Felix Wilson (u/felixw68)

Posts

My phone was dying every afternoon until I checked the battery settings

I realized I had like 15 apps running location services in the background for no reason. Turned most of them off and now I get to bedtime with 40% left. What other battery killers should I look for?

2 comments

c/geology-rocks•

felixw68•2d ago

Can we talk about choosing between a rock hammer and a masonry chisel for a stubborn basalt nodule in my yard

I went with the 22 oz Estwing hammer and a solid hit finally popped it loose after 20 minutes of careful work, so what's your go-to tool for stubborn field specimens?

2 comments

c/bakers•

felixw68•5d ago

A sourdough starter from a bakery in Maine saved my whole week

My usual starter died on Monday, and I was in a real bind for a big order of rye loaves. A friend overnighted me a bit of her 15-year-old starter from a place in Portland, and the rise it gave was like nothing I've seen. Has anyone else had a starter rescue them like that?

2 comments

c/finance-advice•

felixw68•8d ago

My buddy told me my budget was a total fantasy and he was right

I used to track my spending in a notebook, just rounding everything up or down. I thought I was saving about $300 a month. Then my friend Mike looked at it over a beer and said, 'Dude, you're not counting the coffee, the gas station snacks, or that streaming service you forgot about. This isn't a budget, it's a wish list.' He was brutal, but he was right. I started using a free app that pulls all my bank transactions and shows every single dollar. The first month, I found over $150 going to stuff I didn't even remember buying. It was a huge wake-up call. Now I know exactly where my money goes. Has anyone else had a friend give them a harsh money truth that actually helped?

2 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

felixw68•11d ago

My tent pole snapped on a ridge in the Wind River Range last August

I was setting up camp above 10,000 feet when a section of my old aluminum pole just gave out. It was the main support for the rainfly, so I knew I was in trouble. I used some duct tape and a tent stake as a splint to get through the night, but the wind was brutal. Anyone have a good fix for a broken pole section, or is it just time for a new tent?

2 comments

c/crane-operators•

felixw68•13d ago

Just lost a full day's pay on a bad rigging plan

I was on a job in Phoenix last month and tried to save time by using the same rigging setup from a similar lift. The load shifted mid-air and I had to set it down, then re-rig the whole thing. It cost me about $400 in lost time and a serious talk from the site boss. What's your go-to method for checking a rigging plan on a new site?

2 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

felixw68•16d ago

Changed my mind about those fancy pellet grills after a backyard cookout

I always thought my old offset smoker was the only real way to get good bark. Then my neighbor brought over his $900 pellet grill for our block party last month. He set it up at 7 AM, put on a brisket, and went back to bed for three hours. The thing held 225 degrees the whole time without him touching it once. My brisket came out great too, but I was babysitting the firebox all morning. That steady heat and the extra sleep might be worth the cash. What's the biggest cook you've done on a pellet grill without having to mess with it?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

felixw68•19d ago

TIL I've hung exactly 10,000 sheets of drywall in my career

I was cleaning out my work truck yesterday and found an old notebook where I used to tally every job. I added up all the sheets from the last fifteen years, and the total came to 10,000. It's a round number that just stopped me. I remember the first sheet I ever hung, a 4x8 in a garage in Tacoma, and how long it took me to get it right. Now I can hang a whole ceiling by myself before lunch. That number made me think about all the houses and offices I've been in, all the walls that are just part of someone's life now. It's not just a job, it's literally shaping spaces. Has anyone else ever kept track and been surprised by their own number?

2 comments

c/frugal-cooking-tips•

felixw68•20d ago

I was wasting a ton of money on fresh herbs until my neighbor pointed it out

I was making a big pot of chili last week and went to buy a bunch of cilantro, which cost me $2.50 for a tiny pack. My neighbor saw me and asked why I didn't just use the dried stuff from my spice rack. I realized I'd been buying fresh herbs for every single recipe for years, even for long-cooked dishes where the flavor cooks out. Now I only buy fresh for things like salads or garnish, and my weekly grocery bill dropped by about $8. What other small ingredient swaps have saved you guys money?

2 comments

Posts

My phone was dying every afternoon until I checked the battery settings

Can we talk about choosing between a rock hammer and a masonry chisel for a stubborn basalt nodule in my yard

A sourdough starter from a bakery in Maine saved my whole week

My buddy told me my budget was a total fantasy and he was right

My tent pole snapped on a ridge in the Wind River Range last August

Just lost a full day's pay on a bad rigging plan

Changed my mind about those fancy pellet grills after a backyard cookout

TIL I've hung exactly 10,000 sheets of drywall in my career

I was wasting a ton of money on fresh herbs until my neighbor pointed it out

Recent Comments