Hit 500 installs today and realized something sad

I hit 500 alarm system installs this morning at a house on Maple Street. What hit me is that I've replaced almost 200 of those systems because people just let them rot after a few years. Anyone else feel like half this job is just fixing other people's half-done work?

Spent $60 on a collapsible water bottle and it actually saved me at airport security

I bought one of those silicone collapsible water bottles last month for a trip to Chicago. It rolls up smaller than my fist when empty. At security I filled it up after getting through instead of buying a $5 plastic bottle at the gate. I drank water the whole flight and didnt have to ask for tiny cups from the flight attendant. Anyone else tried these or do you just stick with the disposable bottles?

Heard a guy at the auto parts store say cold air intakes are a waste on daily drivers...

TIL frozen veggies are actually cheaper than fresh in most stores

I used to ALWAYS buy fresh broccoli and green beans because I thought frozen was more processed and cost more. Last month I actually looked at the per pound price at my local Kroger and the frozen bag was 40 percent less. I tried them in a stir fry and honestly couldn't tell the difference after cooking. Has anyone else switched to frozen for certain meals and noticed a big savings?

Spent $45 on a 'book club starter kit' and all I got was a cheesy discussion guide

Ordered this kit from some online store for a debate on 1984 and it came with generic questions that didn't even match the book. Anyone else fall for these overpriced packs that promise to spice up your meeting?

Old timer told me to never use thermal paste from a tube that's been sitting in a hot van

I thought he was just being dramatic. Left my Arctic Silver in the glovebox for about 3 weeks last summer. Applied it to a client's gaming rig and within 2 months their CPU was hitting 95C under load. Redid it with a fresh tube and temps dropped to 72C. That stuff definitely separates or dries out way faster than I figured. Has anyone else had a batch go bad from heat exposure?

Wasted $120 on a hydroponic kit that never grew anything

I bought one of those fancy countertop hydroponic systems from a Kickstarter last spring and after 4 months of replacing bulbs and water pumps I got exactly zero basil plants to sprout. Has anyone else fallen for one of these gardening shortcuts or found one that actually works?

Tripped over a dig trowel at Mesa Verde and broke my favorite brush

Was showing a volunteer how to screen dirt and my foot caught the edge of my trowel, sending me right into a ceramic wash basin. Now I keep all my tools tethered to my belt loops, anyone else do that to avoid disaster?

Ran into an old catering baker at a garage sale last Saturday

She mentioned she stopped using convection ovens years ago because they dried out her pound cakes. I always thought fan forced was better, but now I am testing my standard recipe at 325 without the fan. Has anyone else noticed a big difference skipping convection for certain bakes?

Pro tip: mark your card sleeves with a tiny dot on the back

I was at a board game night in Portland last Friday and accidentally shuffled a promo card into my deck of identical sleeves. After 20 minutes of searching, I grabbed a sharpie and put a tiny red dot on the backs of any special cards. Has anyone else found a quick fix for keeping promo or upgrade cards separate mid-game?