c/ask-anything

Question about that diner in Poughkeepsie that charges a breakfast fee

I stopped at that place on Route 9 last weekend for eggs and toast, and they tacked on a $2.50 fee just for being there on a Saturday. The waitress said it's because of demand or whatever, but my plate was cold and the coffee tasted burnt. Am I the only one who thinks this fee stuff is getting out of hand? Has anyone else run into this at other spots upstate?

Showerthought: That $30 radio I bought on a whim actually works better than the fancy one

I picked up a cheap no-name AM/FM radio at a flea market in Tucson last month just for the novelty, expecting it to crap out in a week. Three weeks later, it's pulling in stations from two states away while my expensive Sony sits silent. Anyone else have a random cheap item that just outperformed the premium stuff for no reason?

Tried a 15 minute timer for small repair jobs and got 3 times as much done

I set a timer for 15 minutes before tackling a squeaky cabinet hinge last Tuesday instead of letting it drag out. Finished the hinge, tightened two drawer pulls, and even wiped down the hardware in that time. Has anyone else tried time-boxing small home fixes and seen a difference?

TIL about free museum days after paying full price for months

I've been visiting the art museum in Portland every other Saturday for like 6 months, dropping $18 each time. Last weekend a stranger at the ticket counter told me they have free admission every first Thursday of the month. I felt kind of dumb but also grateful. Has anyone else discovered a hidden freebie at a local spot way later than they should have?

Figured out a simple billing code issue after 8 months of headache

Been doing contract work for a small roofing company in Phoenix. Turned out I was using the wrong labor code on city permits. Took me 8 months and three rejected permits to figure it out. A city clerk finally pointed it out in 30 seconds flat at the counter. Anyone else deal with a tiny mistake that cost way more time than it should have?

Honestly this week was a total disaster from Monday morning to Friday night

My mechanic brother in law told me to stop babying my engine and I feel dumb now

He said I was idling too long to warm it up and that actually causes more wear than just driving easy the first few miles. Been doing that for 8 years - has anyone else been doing this wrong?

Why I think everyone overreacted to that grocery self-checkout thing

I was at a Publix in Tampa last Tuesday and watched three people walk out because the self-checkout stalled on a grape barcode, and everyone online acts like this is some huge conspiracy to kill jobs. I just tapped my card again and a worker fixed it in 15 seconds. Has anyone else had a smooth experience at self-checkout that makes the outrage feel overblown?

Spent $12 on a jellyfish lamp from a thrift store and it melted my nightstand

Found this weird glowing jellyfish lamp at a Goodwill in Portland for $12. Thought it was a steal for the ambiance. Plugged it in for two nights and woke up to a melted spot on my nightstand and a burnt plastic smell. Turns out the wiring was ancient and the bulb was way too hot for the plastic base. Now I'm out $12 plus a gouged nightstand. Has anyone else bought something that seemed cool but ended up being a fire hazard?

TIL I've been sharpening my kitchen knives wrong for 6 years after watching a YouTube video from a guy in Japan

I used to just run them through a pull-through sharpener until I saw a video where he used a whetstone and three different grits - my $75 chef's knife actually slices paper now. Has anyone else switched methods and noticed a huge difference?

That time a stranger in a hardware store taught me how to pick a lock

I was stuck outside my own shed last summer in Portland with a broken padlock. A older guy walked over from the plumbing aisle and asked if I needed help. He pulled a small rake pick from his pocket and popped it open in under 10 seconds, no damage at all. He told me he used to be a locksmith and that most cheap locks can be bypassed with a simple tension wrench. Has anyone else run into random experts like that who just solve your problem out of nowhere?

I was dead wrong about automatic coffee grinders for years

I always thought manual burr grinders were superior and that automatic ones just made a mess. Two months ago my buddy let me try his Baratza Encore on some Ethiopian beans. I dialed in 22 clicks and got the most even grind I've ever seen from any machine. The static cling was way less than I expected and cleanup took me 15 seconds. Has anyone else changed their mind on a tool they swore they'd never use?

Pro tip: That cheap digital caliper from the hardware store cost me 30 bucks on a ruined cabinet hinge

I bought a $8 caliper online and misread the measurement by 0.5mm, then spent a whole afternoon recutting a $30 piece of oak for a cabinet door, has anyone else had bad luck with budget measuring tools?

