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RTDNTOTO 🐻 Random Thoughts Deserving No Thread Of Their Own 21 (2026)

I got to the gym this morning and backed into my spot. Instead of going in right away, I sat there for a moment to finish my coffee. While I was there, I could smell pot. A vehicle to spaces over had a couple get out just as I was getting out and it was very obvious where it came from.

As I am walking it, I am trying to figure out why would you get high at 4:45 am before going to work out at at gym.

Then when I went to get into the sauna, he was finishing up in there and the smell was horrible. I did mention something to the front desk as I left.

Did I mention that it is completely illegal in all cases in my state?
 
michaelskis said:
I got to the gym this morning and backed into my spot. Instead of going in right away, I sat there for a moment to finish my coffee. While I was there, I could smell pot. A vehicle to spaces over had a couple get out just as I was getting out and it was very obvious where it came from.

As I am walking it, I am trying to figure out why would you get high at 4:45 am before going to work out at at gym.

Then when I went to get into the sauna, he was finishing up in there and the smell was horrible. I did mention something to the front desk as I left.

Did I mention that it is completely illegal in all cases in my state?
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Pot is a sickening smell...especially at 5:00 a.m. in a sauna? I can't imagine! Wait, yes I can, because there was that one bathroom at my high school....
 
zman said:
Dont be so square. ;)
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Bored Wait GIF by FirstAndMonday
 
michaelskis said:
I got to the gym this morning and backed into my spot. Instead of going in right away, I sat there for a moment to finish my coffee. While I was there, I could smell pot. A vehicle to spaces over had a couple get out just as I was getting out and it was very obvious where it came from.

As I am walking it, I am trying to figure out why would you get high at 4:45 am before going to work out at at gym.

Then when I went to get into the sauna, he was finishing up in there and the smell was horrible. I did mention something to the front desk as I left.

Did I mention that it is completely illegal in all cases in my state?
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There is a woman who at my gym that, no matter the time of day I see her, reeks of pot. Thankfully, she's the only one at the gym like that and she isn't there all too often.

The occasional scent of pot when passing somebody out on the street doesn't really bother me but in a confined space it can be pretty bad and it's a smell that can definitely linger unpleasantly. Getting into the sauna with somebody emanating that scent sounds downright unbearable.

We have a couple stores in our downtown that have signs on the door that basically boil down to, "If you reek of pot, don't come in here."
 
michaelskis said:
Did I mention that it is completely illegal in all cases in my state?
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There's a pot dealer around the corner from me and 5 houses down from a house owned by a local cop. I don't think there's a ton of enforcement for pot these days. In fact I wish they would just legalize it federally and be done with it. I subscribe to the theory that if you put five drunk guys into a room they'll start a fight, but put five stoned guys into a room and they'll start a band. I don't partake myself, but I think there are lots of worse things; potheads don't really bother me.

ursus said:
Pot is a sickening smell.
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Counterpoint: Tobacco smells 123% worse to me.
 
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Doohickie said:
There's a pot dealer 5 houses down from a house owned by a local cop. I don't think there's a ton of enforcement for pot these days. In fact I wish they would just legalize it federally and be done with it. I subscribe to the theory that if you put five drunk guys into a room they'll start a fight, but put five stoned guys into a room and they'll start a band. I don't partake myself, but I think there are lots of worse things; potheads don't really bother me.
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Our Police Chief has a very nice 2nd story office with big windows. They built a small multi-tenant building across the street. The end unit closest to the PD is occupied by a CBD and hemp store that sells stuff that may or may not be legal no one is exactly sure based on our laws.
 
michaelskis said:
I got to the gym this morning and backed into my spot. Instead of going in right away, I sat there for a moment to finish my coffee. While I was there, I could smell pot. A vehicle to spaces over had a couple get out just as I was getting out and it was very obvious where it came from.

As I am walking it, I am trying to figure out why would you get high at 4:45 am before going to work out at at gym.

Then when I went to get into the sauna, he was finishing up in there and the smell was horrible. I did mention something to the front desk as I left.

Did I mention that it is completely illegal in all cases in my state?
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We have a legal retail market in my state- not my thing but whatever. The public consumption drives me nuts though. It's EVERYWHERE- you smell it driving down the interstate, at public parks and beaches, out shopping, most parking lots, any time of day. I'm not thrilled as a bike commuter dealing with stoned drivers thinking because it's legal to buy it's legal to consume while driving, and I'm not thrilled as a dad that people seem to think it's just fine to smoke up in places where there's kids around. This stuff's all still illegal but we haven't had any real traffic or nuisance enforcement by the police since 2020.

