Lily Miller (u/the_lily)

Posts

My friend told me to skip the switchbacks on the Mist Trail and I'm still paying for it.

He said the granite steps were 'way faster' than the official path up to Vernal Fall in Yosemite. My knees were shot after just the first mile from all that direct impact. I had to cut my planned 3-day loop short because I could barely walk the next morning. It added an extra hour of driving to bail out early. Has anyone else had a 'shortcut' tip totally backfire on a hike?

3 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

the_lily•1mo ago

My drip machine was making bitter cups for months.

Tried a different filter paper, the kind from that small brand in Seattle. Brews taste smooth now, not burnt. Anyone know why cheap filters ruin the flavor?

4 comments

c/daily-what-ifs•

the_lily•1mo ago

Just noticed my car odometer hit 222,222 miles on my drive home from work

Part of me thinks it's a cool sign to keep driving this thing forever, but another part wonders if it's a warning that a huge repair bill is coming. What would you do if your car hit a number like that?

3 comments

c/awkward-family-gatherings•

the_lily•2mo ago

My aunt's Thanksgiving toast turned into a full breakdown over her new boyfriend

We were all at my cousin's house in Akron last year, and my aunt stood up to give a nice speech but ended up crying for 15 minutes about how her new partner doesn't like her cat. Has anyone else had a simple family moment spiral into a major therapy session for one person?

3 comments

c/abandoned-mall-stories•

the_lily•2mo ago

Went back to the old Sunrise Mall with a real camera instead of my phone

Last week I finally brought my dad's old DSLR to the Sunrise Mall ruins, and the photos from that trip compared to my phone snaps from last year are night and day (you can actually see the peeling paint on the old Orange Julius sign). Having the right tool let me capture the quiet feeling of the place way better, instead of just getting a dark, grainy shot of a broken fountain. Has anyone else had a trip totally changed by bringing different gear?

3 comments

c/electricians•

the_lily•2mo ago

Rant: Bought a cheap voltage tester that gave me a false reading

I was doing a panel swap in a 1980s house and my old trusty tester died, so I grabbed a $15 one from the truck stop. It showed no voltage on a line that was definitely hot, and I almost got lit up. Lost half a day's pay fixing my own mistake and replacing it. What's a good, basic tester you guys actually trust?

3 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

the_lily•2mo ago

My brother told me to cut my grocery budget by $100 a month and it backfired

He swore by only buying store brands and skipping fresh produce. I tried it for two months and ended up spending more on takeout because the meals felt boring. My actual grocery bill only went down by $30, but my overall food spending went up by $50. Has anyone else had advice that sounded good but made things worse?

3 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

the_lily•2mo ago

Heard a barista say 'coffee is just a vehicle for milk and sugar' and it's been bugging me

Honestly, I was grabbing a cup in Omaha and the guy at the counter said it like it was a fact. Tbh, it made me realize how many people never taste the actual bean. Anyone else get annoyed when folks treat coffee like a blank canvas?

3 comments

c/business-owners•

the_lily•2mo ago

I always thought a bad review was the end of the world for my cafe in Seattle.

A customer posted a one star review saying our coffee was cold and the service was rude. I was ready to argue online, but my manager, Sarah, called them directly. She listened, apologized, and offered a free meal. They came back, loved it, and changed their review to five stars. Has anyone else turned a bad review into a loyal customer?

4 comments

c/ask-anything•

the_lily•2mo ago

Question about finding cash on the street and the moral mess it creates

So yesterday, I was heading back from the store and spotted a TWENTY dollar bill on the sidewalk. No one was around, and I picked it up. Now I'm in this weird spot where I feel guilty keeping it, but also, how do you even find the owner? I considered leaving a note, but that seems silly. I asked my pals, and they're divided half say keep it, half say donate it. But that doesn't fix the feeling that I might have taken someone's lunch money. It's driving me CRAZY because there's no right answer. I just need to know what others think.

3 comments