I read somewhere that the JMT rangers started cracking down hard on this around 2021 because too many people were getting caught without proper food storage. A buddy of mine got hit with a $200 fine last summer near Whitney Portal for the same thing. It's one of those bits of advice that might have worked a few years ago but not anymore. The rangers are definitely checking more now, especially at popular entry points like Happy Isles and Tuolumne Meadows.

Met a guy at my shop in Portland who only bought comics with bad covers. Said he liked the disappointment. Told me half the fun is finding a terrible story with a rad cover. Then he pulled out a 90s Superman with a mullet and a fanny pack. Said it was his grail. I laughed but now I kinda get it. You stop caring about what something is worth and just enjoy the weird stuff.

Oh boy, you've hit on something I've been tracking myself. I grew up in Vermont and we used to get our first measurable snow by Halloween most years, now it's often Thanksgiving or later before we see any real accumulation. My old logbooks from the 1980s show we'd have 40 to 50 days of subzero temperatures in a typical winter, but last winter we barely had 10. The maple syrup season has shifted by nearly three weeks earlier than when I was a kid, which throws off the whole sugaring routine we've done for generations.

My 1 hour 45 minute average after setting a 2 hour hard cap really opened my eyes. I used to think those app blockers were just gimmicks, but now I see they actually work because the lockout is instant and final. It forced me to realize I was just mindlessly scrolling before, not actually enjoying the content.

Just showing up at the same coffee shop a few times a week helped me start chatting with regulars. Trading a quick nod turned into real conversations over time.