My sister said I should stop apologizing for asking 'dumb' questions at work

We were on the phone yesterday and I mentioned feeling silly for asking my manager how to format a shared report again. She told me, 'You're not paying them to know everything, you're paying them to teach you.' That hit different because I always thought asking made me look bad. Do you think asking basic questions shows you're trying or that you're unprepared?

Serious question, I was torquing head bolts wrong for years until a job in Billings.

I always did the final torque pass in one smooth pull, but the old timer I was working with there showed me his method of three short, firm pulls on the wrench. He said it lets the gasket settle and stops you from over-stretching the bolt. Now I'm wondering, is that just his personal trick or is it actually better practice? What's your method for a final torque sequence on something like a 6.7 Powerstroke?

Just realized how bad a cheap seam roller can mess up a job

Tbh, I had to pick between a $15 roller from the big box store or a $40 one my buddy swore by. I went cheap, and it left a visible line in the Berber on a living room install last Tuesday. Anyone know a solid brand that won't do that?

The worst tree damage I've ever seen came from a 'weekend warrior' with a chainsaw

Last week in Boulder, a homeowner tried to remove a 40-foot pine himself after watching a few videos. He made a bad face cut, the tree barber-chaired, and it smashed through his garage roof. Has anyone else had to clean up a mess this bad from a DIY attempt?

I started clapping at the end of movies in an empty theater

I was the only person left in a screening of a superhero movie in Phoenix, and when the credits rolled I gave a slow, sarcastic clap for about ten seconds. A cleaner poked their head in, gave me a weird look, and just said 'really, dude?' lmao. Has anyone else done something pointless just because the usual social pressure was gone?

My neighbor's 1980s kitchen looked like a time capsule until last month

They had those dark wood cabinets and a yellow laminate counter that was peeling up at the sink. The whole thing felt closed in. Over about three weekends, they painted the cabinets a light grey and installed a new quartz countertop themselves. They also took out a small wall between the kitchen and dining room, which made the biggest difference. Now the whole space feels twice as big and bright. Has anyone else tackled a project that opened up a room like that?

My date's dog ate my car keys in a park in Sacramento

This was about a month ago. We met for a walk around McKinley Park, and he brought his big, friendly golden retriever. Everything was fine until I set my keys down on a bench to tie my shoe. The dog just snatched them up like a toy. I spent twenty minutes trying to get him to drop them while my date just kept saying, 'He's never done that before.' The keys were covered in slobber and one of the fob buttons was totally chewed off. We had to call his roommate to bring the spare key, and I drove home with the windows down because my car smelled like wet dog. Anyone else have a date completely derailed by a pet?

Remember when we could just lay a floor without checking for wifi signals?

Checked my data broker opt-out list and it was over 200 sites

I spent a weekend trying to remove my info from those people search sites. Tbh, I started a spreadsheet to keep track and the count hit 207 places that had my old address and phone number. It felt like a full time job just to get my basic info hidden. How do you even keep up with this stuff without going crazy?

Tbh, I finally tried using a cheap paint additive to stop my stucco from cracking and it actually worked

I've got a 1950s house near UNM, and every year I'd get these hairline cracks in the exterior stucco after winter. Last fall, I spent maybe $15 on a bottle of acrylic bonding agent from the hardware store and mixed it into my patching mortar like the label said. Did a small test patch first. It's been through a whole freeze-thaw cycle now, and that spot is still solid while the old patches nearby are cracking again. Has anyone else used something like this for older ABQ homes? Wondering if it holds up long-term or if I just got lucky.