Tried a new penetrating oil on a seized caliper bolt in a Tacoma and it actually worked too well

I was working on a 2015 Tacoma with a rear caliper bolt that was completely frozen. I grabbed a can of this new stuff called 'Freeze-Off' instead of my usual PB Blaster. After two sprays and waiting about ten minutes, the bolt came out so easily I almost stripped the head with my impact because I wasn't ready for it. Has anyone else had a penetrant work a little too fast and cause a different problem?

I finally saw that new 'artisan' kitchen showroom in Austin and it made me mad

Went to check out the place on South Congress last week, you know the one with the big windows and the reclaimed wood sign. Every single cabinet door had these huge, uneven gaps, like a quarter inch in some spots. The sales guy called it 'rustic charm' and said it was 'bespoke'. I asked if they used a dado stack for the joints and he just stared at me. Look, I get wanting a hand made look, but charging fifteen grand for a kitchen that looks like my first year apprentice built it on a Friday afternoon is a scam. It gives real cabinetmakers a bad name when people think sloppy work equals high end. Has anyone else run into this kind of thing where bad craft is being sold as a feature?

Choosing between a bold color palette or a muted one for my fantasy city piece

I was working on a digital painting of a floating city and got stuck deciding between a bright, neon palette or a soft, pastel one. After three days of flipping back and forth, I went with the pastels and it gave the whole scene a much more dreamy, calm feeling. Do you usually plan your color schemes from the start or figure them out as you go?

Finally got my old frame machine's hydraulic pump to hold pressure after it blew a seal last month

My friend and I were just starting to get into 'The OA' when we heard it was canceled after two seasons.

We were in my apartment in Austin, halfway through the second season finale, when she looked up the news on her phone and said, 'Well, that's it, I guess.' I really wanted to see where that whole dimension-hopping, octopus thing was going. What's another show that left you hanging with a huge cliffhanger?

A customer's comment about my lens cleaning made me rethink my whole process

A regular brought in a vintage 50mm f/1.4 last week and pointed out a faint haze I'd missed, saying 'you're just moving the dust around if you don't change the cloth more.' I switched to using a fresh microfiber square for each element and the difference is huge. How often do you guys actually swap out your cleaning cloths?

I just realized I've been sealing my flagstone patio wrong for months...

I was putting on a second coat of sealer on my patio near the UNM area, and my neighbor walked over to ask why I was doing it in the hot afternoon sun. He pointed out the sealer was beading up and not soaking in because the stone was too warm, which explained the weird patchy look I've had since spring. Anyone know the best time of day to seal stuff here in the summer?

My regular at the bar finally sat through 'Birdemic' with me

This guy named Carl, who's been coming in for years, always gives me a hard time about my movie picks. Last Thursday, I convinced him to watch 'Birdemic: Shock and Terror' at my place after my shift. He spent the whole 90 minutes yelling at the screen about the terrible CGI birds and the wooden acting, but he was laughing the entire time. Anyone else have a friend they finally converted to the joy of a truly awful film?

Tried the 7:45 express bus versus the regular 7:30 route to downtown

Honestly, the express bus gets me there in 25 minutes flat because it skips like ten stops. The regular one takes almost 50 minutes on a good day. Has anyone else found a specific route that saves a huge chunk of time?

Appreciation post: I chose the local hardware store over the big box chain for a plumbing part

My water heater's pressure relief valve started leaking last Tuesday, and I had to pick between the local Ace Hardware or the Home Depot across town. I went with Ace, paid about $4 more for the same part, but the guy there spent 15 minutes explaining the proper torque and even gave me a spare gasket for free. Does anyone think the extra help at a small place is actually worth paying a bit more for sometimes?