iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Maybe it's just a weird year. (... botanically.) The other type of ornamental clematis looks really different too. Left is its usual color, right is current. It's not just a trick of the light, it looks pinker and almost like it's glowing! Really eye-catching.

A side by side of two different photos of flowers. They are of the same plant in different years. One shows a bloom that is lavender with faint stripes, while the other is more pink and the stripes are much more distinct.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

After 7 years, one of my ornamental clematis finally decided to reach out horizontally and take advantage of the top crossbar of the trellis. I'm happy that it finally looks how I'd imagined! But also a little confused that it took this long.

A photo of a vine with large dark purple flowers. It is wrapped around a support structure, mostly climbing vertically but with some tendrils starting to grow horizontally along the top.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

This is a cat checkpoint. Relinquish your most recent cat photo from your phone

A photo of a grey and white long-haired cat who is poking his head out of a paper bag. His eyes look unusual because the bag is pulling his skin tight as he pushes his head out.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

I know there are a million bigger problems in the world right now, but as a tradeswoman this kind of thing fills me with incandescent rage. It's 2026, why are you gendering your ad for a god damn backpack?

A screenshot showing a description of a backback from Duluth Trading Co.

"One thing about Duluth men - you sure aren't shy about speaking your mind. Like the way you've been pelting us with pleas to bring back the Fire Hose Bulldozer Backpack"

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Like this sweet-ass mural I've driven past possibly hundreds of times and never noticed.

The backside of a strip mall building, featuring a mural of a black unicorn emerging from a clump of red roses

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Accurate. I was trying to make my couch time productive, by sorting through an embarrassingly large mail pile

A human hand being held down by a cat paw. Various bits of mail are visible on the table in the background.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Oh yeah, that site is a great resource. I had totally forgotten about these entries - you called it! Looks like it was converted to natural gas in 1946. Also wow, if this is the same company as Standard Heating & Air, they've been working on my house for at least 80 years.

A permit card with typewritten entries. The lines are as follows
Gas burner - 10-1-46 - Standard Htg Co. - $60
Gravity W.A. Htg - 10-4-46 - Standard Htg Co. - $545
Transf.-gas - 10-7-46 - V. E. Frykman - $20

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

This is all they have in that area right now.

A screenshot from the Citizen app, of an entry titled "Report of police activity with helicopter." No other helpful information is given.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Checking in with proof that my household is in compliance with this rule

A grey and white long-haired cat in a sunbeam

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

This is a phoenix; you cannot convince me otherwise.

A view of the northern lights, where the pink part happens to have taken the rough shape of a bird with its wings outstretched.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Can't believe I've been putting up with this douchebag for 14 years. Happy gotcha day, Loki.

A photo of a half-grown brindle puppy with brown eyes, holding a zebra chew toy.

A photo of a brown brindle dog laying on a couch. His eyes are a little cloudy and his muzzle has heavily greyed.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Trying to sort through and downsize my crap (so far I've mostly just made a bigger mess) and found this genuine vintage item. First edition!

A photo of a writeable CD in a case, with a handwritten label reading "Red VS Blue".

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 26/04/2025

Then I just had to paint it (two coats of exterior house paint), re-install the door and the window, and cut + sand a piece of plywood for a shelf. There's a corner cut out of the shelf so that I can get a finger around it to pull it out. It's stabilized with concrete piled in the bottom.

Former newspaper box, now painted red and full of books.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 26/04/2025

So, I wound up finding a water soluble primer that *supposedly* works over both powder coat and bare metal - Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3. It seemed to adhere ok. It's definitely not as tough as the powder coat. Won't reach its full strength for a few more days (but can be painted over after one hour).

Former newspaper box, door removed, every surface covered in white primer.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

The rust on the corner of the door was bad enough that I had to cut out the whole corner and weld a patch in. Probably could have stabilized it other ways, but you know how they say that when you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail?... T̶h̶e̶ ̵p̶a̶t̶c̶h̶ ̵i̶s̶ ̵n̶o̶t̶ ̵m̶y̶ ̵b̶e̶s̶t̶ ̵w̶o̶r̶k̶ it has character now.

The newspaper box from the front, with a very noticeable patch in one corner of the door.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

Mechanism removed, permanent shelf supports welded in. The rod and springs are from the door, which had to be removed so that I could patch the corner. It was easy - just tapped the rod all the way out from the side, using a narrower rod.

The inside of the newspaper box, showing that the moving platform was removed and replaced with permanent angle iron to support a shelf.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

Another issue to overcome is the painting. I'm not sure whether it's necessary to remove the powder coat, or what kind of paint/primer will work. The guy who dropped it off said that a lot of people send them out to be painted. The base paint and the letters both resisted removal via wire wheel.

