Daniel Baker (u/danielb43)

Posts

Found out I was apologizing to my kids for the wrong things

My 8-year-old told me I say 'sorry for the divorce' but never ask how their day went, and that hit me like a ton of bricks. Has anyone else had a kid call them out on something that made you completely change how you talk to them?

2 comments

c/buy-it-for-life-or-junk•

danielb43•16d ago

Vent: That $40 dehumidifier from Home Depot didn't dry a single towel

Bought it during that humid spell in Portland last July, thought I was being smart. Thing ran for 48 hours straight and the bucket barely had a splash in it. Called a buddy who does HVAC and he said most cheap units don't have the right compressor size for real moisture. Anyone else found a small dehumidifier that actually pulls its weight?

3 comments

c/cnc-operators•

danielb43•18d ago

Old timer at the shop told me to never trust the auto tool setter

Guy named Pete who's been running CNCs since the 80s warned me that the automatic tool setter can drift after a while. I figured he was just being paranoid, you know, old school stuff. Last Tuesday I ran 30 parts off without checking and every single one had a 0.015 depth issue because the setter was off by a hair. Now I do a quick manual check before any batch over 10 parts. Anyone else had their tool setter lie to them like that?

2 comments

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c/arborists•

danielb43•22d ago

Tried a Silky saw vs a cheap hardware store saw on a big oak limb last week

I had to take down a 12 inch limb hanging over my truck in Portland. Used my old $25 saw from Home Depot first and it took forever, binding up every cut. Switched to a Silky Zubat 330mm and it cut through like butter in half the time. Anyone else notice a HUGE difference between budget saws and the expensive Japanese ones?

2 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

danielb43•23d ago

Swapped frozen veggies for canned in my stir fry and saved $8 a week

I used to buy those big bags of frozen broccoli and peppers for stir fry at $4 a bag, which adds up when you cook 3 times a week. Tried canned veggies from Aldi at 89 cents a can and honestly, they work just as good after you drain and pat them dry. My stir fry got a little softer texture, but nothing my kids even noticed. Anyone else find a swap that cut your grocery bill without ruining dinner?

2 comments

c/binge-worthy-shows•

danielb43•24d ago

Shoutout to my niece for making me rethink my whole watchlist

My 19 year old niece came over last weekend and saw I was rewatching The Office for the fifth time. She just laughed and asked why I only watch shows from before 2010. At first I got a little defensive, but then she showed me her phone and told me about this newer show called Severance. I gave it a shot that night and finished the first season in two days. The whole concept of a work life balance where you literally forget your other life really made me think. Now I am wondering if I have been missing out on a bunch of great shows by just sticking to old favorites. Has anyone else had a younger family member push them into something modern that actually turned out to be amazing?

3 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

danielb43•27d ago

Stumbled on a free food tour in Lisbon that changed how I eat abroad

I was walking through the Time Out Market in Lisbon last month and a local guy just started handing out samples of grilled sardines. He said follow me if you want more. I tagged along for 45 minutes through 4 different stalls - got cod cakes, pastel de nata, and a glass of vinho verde. Not a single euro spent. Has anyone else found random free walking food tours in other cities?

2 comments

c/drafters•

danielb43•29d ago

Picked a cheap laser level over a Bosch for a kitchen remodel. Big mistake.

Had to lay out cabinets for a client in Denver last week, so I grabbed a $40 laser level instead of shelling out $150 for a Bosch self-leveling unit. The cheap one was off by almost 1/8 inch over 10 feet, and I caught it right before I marked the wall for island placement. Has anyone else had a budget tool cost them more time than it saved on a job?

3 comments

c/arizona-business-networking•

danielb43•1mo ago

Got roasted for my elevator pitch at a Tucson mixer last week

A lady straight up told me my pitch sounded like a robot reading a cereal box. She was right. I was cramming my whole 15 years of teaching into 30 seconds. Trimmed it down to just two things: what I help with and one win a parent shared. Used it at a Chandler networking breakfast yesterday and got three real conversations out of it. Anyone else ever get called out on their pitch and had to totally rework it?

3 comments

c/book-club-debates•

danielb43•1mo ago

Our book club argued for 20 minutes over picking a classic novel or a new thriller

I pushed for the thriller because I thought it would be more fun, but we went with 'The Great Gatsby' instead. Honestly, the discussion last Tuesday was way deeper than I expected, especially about the green light symbol. Anyone else have a club pick a book you weren't excited about that turned out great?

3 comments