Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Week Five in McNeal

     The good news: we're missing a big blizzard in Colorado. The Brick is almost gleeful about what we're not putting up with -- but I feel funny. Almost guilty.

                 Snow in Feb. 2021 -- just before we left for AZ

     The bad news: I'm also missing our family and friends. It's one thing to talk about being away from them, and another communicating by texts, phone and FaceTime. (With my skills, they're probably looking up my nose more often in FT than not.) 

Saturday's snowstorm in McNeal -- and it really was one, for a while.

   We'll be here a while longer, finishing up commitments. The Brick is also taking this time to make some much-needed repairs on the fifth-wheel. I want to do some inventory, checking to see what we've got -- and what we don't have. We plan to do some boondocking in a few weeks, 

and I want to make sure we're ready. 

Meanwhile:

More agony in Portland. At least the police seem to be proactive this time. Somewhat. Though I doubt that's comforting to the businesses whose windows got smashed. Again.

More protesters killed in Myanmar -- at least 21 on one day alone. Add them to the list...

A BIG deer/auto crash!  Speaking of:

The mystery boom that shook San Diego.  Any ideas what it was?

Free fishing days -- check which days this happens in your state.  

Ten finds on old ships and shipwrecks.  (From Listverse) Speaking of:

Revolutionary War era cannons are found in the Savannah River. Could they be from the HMS Rose?

While we're at it:  a closer look at Japan's 'sunken city.'  Do you think it's natural...or man-made?

How a kid's plaything on a princess dress suddenly became a real royal gem.

Ordinary people who became an integral part of history.  (From Ranker)

How to keep your food from getting stolen at work!    I am fascinated by clever ideas like this, ever since the Brick saved his milk (for use in his coffee) from disappearing by writing "spoiled milk" on the carton.

It's ok to be cheap!  (From the Nonconsumer Advocate)

A DIGITAL artwork just sold for $69 million. Wow. (Beeple, the artist behind it, has been compiling for 13 years -- but still...)

A fossilized dinosaur found -- still sitting on her eggs. This one's a first.

Harvard University offers degrees in "feeling oppressed." (From the Babylon Bee. Yes, this is satirical. Or is it...)

A Christian college student wins his right to free speech on campus.

Living secretly inside a baseball stadium? This guy did it.

It was supposed to be gone from Scotland -- but the Lady Amherst pheasant apparently is back. Here's another look at this unusual bird. 

It's sure nothing like the pheasants I grew up with.

Don't trash your favorite sweater -- make mittens from it, instead.

The FBI were investigating a "cultural heritage site" in Pennsylvania -- not digging for Civil War gold back in 2018. Yeah, right. Uh-huh. Just like the military weren't excavating Victorio Peak.     (Or not.)

* * * * * * * *

So...President Biden will 'resign' if he disagrees with VP Harris on a serious policy? That's what he said. Is he making a 'peculiar joke,' as the article is trying to imply? Or is he a bit serious? (This is MSN reporting a CNN interview, people...not Fox News, as some of my Gentle Readers are fond of pointing out.)

     I am having great difficulty trying to imagine Trump saying this, ever. Or Obama. Either of the Bushes. Or Clinton. Or any President...except maybe Warren "Good-Times" Harding. 

     This could be written off as a joke...if I hadn't just read an article that said VP Harris has been making a series of phone calls to world leaders -- by herself. Granted, the article points out that other VPs have done this -- but not to the extent, early on, that Harris has done. It also seems odd that as of this writing, Biden STILL has not done a solo press conference. Twice, he offered to take questions -- then the feed suddenly shut down. In other cases, he's hustled offstage or out of earshot. Here's a British report on the subject.

     Who was elected President, again??

* * * * * * * *

A 'pink sleep elixir' that helps you snooze. I am skeptical, but intrigued...

A platform bed, out of a dresser?  This is one of the the best make-something-out-of-nothing ideas I've seen in a long time.

The mystery of the lonely skull.  (From Atlas Obscura)

A French student admits to lying about her teacher disrespecting Muslims -- but that didn't stop him from being beheaded by a vengeful assassin. (In fact, the girl wasn't even in class that day. Didn't anyone check, especially her parents?? Noooo.)

The first lines from Beowulf, that creepy saga of Beowulf the heroic Viking fighting the monster Grendel (and his mom) -- but done in the original Old English. 

I have a soft spot in my heart for this saga; I studied Old English in grad school. It is a wonderful way to understand our language. Yes, it's disgusting at times -- fights are that way. It's also swashbuckling, tragic and incredibly heroic.

Dog shaming photos. Can you ever get enough of these...the labrador ones are even funnier. 

     I read these when Ruby is being a real brat. (She likes to bark at people, terrifying them, then runs up to be petted by same. She's also known to steal food off the counter now and then.)

                                                          "Not me, Mommm!"

An interesting way of looking at the recent Meghan/Harry/Oprah interview -- and it ain't good for the royal family's future. (Not that we Americans didn't see this coming long ago...but we have our own leadership troubles to deal with.)

Wisdom the albatross has hatched another chick -- and she's 70 years old. Wisdom, that is. Documented.

Spaghizza -- a cross between spaghetti and pizza.  (From MoneySaving Mom)

'Secret tunnels' found in Wales -- or are they just old water systems?

Have a great week. Erin go bragh.