What does a bad day look like?
What does a bad day look like? This series takes a look at the mildly frustrating to the seriously unfortunate.
Tune in every Tuesday for a new edition, or scroll down to browse previous topics.
When your realtor second-guesses your better judgement
April 28, 2026
Have you ever done your due diligence for buying a new home—reading, discussing all aspects with specialists in business/real estate, gathering relevant data and comps, and compiling a thorough list—only to be told by your realtor not to sweat the small stuff? As if the very concerns you hold as make-or-break are of little consequence. What do you do?
Don’t be afraid to exert your authority when feeling challenged about a major life choice. If you sense any of the following, say that you are not comfortable going forward and get yourself a thoroughly vetted real estate agent.
- Lack of professionalism
- Not well-versed in current real estate/activity in the area
- Not a great communicator
- Out of the loop on current marketing (including use of old/bad images. comps, etc.)
- Shows signs of being unethical
Going Postal
April 21, 2026
Before I even stepped foot into my new house, I filed a Change-of-Address Request with the United States Postal Service (USPS). This asks them to forward all my mail to my new residence.
Two weeks after moving in, my mailbox was still completely empty. Knowing that I should be receiving bills, I decided to head to the post office and make sure I didn’t have any outstanding tasks.
The worker there assured me that I should be receiving my mail soon. This can be a time-consuming process, especially when new construction is involved.
I waited another week, but still didn’t receive a single letter — not even to my former address.
I came back to the post office, and another employee gave me a green slip. She said to stick that into my mailbox, which will let the mailperson know that they should start delivering to my box.
I did exactly that, making sure to leave the slip partially sticking out so that it’s visible. It sadly sat there for another week in my untouched mailbox.
I took a third trip to the post office, pleading with the supervisor to escalate this matter. At this point, I was expecting mortgage bills, utility payments, and the title to my car.
She handed me a paper and said, “I technically shouldn’t print this out for you, but this document shows that your Change-of-Address Request went through. Go to the warehouse and show this to them.”
I drove straight there, stepped out of my car, and five seconds later, a staff member questioned me: “Are you new here?”
“I don’t work here. I’m here to ask—”
“You need to go to the post office for that.”
I explained to her that I was just there, then presented my document. She steps inside the warehouse, heads back outside, and hands me a gigantic stack of mail.
“Your mailbox is non-complaint. Your Homeowners Association (HOA) needs to build mailbox lockers.”
I gave one of the HOA council members a call, and she said, “Oh. We were informed that we needed to build lockers, but we saw that you have a mailbox and thought it was all taken care of.”
Sometimes, taking a few extra moments to ask questions instead of making assumptions can make a major difference.
This week’s edition was written by Jacob.
“Winter” storm warning in April
April 14, 2026
On April 10, 2026, the headlines* for the Sierra Nevadas read like this: “Winter Storm Warning: Up to 28 Inches of Snow and 80 MPH Gusts Threaten I-80, Highway 50 and Highway 395 Across the Sierra Nevada This Weekend.”
But since the area is well known as a winter sports adventure destination, the news was overall a welcome blast of optimism. You just had to make sure you planned your weekend accordingly as you can see in the tone of the prediction below.
“If you need to cross the Sierra this weekend, today is your last realistic window. The National Weather Service has a Winter Storm Warning active for Mono County and the Donner Pass area, with watches across the Northern Sierra, and what is heading for the mountains starting Friday evening is not a routine spring snow event. Two Pacific systems are stacking back-to-back. The second is stronger. Snow totals above 7,000 feet could reach 28 inches near Lake Tahoe and up to four feet on the highest peaks. Wind gusts along the Sierra crest are forecast at 70 to 80 mph. The NWS says travel ‘could be very difficult to impossible.'”
*News source: Autoblog, Adam Lynton, managing editor.
Cabin Fever
April 7, 2026
What if you lived in the town of Whittier, Alaska, where “the entire population lives within a 14-story building”? Would you enjoy seeing the same folks day after day, living a life within a narrow reality?