The side of the newspaper box after being hit with a wire cup brush. Lots of green and white swirls, very little bare metal.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

This is what the inside of the unit looks like. The platform is hanging from springs, so that it lowers as weight is added. The pavers in the bottom stabilize the unit. My plan is to remove this entire mechanism and replace it with a fixed shelf.

The inside of the newspaper box, showing a platform hanging from springs. Concrete pavers are just visible underneath it.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

There were also these holes in the back. I was concerned about moisture getting in, so I welded some sheet metal on to cover them.

Two manufactured holes in the back of the newspaper box. The paint around the holes has been sanded off in preparation for welding patches over them.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

The coin box was just bolted on, so it was fairly easy to remove, but the bolt heads were welded to the inside of the main box. I cut them off flush and sanded smooth. The gaps were full of something gunky (presumably sealant) that resisted being pried or torched out easily.

Bolts after being cut off and sanded flush with the top of the newspaper box.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

Other than the one rusty spot on the corner of the door, it's in very good shape. The metal is solid and thick enough to be quite sturdy. I knew right away that I was going to remove the coin box on the top.

An empty newspaper box sitting in a residential driveway.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

Before and after on last fall's backyard trash cat. What we thought was a mostly-grown short-haired cat turned out to be a 5 month old long-haired kitten. This is what I get for being a sucker. Tried 3 brushes and 2 combs so far. Some of them kind of help. At least he grew into those whiskers.

Two pictures of the same grey and white cat from the side. In the before picture, he looks like a normal short-haired cat. In the after picture, he is basically a ball of fur.

Two pictures of the same grey and white cat from the side. In the before picture, he looks like a short-haired cat. In the after picture, he has much longer fur and a substantial lion-esque mane.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Uh... what in Minneapolis would leave prints like this? There's one more to the right with the same spacing.

A snowy back yard that is untouched except for a single line of widely spaced, featureless depressions or holes

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Wow! Look at this map! That's a lot of Somalis! (There are only 60-80k Somalis/people of Somali descent *in the entire state*. This district covers 700,000+ people.)

A map of Minnesota's 5th congressional district, showing the borders running from Mounds View in the north to Richfield in the south, St Louis Park in the west and stopping at the eastern border of Minneapolis. It covers 124 square miles and represents 702,000 people.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

I made this steel "origami" turtle a while ago.

A turtle made of sheet metal that is mimicking the look of folded paper. Every "fold" is actually a welded seam.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

What a day to be stuck using a port-a-potty.

A screenshot of a weather app, showing a temperature of -16F and a "feels like" of -32F.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Looking at my Storygraph review of the year and huh I wonder what made total despair set in around November. Everything after that was a comforting re-read - haven't managed a new book since then. Oh yeah, I should probably start those depression meds...

A graph showing number of books and number of pages I read per month during the year 2024. Most months show 2-6 books. November shows 1 book and a couple hundred pages.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Feeling a little called out by Star Trek: The Animated Series.

A screenshot from Star Trek: The Animated Series. Dr. McCoy is holding a pink tribble. The subtitle/caption reads "These tribbles don't reproduce. They just get fat."

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

They're endlessly entertaining. This one is in a slightly different vein, but it got me too. This person hates cooking even more than I do.

A 2/5 star review left on an unspecified recipe.

"There was no salt in the recipe, which I thought was odd. It tasted a lot better when I added some. My main complaint is that it's a lot of trouble to make, from chopping onion and celery to measuring ingredients. Then cleaning up the food processor, saucepans and surfaces. It tastes good, but I'm not sure I will make it again."

It has received 0 votes for being helpful.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 08/11/2024

Things are garbage right now. Still trying to make myself feel useful. In the meantime, here's an old picture of my dog being cute.

A dog resting his chin on the back of a couch, doing his best to look cute and deserving of the food that is being prepared.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 27/10/2024

If you see this, post something purple.

Three pairs of beat up work boots in various shades of purple.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 27/10/2024

Only one pet in this picture plays fetch, and it's not the "right" one. Nice way to start my morning, though.

A grey and white cat cuddling up to a brown brindle dog.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 19/10/2024

*Finally* found a native ladybug (40 miles from home, but still!) Apparently this is a Convergent Lady Beetle, Hippodamia Convergens. In my own yard, I have only ever seen the invasive kind.

An orangey-red beetle with black spots, a black head, and a distinctive geometric black and white shape behind the head.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 10/10/2024

I had barely dared to hope that this scenario would happen. So glad these two have gotten used to each other.

