they were doing anything they could to stay in. The Ridgebacks because of the rain, the Beagle because of the loud noises. After it was all said and done, a 30 minute visit wound up being a little under 2 hours, in a downpour, on a late December evening.

Closest I've come to quitting the job was after that night. But for every visit like that, there are others where I get paid to spend a half hour playing with a new puppy or hanging out on the couch with an older one. So I've got it pretty good overall. But weeks like these suck so much.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

@DaveG

MY CHIEFTAIN. IT IS TIME.

 

[MinJaBen]

Honestly, it's the evening visits that are the worst. I'm not a morning person, but I can get used to waking up and taking care of the dogs. And if I could make a living doing nothing but midday/afternoon visits, I would.

But it's such a struggle to go out after dinner, when I want to do nothing more than grab a tablet, get under the covers, and veg until it's time to sleep. Instead, I'm going out in freezing rain to spend an hour watching the dogs bark at whatever nocturnal animal is up the nearest tree.

Worst night was a couple years back, late December. Guy went off for Christmas vacation and I was tasked with taking care of his three dogs, two Ridgebacks and a Beagle. On any normal day, it wasn't a bad gig. The Beagle was skittish around new people, other dogs and loud noises, but nothing major. The only issue the Ridgebacks had was they HATED the rain. Even the lightest drizzle turned them into cowards.

That night was not a drizzle. That night was full blown, sky opens up, get the Ark downpour. So I knew going into that visit, it was going to be a challenge. What I didn't expect was that the door latch would literally be frozen shut when I arrived. So I spent the first 30 minutes (of what should have been a 30 minute visit) holding a towel to the latch to try and thaw it enough to move, all while the 3 dogs lost their shit inside.

Eventually, I got the door open, and the dogs were happy to see me!...until I started to lead them outside. Then they were doing anything they could to stay in. The Ridgebacks because of the rain, the Beagle because of the loud noises. After it was all said and done, a 30 minute visit wound up being a little under 2 hours, in a downpour, on a late December evening.

Closest I've come to quitting the job was after that night. But for every visit like that, there are others where I get paid to spend a half hour playing with a new puppy or hanging out on the couch with an older one. So I've got it pretty good overall. But weeks like these suck so much.

I'm curious about how your job/interactions with clients works after this story. I own two dogs and one of them is like the Ridgebacks in your story in that she hates the rain. If I employed you to "walk" my dogs, it would come with instructions to just skip that session in weather like you described and substitute it with petting or other attention. Is my request weird, not something you'd do, or was this owner just some sort of hard ass that likes to torture his dogs?

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I'm curious about how your job/interactions with clients works after this story. I own two dogs and one of them is like the Ridgebacks in your story in that she hates the rain. If I employed you to "walk" my dogs, it would come with instructions to just skip that session in weather like you described and substitute it with petting or other attention. Is my request weird, not something you'd do, or was this owner just some sort of hard ass that likes to torture his dogs?

No, I've had clients that have told me to either cancel a visit whenever it rains or to let them out for just a bit, then spend the rest of the time inside.

I had received no such instruction from that client. All I got was "They don't like the rain, so it might take some effort to get them to go out in it." So I had to try and get them to use the bathroom that night, because if I hadn't, they absolutely would have gone in the house and that's a mess I try and avoid whenever possible.

I'm honestly a bit glad he stopped using us due to COVID, because as you said, I got the feeling he wasn't a very good owner. I'm sure he loves his dogs, but their living situation wasn't the best. Kept them in the basement with various construction projects (and their tools) as well as the laundry devices (and their various liquids). Just felt like disaster was waiting to happen.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Jaguar cars to go all-electric by 2025 as JLR plans full range of e-models by 2030

So a number of car companies are now committing to 100% conversion electric/hybrid/hydrogen fuel cell by the end of this decade. The two drawbacks right now:

1) The ROI on these cars for the consumer, without government rebates, hasn't been there for many of the "all electric" vehicles, but like anything, costs come down with time, invention and scale.
2) The range and recharge time-frame. As I mentioned in the other thread, I make about 8-10 trips a year up to our farm which is between 500-600 miles. If I have to stop twice for a charge, how long it takes is going to be key. Shorter trips and around town, the electric vehicle makes a lot of sense. Long trips, a hybrid makes more sense right now.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Jaguar cars to go all-electric by 2025 as JLR plans full range of e-models by 2030

