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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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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. Probably the coolest tee shirt design I've ever seen.

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Back in college, I had this pattern applied on a black tee shirt, but the samurai cat is cooler

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Wrong thread...

But, in keeping with random, we signed our youngest up for baseball on Monday and found out yesterday that the first practice is tomorrow. So tonight we are going to the sports store to get him proper shoes.
 
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When I do TV interviews, messages for the City's social media, or I am in meetings (virtual or in-person) I will drop sayings or quotes from TV shows in to see if my buddies at work pick up on the reference. I did a live video interview with our local SBDC today and wanted to include the line "For the community, by the community" in one response (from the show Shoresy)... but felt I would break out laughing if I did...

This will forever be a quest of mine... and I will do better in the next one.
 
has been posted on Twitter numerous times -

Cycled a rail trail converted greenwayā€”pedals on history's tracks.
 
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luckless pedestrian said:
Hey I am on the Housing Matters podcast that just got released today, if anyone is listening to podcasts and wants to hear me blab about housing
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I listened to it on the way home yesterday! Excellent!

I heard some things that we could discuss down here. Very different city size, but some of the zoning and permitting ideas sound interesting and doable.
 
arcplans said:
same resident went on another rant on FB local group chat calling for me to be fired. Now a few Council members are starting to ask questions. How do y'all deal with this? Like this stuff really tanks my mental health, especially when its filled with half truths, and just riling up the masses for just doing my job.
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I don't 'do' facebook or any real social media. I was told by a friend that one of the local complainers (he's really tough online) wrote something on facebook dogging me a lot. They didn't tell me what it said & I don't want to know because I don't really care. I could've looked at it from a friends account.

I saw this person the other day and approached him. I said "Hi XXXX. I heard you were talking about me the other day. Thanks man I appreciate you thinking of me." & walked away. He had no response. I'm living rent-free in is head.
 
bureaucrat#3 said:
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.
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Much of Metro Detroit is laid out on a grid where the east/west roads are perfectly aligned with the sun at certain hours in the spring and fall. The worst area though is along a particular highway where you go around a slight curve and come into an area with a couple high rise buildings all built in the 1970s or '80s and clad in a shade of rose gold glass that is extremely effective. The light reflecting off of those buildings is aimed perfectly at drivers headed towards downtown on bright sunny spring and summer days.
 
Planit said:
I don't 'do' facebook or any real social media. I was told by a friend that one of the local complainers (he's really tough online) wrote something on facebook dogging me a lot. They didn't tell me what it said & I don't want to know because I don't really care. I could've looked at it from a friends account.

I saw this person the other day and approached him. I said "Hi XXXX. I heard you were talking about me the other day. Thanks man I appreciate you thinking of me." & walked away. He had no response. I'm living rent-free in is head.
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šŸŽ¤šŸŽ¤šŸŽ¤
 
I love the one person in the office that is hot and will unilaterally turn the AC on during a meeting, while the 10 of us are cold.

In the same vein, the "cubicle bullpen" in the center of the city hall staff area has the lights off... because one person doesn't like fluorescent lights.
 
Our community school is closing :( I am thankful that my youngest got to attend a neighborhood school that she walked to for 4 years. NJ's school funding formula has cut state funding for many middle class districts, diverting funds to low income districts that don't have as robust of a property tax base. Combined with a Christie era 2% tax cap it's really straining many districts, even larger ones. We had a referendum for a 27% increase on the school tax portion of the property tax bill which would have increased about $500 annually for the typical home, but all the old people voted against it so it failed leaving few options on the table.

 
kjel said:
Our community school is closing :( I am thankful that my youngest got to attend a neighborhood school that she walked to for 4 years. NJ's school funding formula has cut state funding for many middle class districts, diverting funds to low income districts that don't have as robust of a property tax base. Combined with a Christie era 2% tax cap it's really straining many districts, even larger ones. We had a referendum for a 27% increase on the school tax portion of the property tax bill which would have increased about $500 annually for the typical home, but all the old people voted against it so it failed leaving few options on the table.

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I don't have many nice things to say about Kansas, but I'm glad my kids did their grade school years there. Unlike Arizona where we've spread the school funding so thin to charter schools and now a voucher program. Public schools have no ability to survive due to lack of funding and spreading kids around to any school they feel like attending. It's a nightmare.

We also can't get bond through. Our bonds might amount to half of your $500, but the old people hate any increase.
 
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