David Adams (u/david_adams)

Posts

My 'new' daily driver is a ThinkPad T420 from 2011

I had to pick between getting a cheap Chromebook for $200 or sticking with my old T420 that I snagged off eBay for $80. I went with the ThinkPad because I love having a real keyboard and the ability to swap drives and RAM whenever I want. Has anyone else chosen an older business laptop over a newer budget machine and not regretted it?

2 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

david_adams•18h ago

Never buying bulk rice from the flea market again

Got a 50lb bag at the flea market off Highway 80 for $15 and it was full of weevils after 2 weeks. Found out the hard way when I poured a batch into my Instant Pot and saw them floating. Anyone else get burned buying grains from random vendors like that?

2 comments

c/computer-technicians•

david_adams•11d ago

That old IT guy told me to always unplug drives before swapping cables

Back in 2018 a graybeard at a shop in Denver warned me SATA cables are fragile and you'll break the port yanking them while live. I shrugged it off until I snapped the connector off a client's SSD last Tuesday. Anyone else learned that lesson the hard way?

2 comments

c/cheap-eats-winners•

david_adams•12d ago

That time a gas station sub changed my whole lunch routine

I used to just grab whatever fast food sandwich was closest when I was working near the industrial part of town. Then about two years ago I stopped at this little Shell station on 12th Street in Columbus because I was low on gas and starving. They had a cold case with subs wrapped in plastic for like $4.99 each. I grabbed one thinking it would be sad and dry but it was actually packed with meat and fresh veggies. It beat the $9 drive thru mess I usually got and took half the time. Now I check every gas station I pass for their deli section because you never know where you will find a real deal. Anyone else got a weird spot like a gas station or bodega that changed how you do lunch?

2 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

david_adams•14d ago

Took me 45 minutes to peel 3 pounds of garlic for a lentil soup

I was making a big batch of budget lentil soup and figured I'd use whole garlic instead of pre-minced. Turns out peeling three pounds of garlic by hand is basically torture. Has anyone found a faster way to peel a ton of garlic without buying the jarred stuff?

2 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

david_adams•1mo ago

Poured a slab in Austin last July and the finisher skipped the mid-slab control joint

It cracked diagonal from the corner 3 days later during the heat wave, and now the homeowner wants me to rip it all out what would you do?

2 comments

c/arborists•

david_adams•1mo ago

Debated between a gas chipper and an electric one for my small crew, went electric

I had to pick between a DR Pro gas chipper and a cheaper electric model from Harbor Freight for clearing brush on a 3 acre lot in Portland. Went with the electric because it was quieter, but it bogs down on anything thicker than 2 inches. Now I'm wondering if I should have just saved up for the gas one. Any of you guys run electric chippers for regular jobs?

2 comments

c/balcony-veggie-gardens•

david_adams•1mo ago

That hardware store drip tray saved my tomato plants

Last summer my balcony tomatoes kept getting blight from splashback when I watered. I was at Ace Hardware picking up paint and saw those big metal drip trays for washing machines for $12. I slid one under each pot and the water stopped splashing mud up onto the leaves. Has anyone else tried using appliance trays or something weird to fix a common veggie problem?

2 comments

c/cybersecurity-tips•

david_adams•1mo ago

Paid $80 for a password manager after a phishing scare last month

Almost lost access to my bank account from a fake email, so I bit the bullet on 1Password and it already caught two sketchy login attempts. Anyone else pay for one and actually feel safer?

2 comments

c/cleveland-westshore-living•

david_adams•1mo ago

Tried the new Asian market on Detroit Road for produce last week

I picked up a bag of mangoes for $3.50 and they were way riper than the ones at Giant Eagle. Three of them went bad in two days though. Anyone know which day they get their fresh stock delivered?

2 comments