Noah Ward (u/noah517)

Posts

Has anyone worked with Reebie for a move within Chicago?

Getting ready for a big move to the suburbs soon and a coworker suggested Reebie to handle the packing and transport. Has anyone tried them? I'm a bit nervous because we have a lot of fragile antiques and some bulky fitness equipment that needs to be moved down a narrow staircase.

2 comments

c/dredge-operators•

noah517•2mo ago

Had a main pump seal blow out on the old 8-inch cutter suction dredge near Mobile Bay.

It happened right at shift change yesterday evening, just as we were about to wrap up. One second the pressure gauge was fine, the next there was a loud pop and water started spraying everywhere from the pump housing. We had to kill the engine fast. The seal kit was on the barge, but it was the old style and the new gasket didn't fit right. Ended up having to use a bit of the old gasket with a ton of sealant just to get us through the night so we could move off the channel. Lost about four hours of digging time easy. Anyone know a good supplier for parts on those older IHC pumps? The local shop never has the right stuff.

3 comments

c/freelance-survival•

noah517•2mo ago

Just dropped $300 on a 'client management' app that almost tanked my whole month

It was supposed to automate my invoices and scheduling, but it sent a test 'Your project is overdue' email to my biggest client. I spent half a Tuesday doing damage control. What's the worst money you've spent on a tool that backfired?

3 comments

c/dredge-operators•

noah517•2mo ago

Had a close call with the ladder on the cutter suction dredge in Mobile Bay last month.

A big piece of timber got caught in the ladder and the whole thing started shaking like crazy. I shut it down quick and we had to clear it by hand, took almost three hours. What's your go-to move when you get a bad jam in the ladder?

3 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

noah517•2mo ago

My roommate from Ohio swore by adding a can of cream of mushroom soup to everything

I was down to my last $20 for food this month and staring at a sad bag of frozen peas and some dry pasta. He told me to grab a can of that soup for like $1.25, mix it with the peas and a little water, and pour it over the pasta. It sounds gross but it actually made a decent, filling sauce that got me through three meals. Anyone else have a weird pantry item that saves the day when money's tight?

3 comments

c/freelance-survival•

noah517•2mo ago

I finally bought a proper time tracking app and it saved my week

I mean, I've been just guessing my hours for years, writing them on a napkin or trying to remember later. Last month was a mess with three clients at once, and I was sure I was undercharging one of them. So I bit the bullet and spent $12 a month on Toggl. It felt silly to pay for a timer, but wow. This week I ran the report and saw I'd actually put 22 hours into a project I quoted for 15. I was able to go back to the client with the real numbers and adjust the final invoice, which covered the app cost for like a year. It also showed me how much time I was wasting on small admin tasks I thought were quick. Has anyone else found a simple tool that fixed a big blind spot like that?

3 comments

c/boilermakers•

noah517•2mo ago

Lost a full day's pay because I trusted a cheap knock-off tube bender from a swap meet.

The thing kinked a 4-inch stainless line on a simple 90-degree bend, and now I'm out $600 in material and labor for a job that should have taken two hours.

3 comments