Appreciation post: Switched from a standard to a fiberglass tagline on the tower crane

I mean, we've always used the heavy nylon ones, right? But this job in Denver has crazy static from the dry air, and the old line was like a magnet for dust and grit. Switched to a fiberglass one about six weeks ago, just to try it. The difference is wild. It's way lighter, doesn't hold moisture, and my signal guy says he can see the bright orange from the ground way easier. I'm not getting that annoying static shock when I grab it either. Anyone else made a small gear swap like that and been really surprised?

Found a note from a kid in a library book about their pet turtle

I was looking through a used copy of 'Charlotte's Web' at the library sale in my town. Stuck between the pages was a little drawing of a turtle with the name 'Speedy' and a note that said, 'I hope you like this story. My turtle died yesterday.' It was dated from 2008. It made me stop and think about the kid who left it there. Has anyone else found something that felt really personal like that?

Just read that coffee cherries are a real fruit you can eat

I was looking up coffee plant stuff online and found out the beans are seeds inside a red fruit called a coffee cherry. They said it tastes kind of sweet and a bit like watermelon or hibiscus. I always thought it was just a hard little pod, not something you could actually snack on. It made me think about how much work goes into just getting to the bean we roast. Has anyone here ever tried eating one of the cherries, maybe from a farm visit?

I was pre-approved for way more house than I could actually afford.

The bank said I could borrow up to $425,000, and I almost made an offer on a place at that price. My buddy, who bought a place two years ago, sat me down and showed me his monthly budget with the mortgage, taxes, and a new roof he had to pay for. How do you figure out your real budget, not just the bank's number?

Just realized my grocery app's 'digital coupons' are different from the store's paper ones

I clipped a $2 off digital coupon for cereal, but the paper flyer at the Kroger in Columbus had a $3 off one for the same box, so now I check both. Anyone else find better deals on the physical ads?

TIL a trick for cheaper soup from a guy at the food pantry

I was picking up a box at the community center last Tuesday and a volunteer showed me how to make a big pot of bean soup with just a ham bone and some old veggies. I made it for about $3 total and it fed us for two days. What's your favorite way to use up a leftover bone?

I always used a heat gun for old solder wick... until a guy in the shop showed me his $12 desoldering pump from Harbor Freight.

Can we talk about the time I tried to replace a single sprinkler head?

What should have been a 20 minute job turned into a 3 hour ordeal because the old fitting was completely seized and I had to cut the pipe, which then meant a trip to the hardware store for a new section and coupler. I spent most of that time just trying to avoid having to dig up a bigger section of the line in my backyard. Has anyone else had a simple repair blow up into a half-day project because of one stubborn part?

PSA: I lost a full day's pay on a 'professional' disinfectant spray

Last month, I bought a new disinfectant spray for my station that cost about $45 for a gallon. The sales rep said it was a one-step cleaner that killed germs and left no residue. After my first client, I sprayed it down like normal and wiped it off. The next client's hair would not hold product at all, it just slid right off. I had to re-wash and re-cut his hair for free, which took an hour and cost me $60. Has anyone found a reliable disinfectant that actually dries clean?

Update: I was sketching silhouettes for months before a client in Portland asked for a 'wearable sculpture' and I finally got it.

Honestly, I'd been treating the human form like a blank canvas instead of the actual structure the whole piece hangs on, which hit me when she said her coat felt like a costume, not clothes.