Life, the universe, and accidental Sokoban
What rural living has to do with a Japanese puzzle game from 1982, and why are so many of you unsubscribing?
Long-time readers might recall that I have a soft spot for Sokoban: an ancient but timeless computer puzzle game that involves tidying up warehouses by moving heavy crates into their designated spots. The key point is that the crates can only be pushed, not pulled; a deadlock can happen whenever a crate is accidentally jammed into a spot it can’t be pushed out of again.
Despite the game’s simple premise, the levels can be remarkably hard to solve, depending on the room’s geometry and the initial position of the crates. I made at least two dozen DIY Sokoban handhelds for family and friends; I don’t think that any of the recipients managed to beat the entire campaign.
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On an unrelated note, not long ago, our family decided to leave the San Francisco Bay Area and move to a forested rural parcel in the Pacific Northwest. We owned this land nearly a decade, but we were stuck in California for work. The COVID-19 pandemic — along with the increased acceptance of WFH — helped us make the call.
Every self-respecting Silicon Valley resident thinks of themselves as an outdoorsy person, but a transition like that is still bound to upend your deeply-held beliefs, challenge your politics, and force you to learn new skills. Before long, you’re swinging a chainsaw, shooing away bears, and saying a prayer for the Starlink antenna every time the wind picks up.
The forest aside, our property has a long private driveway. For many years, we paid a guy to plow in the winter — and every season, his rates would go up. When we finally moved here, I decided that it’s going to be more economical to do it myself:
There is no special science to moving snow with a shovel, a snow blower, or even with heavy machinery such as a skid-steer loader. You simply pick up the snow from where you want it gone, and drop it where it needs to go. But operating a truck-mounted snowplow is nothing like that.
Consider that the equipment excels at moving in a straight line; much like in Sokoban, you’re mostly just supposed to push. Further, on a narrow forest driveway or in a residential parking lot, there might be simply no room to turn a vehicle that’s 24 feet long. Backing out is possible but perilous, especially in poor visibility during a storm. Maneuvering over unplowed areas, or trying to drive over snow mounds, can end poorly too. There are numerous deadlock conditions in the game.
That’s not all: you have to plan for the season, not just for the day. Poorly-placed snow berms turn into hard ice and leave no room for late-season deposits. Runoff from melting piles can cause property damage or form ice on the road, too.
There are countless popular video games that let you operate heavy machinery just for the sake of it; there’s Train Simulator Classic, Farming Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator, and more. Most of them don’t challenge your thinking; a snowplow simulator very well could.
Many props to you for taking the challenge to move out beyond the edge of civilization. One thing I learned growing up in a very rural environment - though requiring nowhere near as self-sufficiency as your situation - is that nature doesn't care about your politics, ideology, or stance on current events. Nature just IS. As an example, it's easy to rail against gas-powered small engines in the city, until you're faced with hiking 2 miles out into the woods to remove a tree. If you're gonna be out there for a while, especially in the cold, it's a lot easier to tote a 1 gallon gas can than the alternative. And please, guys, I'm not trying to be flippant or attack anyone. I just wanted to emphasize the point that reality sometimes intrudes on us in unexpected ways, and not everything is as easy as a black and white decision. I wish you all the best of luck in your new corner of the world!
There's something about this video that makes it so satisfying to watch. May be the combination of beautiful snowy landscape + heavy machinery 💫