My street in Austin used to flood every big storm. Now it doesn't, and it's because of a ditch.

For years, a heavy rain meant water over the curb and into our yards. The city finally dug a wide, deep drainage ditch along the road about 18 months ago and filled it with native plants. Last week we got 4 inches in a few hours and the water just vanished into it. It's a simple fix that beats repaving everything. Has your town done any small projects like this that actually worked?

I've stopped feeling guilty about eating meat from nearby farms after seeing the miles on my vegan friend's groceries.

Warning: My fast pour-over method backfired big time

I began dumping all the water in without the bloom phase. The coffee came out sharp and thin every time. After adding a 30-second bloom back in, it tastes full and sweet. Do not rush this step like I did.

Gate order turned around my solo forge mindset

I always ran my shop solo, sure it was the best way. Then I landed a large order for custom gates. Another smith offered to help, and I agreed after some doubt. Forging together cut the project time by half. He showed me a faster scroll shaping trick I never knew. Now I see how a forge partner can bring new ideas and share the load. I'm looking to hire a helper for future big projects.

Pro tip: Always test comic cleaners on a throwaway issue first

I messed up a nice cover by using a strong cleaner without testing it. Now I check on cheap comics from the discount box before trying anything on my good stuff. What do you use to clean old comics without causing damage?