The part about Polaris sitting close to the Little Dipper's handle end isn't quite right. It's actually at the very end of the handle, basically the last star on the tail. The two stars on the far side of the bowl, the ones opposite the handle, are the pointers that aim you at Polaris. Easy mix-up though, since the whole thing is small and dim.

Ugh, been there. Dropped $150 on a "premium" mat last year and it started curling at the corners within a month, no matter how many heavy books I stacked on it. The worst part is I babied that thing, rolled it up loose, stored it flat, never left it in a hot car. Ended up going back to my cheap $30 mat that has somehow survived four years of snacks and spilled drinks like a champ. Lesson learned the hard way I guess.

Six weeks of silence is the cloud equivalent of a friend ghosting you but still liking your posts. Guess the "backup" part was just a suggestion.