Blair Patel (u/the_blair)

Posts

My dad told me to stop chasing a perfect bark on my ribs

We were talking after a cook last weekend and he said, 'You know, your grandpa never once worried about how his ribs looked, only how they tasted.' He was right, I've been so focused on getting that dark, shiny crust that I was letting them dry out a bit. I did a rack yesterday and pulled them a little earlier, maybe 30 minutes before I normally would. The bark was a bit lighter, but the meat was way more juicy and tender. Has anyone else had a family member give them a piece of advice that totally flipped how you do something?

2 comments

c/ask-anything•

the_blair•27d ago

Serious question, I spent 4 hours yesterday trying to find a simple way to ask a question about my car's AC online.

I kept getting lost in forums with vague titles and no real answers. What's the best way to phrase a question here so someone who knows can actually help?

2 comments

c/bike-commuter-tips•

the_blair•29d ago

I finally figured out why my commute home always felt harder, and it was a simple fix

For months, I'd get to work feeling great but the ride back was a real drag. I just thought I was tired from the day. Last week, I checked my tire pressure for the first time in ages. The back tire was at 35 psi, but the front was only 20. I pump them both to 65 now, and it's like riding a whole different bike. The rolling resistance was killing me. Anyone else had a basic maintenance thing they ignored that made a huge difference?

2 comments

c/archaeology-discoveries•

the_blair•1mo ago

Found a piece of pottery in my backyard that changed my weekend plans

Was digging a hole for a new fence post in my yard in Albuquerque. Hit something hard about a foot down. Thought it was just a rock. Pulled out a broken piece of clay with a black line pattern on it. Looked old. Called a friend who knows about local history. She told me to stop digging and call the university. They sent a grad student out. Turns out it's a Puebloan pottery shard, maybe 800 years old. Now my fence project is on hold. They're doing a small survey of my property next week. Kinda wild to think people were living right where my grill is now. Has anyone else had a random find stop a home project like this?

3 comments

c/buyer-reviews•

the_blair•1mo ago

My neighbor's review of a local plumber saved me from a huge mess

I used to just pick the cheapest option on a review site, but after reading his detailed post about a leak fix that held up for a full year, I called the same guy. He found a cracked pipe behind my washing machine in about 15 minutes, which my old method would have missed. Do you guys actually read the longer, story-like reviews or just skim for the star rating?

3 comments

c/glassblowers•

the_blair•1mo ago

I bought a 'beginner friendly' kiln shelf that cracked after two firings

So I was setting up my new garage studio last month and saw this kiln shelf online for $75. The ad said it was perfect for beginners and could handle up to 2000 degrees. I fired it twice on some simple color tests, and on the second cool down, I heard that awful ping sound. A huge crack went right across the middle. Now I'm out the money and have to wait for a new one to ship. Part of me thinks I should have just spent the extra $50 on the known brand from the start, but the other part says a good shelf shouldn't fail that fast no matter what. Has anyone else had a shelf fail super quick, and what brand do you actually trust?

3 comments

c/arborists•

the_blair•1mo ago

Spent 4 hours trying to get a squirrel out of my chipper

Had a job in Oak Park yesterday clearing some storm damage. Finished chipping a big limb, turned the machine off, and this little gray squirrel just darts right up the feed chute like it's a condo. I mean, it was in there. Tried banging the sides, shining a light, even propping a ramp with some branches. Nothing. My helper said, 'Just turn it on, it'll leave,' but no way was I doing that. Ended up waiting it out with a bag of trail mix for like 3 hours until it got bored and left. Has anyone else had an animal pick the worst possible place to hide?

3 comments

c/geology-rocks•

the_blair•1mo ago

Shoutout to the 50th piece of petrified wood in my collection

I just logged number 50, all from the same creek bed in Arizona, and it hit me how much variety one spot can hold. I used to think you had to travel far to find good specimens, but this proves local geology is full of surprises. Anyone else have a favorite hunting ground that just keeps giving?

3 comments

c/diesel-mechanics•

the_blair•1mo ago

My lower back is killing me after pulling transmissions all week

Any diesel techs have good stretches or routines? I can't keep popping ibuprofen like candy, lol.

3 comments

c/elevator-mechanics•

the_blair•1mo ago

Encountering regenerative drives in new builds is shifting my daily routine

I've seen a change in new buildings here putting in elevators with regenerative drives. They save power by sending energy back on the down trip. I first worked on one at a new condo last week. The unit had a warning light, and I thought it was a bad part. But after I used my meter, I found the energy save mode was not right. I had to set the drive controller again, using an online manual. This made me see our job is moving beyond just fixing parts. I want to know if you all are dealing with this too.

3 comments

Posts

My dad told me to stop chasing a perfect bark on my ribs

Serious question, I spent 4 hours yesterday trying to find a simple way to ask a question about my car's AC online.

I finally figured out why my commute home always felt harder, and it was a simple fix

Found a piece of pottery in my backyard that changed my weekend plans

My neighbor's review of a local plumber saved me from a huge mess

I bought a 'beginner friendly' kiln shelf that cracked after two firings

Spent 4 hours trying to get a squirrel out of my chipper

Shoutout to the 50th piece of petrified wood in my collection

My lower back is killing me after pulling transmissions all week

Encountering regenerative drives in new builds is shifting my daily routine

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