Switched from a big tent to a tiny tarp shelter last year and I'm never going back

For years I used a heavy 4-person dome tent for solo trips, thinking the extra space was worth the weight. Then on a trip to the Gila Wilderness, I saw a guy using a simple 8x10 silnylon tarp and a bug net, and his whole setup weighed maybe 2 pounds. I tried it myself last fall, and after 3 rainy nights, I was totally sold on the simplicity and the feeling of being more connected to the site. Anyone else made a big switch from traditional gear to something more minimal?

A guy at the Tucson forge-in told me my fire management was 'cute' and it lit a fire under me, in a good way.

My cat tried to adopt a garden statue as her new best friend

Today, my cat Mochi spent a solid hour trying to get a concrete garden gnome to play with her. She kept batting at its hat and then looking up at its face, waiting for a reaction. She even brought her favorite mouse toy and dropped it at the gnome's feet, which was equal parts sweet and ridiculous. Has your pet ever tried to befriend something that definitely wasn't alive?

My aunt's wedding dent inspection dilemma

I was at my cousin's wedding last weekend, and my aunt pulls me aside to look at her car. She had a dent from a shopping cart, and she wanted me to check it out right then. I'm in a suit, at a wedding, and she's showing me her bumper. I tried to be nice, said I could give her a quote on Monday, but she kept pushing for a 'family discount'. It's so awkward because I don't want to be rude, but this is how I make a living. I have costs for materials and time, you know? It's not like I can just wave a wand and make it perfect. Plus, doing favors for family always leads to more favors. Now my uncle texted me about his truck's paint chip. It never ends.