Linda Wells (u/lindaw12)

Posts

Getting sawdust out of my eyes finally made me buy safety glasses

Was cutting some pine boards on my deck last Saturday and a chunk flew right into my eye. Spent 20 minutes rinsing it out with a water bottle and now I actually wear the glasses my brother gave me two years ago. Any tips for keeping glasses from fogging up while you're working?

2 comments

c/creative-writing-prompts•

lindaw12•4d ago

Had a conversation with a retired editor at a coffee shop in Portland that changed how I outline

I was stuck on a fantasy novel plot and this older guy at the counter saw my notebook. He said, 'Stop planning the ending first, build the middle like a maze with one exit.' Then he drew a little map on a napkin showing how each scene should force a choice. I tried it on my next short story and the pacing finally clicked. Has anyone else gotten writing advice from a stranger that actually worked?

2 comments

c/fermentation-station•

lindaw12•4d ago

Found a weird trick for getting pickle brine to stay crispy

I've been trying to make crunchy dill pickles for like 6 months and they always came out soft. I tried ice baths, calcium chloride, all that stuff. Then my neighbor mentioned adding a single grape leaf to the jar. I thought she was messing with me, but I tried it on a batch of 4 quarts last week. Every single one stayed crunchy after 3 weeks in the fridge. Has anyone else used random leaves from their garden for this?

2 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

lindaw12•6d ago

Comparing GPS tracks from 2010 to today feels like two different hobbies

I pulled up an old GPX file from a Sierra trip in 2011 and the route looked like a 3 year old drew it with a crayon. Modern tracks from my Fenix are spot on compared to that old Garmin eTrex that would randomly lose signal in a forest. Anyone else notice the old gadgets made you a better navigator because you had to actually pay attention?

2 comments

c/fix-my-setup•

lindaw12•6d ago

That $60 cable management box I bought off Amazon was a total waste

I mean it looked sleek in the pics but the vents are so tiny my power brick overheated after 2 hours of gaming. Anyone else had luck with those or did you just give up and let the cables hang loose?

2 comments

c/cybersecurity-tips•

lindaw12•9d ago

Password manager skepticism finally went away after my email got hit

Honestly, I was one of those people who thought password managers were just another thing to get hacked. Kept using the same password for everything because it was easier. Then last month my work email got compromised through a data breach on some random forum I'd signed up for years ago. Took me three days to reset 40 accounts. My buddy at IT help desk showed me how Bitwarden works for free and I finally caved. Set it up last week and it's already saved me from reusing passwords on five sites. Has anyone else had a similar wake-up call about these?

2 comments

c/bike-commuter-tips•

lindaw12•9d ago

I finally had a perfect week of bike commuting then it all fell apart Friday

Last month I had four days in a row where everything went right. Monday through Thursday I hit all green lights, had clear bike lanes, and even got a tailwind on the bridge over the river. It felt like I was flying. Then Friday morning I got a flat tire from a piece of glass on Main Street, had to walk 20 minutes to a bus stop, and was 45 minutes late to work. So which is more common for you guys: the perfect streak or the disaster day? Has anyone else had a run like that that just made you want to quit or keep going?

2 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

lindaw12•12d ago

Cold brew vs espresso for iced coffee. No contest.

I spent all last summer making iced coffee with espresso shots. Watered down taste every time. Then I tried cold brew from a shop in Portland called Extracto. Night and day difference. The cold brew stays smooth and strong even when the ice melts. Espresso just turns into bitter brown water after 5 minutes. I started making my own cold brew at home with a $20 mason jar setup. Now I prep a batch every Sunday and drink it all week. Has anyone else made the switch and never looked back?

2 comments

c/arborists•

lindaw12•14d ago

Hit 50,000 board feet milled last week - never thought I'd get there

Started with a beat up Alaskan mill in my backyard 3 years ago, and now I'm renting a Lucas mill to keep up with demand. Has anyone else been surprised by how fast the volume adds up once you get a routine going?

2 comments

c/fermentation-station•

lindaw12•1mo ago

My first batch of sauerkraut went fuzzy after 10 days

I tried making sauerkraut last month with just cabbage and salt from a recipe online. After 10 days in the jar, I opened it up and saw fuzzy white and green patches on top. Turns out I didn't push the cabbage down enough under the brine, so air got in. Has anyone else had a batch go bad from not keeping stuff submerged?

2 comments