> I too was a cyclist, kept a graph on the wall so as to achieve 100- 
 > 200 miles travel, each week. As you say, one learns a bit about energy 
 > conservation!
You have made a very good point, and one I bring up often when discussing 
alternate energy:
Do some serious research into providing your own energy and you'll rapidly 
appreciate the ability to just plug your toaster into the wall and drive your 
car to the filling station and top 'er off with Premium.
We have a woodstove in our house, and we heated with it 100% for 2 winters. 
Shut the pilot off in the furnace so we couldn't cheat. My 'cyberbarn' is 
heated with a stove to this day. 
This gives one an appreciation for natural gas! You are a slave to the stove, 
during the heating season, and before. (you gotta make the wood supply ahead 
of time!) You quickly find out how much more wood you have to carry and burn 
to keep the place at 72 degrees instead of 68!
I have a couple of UPSs on the computers here, and I know how short a time 
they'll run, even with the big RV/trolling batteries attached. Sure makes me 
happy that I don't have to make that power myself.
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