I get there's bigger issues to deal with (opioids mostly) but it's really undermining the "great places" planners before us worked so hard to create. When your beloved pedestrian shopping street stinks like pee and weed all the time and half the stores have pulled out due to shoplifting, all the banners, bollards and bricks in the world aren't going to help. I've also had a few counter customers come into my workplace high as a kite and reeking like pot- wasting my time because they can't follow even a simple set of instructions to fill out a permit or whatever they have come in to do.

So yeah, tell us how you really feel, Faust. I deplore laziness (emotional laziness especially) and all the ways people have come up with to "check out" of actually being around each other in a community, and I deplore selfishness (driving high, smoking up public places where there's kids around), and I deplore the lefty/progressive idea that we (big we) all just need to accept that this is the way of the world. I also really like personal freedom and if people want to smoke pot, and do it responsibly, and do it in a way where they don't incapacitate themselves to the point of burdening others with their self-created needs, then fine.

I appreciate a good sauna. Not a member of a gym right now but reading this article made me think maybe the right move would be to build one for myself in the back yard. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/...e_code=1.GFA.bbKD.hdwtla-3Jgdq&smid=url-share
 
Pots all legal here, but we're not animals. You might smell it once in a while walking by or driving down a particular spot in the freeway that may have been known for a bad smell in the past - there was an animal crematorium - and is now known for a different bad smell that makes me think I burned out my clutch when I drive by - manufacturing, not smoking.
 
Since no one started an NHL thread this year (and the one I started last year had the unfortunately unfulfilled title claiming the Sabres would make the playoffs), I just want to point out that the Sabres have gone 16-3-1 in their last 20 games, climbing from dead last in the conference on December 17 to the top wildcard spot.

Last night featured a line consisting of a 19, 20, and 21 year old. The 19-year-old, Konsta Helenius, in his second NHL game, scored his first goal and got his first two assists, all in the first period. The 21-year-old, Noah Ostlund, scored two goals (both assisted by Helenius). The third linemate, 20-year-old Zach Benson, didn't show up on the score sheet but helped drive play.

With the Bills out of the playoffs, the Sabres are all I have. Hoping they can end their playoff drought this year.
 
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First world problem:

One of the squares of our heated sidewalk at work is not functioning. I knew I should have WFH today. Should I report these unsafe working conditions to my union rep?

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Doohickie said:
Counterpoint: Tobacco smells 123% worse to me.
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I agree with this wholeheartedly. FWIW smoking is so much less prevalent these days than it was decades ago that it makes me notice the smell so much more when it is present. It's also weird now for me to see somebody smoking, especially somebody under the age of ~30.

We have an Alfa Romeo and Fiat dealership right on the edge of our downtown. I was out on a walk one evening this summer and walked down the street that runs behind the back door to their service area. They had a large ashtray next to the door and the smell of stale cigarettes was so strong for basically that entire block. It felt like they were really trying to sell the authentic Italian experience as I remember everybody smoking last time I was there in 2000. :italy:
 
Doohickie said:
Counterpoint: Tobacco smells 123% worse to me.
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Is it weird that I low-key kinda like the smell of tobacco smoke when I'm outside? I've got to be outside, though. Outside, it smells like the Dee's parking lot on North Temple when I was a little kid. Outside, it smells like Disneyland. Outside it smells like Ricky Hadden's dad is out smoking under the carport after work, and we're watching G-Force on TV till I head home.

Inside, gross. Outside, nostalgic, exotic, otherworldly. Something is off in my brain, I guess.
 
ursus said:
Is it weird that I low-key kinda like the smell of tobacco smoke when I'm outside? I've got to be outside, though. Outside, it smells like the Dee's parking lot on North Temple when I was a little kid. Outside, it smells like Disneyland. Outside it smells like Ricky Hadden's dad is out smoking under the carport after work, and we're watching G-Force on TV till I head home.

