Just realized dried beans are way cheaper than I thought, and I was wrong to avoid them

I always skipped dried beans because I thought the soaking was too much work and canned was fine. Then I saw a price tag at my store in Tacoma, a bag of black beans was 89 cents for a pound. That same amount in cans would be over four dollars. I finally tried it, soaked them overnight, and cooked a big pot on Sunday. The texture is so much better, and I got like six meals out of it for basically nothing. Has anyone else made the switch and found a good way to flavor them without spending a lot?

Appreciation post: A coffee cart in Seattle showed me how to taste light roasts

I was at a market in Seattle last month. A barista at a small cart gave me a tiny cup of a light roast Ethiopian. She said to wait 30 seconds after pouring. I did. The taste went from super sour to sweet and fruity. I never let coffee cool a bit before. Now I always wait. It changed the whole drink. Do you guys have a trick like that for tasting coffee better?

I watched a guy in Memphis try to rush a brisket in 8 hours last week. It was a crime against barbecue.

Warning: I saw a PS4 at a local repair shop get fried because someone skipped the thermal paste step.

I'm torn between thinking a full teardown for new paste is always needed and just cleaning the fan vents, so what's your take on when a deep clean becomes overkill?

Got caught in a sudden downpour during a pour for a patio in Portland...

We were about halfway through a 20 yard pour for a backyard patio when the sky just opened up. The rain was coming down so hard it started washing the cream off the surface before we could even start floating. I yelled for the crew to grab every tarp and sheet of plastic we had in the truck, and we basically threw a giant cover over the whole slab. We waited under the eaves for about 45 minutes until it slowed to a drizzle, then pulled the covers and hit it hard with the bull floats to work the surface back together. Anyone have a good trick for dealing with rain when you're already committed to a pour?

My kid asked me what I do all day and I had to think for a minute

I was trying to explain my job on the cutter suction dredge to my 8-year-old daughter last night. She just looked at me and said, 'So you just move mud from one wet spot to another wet spot?' I laughed, but then I realized that's kind of the simple truth of it. We get so caught up in flow rates, swing speeds, and spoil lines that we forget the basic goal. Has anyone else had a moment like that that made you step back and smile?

I thought those new lightweight mud pans were just a gimmick

I picked up a Marshalltown 14 inch Featherlite pan on a job in Boise last year because my old steel one was killing my wrist. I was sure it would feel cheap or flex too much, but after mixing three full buckets of mud with it, I was sold. The weight difference is real, and it doesn't feel flimsy at all. Anyone else switch over and notice less fatigue by the end of the day?

Found a weird trick for taping inside corners from a 1970s trade manual

I was digging through old books at the library in Boise and found a 'Drywall Handbook' from 1974. It said to dampen the paper tape with a sponge before you bed it in the corner... not soaking wet, just damp. Tried it on a job yesterday and it laid down way flatter with almost no bubbles. Anyone else ever hear of this old-school method?

Just ran the same part for the 10,000th time on our old Haas and the number hit me different

PSA: A customer told me my taco truck's salsa was 'too perfect' and it actually helped

This guy in line at the Venice boardwalk last month said, 'It tastes like it came from a factory, not a kitchen.' I started leaving in a few extra onion bits and charring the peppers a bit more on purpose. Has anyone else gotten weird feedback that turned out to be a good tip?