PSA on that 'free' 3D CAD software with the weird license

Spent $500 on a project file I couldn't open or export after the trial ended. Anyone know a solid, truly free alternative for basic mechanical stuff?

Had a weird intermittent fault on a Garmin G1000 autopilot trim servo last Thursday

The plane kept logging a trim fault only during climb, but the bench test showed nothing wrong. I finally found a tiny crack in a wire bundle near the actuator mount after wiggling everything for an hour. What's the most annoying intermittent fault you've had to chase down lately?

Had a retaining wall fail on a job in Bellingham yesterday

The base gravel wasn't compacted enough, I guess, and a whole section just slumped over after the rain. I'm looking at two days to tear it out and start over. Anyone have a go-to method for checking compaction before you start laying block?

Remember when we used to hand-dig every post hole? I had a week in '08 that changed my mind.

We were putting in a split-rail fence on a farm near Springfield, and the ground was pure clay. After two days of busted spades and blisters, the owner let us use his old tractor-mounted auger. We finished the whole 300-foot run in an afternoon. Anyone else have a job that finally made you switch to a power tool?

My old phone number got stuck in a data broker loop for eight months

I tried to delete my info from these people finder sites after a breach, but they just kept selling it to each other. It took me over 30 hours of emails and opt out forms to finally stop the calls. Has anyone found a better way to actually make your data stay gone?

Showerthought: I picked the $35 slow cooker over the $150 air fryer and it's been a game changer for meal prep.

PSA: I found a way to make the Teton Crest Trail feel way less crowded by starting at the Phillips Pass trailhead instead of the main one.

After getting a permit for the standard route last August and seeing the huge line at the Jenny Lake shuttle, a local in Jackson told me to try the Phillips Pass start, which added a quiet 8-mile ridge walk and cut the initial hiker traffic by at least two-thirds.

I finally figured out a way to plan a perfect 4-day loop in the Wind River Range

I kept getting stuck trying to link trails without a huge car shuttle. Last summer, I mapped a route starting at Big Sandy, going over Texas Pass, and circling back via Shadow Lake. The key was using a free app called CalTopo to check the elevation gain between campsites. I set a hard rule of no more than 2,500 feet of climbing in a single day. It made the trip way more fun and kept my group from getting too tired. Has anyone else tried planning loops there with a similar mileage limit?

Pro tip: check your holiday seating chart before the turkey gets cold

At our big Easter dinner, I put my cousin who just got divorced next to his ex-wife's new boyfriend... because I forgot they even broke up. The whole table went quiet for like twenty minutes while we tried to figure out new seats. Has anyone else had a seating plan blow up in their face?

Update: I thought using a heat gun on a stripped bolt was a bad idea until I saw a guy in Anchorage do it with a coffee can.