Found a used bookstore in Portland with a cat section that made me ditch Amazon forever

I was browsing Powell's last weekend and stumbled on this random shelf in the back labeled 'Feline Fine Arts.' They had like 30 cat coffee table books from the 70s and 80s for $5 each. One called 'Cats in Repose' has these hilarious black and white photos of fat cats sleeping on vintage furniture. The binding is falling apart on some but honestly that's part of the charm. I've been ordering these online for $30 plus shipping and they always show up with bent corners. Has anyone else found a hidden gem section at a local shop or am I just late to this?

Is a $5 rotisserie chicken really cheaper than buying a whole raw chicken?

Paper towels vs. reusable silicone mats for air fryer cleanup - what's your go-to?

I've been going back and forth on this for months. Paper towels are cheap and easy, I just toss them after cooking bacon or chicken wings. But I tried those silicone liners last week and they did save me from scrubbing the basket after a messy batch of salmon at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. The problem is the silicone ones don't let the air flow as well underneath, so my fries came out less crispy on the bottom. Which one do you all stick with for stuff like frozen nuggets or breaded fish? I'm leaning back to paper towels but want to hear if anyone has found a trick to make the liners work better.

That Wednesday in 2019 when my pull list was just... perfect

I had spent the morning dealing with a flat tire and a missed bus, but I walked into my LCS around 2pm and every single book on my pull was there, plus the guy behind the counter had set aside a variant cover I didn't even ask for. Has anyone else had a day where everything just clicked at the shop like that, where the whole week of bad luck flipped around in 10 minutes?

Why I switched to 50-page chunks instead of forcing myself through a whole chapter

I was stuck on 'Ulysses' for three months because the paragraphs felt endless, then I started reading exactly 50 pages at a time with a timer and suddenly the book clicked for me. Has anyone else found a weird cutoff number like page count or time limit that made a tough book actually readable?

My grandmother's cast iron skillet looked wrecked until I tried this one thing

I pulled my grandma's 1940s Wagner skillet out of storage last year and it was covered in rust and crusty old seasoning. Tried scrubbing with steel wool and soap, which just made it worse. Then a guy at the farmers market told me to soak it in a 50/50 vinegar and water bath for 30 minutes, then scrub with coarse salt and oil. It took off all the rust without damaging the iron. After three rounds of reseasoning with Crisco in the oven at 400 degrees, it's back to cooking eggs without sticking. Anyone else got a trick for reviving old cast iron that actually worked?

Old timer told me to never use finish nails for stair treads

Last month I was building a set of stairs for a client in Austin and this retired carpenter walked by, said I'd regret using 16 gauge finish nails on the treads. Sure enough after one week the treads started popping up from the humidity changes. Anyone else run into this or do you always screw your treads down?

My cat still remembers that one time I dropped her at the vet 5 years ago

I brought my cat Mittens to the vet last week for a routine checkup and she hissed at the receptionist - same woman who took her back for surgery back in 2019. She usually loves everyone but that one lady got the stink eye for a solid 10 minutes before we left. Has anyone else had a cat hold a grudge against a specific person like that?

Rice and beans 5 days straight finally broke me last Tuesday

I got paid Friday and had $12 left after bills. Made a big pot of rice with canned black beans and it lasted thru Monday. By Tuesday night I couldn't look at another bowl so I scraped together $1.50 for a bag of frozen broccoli and threw it in with some soy sauce I had. Honestly tasted like a whole new meal. Anyone else hit a wall with the same cheap meal over and over?

Got locked inside the old Fountain Place Mall at midnight last Friday

I was taking pictures of the empty food court when I heard the security gates slam down behind me. Worked for 20 minutes to find a side door that still opened, but every exit was sealed tight. Ended up climbing through a busted ceiling panel in the back hallway and dropping into the parking garage below. Has anyone else been trapped in a closed mall, or just me?