So a number of car companies are now committing to 100% conversion electric/hybrid/hydrogen fuel cell by the end of this decade. The two drawbacks right now:

1) The ROI on these cars for the consumer, without government rebates, hasn't been there for many of the "all electric" vehicles, but like anything, costs come down with time, invention and scale.
2) The range and recharge time-frame. As I mentioned in the other thread, I make about 8-10 trips a year up to our farm which is between 500-600 miles. If I have to stop twice for a charge, how long it takes is going to be key. Shorter trips and around town, the electric vehicle makes a lot of sense. Long trips, a hybrid makes more sense right now.

The battery is a pain too. Disposal of them, the mineral requirements from other exploited countries, and if it goes faulty after the warranty is up you are screwed

 

[The Stranger]

Jaguar cars to go all-electric by 2025 as JLR plans full range of e-models by 2030

So a number of car companies are now committing to 100% conversion electric/hybrid/hydrogen fuel cell by the end of this decade. The two drawbacks right now:

1) The ROI on these cars for the consumer, without government rebates, hasn't been there for many of the "all electric" vehicles, but like anything, costs come down with time, invention and scale.
2) The range and recharge time-frame. As I mentioned in the other thread, I make about 8-10 trips a year up to our farm which is between 500-600 miles. If I have to stop twice for a charge, how long it takes is going to be key. Shorter trips and around town, the electric vehicle makes a lot of sense. Long trips, a hybrid makes more sense right now.

If you have Spotify, check out Rogan's most recent interview with Elon...from a few days ago...good details on EV business, scale, challenges, and future options.

Another somewhat niche issue with EV's right now what emergency medical responders have to deal with when they have an EV crash...dangerous levels of electricity and battery fires.

 

[MinJaBen]

Jaguar cars to go all-electric by 2025 as JLR plans full range of e-models by 2030

So a number of car companies are now committing to 100% conversion electric/hybrid/hydrogen fuel cell by the end of this decade. The two drawbacks right now:

1) The ROI on these cars for the consumer, without government rebates, hasn't been there for many of the "all electric" vehicles, but like anything, costs come down with time, invention and scale.
2) The range and recharge time-frame. As I mentioned in the other thread, I make about 8-10 trips a year up to our farm which is between 500-600 miles. If I have to stop twice for a charge, how long it takes is going to be key. Shorter trips and around town, the electric vehicle makes a lot of sense. Long trips, a hybrid makes more sense right now.

The battery is a pain too. Disposal of them, the mineral requirements from other exploited countries, and if it goes faulty after the warranty is up you are screwed

I'm waiting on the wind powered electric vehicles. I'll just have to make sure I avoid and roads with tunnels....

 

[The Stranger]

The battery is a pain too. Disposal of them, the mineral requirements from other exploited countries, and if it goes faulty after the warranty is up you are screwed

There's an EV company out of China (forget the name) whose business model is based around selling EV's with a standard battery size that works for all their models...and they set up service stations where you swap batteries in an out. Basically it off-loads the battery stuff to the service industry.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

There's an EV company out of China (forget the name) whose business model is based around selling EV's with a standard battery size that works for all their models...and they set up service stations where you swap batteries in an out. Basically it off-loads the battery stuff to the service industry.

Im not counting on American companies to do things that make sense unless it makes them more money

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

The battery is a pain too. Disposal of them, the mineral requirements from other exploited countries, and if it goes faulty after the warranty is up you are screwed

The battery disposal is an issue, but like anything else, one that I suspect they'll find a solution to, but you are right it's something that needs to be addressed. I believe Tesla recycles it's batteries and I've heard they even use "recycled" batteries in their powerwall for solar applications.

The mineral requirements: Also true, but this is an issue outside of EV. China basically supplies all of the rare earth metals used in electronics today, followed by Brazil, India and a few others, but China owns 90% of the market. It's an issue today even without EV. Batteries (non-EV), semi-conductors, electronic assembly, etc.. all face this issue. Sure, it gets worse with more of it, but not doing EV doesn't stop this from happening.

