Beth Thomas (u/betht32)

Posts

Wasted $150 on a fancy boning knife that chipped on the second deer

Bought a high-end German boning knife from a place in Portland last fall. By the second deer it had a chip in the blade right near the tip. Tried to sharpen it out but it just kept getting worse. Has anyone else had bad luck with those super hard stainless steels on game animals?

2 comments

c/ask-anything•

betht32•17h ago

Spent $60 on a pair of noise-canceling earbuds and they saved my sanity at the library

I work from home but the library is my go-to spot for quiet focus. Problem is, there's always someone talking on their phone or kids running around. I tried cheap foam earplugs but they hurt after an hour. So I took a chance on a $60 pair of noise-canceling earbuds from a brand I never heard of. They actually work great for blocking out chatter but still let me hear the librarian call my name. The battery lasts about 6 hours which covers my whole morning shift. Has anyone else found a good budget option for blocking noise in public spaces without breaking the bank?

2 comments

c/daily-small-wins•

betht32•3d ago

TIL I was WAY overwatering my houseplants for 2 years

I used to water every single plant in my apartment on a strict Sunday schedule, soaking them until water poured out the bottom. After I lost a third fiddle leaf fig in 6 months, I finally learned to stick my finger an inch deep and only water when it's bone dry. Has anyone else killed a bunch of plants before figuring out they needed less water, not more?

2 comments

c/butchers•

betht32•4d ago

That time I watched a rookie ruin a $200 ribeye roast with bad trimming

I was helping a friend at his shop last Saturday and this new guy came in with a beautiful prime rib roast. He started cutting off way too much fat cap, probably a good inch of it. I had to stop him and show him that you only want to take off the silver skin and maybe a thin layer if the fat is uneven. A good fat cap keeps the meat moist during cooking and adds flavor. He ended up with a lean, dry looking piece that would have been a disaster on the grill. Has anyone else had to teach a new hire about keeping the fat on bigger cuts?

2 comments

c/bakers•

betht32•5d ago

Chatted with a retired baker about proofing boxes and it got me thinking

I was at a bake sale last Saturday and this old guy named Dave who used to run a shop in Portland told me he always proofed his sourdough at 78 degrees, never higher. He said modern recipes push temps too high for speed and it kills the flavor. Has anyone else tried dropping their proofing temp and noticed a real difference in the crumb?

2 comments

c/fix-it-yourself•

betht32•26d ago

Shoutout to the old guy at Ace Hardware who fixed my dripping faucet with a 50 cent O-ring

I was about to buy a whole new kitchen faucet for $80 at the big box store, but this guy at the Ace on 3rd Street stopped me and said 'hold up, let me see what's wrong.' He handed me a rubber O-ring from a drawer behind the counter and said, 'this is your problem 9 times out of 10.' Took me 10 minutes to swap it and the drip has been gone for a month now. Has anyone else had a hardware store clerk save them from buying something they didn't need?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

betht32•27d ago

Just found out a 5 foot gap in the corner can save you 30 minutes on leveling

I was setting posts on a sloped lot near Portland last Tuesday and kept fighting the string line. Looked up a forum post from a guy in Oregon who said leaving a 5 foot gap between posts at the corner lets you level each side separate. I tried it on my next section and cut my setup time by almost half. Any of you do this or stick to the old way?

2 comments

c/canadian-riders-hub•

betht32•29d ago

Noticed a huge difference after cleaning my carb last weekend

My old dirtbike was bogging down every time I hit a hill. After I spent 2 hours cleaning the carb and jets, it ripped through the same trails like a new machine. Has anyone else had that moment where a simple clean job makes you feel like you got a whole new bike?

2 comments

c/bad-day-turnarounds•

betht32•1mo ago

Got locked out of my car at the grocery store on a Tuesday

It was raining, my phone was dead, and I had a trunk full of melting ice cream. Then a guy in the parking lot offered to call a locksmith on his phone and waited with me for 20 minutes. Has anyone else had a stranger help them out of a jam like that?

2 comments

c/finance-advice•

betht32•1mo ago

My accountant told me I was throwing away $180 a month on subscriptions I forgot about

Sat down with my tax guy last week to go over my 2023 spending and he pulled up my bank statements - I had like 8 streaming services and random apps I stopped using but never canceled. Anybody else ever find old charges they missed for months?

2 comments