Found out my hens need way more protein than I thought - debating the best source now

I was reading through a poultry nutrition guide from our state extension office and saw that laying hens need 16-18% protein, but mine have been getting about 14% from their scratch grains and kitchen scraps. Now I'm torn between giving them mealworms or fermenting their feed to bump it up. What do you all use for extra protein?

TIL I was trimming my brisket way too much for 10 years

I used to cut off almost all the fat cap because I thought it was wasteful and greasy, but last weekend at a comp in Kansas City a guy named Dave watched me and said 'you're throwing away all your flavor right there'. He showed me his method leaving a quarter inch on and now my bark and moisture are way better. Anyone else learn they were over trimming from a random stranger?

That Saturday when I found a full food court still set up at Granite Run Mall

Went exploring at Granite Run Mall near Media, Pennsylvania last October and walked into the food court area around 11 AM. Every single table still had trays, cups, and half-eaten pretzels like everyone just vanished mid lunch. Found a Sbarro receipt dated September 2014 on the counter. Has anyone else stumbled across a mall that looks like it froze in time like that?

Found out my annual 'quick stop' coffee habit cost $580

Punched my debit card history into a spreadsheet last night and nearly choked. That's 4 months of my car insurance just gone on lattes I barely remember drinking.

Saw my climbing line glazing after only 3 climbs... need advice on what I'm doing wrong

I had a scary moment about two weeks ago up in a big cottonwood near Salem. I was doing a spar removal and noticed my static climbing line was getting this shiny, almost melted look right where it ran through my friction hitch. I'm using a standard 11mm line and a blakes hitch, nothing fancy, and I thought I was tending it properly. But when I came down and checked the rope, it had that glazed feel in a spot about a foot long. I ended up swapping to a backup line for the rest of the job and I'm wondering if my hitch cord is too tight or if I'm just not letting it release enough when I descend. Has anyone else seen this kind of glazing happen fast on a newer rope?

Appreciation post: that one week last spring when everything went right on my Lake Road commute

I mean, for five straight days in April, I hit every green light from Bay Village to Rocky River. No construction delays, no sudden brake lights, just smooth sailing past the lake the whole way. It felt like the universe was giving me a break after months of detours and pothole dodging. Has anyone else ever had a perfect week like that on the West Shore, or was I just lucky?

Water in my basement after that big storm last Thursday

I live over near Bay Village and woke up Thursday morning to about 2 inches of water in my basement. The sump pump was running but it just couldn't keep up with all that rain we got overnight. I ran to the hardware store on Detroit Road and grabbed a cheap utility pump and some hose, which cleared out the rest in maybe 45 minutes. Has anyone else dealt with the sump failing during heavy storms around here?

Appreciation post: That old copy of "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" I found at a library sale in Ohio

Finally nailed my sourdough starter after 3 months of flat loaves

I have been trying to get a good sourdough starter going since last fall and every loaf came out like a frisbee. Then I went to a small baking demo at the local library in Eugene last month. The woman running it said most home bakers keep their starter too cold and feed it too much flour. She showed us how to keep it at a steady 78 degrees using a simple heating pad under the jar. I tried her method and within a week my starter was doubling in size. Last weekend I baked my first loaf with a real oven spring and an open crumb. It felt like a real victory after so many failures. Has anyone else found that temperature makes a bigger difference than feeding schedule?

Unpopular opinion: I used to think packing cubes were a waste of money

For years I just stuffed everything loose into my carry-on, thinking cubes were for people who liked organizing for the sake of it. But last month I took a 10-day trip to Portland and tried a set of three cheap cubes for the first time. The surprise was that I could fit two extra pairs of shoes and a jacket because the cubes compress things so much. I also stopped losing small items like chargers and socks in the bottom of the bag. Now I'm wondering if anyone else had this same change of heart about something they dismissed for years.