Ford F-150, Bakken Oil Field Versus Saudia Arabia & Signatures

Bakken Oil Versus Saudi Arabia Oil

Minnesota is not too far from North Dakota.  There were never really many people in North Dakota.  As I remember it had the highest per capita income of any state and the highest percentage of bachelor farmers and a unicameral state legislature.  Undoubtedly one would have to leave the state to have any fun or excitement.  The Bakken Oil development has changed that.

During 'the gig' one of my employees (an NDSU graduate) mentioned that he

Bakken Oil Gas Prices Saudi's

had a friend in North Dakota who suggested there was a huge opportunity for commercial construction companies in ND because of the developing oil fields.  This was around 2001 or 2002.  My group was an information technology group.  We brought that information to the business development people who did nothing with it except to say more or less "there's nothing in North Dakota."  Apparently they did not read newspapers, the internet, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, etc.  In 2012 they actually drove to North Dakota to look around.  Upon return they said "we believe we are too late to that market."

A couple of years ago I filled my Ford F-150 at a pump that stopped at $100 charges.  I think it took $130 to fill it at four something a gallon.  Now the tankers pass my home four or five times a day with locomotives pulling 100+ cars.  Apparently the Bakken oil is actually affecting the market.  The Saudi's who have he best oil in the world, requiring little refining before being able to burn it, have lowered the price to $50/barrel.  In combination with the Bakken oil the price of gas is crazy low.  At a pure consumer level that's fine but it does nothing to solve the degradation of the planet.  Dependence of domestic oil is no better than dependence on foreign oil in the long run. 

Ford F-150's
Far in the past it seemed prudent to purchase a pickup.  My first was a 1980 Dodge D-50 manufactured by Mitsubishi who also happened to manufacture heavy battleships and combat aircraft for Japan during WWII.   We also added a 1981 Dodge D-50 purchased at a great price from an air conditioning company that had gone upside down.

The small pickups were fine but we had a child and moved up to a new 1987 Ford F-150.  There is no memory of what it cost but it seems it was about $11,000.  Details:  short box, straight six, four speed manual with manual hubs.  In 1994 it was replaced with a F-150, also a straight six but an extended cab with a five speed manual and air conditioning (wow).  After 133,000 miles my wife convinced me it was time to replace the 'up north' traveling vehicle so we moved up to a 2004 F-150 which was an unbelievable vehicle.  I felt like I was riding down the highway on the living room sofa with V-8 and audio system power that seemed to be without limit.  

During 'the gig' I went through a few commuter vehicles.  The last was a 2008 Ford Fusion purchased new.  The Sirius radio kept me sane during my 'moving parking lot' commutes, travels to Chicago and points afar.  This past summer I hit a few road hazards which included a new set of tires and a week later another.  Recently it turned over 134,000 miles.

This blog thing has been an effort to document and ponder and plan my 'post gig' world.  When one does not have a job one does not really need a commuter car.  I've scratched around on a few things but realize my upcoming income will come from Al Gore's internet or some telecommuting location like my home or somewhere nearby with good wireless (I have sat in my car in Target parking lots more than once).  

Yesterday the commuter car went away.  The previous commuter car was a 2003 VW Passat which left with my favorite White Stripes CD's in the player.  The Ford Fusion left with my favorite Joni Mitchell CD's firmly entrenched with "Disk Error" on the panel.   I felt worse about the CD's than the car and pondered why I'd not uploaded them to my Amazon Cloud player catalog.

Car Logic
1.  You don't need a commuter car if you don't have a job.

Car Logic

2.  A 2004 F-150 with 148,000 miles should not be an issue if you don't have a job and it's well maintained and there's nothing wrong with it.
3.  A new F-150 will take me a decade past my Social Security retirement age of 66 if the 7-10 year history of the 1987, 1994 and 2004 F-150's are any indicator.
4.  The 2015 F-150 is made of aluminum and built for $4/gallon gas.  Certainly there are executives at Ford pondering their strategic shift and wondering too if they missed the Bakken oil emergence or the craftiness of the Saudi's in controlling the world petroleum market.

So it makes not sense but I do now have a new truck and since I'm becoming a total telecommuting guy I really have no where to go and nothing to haul.

Six employees could not get the tonneau cover to open.  Once it was open they could not get it to lock

Ford F-150 & Ford Tonneau

closed.  One salesman with a bit of a Middle Eastern accent kept repeating "it is very simple."  No one could get it to work.  My wife sat quietly and said nothing.  Finally I stood up, spent ten minutes trying to open and close it with the Middle Eastern guy at my ear "it is simple, very easy.  This is very good" over and over.  Finally I announced to the sales person and the showroom "this is a piece of s***."  I own a new truck that is a color I did not want, without the compass I wanted, without the automatic light switch that I wanted, without the sound system I wanted and with a tonneau cover that requires a Middle Eastern guy to open (or close).  Somewhere around 2024 I'll be in the market for another F-150.

Hopefully I'll find a job soon and purchase a commuter car so I can just park the F-150 in the driveway (the 2004 F-150 is leaving soon).

Postscript
Apparently you don't need to have a job or income to buy a vehicle.  You do need to sign your name many times.  

Finance' lady:  "You sign your name really quickly.  Most people take a long time and make it all artistic."  

Me: "I was an executive and I signed a lot of stuff.  This is cool.  I've not had to do this for fourteen months.  This might be one of the things I miss."  

Finance Lady:  "What did you do as an executive?"  

Me:  "I thought about things, made plans, resolved conflicts of all sorts...and signed my name a lot."  

Finance Lady:  "That sounds like a good job." 

My Wife:  "Are we done?  I have stuff to do."