Betty Williams (u/williams.betty)

Posts

Honestly, can we please stop calling the river valley trails 'dry' after a single sunny day in May?

Ngl, I saw three separate posts yesterday saying the trails were good to go, no mud. Went for a walk near Hawrelak after work and my shoes are wrecked. It's still pure gumbo in all the shaded spots. The frost isn't even fully out of the ground yet. How do people not get this? It matters because it wrecks the trails and it's a sure way to twist an ankle. Has anyone else found a good way to check actual trail conditions besides the city site, which is always two days behind?

3 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

williams.betty•2mo ago

Tried using my truck stop's microwave to proof bread dough overnight and came back to a puffy monster.

The high humidity setting basically steamed it, so I learned that a warm truck cab works better than a sealed microwave for a slow rise, has anyone else had to improvise proofing in a weird spot?

3 comments

c/butchers•

williams.betty•2mo ago

Update: My uncle told me to always dry age beef for 28 days minimum

I used to think 21 days was plenty for a ribeye, but he insisted on 28 in his cooler back in Omaha. Tried it last month on a whole strip loin and the flavor was way deeper, less moisture loss too. Anyone else find that extra week makes a real difference for their customers?

3 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

williams.betty•2mo ago

Bought a cheap torque wrench for a Cessna flap job and it cost me a whole day

I needed to torque some bolts on a 172's flap mechanism last month and grabbed a $40 wrench from the auto parts store instead of my usual Snap-on. The thing clicked way early, I under-torqued everything, and the whole assembly had a weird play after reassembly. Had to strip it all back down, check for damage, and redo it with a proper tool, which wasted about 8 hours of my Saturday. Anyone have a go-to brand for precision work that won't break the bank?

3 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

williams.betty•2mo ago

Spent $400 on a fancy soot vacuum system and I'm not impressed

Everyone says they're a game changer, but mine just clogs constantly on older brick flues. The extra setup time kills my schedule. Anyone found a better way to handle heavy creosote buildup in historic homes?

3 comments

c/creative-writing-prompts•

williams.betty•2mo ago

Question about using a single word prompt versus a full scene starter

I ran a small writing group for about a year and we always used one-word prompts like 'red' or 'silence'. It was fine, but the stories often felt samey. Last month, a new member brought in a full scene starter: 'The last train out of Chicago has left, and you're holding a ticket for it.' The difference was huge. Everyone's story was unique, with clear characters and stakes from the first line. The one-word stuff just lets you drift. The specific scene gives you a problem to solve right away. It cut our warm-up time in half and the writing was better. Has anyone else made this switch and seen better results?

3 comments

Posts

Honestly, can we please stop calling the river valley trails 'dry' after a single sunny day in May?

Tried using my truck stop's microwave to proof bread dough overnight and came back to a puffy monster.

Update: My uncle told me to always dry age beef for 28 days minimum

Bought a cheap torque wrench for a Cessna flap job and it cost me a whole day

Spent $400 on a fancy soot vacuum system and I'm not impressed

Question about using a single word prompt versus a full scene starter

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