I was reading through a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council the other day and found out that about 25% of bottled water is literally just tap water in a plastic bottle. I always figured it was some filtered spring thing but nope, they just run it through a basic filter and charge 300 times more. Does that change how you guys buy water or am I overthinking it?
Overheard a guy at the grocery store say you should pick limes that feel heavy for their size and now I realize I was grabbing dry ones every time, anyone else had a cheap ingredient mess up their whole dish?
Last month I noticed my tube of caulk was still half full but nothing was coming out the nozzle. I was squeezing the middle like an idiot for weeks. I finally rolled the bottom edge up tight like a toothpaste tube and got another 3 full beads out of it for my kitchen backsplash. It felt dumb that I never tried it before especially since I run a warehouse and we teach people to work from the back first. Has anyone else found a simple trick that made you feel like you wasted a bunch of material for no reason?
The homeowner called me 8 months later about water stains on her ceiling, and I had to eat the cost of pulling up 3 squares of shingles and fixing it myself on a Saturday because my foreman skipped that step and I didn't double check his work, has anyone else had to pay for a mistake that wasn't even yours to make?
Everyone kept saying pavers are easier to fix, but after a heavy rain I had weeds popping up between them within two weeks. Concrete just sits there looking fine with zero effort, so why mess with the extra work?
I've been woodworking as a side hobby for maybe 4 years now. Every time I tried to cut curves on my 14 inch band saw the blade would drift like crazy and I'd end up with these jagged edges that needed tons of sanding. I just figured that's how band saws work you know? Then last Tuesday I stopped by a community workshop in Portland and this older guy watched me for maybe 2 seconds before saying hey you're shoving the wood through like it owes you money. He showed me to let the blade do the work and feed at like half the speed. I cut a test piece and it came out smooth as butter. All those years I was fighting the machine instead of working with it. Has anyone else had a moment where a tiny adjustment fixed something you thought was just broken?
I was at a friend's workshop last Saturday and he watched me sharpen my favorite 1 inch chisel. He just shook his head and showed me the tiny burr I was leaving on the wrong side. Turns out I had been dragging the chisel across the stone with the bevel flat instead of lifting the back edge just a hair. No wonder my dovetails always looked rough even after a fresh sharpen. I felt like an idiot but also relieved because now my joints actually fit tight. Has anyone else had that moment where a small change in technique fixed everything?
I was grabbing a latte yesterday and this dude next to me told his friend that cold brew is 'just iced coffee for people who can't wait.' I've always thought cold brew was smoother and less bitter, but he had a point about the time thing. Takes 12-20 hours to steep versus just pouring hot coffee over ice. Which side do you land on - is cold brew worth the wait or just a fancy excuse?
I was at the Target on 3rd Street last Tuesday, reaching for some dill spears on the top shelf, and my entire cart tipped sideways into the pickle display. Glass jars smashed everywhere, pickle juice pooled under my shoes, and a store employee just stared at me with this blank look for like 10 seconds. Has anyone else had a shopping cart betray them over something that stupid?
I run a small tree service outside of Boise, and last spring I had to choose between a new Stihl gas trimmer and an Echo battery model. The gas one costs about $350 new, but the battery setup was $400 with two batteries and a charger. I went battery because I'm tired of dealing with mixed fuel and carburetor cleanings on my crew's old equipment. First week using it, I cleared a half mile of fence line on a single charge, which surprised me. But then I hit a thick patch of blackberry vines and the battery died after 45 minutes. I swapped to the spare and finished the job, but it was tight. Now I'm wondering if the gas guys have the same issue with heavy brush or if I just picked the wrong tool for that specific task.
I switched from the store brand tablets to a mid-range box back in July. Three months in, I noticed my drinking glasses were getting this cloudy film I couldn't scrub off. Turns out the cheap ones don't have enough rinse aid built in and leave mineral deposits over time. My mom saw them last week and asked if I'd been cleaning with hard water. Has anyone else dealt with that foggy look on glassware?
Back in January, the plow clipped my metal mailbox and bent it crooked. I just hammered it back and called it good. Come April, the hinge totally snapped off after wind rattled it. So I replaced the whole post with a 4x4 sunk into concrete, 30 inches deep. Which fix do you think actually holds up longer - the quick bend-back or the permanent rebuild with concrete?
I was looking at a bottle of "maple flavored syrup" at the store yesterday and noticed the ingredients list is like 15 items now. Found an old recipe online from the 1950s that was literally just corn syrup and artificial maple flavor. That's it. It surprised me because I always figured there was more to it. Has anyone else noticed food labels getting way more complicated over the years?
Picked up a beat-up Oster bread machine at a garage sale in Austin for $8 last Saturday. Figured it would be a fun disaster, but the loaves come out way fluffier than what my modern $100 machine makes. I think the old heating element just cycles more evenly or something. Anyone else have luck with older kitchen gadgets over shiny new ones?