Thank you. I was lost after they removed the cached version button on Google results. The link got progressively buried before it disappeared, I think.
What stuck with me (I couldn't finish it either) was the difference between the main character and his friend's attitude to maintenance issues. Specifically the soda can shim situation. His friend had a loose handle bar or something, and the solution was a metal shim. The friend refused to "use trash as a shim" (a piece of aluminum can) and would rather pay someone at a shop to fix it.
That sort of world view is something that always really irked me, but I never know how to describe it.
When the lease expires, the same IP is prioritized for renewal. Leases are generally for a week or two, but I've noticed dynamic IPs staying for 3 months or more. Swapping modems is really the best way to get a new external IP.