There definitely is a reason why agarwood is so prized by those in the know and it is a blessing that it is not all that popular.
They have learned how to make it fairly reliably, but it still depends on two species of tree that takes years to grow. I fully expect those trees to become extinct in my lifetime because humans will be humans and a poor human with access to a valuable natural resource will exploit it to live.
They can be run off of all sorts of fuels/oils in an emergency, so you don’t have to worry about not having enough lantern fuel if you keep vegetable oil around.
Moss and buttermilk is a way to get moss to grow; but you can just gather moss, put it where you want, and water it.
You would want a moss that is tolerant to the sun exposure in that area.
Just buy a used Honda, Mazda, or Toyota that is pre-2016. None of those will have telemetry, subscription features, etc. They do collect data, which is stored locally, but that is required for accident investigations and to adjust the engine control systems.
Smaller houses had them too. I have been in a ton of houses from the early 1900s or late 1800s that had the entry vestibules.
You are right that advances in insulation and HVAC have made them less common. Another factor is people tend to come in through a garage, so there is a mud and/or laundry room there that acts in the same capacity. Older homes usually only had a back door and a front door with no garage so the main point of entry for the homeowners was the front door. Larger homes did sometimes have a porte cochere with a side entry to the home with a mud room, those houses usually had a garage built onto the home where the porte cochere was.
The oil used in refrigeration systems is like mineral oil, so it isn’t thick or stain like most engine oil.
Unfortunately it is probably a bad seal in the refrigeration loop if it is oily. I would recommend keeping windows open and animals in a separate room just in case the refrigerant leaks. You can risk running it until repair is possible, but there is a small chance of fire if the compressor overheats and you may make the repair more expensive.
It will be a pain but you can throw ice in it to help keep the food good while you wait for repair.
Duluth Fire Hose Flex 45507 have held up well for me, so much so that I have 7 pairs. The only crotch I had get damaged was when I got them hooked on a scaffolding platform hook. My Keybar did wear through the back pocket from moving around on masonry. I am probably going to start switching over to a heavier weight 92204.
I would like to try out the Alec Steele 01 G1, but they sell out fast and runs are infrequent.
High stretch paintable silicone with low shrink. Tape on the ceiling and the bookcase revealing the gap and an appropriate sized fondant tool can minimize the transition and give a clean look but the tape and a wet finger can do well enough.