The week I had to rebind a whole set of waterlogged cookbooks for a client

Last week a regular client called me in a panic because a pipe burst in her kitchen and soaked a set of twelve vintage cookbooks she inherited. She brought them over in a plastic tub, and they were still damp and starting to swell. I had to carefully separate every single page, press them flat between blotting paper and weights for three days, and then re-sew all the bindings. The worst part was the smell, like wet cardboard and old glue. I spent about 25 hours total on it, and my fingers were sore from all the hand sewing. She was so grateful she paid me double my usual rate, which was nice, but man, it was a grind. Has anyone else had to deal with a big water damage job like that? What's your process for drying pages without them sticking together?

I found my old cordless drill from 3 years ago in the garage and it made me think about how we used to fix things

TIL in a Chiang Mai cafe that my laptop bag is basically a neon 'rob me' sign for thieves...

I watched a guy get his whole bag snatched right off his chair while he was ordering coffee, so now I always loop a strap around my leg, even if I'm just turning away for a second.

Can we talk about those bargain bucket ladder rung covers

Bought a set for $22 to stop slipping on the dredge ladder. They split open after two weeks in the sun and I nearly took a bad fall. What do you guys use that actually holds up?

I always used my phone for quick art references, but my old tablet from 2017 is way better.

The bigger screen on the tablet, even though it's slow, lets me actually see the color gradients I'm trying to match in my digital paintings. Anyone else find that a bigger display, even an old one, makes a huge difference for color work?

My uncle swore by using a 3/8 inch joint for everything, but it cost me a job in Tempe

My uncle, who laid brick for 30 years, always told me a 3/8 inch mortar joint was the only way to go for a clean look. I followed that advice on a big patio job last month in Tempe, Arizona. The homeowner specifically wanted a historic, rustic feel, and when the architect saw my work, he pointed out that the thinner joint made it look too modern and precise. I had to tear out and redo two full days of work with a 1/2 inch joint instead. Has anyone else had a client or inspector call them out for a joint size that was technically fine but stylistically wrong?

I thought adding a can of soda to pulled pork was a dumb gimmick until my brother in Denver made it and the meat fell apart after 8 hours.

Has anyone else tried this weird trick or got another one that sounds fake but actually works?

My first boss in Phoenix told me to always use a 4-inch hole saw for door contacts, but after cracking three frames in a row, I switched to a 3-inch.

Now I'm curious, what's your go-to method for installing those surface-mount contacts on old wooden doors without causing damage?

Had a major paint reaction on a customer's 2018 F-150 last Thursday

I was doing a full respray on the bed of this truck, a metallic gray. I prepped everything right, or so I thought. I laid down the sealer, waited the flash time, and started with the basecoat. Within seconds, this crazy wrinkling and lifting started happening in a big patch near the tailgate. My heart just dropped, lol. I immediately stopped spraying and hit it with the air hose to try and dry it, but the damage was done. I had to sand the whole mess back down to bare metal in that section, which took me like two extra hours. I think the issue was some old wax or silicone in a scratch I didn't catch. Has anyone else had a reaction pop up that fast, and what's your go-to cleaner before sealing?

Just realized my rush job on a balayage took way longer in the end

Had a client come in for a balayage last Tuesday. She was in a hurry, so I tried to speed up the foiling. Ended up with patchy color and uneven tones. Had to go back and correct every section. What should have been three hours turned into almost six. Now I see that taking the time to do it right the first time actually saves time. I never skip steps anymore. My clients leave happier, and I don't have to redo my work.