Read the article and see what you think.
Invasive shellfish
March 31, 2026
The scenario is this in Shasta Lake, CA: Species of Invasive mussels are spreading across this area and statewide so fast that local and national agencies are working to find a solution to stop the spread. The current program, “Halt the Hitchhiker,” with three phases is touting quite the payoff for winning pitches, a hefty sum of $200,000. This is due to the high cost—more than $1 billion in yearly costs—of what agencies were spending to eradicate the threatening species, even prior to the golden mussels invasion in 2024. The winning proposal must fulfill a tier of defined results.
Read more about it here.
Interminable road closure
March 24, 2026
Not only is a road closed near me for what seems interminably but no one seems to know WHY the road has been closed for more than eight months. I suspect a real estate developer is behind the closure but, thus far, no one is certain. It’s a common thoroughfare for those of us — and there are a lot — who have moved out to a more rural setting. Every day the roadblocks and detour signs are set up to keep us away from our regular route. Ah, the aggravation of it all!
When you’ve lost your kid
March 17, 2026
Buttercup, a Nigerian Dwarf mama goat who gave birth to quadruplets in 2025, couldn’t’ find one of the kids ended up going to some humans on Two Goat Farm for their help. The missing kid, Sprout, was finally found by owner Katie in a tire.
On thin ice
March 10, 2026
A Wisconsin man who’d indulged in a few too many thought he could drive his ice fishing shack onto the ice. Turns out the ice was not near ready, even though a couple of recent nights had hit freezing. According to the Barron County Sheriff’s Office, the guy set his mind to bringing his ice shack onto the “ice.” However, all he ended up catching was an OWI.
Somebody was going ice fishing, come ice or just freezing cold water!
Here’s what Fish Anywhere says in its blog, “The start of ice fishing season varies from year to year and is completely dependant on the thickness of the ice. When the ice is 4 inches thick, humans can walk on the ice safely. Snowmobiles and ATVs can travel across the ice when it reaches 7-12 inches, and full-size trucks should wait until there’s over a foot of ice. It’s very important to check local weather and fishing reports for updates on how thick the ice is before setting out. Here’s a handy tool to understand more about this important factor of ice fishing. Of course the weather ultimately determines when the lakes freeze over. Typically in Wisconsin there’s a layer of ice around late December or early January. The season lasts as long as there’s safe ice, generally March or April, although there have been years when ice-out happens in May. Wisconsin’s DNR (Department of Natural Resources) defines “ice-out” as the first day that all ice is gone. Each season is different, so it’s important to check with local resources before heading to the lake.”
Fish Anywhere, “Ice Fishing in Wisconsin,” published October 16, 2019.
Not Worth the Wait
March 3, 2026
Not even a year after purchasing my first car, a truck’s tire exploded while I was on the interstate and shattered my headlight.
The insurance thankfully covered the costs, but the wait to get it fixed was frustrating to say the least. It took over six months for the repair shop to get the headlight I needed.
When my appointment finally rolled around, I eagerly took my car to the shop, got into my rental, and headed to work.
Then I got a phone call at noon: “We don’t have the headlight yet.”
Apparently, the repair person assigned to fix my car was no longer with the company. Whoever was handed this project didn’t realize the headlight hadn’t arrived until I had already dropped off the rental.
Taking a trip back to the repair shop to pick up my still-not-fixed car definitely made for a bad day.
This week’s edition was written by Jacob.
Meet Hercules, Ned, and Chris!
February 24, 2026
It’s a bad day if you are a part of the troublesome wildlife at a West Virginia airport when border collies Hercules and Ned and their trainer, Chris, are on the job.
Geese, birds, deer—the airport wildlife that can cause birdstrikes or worse don’t stand a chance when the Charleston, West Virginia, Pup Patrol and its trainer are laser-focused on the safety of the runway.
Watch the video.