That moment I realized I was killing my cast iron skillet for years

Ngl, I spent like 6 years scrubbing my cast iron with soap and steel wool every time I used it, wondering why it always stuck. Then my buddy saw me doing it at a cookout last month and nearly had a heart attack telling me I was stripping all the seasoning off. Anyone else learn the hard way that you're just supposed to wipe it out with oil and a paper towel?

Just realized a guy at the auto parts store saved me $80 with one question

I was buying a new alternator for my 2002 Honda Civic last Tuesday at the O'Reilly's on 5th Street. The guy behind the counter asked if I checked the voltage regulator wire first, kind of like he knew something. He showed me how a loose connector can mimic a dead alternator and had me test it right in the parking lot. Tightening that one wire fixed my battery light and saved me $80 plus the hassle of swapping parts.

Finally nailed that framing square trick after 4 years of guessing

I was building a deck in my buddy's backyard in Portland last month and kept messing up my rafter cuts. Been doing roofs for 8 years but stairs and decks always trip me up. An old carpenter who was walking his dog stopped and showed me how to use the tongue of the square for the rise and the body for the run. Took about 20 minutes of practice but now I can mark a birdsmouth in under 30 seconds. Anyone else have a tool they thought they knew how to use but really didn't?

Vent: Found out my local coffee shop charges $8 for a latte because of the rent hike

I was looking at my bank statement last week and noticed I spend like $40 a month just on coffee. So I asked the barista why their prices jumped so much. She showed me a news article about commercial rent going up 15% in our neighborhood in Portland this year. That blew my mind because I figured it was just inflation or something. Has anyone else looked into why local places are charging more and found a surprising reason?

The week everything went right at the wrong time

Last Monday my tenant finally moved out after 3 months of fighting, I found a leaky pipe behind the fridge that could've flooded the whole place, and my boss gave me friday off all in the same day. Has anyone else had a day where everything good happened but you still felt like you were just waiting for the other shoe to drop?

The old guy at the hardware store changed how I fix things

Last month I went to Ace Hardware in Tulsa to grab a new shower head. An older employee named Bill stopped me on my way out and asked what I was working on. He showed me how to wrap plumber's tape clockwise instead of just winging it. Has anyone else had a random stranger give them advice that actually worked way better than what you were doing?

Used to think deep cleaning my kitchen meant just wiping counters until a health scare changed everything last month

I spent years just doing a quick spray and wipe on my counters, never thinking about the little spots like the backsplash or the microwave handle. Then my kid got a stomach bug out of nowhere and the doctor asked if I sanitize my sink drain. I didn't even know that was a thing. Now I pull out all the small appliances and hit every crack with a disinfecting wipe every Sunday. Has anyone else found a specific spot they were totally missing but can't skip now?

Discovered that a single blue whale's heartbeat can be detected from two miles away

I stumbled on this fact reading a marine biology article while waiting for my oil change, and it blew my mind because I always thought whale sounds were the only thing that traveled that far through water - has anyone else run across weird animal facts that completely changed how you see them?

My cousin's 8 year old asked me why I work so much and it kind of threw me

I was at a family dinner last Sunday and my little cousin Lily asked me straight up, 'Why do you always talk about work? Don't you get tired?' I didn't have an answer right away. She made me realize I've been treating my painting crew like a second family but ignoring my actual family. Has anyone else had a kid say something simple that made you look at your whole situation different?

Just realized how long it can take to get a small claims case through the system

I filed a small claims case against a client who never paid me for a big cleaning job I did back in March. Thought it would be a quick thing, maybe a month or two tops. It's been 5 months now and we still haven't had a court date. Between the filing fees, having to serve papers twice because the address was wrong, and the court just being backed up, I'm out like $200 and a lot of patience. Has anyone else dealt with this dragging out way longer than you expected?

Realized after 8 months of daily carry I was using the wrong pocket for my knife

Was at a cookout by the grill in Akron and the guy next to me pulled out his knife from his front left pocket in one smooth motion and it hit me I've been fumbling with my right pocket like an idiot the whole time, anybody else ever have that awkward moment where you watch someone do something and immediately see your own bad habit?

Why does nobody talk about how bad most grocery store avocados are

Spent 10 years buying them rock hard or mushy from Kroger. My neighbor finally told me to switch to a local Mexican market. Why do stores even sell avocados that clearly aren't ripe enough or are already turning black?