RE: the last item. While the batteries are a concern, an electric vehicle is quite a bit simpler in terms of maintenance (not electronics) so there's a tradeoff there. Plus, if your transmission or engine goes faulty after the warranty on a gasoline car, you are just as screwed. I've had two major issues after warranty on past vehicles I've owned that cost over $2K to repair. Thankfully, on one of them I was able to pressure the dealer/automaker to cover it.

If you have Spotify, check out Rogan's most recent interview with Elon...from a few days ago...good details on EV business, scale, challenges, and future options.

Another somewhat niche issue with EV's right now what emergency medical responders have to deal with when they have an EV crash...dangerous levels of electricity and battery fires.

Thanks...I'll listen when I get a chance.

 

[MinJaBen]

The batteries will be in such a state of flux over the next 10 years that I am not too worried about the issues. So much has improved in the last 10 years that I expect major changes by 2030 also. Of course, car makers will have to pick something to design around prior to their deadline, but there may be more options than we think in just the next 2 or three years. Lithium ion like Tesla uses is the choice du jour, but liquid flow batteries could also be an option with an electrolyte that you "refill" instead of recharge at "fueling stations". Tesla originally looked at the full battery swap like the Chinese company referenced, but decided for their current generation to go more tried and true with fast charging.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

The batteries will be in such a state of flux over the next 10 years that I am not too worried about the issues. So much has improved in the last 10 years that I expect major changes by 2030 also. Of course, car makers will have to pick something to design around prior to their deadline, but there may be more options than we think in just the next 2 or three years. Lithium ion like Tesla uses is the choice du jour, but liquid flow batteries could also be an option with an electrolyte that you "refill" instead of recharge at "fueling stations". Tesla originally looked at the full battery swap like the Chinese company referenced, but decided for their current generation to go more tried and true with fast charging.

 

[Lempo]

The polar vortex gave up a while back and we in the Northern parts of Europe have been enjoying of the brisk winter weather lately... enough so that a week back Sweden asked its citizend to avoid vacuuming for a couple of days, because the electric grid was taking the beating what with the nucular plant closures and there being no wind for the wind turbines.

I believe this will be the hurdle with the EVs.

 

[Unsustainable]

@Boom Boom Apathy

a 500-600 mile trip with a Tesla with 300 mile range, probably 2 40 minute stops at a super charger, considering most are with places to eat, you can schedule your meals and bathroom with those stops.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Jaguar cars to go all-electric by 2025 as JLR plans full range of e-models by 2030

So a number of car companies are now committing to 100% conversion electric/hybrid/hydrogen fuel cell by the end of this decade. The two drawbacks right now:

1) The ROI on these cars for the consumer, without government rebates, hasn't been there for many of the "all electric" vehicles, but like anything, costs come down with time, invention and scale.
2) The range and recharge time-frame. As I mentioned in the other thread, I make about 8-10 trips a year up to our farm which is between 500-600 miles. If I have to stop twice for a charge, how long it takes is going to be key. Shorter trips and around town, the electric vehicle makes a lot of sense. Long trips, a hybrid makes more sense right now.

My buddy has a fully electric Chevy (I think it’s a Chevy) and it can go 85 miles total. That’s a useless car.

 

[NotOpie]

@Boom Boom Apathy

a 500-600 mile trip with a Tesla with 300 mile range, probably 2 40 minute stops at a super charger, considering most are with places to eat, you can schedule your meals and bathroom with those stops.

Or you can drive a gas powered car .

Seriously, I've heard the hydrogen option mentioned a couple of times and I'd be interested in learning more about that. Seems like it might be a better solution, or is my non-scientific brain missing something?

 

[Unsustainable]

Or you can drive a gas powered car .

Seriously, I've heard the hydrogen option mentioned a couple of times and I'd be interested in learning more about that. Seems like it might be a better solution, or is my non-scientific brain missing something?

Honda attempted to bring out the Hydrogen powered car.

Great concept

 

[Roboturner913]

sup, bros

'

 

[MinJaBen]

 

[Lempo]

Now he returns, week+ after I've been cured of the diarrhea. It's no use now anymore bro.

 

[SvechneJerk]

sup, bros

'