In Caribou we have 100Mb/s cable modem service. I WFH full time...

>Its advice I'm sure you've heard a million time but just keep doing what you're already doing.

Doing what you've been doing will keep providing the results you've been getting. If those aren't what you want then you need to try something else...

Edit: Perhaps you meant "keep being who you are" or to put it another way "To thine own self be true". So don't go out and pretend you are something you aren't.

Reddit is full of "I stay home all the time but find it hard to meet people, why is that?"

You gotta get out to places where people might actually be. Look for clubs or other activity groups in your area.

I like board gaming. Back when I traveled a lot for work I'd search the city I was in to find their local board gaming group. 70% or better of the cities I went to had one that was meeting when I was there. Usually in a restaurant or library. Meet up, play some games, meet some people, it was fun. I made some friends who I've kept up with for years now.

Volunteering is a good way to meet people too, the library is always looking for volunteers.

Join a charitable organization. A friend of mine is in the Lions club, they raise money for lots of different charities. I helped with one of their fund raisers and met a whole bunch of people. It can be a good way to meet folks in your town...

Back in the '90s I was working for a land surveyor. Redbank was the only place we ever worried about our gear. "Worried about" like kept the truck locked and never let anything out of our sight.

I'm told it's better now but that was a pretty low bar...

You can also build/buy inserts that go over your windows to keep the draft out.

We have pretty good windows (older replacements) but I built inserts anyway and they keep our bedroom noticeably warmer.

I had a big picture window done a few years ago that cost $1000 installed. I'd imagine simple double hung windows to be cheaper.

Fixing windows/insulation is the best thing you can do to lower your costs...

If you've already got Amazon Prime their music app doesn't completely suck. They've just added podcasts and all the podcasts I had been listening to are on there. It's got a download option so I can use it when there is no service.

Oh man...

I've got a crappy pair that haven't done well in a home kitchen. We only keep them around because I keep forgetting to get a new pair...

I have a pair just like that, we've had them for years, so long I don't even know. 15-20 years anyway...

>High School should be about winning

And here I thought High School should be about learning...

I heard a new one the other day BANANA - build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone...

The septic pipes won't freeze for the same reason the well pipes don't freeze they're below the frost line, or should be anyway.

A traditional Maine home will often have frozen pipes, especially in the north. I say that because those houses were built "Good enough" for most of the time, when real cold sets in they're not good enough because there really isn't enough insulation.

Any house built in the last 30 years ought to have no problem with -20F. My parent's house was built in the early '70s and I don't remember one incident of freezing pipes ever...

>York County houses down here tend to be built poorly

FTFY

The vast majority of people won't even need to do that. Growing up in Falmouth we never had the water freeze. Not once.

If you were in the County it'd be different. I guess that if you were Bangor or south, particularly along the coast you'd never need to worry about it.

Windchill doesn't make your pipes freeze, absolute temperature does.

Not really. If it was -20F you'd only need a 10mph breeze.

The lowest recorded temp at my house in Caribou the last 2 years has been -30F. At that temp a 5mph breeze gives -46F windchill...

The farmhouse we bought a couple years ago has some kind of roll styrofoam stuff stapled over a bunch of the windows. Looks super classy.

Be careful what you wish for. 26 was a hard year for me, I'd already gotten married, passed the drinking age, voting age, gotten my license. Getting cheaper insurance was the last age related milestone I could see...

Boy I do like a block heater. I had one with a timer that would come on at 6am. I'd leave for work at 7:30am and if I'd remembered to leave the heat on "defrost" the night before the windshield would be mostly cleared by the time I got to the car. The heat would be working by the time I got to the end of the street...

I agree, snow tires are great, studs aren't really that important and actually kinda suck on wet roads.

I have one just like it. We've had it 20+ years and if I see another I'll buy it. I like the style, I like the heavy base and how it stays warm, I like the mech that opens the spout, I like the sound it makes. Best kettle every.

Heck the people that lived in my farmhouse survived -30 and colder with no insulation at all. The north wall of the kitchen doesn't even have any wallboard!

Probably ought to do that in October.

Which reminds me, my hose is still hooked up...

It depends on your area too but a lot on your age and keeping a clean nose. Don't get tickets, they're easy to avoid.

In my mid '40s, 2 drivers on the plan, 3 cars, something like $1500/yr living out in the country. It definitely gets better.

The magic number used to be 26. When I turned 26 my insurance dropped like $1000 a year.

Keep your nose clean though, your insurance company cares what you've done longer than the police do.