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RTDNTOTO šŸ» Random Thoughts Deserving No Thread Of Their Own 21 (2026)

My youngest daughter, who until recently had no interest in the outdoors, has decided she wants to go backpacking with friends for spring break. Itā€™s a bit ambitious since she has only camped once as a young adult, though she has done quite a bit of hiking over the past year.

Sheā€™s borrowing some of my old gear that hasnā€™t been used in years. Iā€™ve also bought her a few items, though she understands that accepting the gear means she now has to go backpacking with me too, which sheā€™s agreed to. Iā€™m confident sheā€™ll be fine, but my wife is less certain, so I agreed to buy a satellite communication and tracking device for peace of mind.

I havenā€™t bought backpacking gear in 30 years, and itā€™s amazing what has stayed the same and what has changed. Everything is much lighter now, but itā€™s also a lot more expensive, but probably not as much as it appears when you factor in inflation. There are also far more options for just about everything.
 
zman said:
You people have held me back long enough...!

Im going across the street for a Snickers bar... !
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are you just not yourself?

College Joy GIF by Baylor University
 
MD Planner said:
Dude, that is not close. That IS a threat. He should have gotten more than a talking to.
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Well, how many times have you said to a kid, sibling, spouse, or pet "I'm going to kill you!" with absolutely no intention of following through, but as an expression? That was the case here.

Regardless, there was extra security in our building for a while afterward.
 
Big Owl said:
How's that not a threat? Dude said he was going to come in with an AK-47 to let you know what he thinks of your policies."
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Seemed like enough to let the cops know, but, ultimately, the DA said it wasn't enough, since the guy had absolutely no weapons of any kind. Personally, I wouldn't say that in a government office or on a recorded line, even though we have zero weapons in our house too. It sure seemed like a threat to me, too, but it's the DA that made the decision otherwise.
 
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Last week the boiler at City Hall was out and it was cold here... my office was in the mid to upper 40's at times until the space heater warmed things up. Parts were ordered and it is being repaired...




However...



Because it is being repaired, the whole system is down, including the AC. It is 80 in here at the moment.

They say it should be operational by end of day tomorrow.
 
Blinded by the sun on the commute in this morning. I'd noticed that in recent weeks the sky has been changing from pitch black to a pale light on the horizon during my usual commute. Finally we're at the stage where the sun is above the horizon during this time. Problem is, my commute is primarily due east in the morning, so it's blinding/unsafe in the mornings for about a two or three week window. Unfortunately, because I'm driving primarily due west on the commute home, there is a similar window during early December where one is blinded after work due to the sun being low on the horizon.

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Here's a pleasant thought: exactly four months from today you can be sitting in your back yard grilling burgers and brats, and then heading out afterwards to watch a parade and then some fireworks. The night will be balmy and you can drive home with the windows down.

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More snow last night - around mid-March is when I long for a conference or a trip somewhere where they have spring
 
Maister said:
Blinded by the sun on the commute in this morning. I'd noticed that in recent weeks the sky has been changing from pitch black to a pale light on the horizon during my usual commute. Finally we're at the stage where the sun is above the horizon during this time. Problem is, my commute is primarily due east in the morning, so it's blinding/unsafe in the mornings for about a two or three week window. Unfortunately, because I'm driving primarily due west on the commute home, there is a similar window during early December where one is blinded after work due to the sun being low on the horizon.

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And I thought I was the only one. Is that light green or red? Don't know, all I can see is the glorious sun!
 
luckless pedestrian said:
More snow last night - around mid-March is when I long for a conference or a trip somewhere where they have spring
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My local chapter always used to plan the spring conference in the south and fall in the north. Always looked forward to spring to be in a location that was 20+ degrees warmer and coming out of winter. Nice change. Last several years they have not always followed this pattern.
 
DVD said:
And I thought I was the only one. Is that light green or red? Don't know, all I can see is the glorious sun!
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In Marquette, every mid January they have Orehenge when the sun lines up with the historic Iron Ore Dock at the end of Downtown.

Orehenge

I have been taking daily sunrise photos since January 1, 2019 throughout the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Lake Superior.
yearofthesunrise.com yearofthesunrise.com

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Maister said:
Blinded by the sun on the commute in this morning. I'd noticed that in recent weeks the sky has been changing from pitch black to a pale light on the horizon during my usual commute. Finally we're at the stage where the sun is above the horizon during this time. Problem is, my commute is primarily due east in the morning, so it's blinding/unsafe in the mornings for about a two or three week window. Unfortunately, because I'm driving primarily due west on the commute home, there is a similar window during early December where one is blinded after work due to the sun being low on the horizon.

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First world problem. šŸ˜œ
 
Maister said:
Blinded by the sun on the commute in this morning. I'd noticed that in recent weeks the sky has been changing from pitch black to a pale light on the horizon during my usual commute. Finally we're at the stage where the sun is above the horizon during this time. Problem is, my commute is primarily due east in the morning, so it's blinding/unsafe in the mornings for about a two or three week window. Unfortunately, because I'm driving primarily due west on the commute home, there is a similar window during early December where one is blinded after work due to the sun being low on the horizon.

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Our downtown streets are at a slight angle from the rest of the city's orientation. In February and March you can be blinded by driving on the east west avenues. Its really bad at one or two spots in the morning where you pop up over a hill and get hit by the sun saying hello.
 
My commute is primarily north-south, however the first block and the last 2 blocks are east-west.
In those short stretches, it can be blinding in the morning and returning in the evening.
 
Heading east into town in the morning is easy. It's mostly driving south and the little bit of east road has the sun blocked by towering buildings. Driving home, the north stretch is no problem, it's the west road where the sun stabs your eyeballs out and never even a cloud to slow it down. Just straight eyeball murder.
 
Planit said:
My commute is primarily north-south, however the first block and the last 2 blocks are east-west.
In those short stretches, it can be blinding in the morning and returning in the evening.
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And when I experience that, I get a reminder that I need to replace my windshield due to light diffusion created by pockmarks. Love to pay $800 so the sensors in the car can be recalibrated - no windshield insurance coverage. I don't know the process but can't imagine that cost is justified. I have not replaced (my second) for a few years but do have a side to bottom crack on the passenger side. Occurred two months after installation.
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
And when I experience that, I get a reminder that I need to replace my windshield due to light diffusion created by pockmarks. Love to pay $800 so the sensors in the car can be recalibrated - no windshield insurance coverage. I don't know the process but can't imagine that cost is justified. I have not replaced (my second) for a few years but do have a side to bottom crack on the passenger side. Occurred two months after installation.
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Another reason I hate newer cars. You can't even replace the windshield without having to calibrate a bunch of sensors. They've found a way to make everything require super technical knowledge so poor DVD can't do it himself.
 
Maister said:
Blinded by the sun on the commute in this morning. I'd noticed that in recent weeks the sky has been changing from pitch black to a pale light on the horizon during my usual commute. Finally we're at the stage where the sun is above the horizon during this time. Problem is, my commute is primarily due east in the morning, so it's blinding/unsafe in the mornings for about a two or three week window. Unfortunately, because I'm driving primarily due west on the commute home, there is a similar window during early December where one is blinded after work due to the sun being low on the horizon.

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I have that same issue, and, luckily, in a few days it will be a non-issue.

But that's why I adjust my "leave home" time schedule in the mornings in September. Leaving 18 minutes earlier is enough to solve the problem. Can't do much about leaving work, though, as I have to stay until 5.
 
If someone wants to get me this tee shirt I wouldn't complain. Just saying.

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