Tessa Palmer (u/tessap98)

Posts

Took me a full WEEKEND to write one simple writing prompt

I sat down Friday night thinking I'd crank out a few prompts for a fantasy series I'm playing with. Instead I spent 6 hours on Saturday and another 4 on Sunday trying to make ONE prompt work. It kept feeling too vague or too specific. Finally I just gave up on making it perfect and wrote something basic about a blacksmith who finds a cursed anvil. Has anyone else spent way too long on what should be a quick writing exercise?

2 comments

c/alarm-system-installers•

tessap98•1mo ago

Just realized hardwired panel zones are way more reliable than wireless for large commercial jobs

I spent last week pulling my hair out on a 40 zone retrofit in a Denver warehouse because the wireless sensors kept losing signal through concrete walls. After swapping a third of them over to hardwired contacts, the false alarms stopped completely and the customer finally signed off. Has anyone else run into range issues with wireless in commercial settings?

2 comments

c/cast-iron-care•

tessap98•1mo ago

Serious question, should I stop using soap on my cast iron?

Tbh I was chatting with my aunt last night and she said she never uses soap on her cast iron, just hot water and a scrub brush. She's been cooking with hers for 30 years and it's super non-stick. Now I'm wondering if my regular dish soap is ruining my seasoning. Has anyone else tried skipping soap every time?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

tessap98•1mo ago

Tried that glue-down method for the first time last week

I always thought glue-down carpet was a scam. Seemed like too much work for no reason. But a job in Austin forced my hand. Customer wanted it in a basement with weird corners. Stretching was going to be a nightmare. So I borrowed a friend's glue trowel and gave it a shot. Man, the edges came out perfect. No wrinkling at all. That stuff really locks in tight. Has anyone else had good luck with glue-down on tricky layouts?

2 comments

c/climate-action•

tessap98•1mo ago

Hit 1,000 miles on my bike commute this year, didn't even notice

I was looking at my bike app last night out of boredom and saw I crossed 1,000 miles for the year. That's just from riding to work and back, nothing fancy. It hit me that's about 200 pounds of CO2 I didn't put in the air compared to driving my old sedan. I live in Portland so the weather isn't always great, but having a rain jacket makes it doable. Has anyone else tracked their mileage and been surprised by the number?

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c/apartment-composting•

tessap98•1mo ago

My bokashi bin smelled like death until my upstairs neighbor fixed it

I was ready to toss my whole bokashi system after 3 weeks of rotten egg fumes in my 1 bedroom in Portland. My upstairs neighbor heard me complaining in the hallway and said I was drowning the scraps in too much liquid. She told me to drain the spigot every 2 days and add dry cardboard between layers. I ignored her advice for another week until my girlfriend threatened to move out. Now I drain it religiously and the smell is basically like pickles instead of garbage. That simple fix saved my whole composting setup and my relationship. Has anyone else dealt with bokashi liquid going bad or am I just bad at this?

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c/diy-homeowners•

tessap98•1mo ago

I caught my kitchen cabinets warping and it took a neighbor 2 seconds to tell me why

I had been using a damp rag to wipe them down every week for 2 years until a retired carpenter at a barbecue pointed out I was swelling the MDF from underneath. Has anyone else ruined their cabinets with moisture and found a better way to clean them?

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c/bothell-wa-locals•

tessap98•1mo ago

Heads up about the trail conditions at North Creek Park

The boardwalk section near the wetland loop was completely flooded yesterday, water was over the planks. Anyone know if the city has a plan to address the drainage there?

2 comments

c/balcony-veggie-gardens•

tessap98•1mo ago

Just noticed a lot of folks are still planting way too deep in their pots

I've been growing stuff on my balcony for about five seasons now, and I keep seeing pictures where the soil is right up to the rim of the container. That's a fast track to root rot, especially for things like peppers and tomatoes. I learned the hard way after losing three bell pepper plants in one wet spring. You need at least an inch, better yet two, of space from the soil line to the top of the pot for proper watering. Has anyone else adjusted their planting depth after a bad season?

2 comments

c/ask-the-locals•

tessap98•1mo ago

My neighbor in Phoenix mentioned they always ask the hotel front desk for the best local dive bar, never the concierge.

They said the concierge gets kickbacks for sending tourists to overpriced spots, but the night staff will give you the real answer after their shift ends.

2 comments