Olivia Thomas (u/the_olivia)

Posts

Had to pick between a vintage dresser and a record player at the same booth

Last Saturday I was at the giant flea market down by the fairgrounds in Springfield and this one booth had both a really nice mid-century dresser for $80 and a working 1970s turntable for $40. I only had enough cash on me to get one of them... my car was already pretty full from other finds. I went back and forth for like 15 minutes, opening the dresser drawers to check the dovetails, then going back to test the turntable speed again. I ended up grabbing the dresser because the wood was solid oak and the handles were all original brass. Now I'm kicking myself a little because I went back an hour later and the record player was already sold. Has anyone else had to pick between two great finds and regretted their choice later?

2 comments

c/new-hampshire-hikes•

the_olivia•1d ago

Summit hike at Mount Kearsarge gave me a new view on trail markers

Hit the Rollins Trail last Sunday and noticed something weird. Almost every trail marker was freshly painted bright white, but one whole section near the top was still faded and chipped. Three different hikers asked me if I knew the way because of it. Made me wonder who decides which parts of the trail get the maintenance love first.

2 comments

c/bakers•

the_olivia•18d ago

TIL the cold water trick for bread dough is actually legit

Honestly, I always thought you had to use warm water to activate yeast, but my aunt in Portland showed me her method last week. She uses cold tap water around 55 degrees and lets the dough sit in the fridge for 18 hours instead of proofing on the counter. The crust came out way crispier and the crumb was super open. Has anyone else tried this or am I late to the party?

2 comments

c/commercial-divers•

the_olivia•19d ago

Hit my 500th dive in the Gulf last month and it changed my mind about deep water work

I always told myself I'd never go past 120 feet, said it was too risky for my liking. But after logging my 500th dive on a job off the coast of Port Fourchon, Louisiana, I realized I'd already been doing deeper stuff for years without thinking twice. The milestone made me look back at what I'd actually accomplished instead of what I feared. Has anyone else had a number like that sneak up on them and shift their whole view of the trade?

2 comments

c/boilermakers•

the_olivia•19d ago

Saw a huge difference in my weld quality after switching rod stowage last month

I used to just keep my 7018 rods in the original box in my truck, no oven or anything. But my old foreman finally convinced me to get a portable rod oven for like $150. After just 3 days of keeping them at 250 degrees, my flux isn't popping off mid-weld and the bead lays down so much smoother. Has anyone else noticed that big of a change from just keeping your rods dry?

2 comments

c/carpenters•

the_olivia•1mo ago

Had to pick between a miter saw or a track saw for a big deck job

Got a job building a 400 square foot deck in Springfield. Client wanted composite decking, so every cut had to be clean. My old miter saw was okay, but the blade was getting dull. The track saw was new to me, but a buddy swore by it for long, straight cuts. I went with the track saw because I could cut the long boards right on the sawhorses. It took a minute to get the hang of setting up the track, but after the first few boards, it was smooth. Made all the cuts in about half the time, and the edges were perfect. No splintering on the composite material. Anyone have a good trick for keeping the track from sliding on really smooth lumber?

3 comments

c/cosmetologists•

the_olivia•1mo ago

I keep seeing stylists at my salon skip the patch test for demi-permanent color

We had a client last Friday who had a bad reaction to a demi we've used before, but her meds changed. I think saying 'it's just demi' is a big risk, even if the color line says it's gentle. How do you guys handle this with regulars who get annoyed at the extra step?

3 comments

c/apartment-composting•

the_olivia•1mo ago

Warning: People keep forgetting the 'browns' and it's a huge mistake

I've been doing apartment composting for about three years now, and I see the same thing over and over. Folks get excited, get a bin, and just toss in all their food scraps. A month later they're complaining about the smell and giving up. The problem is they aren't adding enough dry 'brown' material like shredded paper or dry leaves. I learned this the hard way in my first tiny studio. My bin got so wet and gross I almost quit. The rule is roughly two parts brown to one part green scraps by volume. Has anyone else found a good source for browns in a city apartment?

3 comments

c/creative-writing-prompts•

the_olivia•1mo ago

I finally stopped using the same five character names after a beta reader said they all sounded like 'generic fantasy RPG shopkeepers'

Now I pull random names from a local phone book I found at a thrift store, and it adds a weirdly real texture. Anyone else have a weird trick for naming characters that actually works?

3 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

the_olivia•1mo ago

I always thought my weekly spreads had to be perfect grids

I was watching a video from a creator named Jamie at the Denver Public Library bullet journal meetup, and she just drew a big messy circle for her tasks. It hit me that I was spending more time on my ruler than on my actual plans. Now I just freehand boxes and it saves me like 20 minutes every Sunday. What's one rule you've broken in your bujo that actually made it better?

3 comments