Question about the real cost of a bathroom reno

I was looking at a quote for a simple 5x7 bathroom remodel and found out the average cost in my area is over $15,000, which blew my mind because I was budgeting maybe half that... has anyone done a full gut job themselves and what was your final number?

My friend in Portland called my sauerkraut 'too salty' and I finally listened

I was doing 2 tablespoons of salt per head of cabbage, but after his comment I dropped it to 1.5 and the texture is way better now. Anyone else adjust their salt ratio after getting a specific critique?

Warning: My book club in Portland argued about the end of 'The Giver' for an hour last week.

I suggested an ending where Jonas and Gabriel actually freeze, but the sled vision is a final memory sent back to the community, waking them up. It split the room right down the middle. What's your most controversial alternate ending idea?

Hot take: I think my shellac finish is blooming because I worked in a cold garage last month.

I was finishing a maple dresser in my unheated shop when the temp dropped below 50 degrees, and now the surface has this milky white haze. I tried rubbing it with a cloth dampened with alcohol, which helped a bit, but the debate is whether to strip it all back or try to fix it with another coat. Has anyone else beaten a bloomed finish without starting over?

Question about how we used to think about pockets

Five years ago, I would design a dress and just add two side seam pockets as an afterthought (you know, the basic kind). Now, I start the whole sketch by figuring out where the pockets go first. The change happened for me about two years ago after I saw a talk where a designer said 'pockets are a structural element, not a feature.' It made me think about them as part of the shape. My last design had four pockets total, two angled ones on the hips and two hidden in a front seam. Has anyone else started designing from the pocket out?

Watched a guy at the local guild meetup try to forge weld with a completely cold anvil face

A client's mom told me she misses the old school 'wash and set' service

She said it was the only hour of peace she got all week, and that really hit me... we focus so much on color and cuts now. Do you think there's still a market for that kind of slower, simple service?

Question about those cheap code readers from the auto parts store

I always thought they were junk, but a friend let me borrow his to check a random misfire on a 2012 Camry. It pulled a pending P0304 that my old scanner missed, saving me an hour of guesswork. Has anyone else found a specific cheap tool that actually works well?