Inside, gross. Outside, nostalgic, exotic, otherworldly. Something is off in my brain, I guess.
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Weird. I get that too. No use for tobacco smoke indoors, but when it's wafting on a breeze outdoors, it can be pure nostalgia. Pipe smoke is usually good both indoors and out. I will sometimes recite elvish poetry when I detect the scent of pipeweed.
1769010985832.png
 
Doohickie said:
There's a pot dealer around the corner from me and 5 houses down from a house owned by a local cop. I don't think there's a ton of enforcement for pot these days. In fact I wish they would just legalize it federally and be done with it. I subscribe to the theory that if you put five drunk guys into a room they'll start a fight, but put five stoned guys into a room and they'll start a band. I don't partake myself, but I think there are lots of worse things; potheads don't really bother me.
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I've heard police officers say the same thing about covering shifts at Stagecoach vs Coachella. Coachella was always the preferred shift because everyone was laid back, and they knew they would be dealing with rowdy drunk people starting fights at the country festival.
 
Down in the jungle where the wild things are / you can say I am a superstar/ crazy people come from near and far / because everybody wants to spot a.....JAGUAR!

 
WTF Wednesday strikes again with a lot from the 60's that has no frontage and technically no access even though it has a "street" running in front of it. The question, he wants to build a fence. Do I treat it like a front yard and cut the fence height or just let it go?
 
DVD said:
WTF Wednesday strikes again with a lot from the 60's that has no frontage and technically no access even though it has a "street" running in front of it. The question, he wants to build a fence. Do I treat it like a front yard and cut the fence height or just let it go?
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I say just let it slide.
 
Just a little bit of bragging

Received the following email acknowledgment for my volunteer work judging a photo contest

Your experience and expertise has been so valuable and we appreciate all of your hard work when it comes to reviewing the photos received and picking the category winners that best represent them!

Thank you so so much for your review!!! I will let you know if I have any questions as I review what you shared but wanted to let you know how much I/we appreciate you!!
 
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Hey caught a cold/flu so was home yesterday - came in this afternoon only because I have a big meeting tonight - I sound horrible but I am okay
 
Come on people, it's January 21. I don't need a reminder in your e-mail signature that your office will be closed from December 22, 2025 through January 2, 2026, and to have a happy holiday.

Jim
 
dandy_warhol said:
Story of my life. I was out sick today so co-worker presented a slide deck I prepared to our Garrison commander. And she got a coin (big deal in military world) for our program. Happy for her but nothing for me. 😡😭🫩🤧
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The logical thing for you to do is send the command an email saying you're not bothered at all by this snub, and by the way, you plan to invade Greenland next week because of how much you're not bothered by it.
 
jumbach said:
Come on people, it's January 21. I don't need a reminder in your e-mail signature that your office will be closed from December 22, 2025 through January 2, 2026, and to have a happy holiday.

Jim
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Best thing about Outlook (and there isn't much good about it, I know) is scheduling auto-expiring away messages.

I swear my phone message has gremlins and reverts to the most recent "away" message randomly. But nobody calls me anymore at the office except developers/applicants whining about when they'll get their permit (when they know they owe us something or it's literally been HOURS since they finally got their application complete) and sales people for permit software.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
Occasionally the smell of marijuana wafting past me makes me nostalgic too… for that Digable Planets concert back in 1996 or the campground around Bonnaroo or for my Aunt who wasn't trusted to babysit me.
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It's cause your cool like dat.

I went to Smokin Grooves in the late 90s and saw Cypress Hill, P-Funk, Outkast and the Roots. Sitting in the grass at the back of the outdoor amphitheater, it felt like the smoke was going to blot out the stage.
 
ursus said:
Is it weird that I low-key kinda like the smell of tobacco smoke when I'm outside? I've got to be outside, though. Outside, it smells like the Dee's parking lot on North Temple when I was a little kid. Outside, it smells like Disneyland. Outside it smells like Ricky Hadden's dad is out smoking under the carport after work, and we're watching G-Force on TV till I head home.

Inside, gross. Outside, nostalgic, exotic, otherworldly. Something is off in my brain, I guess.
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I guess because there was so much tobacco smoke in our house growing up, there's no level of smoke that I could find pleasant. My grandmother lived with us. All she did all day was sit and smoke and watch soap operas. We'd get home from school and see a literal cloud of tobacco smoke about 4-5 from the floor. Plus my mom and dad both smoked... my dad smoked cigars. Gross. Gross. Gross.
 
Doohickie said:
Counterpoint: Tobacco smells 123% worse to me.
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But pipe smoke...smells great. Reminds me of my maternal grandfather.

