Pandemic Shopping Spree

Since the jury’s still out on whether the pandemic is over, or we’re gearing up for round 2? 3? 5? As far as I’m concerned, the spree is still going strong. #retailtherapyforever

Any guesses? More to come on this treasure, but I’m lacking in photos of the finished product at the moment.




And last year I bought a car!

 

Everyone I've known who had a Mini Cooper loved it for driving, but not so much for passengers (more than one) or carrying any serious amount of gear.

We won't have any more pandemics. Verruckterfuhrer won't allow the testing, or the reporting, which of course means there isn't a problem. Gehnyus thinking at its best!

 

I’ve found the Countryman to be suitable for my gear-hauling needs, which typically doesn’t amount to much. A roof rack accommodates two bikes, but I can actually fit mine in the back with a wheel removed and the seats folded down.



A future foolishly frivolous purchase may end up being a rooftop tent (this guy’s been an inspiration), wherein a hitch rack will take the place of the rooftop bike rack. But that’s gonna be a while.

Surprisingly enough the few passengers I’ve ferried around so far have said the back seat ride is comfortable and roomy, so I’ll take their word for it.

I may not drive too often, but this is my dream car and I love it. I wanted a manual, but this one checks all my other boxes and I wouldn’t trade it.

 

He, actually. His name is Pennington. He’s named after a real snowy owl who was captured and banded in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

His other grille badge is an adaptation of a photo of the owl himself.

 

You probably know this already as a former MINI owner, but giving your car a name is pretty much required. As a white-with-black-accents kinda fella, he was channeling snowy owl vibes from the start. Either that or Stormtrooper vibes, which… meh. I’m not much of a Star Wars fan, so anything stormtrooper related was out right away. And I’m not a Harry Potter fan either, so “Hedwig” was also not an option I considered.

I was already familiar with Project Snowstorm, the initiative to capture and band snowy owls moving into the lower 48 that (I think) kicked off during the major snowy owl irruption of 2013-2014. In fact, I saw my first ever in-person snowy owl driving back from my parents’ place in Delaware after the New Year with GenticShift, as we were getting ready to cross the Chesapeake Bay.

I went on the Project Snowstorm website to look for British-sounding names, and “Pennington” was perfect. He was almost all-white, had been tagged not long after my car was built, and was discovered in the UP, whose wintry wonderland I already felt a connection to for reasons.

His nickname, Penny, also rhymes with my bike’s nickname, Svenny.

 

That’s a very specific type of passenger, requiring a lot of space!

 

My wife is originally from the UK, she remembers when the Mini was truly mini. I remember when two Honda Civics could fit in one parking spaces, back when US parking lots were striped for huge cars.