On a more light-hearted note, lest we forget other recent tribulations:
I’m so sorry. Here’s hoping that’s the end of your bad news this year.
update of sorts: SIL spoke with the nurse this morning, just before boarding her flight to their town FIL has had a second stroke.
At this point, our plans are to go to the cousin’s funeral tomorrow morning, then immediately get back on the highway and drive south. It’s another 900ish miles; at least the funeral is right on the way. We’ll play the rest of the week by ear. if this afternoon’s news is bad enough, we’ll start out today and skip the funeral.
Boy, some of these rants are really not mini at all, are they?
Here’s a mini-rant for you: I don’t understand why carmakers have decided to stop manufacturing cars with turn signals. I was behind a late-model Toyota today which apparently didn’t have them. Yesterday it was a late-model American car, same deal. C’mon, car manufacturers, get with the program…these things are important.
(Mini enough for you?)
Here is an article almost 15 years old now…
In a written statement, a Chrysler spokesperson said that with turn signal usage falling below 10 percent…
“Our studies of vehicle equipment usage found that sixty-five percent of drivers were unaware that their cars actually had a turn signal device,” the press release revealed. “Of the thirty-five percent that were aware of the devices, only half even knew how to use them.”
If there was any question about how stupid the average person was.
At least where I live, using a turn signal is mandatory and failing to do so can earn you a ticket.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.305
It seems to me like even though I do notice people who don’t signal, most do. Maybe it’s just other parts of the US where people never signal. But it’s crazy to me that manufacturers will make cars that lack features that you need to legally operate it on the road.
I can’t imagine not signaling when I turn or change lanes. That’s how you drive. Is that not being taught?!
I strongly suspect the cited article of being satirical. 
With that said, in my area, it can actually be dangerous to tip off enemy drivers as to what you’re about to do. They WILL speed up to block a signaled maneuver. I’ve nearly been hit on multiple occasions by someone who did that. I’ve also nearly been run off the road, I’ve missed exits because they intentionally block lane changes, I’ve been forced into exits I didn’t want for the same reason…
This one doesn’t seem satirical though, and it’s also disturbing.
Drivers fail to use turn signals 48 percent of the time when changing lanes and 25 percent of the time when making a turn, according to a report by automotive engineer Richard Ponziani, who observed 12,000 turning vehicles. That’s two billion times a day that Americans do not use turn signals.
Ponziani conducted his field study in Dayton, Ohio, which is in the Midwest, where people are nice.
It’s a 40 MPH ground blizzard here in MT with a LOT more snow on the way, and my tractor just threw a code and went into limp mode. Parked the truck by the highway, but otherwise we’re trapped. Not happy.
And yet where I live, it might take three chocolate frosted donuts and a coffee just to get a patrolman to pay attention. Your state sounds much more fun.
You live in the Boston area don’t you?
When I go to visit I have to channel my inner Masshole.
I, on the other hand, drew a comment from my wife recently when I mindlessly used a turn signal to choose the right-hand fork…in my own driveway.
The norovirus has struck our household. To make matters worse, we accidentally took it to my parents house (we didn’t know we were that sick as we were driving down there. I thought I was just having some IBS nonsense). I feel horrible. But at least I don’t feel like vomiting anymore.
So, returned Saturday from St Martin. Last years return was made more difficult by my gf deciding to bring a puppy home from the island. Extra weight for me to carry, having to go through the Department of Agriculture’s screening, etc.
This year I put my foot down. No puppy. She agreed. But we stopped at a cheese store on the Dutch side. She purchased a 20 pound wheel of Gouda. Of course she had no room for it in her carry-on, so I was tasked with it.
She knew it would create condensation, so she “helped me out” by wrapping the wheel in a plastic garbage bag. I wrapped my beach towel around it and put it in my backpack carry-on. It was fucking heavy.
Then the TSA guy in Charlotte pulled me aside. He was very serious. I had my hands swabbed, but I guess I passed. Then he asked “is this your carry-on?” and I said sure. He opened the bag and carefully removed my cheese. He carefully unwrapped the towel, then the plastic bag. He looked at me and I said, “it’s Gouda cheese”.
He did a bunch of swabs, then relaxed. He turned his screen around and explained to me that condensation appears a certain way and can be present on things that are dangerous (explosives?). I laughed and repacked my bag.
Wonder what will happen next year.
Nope, Sacramento, CA.
Pretty much all of CA also requires my inner Masshole.
Greta Thunberg has a book out, not written by her.
All the replies on twitter are wondering why its okay to destroy all those trees, sending a mixed message.
The ads for it summarize it as Capitalism is bad.
Next year you go by yourself? 
Nah, she’s perfect except for the trip home.
So I have two packages of chile roasted pistachios. The packages have the ziplock type resealing system so you can keep the nuts fresh after opening the package. Except the ziplock on the first package is broken, there is no way to get it to seal. So I am stuck having to eat the entire package of pistachios. Oh, the humanity. This is probably the worst thing to ever happen.
Hmm, I wonder if I should open the second package, just to check if the ziplock works…
This is yet another reason why I keep plenty of my own resealable bags around. I’ve bought plenty of food in malfunctioning resealable packaging, I just put it in one of my own bags and problem solved.
(They’re also great for leftovers or making my kid’s lunch.)