Sitting in my work van at a red light i spot a woman approximately 150ft away exiting an office building through a revolving glass door. She’s pushing the door when it comes to a sudden stop. Confused she gives it a forceful push before realizing an elderly woman was trying to enter the same door and had become stuck half in half out and that why the wasn’t spinning. With an embarrassed look on her face our eyes lock and we both start laughing. Our interaction was wordless and brief but I still remember it after 30 years

When driving in snow or icy roads it’s worth knowing that there are times where it’s best not to panic and slam on the brakes. Sometimes it’s safer to take your foot off of both the brake and gas pedals particularly if there is little danger of colliding with what’s in front of you. Every fiber in your body may be telling you to hit the brakes but you have to ignore it, similar to encountering a bear in the wild and your body wants to run. It’s counterintuitive. I highly suggest finding an empty parking lot full of snow and driving around. Try to make the car slide. It’s best to learn in an environment like this. Same thing goes for when your car drives through a puddle of water or just as importantly when half your car drives through a puddle. Two tires locking up while the other two get no traction can cause a spin out or loss of control.

Staying dry is just as important as staying warm. Melting snow on a mild day can soak your feet. Sweating from dressing too warm can make you clammy and cold. Minor adjustments in your clothing like removing or adding a hat or gloves can make a big difference. A scarf or neck gaitor can make a big difference.

Another driving one… check your driving app of choice for traffic before you’re leaving the house. Be patient. Know when to put your foot down and tell your boss it’s just not worth it.

Lastly, take up a winter activity. You may find yourself (like me) looking forward to winter. Buy cross-country skis and it will never snow enough

Not a specific brand but style of electric heater. I prefer the oil filled ones. They make zero noise and safer because they don’t have an exposed heating element that can catch things on fire by coming in contact. The one have has a temperature setting and a clock that can be programmed to turn itself on/off at designated times. Cons are they take a while to heat up and are a bit larger. Mine is tall and thin, looks a bit like a boiler radiator. The big hardware chain stores sell them, I’d expect to pay around $100.

Looked it up on home depot website. They have a lot to pick from. Some are cheaper but with less features https://www.homedepot.com/p/NewAir-Portable-400-Watt-Electric-Oil-Filled-Silent-Slim-Fit-Design-Under-Desk-Heater-with-Energy-Efficient-Operation-White-AH-400/205588528

I use this VH trick at work occasionally for fun just to see if anyone reads my service report. “Your boilers are about to fail in the middle of winter but don’t worry I sprinkled pixie dust on them and did a rain dance”. Never heard from anyone not even my boss. One customer I used to write “Does anyone ever read these? If so call me at (phone number)”. I handed it to the man in charge, he pretended to read it, signed it and handed it back to me. The only one my boss called about was the one I wrote that simply said “I took a shit in the floor drain here”

There’s some mayonnaise in the fridge a couple years old I’ll use on sandwiches. After family holiday get togethers there’s always leftover ham or turkey, that’s about the only time I’ll use mayonnaise. Every year I’ll pull it out, look at the expiration date and make a choice. Go get a new jar that will only get a third used or live life on the edge and slather on the old stuff. I call it refrigerator roulette

My theory also is to have 3 hobbies but a different take: One that you can do at home when you have free time, I play guitar. One that gets you out of the house, I fly fish. One that gives you something to look forward to, I used to go on monthly backpacking trips but as I get older they’re turning into fishing trips

As said, don’t click on it. I also avoid clicking on an any article who’s headline is a question

If you like rock and roll then I recommend Night Flight streaming service. They were running a deal if you paid for the year it cost less than $5 a month

When entering the Everglades NP my girlfriend and I were handed one of those folded maps with info on the park. Early 90’s BTW. We went to a campground and set up our tent then soon decided to drive out of the park to buy groceries. On the drive out we saw a convertible pulled over to the side of the road, it’s occupants looking at something. We looked and I saw the back end of a large cat walking away. My first impression was who could abandon a cat here? It will get eaten by alligators. Soon I realized it was no ordinary house cat. The brochure we were given stated there were nine known Florida panthers left in the million acre park.

Was wearing my blue Dickies work uniform while browsing at MicroCenter when a woman behind me says “Shouldn’t you be at work?”. I turn around and say "Yes. Yes I should "

Native Howl - Thunderhead https://youtu.be/CvBiXBSEGDY?si=qBzVCUfOj1l9BEf6

One thing that helped me relax when learning to drive: 99% of the time you only need to worry about what’s directly in front of you. Unless you’re changing lanes or backing up that’s your main priority. Yeah it’s good to be a defensive driver and anticipate things and that will come with time. Don’t be overstimulated by every detail around you, know what to focus on. I hope this helps you relax like it did me

Yeah it’s uncomfortable as hell to sit with anything in back pockets. I’ve actually utilized this at work. My customers often have me sign out contractor keys that I must return before leaving. Keeping them in a back pocket prevents me from driving away with them. I’ll know as soon as I sit down if I didn’t return them

I too prefer to not having anything in my pants pockets. Can’t wait until it get cool enough to wear a light jacket so I can utilize it’s pockets

Occasionally I come across camps while fishing local rivers. Homeless folks tend to set up within walking distance of some kind of support like places that give out meals. I spotted a camp last fall across the river from me thinking it was a dumb place to set up. In a suburban park in full view of a paved trail. A few days later the newspaper ran an article about a woman dead from exposure being found inside

Yeah but developed a quick explanation for it: Industrial water treatment tech for HVAC. You know how having a swimming pool or hot tub requires some chemistry? I do that for water in boilers and cooling towers used to heat or cool big buildings

Food server/bartender jobs come to mind. Not only do you meet a lot of people but they often are repeat customers. People would rather hire someone they are familiar with than a stranger off the street and it helps if they see you have a good work ethic. If you are like me and don’t have a college degree don’t underestimate qualities you may have that will work for you. Just by showing up with a positive attitude and being trustworthy puts you ahead. Every job I’ve had in adulthood came by word of mouth and they have all been small businesses. The job I wouldn’t recommend is a factory job. They often will pay a couple of bucks more and seem ideal if you don’t want to deal with the public but you won’t meet many people besides your coworkers unless you work the dock. I hope this helps, good luck

Find yourself a job where you meet lots of people. This will make it easier to find a better job

Also gas lines and radiator hoses

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#1: porcupines will chew through anything