My first full-time job was in Montana. Our office was on the fourth floor of a warehouse/library building. The director's office had an outside window that slide more than your hotel cannot open enough to jump window. The director was a smoker and cut a small opening in the screen so he could place his cigarette outside. When he shut the door, you knew is was smoke break time. This was 1997 when indoor smoking was already banned.
 
Well, guess which hockey team won last night, ending their 11-game streak? Darn. They were SO close to breaking the league loss record, too.
 
jumbach said:
Why would I want to watch this? All I have to do is watch myself at work.

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC Two - The Planners

A documentary series about the planning process in the UK.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
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Got 'em carrying hard hats, like we're a bunch of field roaming bad-asses. You need that hard hat to make sure those street trees are 2" caliper, eh? Yikes!

True email I just received to my whole department from the executive assistant:

"Dear Fish Cooker,
Several have asked whoever is cooking fish in the morning if they can please cook it upstairs in the breakroom. Thank you!"

We have a small kitchen area in our department, but the full break room is upstairs. What kind of numb-nutz fries fish in an office every morning?! I don't want to believe that they are working with me....and I have really low standards for people. Ask anybody. :)

I'm not one of the several complaining. The kitchen area is over by the engineers. My money is on one of the building inspectors. I'll keep you updated on this socially criminal activity.
 
dandy_warhol said:
Story of my life. I was out sick today so co-worker presented a slide deck I prepared to our Garrison commander. And she got a coin (big deal in military world) for our program. Happy for her but nothing for me. 😡😭🫩🤧
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During most of my time in the Marines challenge coins were not yet a thing. During one of the deployments I was on our Sergeant Major brought along a box of them to hand out and those were the first I had ever seen. We were doing an exercise in Tunisia that involved an amphibious landing and somehow I got tasked with carrying that box of coins from the landing craft to the beach. Along with my rifle and pack and another box of gear I had to carry, that shoebox-size thing of coins probably weighed an extra 40 pounds (or at least it felt like it). I took two steps off of the landing craft into the chest high water and stepped on a rock or something and lost my balance. Something had to go or else everything was going to go so I chucked that box of coins into the surf, never to be seen again.

Moral of the story: If you want a challenge coin, you might be able to find some nice old ones bearing the logo of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit SOC washing up on a beach in Tunisia. :rofl:
 
ursus said:
True email I just received to my whole department from the executive assistant:

"Dear Fish Cooker,
Several have asked whoever is cooking fish in the morning if they can please cook it upstairs in the breakroom. Thank you!"

We have a small kitchen area in our department, but the full break room is upstairs. What kind of numb-nutz fries fish in an office every morning?! I don't want to believe that they are working with me....and I have really low standards for people. Ask anybody. :)

I'm not one of the several complaining. The kitchen area is over by the engineers. My money is on one of the building inspectors. I'll keep you updated on this socially criminal activity.
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"Fish Cooker" should become your new insult in the office. Instead of "Okay, Boomer" when somebody is being old or crotchety, it is now, "Okay, Fish Cooker!"
 
jumbach said:
Yes, the Canucks, and that's the record I was wanting them to beat.

My wife was at a medical appointment yesterday and noticed another patient with a Canucks jersey. She sent her condolences.
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This reminds me that I once bought a Canucks jersey when I was in high school, so probably some time in the winter of 1995 or 1996? I wonder if I still have that packed away somewhere at my parents house...

Of course I was a Wings fan but I always liked the Canucks colors and noticed a Canucks jersey with a steep markdown at a local hockey gear store so I bought it. I'll have to take a look next time I'm out there.
 
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MD Planner said:
That being said, if you or your vehicle reek of weed and you clearly smoke like it's your job I'm going give you a copy of "Up in smoke" on Vinyl.
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Fixed.

Weed smoke does not bother me in public or private, but I go out of my way to not do it around children, while driving/in a vehicle of any sort or near schools. I wouldn't want my children to touch the stuff until the age of 21, if I had children (which I never will). I am glad my State is legal, although Michigan and Washington are better at it.

Reeking of the stuff at 5AM in the sauna is total overkill, unless you are in a specifically 420-friendly gym (very common in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world, I miss training but sport has gotten too expensive/Roganified). I understand wanting the early morning pick-me-up but vapes and edibles exist for a reason.

If jurisdictions where it is illegal are "civilization", well then I bet your civilization has lots of bar fights and people who don't know how to just relax, guy!
 
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