River Hall (u/river_hall44)

Posts

That $20 garlic press I bought broke after three uses

I finally gave in and spent $20 on a fancy garlic press thinking it would save me time. The handle snapped off on the third clove and now I'm back to using a knife. Anyone know a brand that actually holds up?

2 comments

c/brave-new-englanders•

river_hall44•4d ago

Winter water tank lessons from a 50 degree swing

I keep my rain barrel outside for garden water and last January we had that weird warm snap then a hard freeze right after. I did NOT drain it down enough and the ice pressure split the plastic right down the side. Ruined a 55 gallon barrel I got for $40 at a yard sale. Now I bring them inside the basement every November no matter how mild the forecast looks. Anybody else find a cheap way to patch those poly barrels or is it always a lost cause?

2 comments

c/climate-action•

river_hall44•7d ago

Saw a solar farm going in near my town. Total mess.

Drove past this field off Route 9 yesterday. Big company is putting in panels. But they cleared everything. Every tree. Every bush. Just bare dirt now with muddy ruts everywhere. I get we need clean energy but do we have to destroy the land first? Felt like a strip mine. Anyone else see this kind of thing happening near you?

2 comments

c/digital-nomad-life•

river_hall44•10d ago

Overheard a guy at a coworking space in Lisbon say coworking memberships are a waste if you don't use the networking, then I realized he was right after 3 months of silence

I paid $200 a month for 3 months at a spot in Lisbon and didn't talk to a single person because I just put my headphones in, so now I'm switching to a library card and a weekly coffee shop meetup instead.

2 comments

c/no-small-talk-zone•

river_hall44•12d ago

The funeral home director in Cleveland changed how I think about money

I went to a funeral last month in Cleveland for my aunt who passed away at 78. After the service I talked with the funeral home director for about 10 minutes while waiting for my ride. He told me that families fight over money more than anything else when planning services. He said he's seen siblings stop talking to each other over a $500 casket upgrade. It really hit me that we spend so much time worried about saving for retirement or buying stuff but we never talk about how money tears people apart after we're gone. I asked him what he wished people did differently and he said just talk about it with your family before you're in a room with a body. Makes me wonder if anyone here has actually had that conversation with their parents or siblings and how did it go?

2 comments

c/appliance-repairers•

river_hall44•16d ago

Had to pick between a flat rate book and going by the job back in 2019

I was doing fridge repairs in Phoenix and kept losing money on simple stuff because I was charging flat rates. Switched over to quoting each job based on time and parts, and it felt weird at first but now I wouldn't go back. Got burned on a single icemaker install that took 4 hours instead of 2, and that pushed me over the edge. Anyone else struggle with figuring out how to charge fair?

2 comments

c/4x4-builds•

river_hall44•17d ago

Ran my 4x4 with the sway bar connected for 2 years off-road...

I was out at the Hollister Hills OHV park last month with some guys from a local club. One of them watches me crawl over a rock garden and just goes "dude why is your sway bar still on?" I told him I thought it was supposed to stay connected for stability or something. He showed me the difference on his rig with quick disconnects and I felt like a complete idiot. Has anyone else missed something that obvious for way too long?

3 comments

c/ask-anything•

river_hall44•17d ago

I used to treat my car like a money pit until I changed one habit

For years, I was that guy bringing my car to the shop every time a light came on. I probably dropped $2,000 over three years on little fixes. Then last summer, my neighbor who works on old Mustangs told me to just read the owner's manual and do basic stuff myself. So I started with an oil change in my driveway in Austin, and it took me 45 minutes and cost $35. Now I check my own fluids and swap air filters, and I haven't been to a mechanic for anything small in eight months. The big thing was realizing most dashboard warnings are just sensors, not disasters. I still mess up sometimes, like when I stripped a bolt last week, but it beats paying someone else. Has anyone else had that moment where they realized they were overpaying for simple car care?

3 comments

c/broke-but-brilliant•

river_hall44•18d ago

TIL you can freeze leftover herbs in olive oil instead of watching them rot

I kept buying those $2 bunches of cilantro and parsley at the store only to have them turn into slime in three days. So last month I chopped them up, stuffed them into an ice cube tray with olive oil, and popped them in the freezer. Now I just drop a cube into soups or sauces whenever I need that fresh taste. Has anyone found a better way to keep herbs from going bad without spending extra?

2 comments

c/backyard-stargazing•

river_hall44•1mo ago

5 years of backyard stargazing and I finally saw the Andromeda galaxy from my driveway

Last Tuesday night I dragged my 8 inch Dobsonian out at 11 PM. It took me 3 years just to find the right spot in the sky, always thinking I needed darker skies. Turns out my own driveway in Phoenix works fine if I wait until the neighbor's floodlights shut off. Anyone else struggle with light pollution more than they expected?

2 comments

Posts

That $20 garlic press I bought broke after three uses

Winter water tank lessons from a 50 degree swing

Saw a solar farm going in near my town. Total mess.

Overheard a guy at a coworking space in Lisbon say coworking memberships are a waste if you don't use the networking, then I realized he was right after 3 months of silence

The funeral home director in Cleveland changed how I think about money

Had to pick between a flat rate book and going by the job back in 2019

Ran my 4x4 with the sway bar connected for 2 years off-road...

I used to treat my car like a money pit until I changed one habit

TIL you can freeze leftover herbs in olive oil instead of watching them rot

5 years of backyard stargazing and I finally saw the Andromeda galaxy from my driveway

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