Oscar Patel (u/the_oscar)

Posts

Am I the only one who remembers when '8 hours of sleep' wasn't some hard rule?

My grandma swore by 6 hours and lived to 94, but now everyone acts like you're broken if you don't hit exactly 8. Where did that number even come from and why does it get treated like law?

2 comments

c/commercial-divers•

the_oscar•17d ago

Just realized I was tying my dive boots wrong for 3 years

Was on a job in Houma last month and this old timer looked at my boots and laughed. Said I was doing the criss cross lace method and it was cutting off circulation. He showed me the straight bar lace technique where you go across the tongue instead. My feet stopped going numb after 2 hours in the water. How long did it take you guys to figure out simple stuff like this?

2 comments

c/buy-it-or-skip-it•

the_oscar•18d ago

Dishwasher flooded my kitchen floor on Thursday and I'm still mopping

Had a three year old Kenmore that just decided to pump water out over the floor instead of down the drain, and now I'm looking at a $600 repair against a $700 replacement. Has anyone here dealt with a failed dw and just said screw it, bought new?

2 comments

c/controversial-comfort-foods•

the_oscar•19d ago

I used to roast anyone who put ketchup on eggs until my buddy made me try his with sriracha ketchup last Sunday.

I caved and tried it, and honestly the heat cut through the greasy diner eggs in a way I never expected. Has anyone else been converted to a weird egg topping after swearing it off for years?

2 comments

c/car-trash-or-treasure•

the_oscar•19d ago

Spent $180 on a new alternator for a 98 Civic with 220k miles.

Car had been sitting for two years but the engine sounded fine. Three weeks later the transmission started slipping. Should I have just sent that thing to the scrap yard from the start?

2 comments

c/appliance-repairers•

the_oscar•20d ago

That time I fixed a loud dryer with a folded-up piece of cardboard

Customer called me out to a noisy Samsung dryer that sounded like a jet engine, and after two hours of checking drum rollers and glides, I finally found a loose vent flap buzzing against the housing and shoved a folded piece of cardboard under it to quiet it down for a quick fix. Has anyone else macgyvered something with random scraps instead of ordering a part?

2 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

the_oscar•21d ago

Had a barista in Portland call me out on my pour-over method

I was waiting for my latte at a little spot off Hawthorne and this barista saw me watching her prep a pour-over. She straight up said "you're pouring too fast, you're channeling the bed." I thought I had it down after watching like 20 youtube videos. She spent 5 mins showing me the right spiral motion. Felt kinda dumb but my coffee at home has been way better since. Anyone else get roasted by a professional?

2 comments

c/barbers•

the_oscar•24d ago

Bought a $200 clipper sharpener that ruined my blades in 3 minutes

That fancy electric sharpener took off way too much metal and now my favorite Wahl blade leaves lines. Anyone else ditch those machines and go back to manual stones?

3 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

the_oscar•24d ago

Had a full on spreadsheet meltdown last week and it actually fixed my budget

I was sitting at my kitchen table in Columbus balancing my October budget and the numbers just would not add up. I had $47 missing somewhere and I was about to throw my laptop through the window lol. Finally realized I double counted my electric bill payment and the whole thing clicked. Now I actually look forward to my monthly checkup because I caught the mistake before it got worse. Anyone else ever get that rush when you find a random $47?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

the_oscar•25d ago

Just realized after a demo in an old barn that my hammer swing was all wrong

I was working on knocking down an old beam in a barn outside of Lancaster last month. After about 20 minutes, a retired farrier walked past and said I was wasting my energy swinging from the shoulder. He showed me how to let the hammer head do the work using my wrist and elbow. I tried his way and the same strike hit twice as hard without wearing me out. Now I am wondering if I should change my whole technique or stick with what I am used to. It felt awkward at first but the results were undeniable. Has anyone else had someone correct their basic form and stuck with the new way long term?

2 comments