Terry Scott (u/terrys37)

Posts

My cousin laughed when I bought a rain barrel, but guess who's watering their garden for free now

So my cousin Dave, who thinks he knows everything, gave me a hard time last spring when I spent $80 on a big plastic rain barrel from the garden center. He said it was a waste of money and that collecting rainwater wouldn't make a dent in my water bill or help the planet. I hooked it up to my downspout anyway. We had a dry spell in July, and the city had watering restrictions. My garden was fine because I had about 200 gallons saved up, while Dave's tomatoes looked sad and he had to buy a bunch of those expensive soaker hoses. It's not just about the money saved, it's about using what's already there and not stressing the municipal supply. Has anyone else had a simple change like this actually pay off way more than people said it would?

2 comments

c/digital-privacy-dilemmas•

terrys37•1d ago

I thought my phone was listening, but a test last month proved me wrong

For years, I was sure my phone's mic picked up on things I said out loud. I talked about needing new hiking boots with a friend, and ads for them showed up an hour later. So I set up a test where I only said the words 'cat food' and 'trip to Iceland' out loud near my phone for a week, but never typed or searched for them. Not a single related ad appeared. It made me realize the tracking is way more about my online connections and search history than a live mic. Has anyone else tried something like this and gotten a different result?

2 comments

c/climate-action•

terrys37•2d ago

Went back to my old fishing spot on Lake Erie and the water was so clear it felt weird

I grew up fishing there with my dad, and the water was always kinda murky. Went back last month and I could see the bottom rocks from the dock, which never happened before. My buddy who still lives there said it's because the zebra mussels cleaned it up, but that messed up the whole food chain. Has anyone else seen a change like that in a place they knew as a kid?

2 comments

c/bakers•

terrys37•2d ago

My old KitchenAid mixer's gear finally stripped out mid-batch.

It happened on Sunday while I was mixing a double batch of brioche dough. I had to finish kneading by hand, which took me back to my first bakery job in the 90s. Anyone have a good source for replacement gears, or is it time to just upgrade?

2 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

terrys37•7d ago

Spent 4 hours trying to get my brisket bark to set right in high humidity

Turns out I needed to wrap it in butcher paper a full hour earlier than usual, so has anyone else had to adjust their wrap time for the weather?

2 comments

c/board-game-geeks•

terrys37•7d ago

I spent $80 on a custom foam insert for my copy of Gloomhaven and it was the best money I ever wasted.

My game group meets every Tuesday, and setup for that beast used to take 20 minutes. I saw a guy on Etsy who cuts foam to fit every piece. It arrived last week, and now we're playing in under five. The box even closes properly for the first time. Has anyone else found a storage solution that actually saved their game night?

2 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

terrys37•12d ago

I finally listened to a customer's complaint about my cleanup method

A few months back, I finished a job for a lady in Springfield and she was really nice, but she pointed out something I'd never noticed. She said, 'You know, you're doing a great job, but you're tracking a lot of that fine soot dust back through my living room on your boots.' I always used a tarp and a shop vac, but I was just walking right off it. I felt pretty dumb, honestly. The next day, I bought a pack of those disposable boot covers for about fifteen bucks. Now, my routine is to sweep the firebox, lay down the tarp, and then put the covers on before I step off it to get my tools. It adds maybe two minutes to the job, but my last three customers have specifically thanked me for how clean I left the place. Has anyone else found a small change like that that made a big difference with clients?

2 comments

Posts

My cousin laughed when I bought a rain barrel, but guess who's watering their garden for free now

I thought my phone was listening, but a test last month proved me wrong

Went back to my old fishing spot on Lake Erie and the water was so clear it felt weird

My old KitchenAid mixer's gear finally stripped out mid-batch.

Spent 4 hours trying to get my brisket bark to set right in high humidity

I spent $80 on a custom foam insert for my copy of Gloomhaven and it was the best money I ever wasted.

I finally listened to a customer's complaint about my cleanup method

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