I used to trace trails on my dad's old topo map from 1998 for almost a decade before a ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park pointed out three trails had changed completely, so now I just use my phone but battery anxiety is way worse than soggy paper ever was, anyone else find the tech trade-off annoying?
Lady down the street stopped me while I was spraying a property. Said she noticed fewer robins in her yard after I treated. She was right. Called a soil guy at the county extension. He said the synthetic stuff nukes the soil food web. Switched to organic granular fertilizer and spot treating weeds only. Been 6 months. Clients say grass is actually greener. Still get weeds but way less. I don't miss the smell of the chem mix either. Anyone else ditch the harsh stuff and see your lawn bounce back different?
I've been trying to make sourdough for about three weeks now and my starter kept going flat by the fifth day every time. My aunt who bakes for a living watched me do it last Saturday and noticed I was using tap water from our filtered fridge. Turns out the carbon filter removes the minerals the yeast needs to stay active. She had me switch to bottled spring water and now my starter is actually bubbling and doubling in size after 8 hours. Has anyone else run into this with filtered water ruining their fermentation?
Used to keep one of those $30 Bullet journals. Loved it. Wrote everything down. Then I'd forget to check it. Missed two dentist appointments in a row. Switched to the free Google Calendar app like 3 weeks ago. Color coded everything. Now I actually show up to stuff. Anyone else find digital just sticks better?
I bought a Zojirushi last month thinking it would change my life, but the rice comes out mushy every single time. Followed the instructions to the letter, measured water perfectly, nada. My $15 Walmart steamer from 2019 works better than this thing. Anyone else get burned by a kitchen gadget that's all hype?
Last month I bought both kinds at the Piggly Wiggly on Grand Avenue and did a blind taste test with my roommate. The organic ones had darker yolks and richer flavor, but they cost $4.50 more per dozen. Has anyone else done a side-by-side and noticed a real difference?
I went all in last Saturday and vacuum sealed like 15 meals from my Sunday meal prep. Now I have these weird bricks taking up the whole shelf and I can't tell what's chicken and what's soup without opening them. The bags don't stack right and they slide everywhere. Is there a trick to making these things actually fit in a normal fridge or did I just waste $40 on this sealer?
I was visiting my cousin in Ottawa last month and he grabbed a bag of milk out of the fridge. I laughed at first but after pouring it into a pitcher with those little plastic clips, I kinda get it now. It takes up less space and creates way less garbage than those cardboard cartons. Has anyone else tried this or am I just being fooled by Canadian propaganda?
I've been feeding this starter for about 8 months, named it Betty and everything. Last Tuesday we had that 95 degree day and I forgot to put her in the fridge before I left for my shift. Came home 10 hours later and there was this gray liquid on top and it smelled like nail polish remover. I tried feeding it twice but nothing bubbled up after 24 hours. Has anyone managed to revive a starter that got that hot, or should I just start over from scratch?
I was at the DMV in Phoenix last Tuesday waiting for my number to be called. This guy in front of me got pulled over on the way there for expired tags, but instead of getting mad he just calmly asked the cop about the best taco spot in the area. The cop ended up letting him off with a warning and gave him a recommendation. Has anyone else seen someone pull off smooth talk like that?
My neighbor across the street is a retired truck driver named Dave. Last weekend he saw me backing out of my driveway and came over to chat. He said most people don't realize they're wearing out their transmission by shifting to reverse while still rolling forward. He told me he's seen 3 cars on our block get transmission work before 60,000 miles because of that habit. I honestly never gave it a second thought until he said it. Has anyone else heard this tip or is Dave just being extra careful?
I was changing a flat last Tuesday in Tulsa and this older guy pulls up in a beat up F-150, asks if I need help. He used his pocket knife to pry off a rusted lug nut cover I had been fighting for 15 minutes, no tools or nothing. Am I wrong for thinking basic resourcefulness like that is way more valuable than buying a bunch of fancy car gadgets?
I always squirted soap directly on the sponge until a buddy who works at a restaurant supply store told me to put it in the sink first and let the water hit it. Tried it with my Dawn last Wednesday and went through a whole bottle in half the time. Am I the only one who had to unlearn this?
I always thought rice cookers were a waste of counter space until my roommate left her $8 Aroma model behind after moving out last month. I tried it on a whim with some jasmine rice and it came out perfect every time without me stirring or watching the pot. Has anyone else been surprised by a cheap appliance that actually works better than the manual way?
I used to throw away any food that sat in the fridge for more than 2 days. Last month I totaled up what I tossed and it came to nearly $200 just in spoiled veggies and half eaten containers. Now I purposely cook extra on Sunday nights and portion it into labeled containers for Tuesday and Thursday lunches. Has anyone else had to teach themselves to actually enjoy eating the same meal twice in a week?