A photo of a dog and a cat sleeping next to each other inside a covered dog bed.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 08/10/2024

A couple years ago I worked on an old (by Minneapolis standards) building, 1880s or so. This boot print in concrete, presumably dating to the original construction, was uncovered during renovations. For reference, my boot was a US women's 8/men's 6.5. Oof... small shoes on that worker.

A very small boot print in concrete next to a modern women's work boot.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 04/10/2024

Admittedly I don't have much experience with house cats, but this one seems to have an extra-cute lack of dignity.

A grey and white cat napping in an awkward curled-up position, with both of his back legs sticking up.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 15/09/2024

So this little d-bag turned up in the backyard last week, nobody has claimed him, and I guess I have a damn cat now.

A grey and white cat resting its paw on the paw of a brown brindle dog.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 06/09/2024

For #thingthursday, a carving from Brazil of St. Francis of Assissi. For the life of me I can't find any information on this style, whether it's legitimate folk art or just tourist schlock, but I like it either way.

An elongated folk style carving of St. Francis of Assisi, holding a bird and with a dog sitting next to him.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 20/08/2024

Fourth day on the job for these boots. Sigh. Can't even be mad at the manufacturer, I bought them at a very steep discount on eBay and I'm assuming they had been sitting on a shelf somewhere for a while.

A work boot with a sole that is crumbling and peeling away.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 19/08/2024

Craft night update: I glued some more shit together, without spilling wine, and now my book nook kit is done. Ty again, @felixforrester.bsky.social <3 Normally I customize these kits to some degree, but that tends to lead me into the weeds, and it was nice to do a straightforward one.

A miniature book shop sitting on a bookshelf sandwiched between real books.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 11/08/2024

They're blooming now, which makes the bees very happy.

Numerous four-petaled white flowers with spiky centers.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 11/08/2024

I made trellises for some native clematis vines to grow up the back of the house (chosen specifically because they won't damage the stucco) and apparently they've really been enjoying the rain this year. They're a bit thicker than I'd planned. But I am liking the Secret Garden vibe.

A unicorn statue surrounded and nearly covered by vines.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 07/08/2024

Seriously fuck you if you're spreading this bullshit, even for a "joke." Also if I see that god damn "3rd Precinct burning" picture that is actually the Everlake Apartments one more time, so help me god...

Some dumbass's skeet which reads: "Gonna get out ahead of this: Minneapolis never burned. Two buildings burned down. One was a police precinct for which right-wing agitators are at least partly responsible for (they have been charged) The other was an Arby's which got replaced by a Raising Caine's, which is a direct upgrade."

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 04/08/2024

So glad I spent $1k on this dishwasher. Stellar job, Whirlpool.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 28/07/2024

Garden update: goldenrod, bee balm, and coneflower are blooming in the boulevard. Coneflower is freaking huge. Most of the remaining "cherries" look like this, still no idea what variety they are. Buttonbush has a bloom on it!

Minnesota native wildflowers growing on a boulevard. Foreground: flat-topped clusters of small golden flowers (goldenrod - exact species unknown). Middle: light purple flowers with many long narrow petals, giving them a hairy appearance (bee balm - Monarda fistulosa). Back: yellow flowers with long petals, widely spaced in a radial pattern (probably cut-leaf coneflower - Rudbeckia laciniata).

A closeup of bee balm - Monarda fistulosa. Long, thin, lavender/purple petals arranged in an upright pattern. A happy bumble bee is enjoying some nectar.

Glossy green leaves framing a single bloom on a buttonbush - Cephalanthus occidentalis. The bloom is a sphere of white petals with spikes radiating out past them.

A single small cherry just starting to turn red on one side.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 26/07/2024

One of the guys at work finally noticed my purple boots, now they're a big hit around the job site.

Worn work boots that are purple in color.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 22/07/2024

It's an improvement over the sickly yellow!

A white house with dark red trim next to a dark red house with white trim.

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Sawhorse Girl @profirebug.bsky.social · 29/06/2024

Garden update: loosestrife (no relation to the bad invasive kind) and fleabane are blooming. Loosestrife is the tallest I've ever seen it, and fleabane keeps popping up in more spots. Most of the cherry blossoms fell off, but a few stayed and I may actually get some cherries eventually!

A Minnesota native loosestrife plant, displaying five-petaled yellow flowers.

A hand holding a twig of a cherry tree, with a few small still-green cherries growing on it.

Fleabane, an annual aster native to Minnesota. Small flowers with large yellow centers and many narrow white petals.

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