Appreciation post for my neighbor's roofing advice

My neighbor Ron told me last spring to patch a small leak with roofing cement instead of replacing the whole shingle. I did what he said and it held through all the rain this winter without any issues. Anyone else get a simple fix that worked way better than you expected?

Threw $300 at a cheap dial indicator set from Amazon and regretted it after 2 weeks on the shop floor

The needle stuck on the third setup and now I'm back to using my old Mitutoyo that cost twice as much, has anyone else had luck with the mid-range Starrett ones?

That night at Big Bend changed how I pack gear

I was on a 4 day solo trip in Big Bend last winter and a cold front dropped temps to 28 degrees. My sleeping bag was rated for 40 and I froze my butt off - had to hike out a day early because I couldn't sleep. Has anyone else learned the hard way about temp ratings being too optimistic?

Vent: Changed my tune about scripted phone greetings after today's call

I used to think those long scripted greetings were just corporate nonsense. Worked a call at Best Buy in Tampa where a guy spent 4 minutes demanding to know why I didn't say 'thank you for choosing' his exact store location. He kept cutting me off every time I tried to help. From now on, I'm reading the whole script word for word. Has anyone else had a customer flip out over missing a single line of that opening spiel?

Remember when we had to memorize every menu item price...

That one rainy Tuesday where everything went wrong on a simple shelf install

Last Tuesday I took a simple job hanging three floating shelves in a living room in Portland. Should have taken maybe 2 hours tops. First off the stud finder kept beeping false positives every 3 inches on this old plaster wall. Then I drilled into a hidden pipe behind the second shelf spot. Water started spraying everywhere. Had to shut off the main valve for the whole house. The homeowner was standing there staring at me while I mopped up with towels from their linen closet. I finally got the shelves up after patching the pipe but they sat about a quarter inch off level because the wall was wavy. Ended up eating the cost on materials and labor because I felt so bad. Has anyone else dealt with old plaster walls that make stud finding a total nightmare?

Had to pick between a used Matco box and a new Husky last month

I was torn between getting a beat up Matco 56 inch for $1200 off Craigslist or a brand new Husky 58 inch from Home Depot for $900. The Matco was way older but had those nice ball bearing slides. I went with the Husky because I didn't want to deal with rusty drawers and a 3 hour drive to pick it up. Honestly it's been solid for 3 weeks now, drawers slide smooth and it holds all my tools fine. I know it's not Snap-on quality but for a weekend warrior like me it gets the job done. Anybody else go with the cheaper new box over a used truck brand?

The moment I realized I was eating too little all along

I was on this 1,200 calorie diet for 6 months and losing nothing. I mean zero change on the scale. I thought I was being so strict but my body just held onto everything. Then a friend who is a nurse asked me what I ate in a day and she just shook her head. She told me my metabolism probably tanked from the low calories and I needed to eat more to actually lose weight. I slowly bumped up to 1,800 calories with more protein and the weight finally started coming off in week three. Has anyone else had the opposite problem where eating less just made things worse?

Warning: Check your soil before you do any digging on your property

I used to just rent a mini excavator and start trenching for fence posts without a second thought. Then last month I hit a buried gas line from the 60s that wasn't on any utility map and it blew a 4-foot crater in my yard. Has anyone else found unmarked lines or pipes on their land?

Spent $800 on a fancy lawn irrigation system and regret every penny

My neighbor convinced me to install a Rain Bird setup with smart controllers, but after two summers I've spent more on repairs and winterizing than I'd ever save on water bills. Anyone else find these systems more trouble than they're worth in Toronto's climate?