Showerthought: Getting a local SIM card in every new country takes WAY too long.

My view on conduit use after 1000+ installs

I know most installers say you should always use conduit for outdoor runs, but I disagree. In my experience, direct burial cable works just fine for many jobs. For example, on simple home setups where the line is buried a foot deep, I've had no problems over years. Conduit can add extra cost and slow down the work without much benefit. Sure, it might help in rough areas, but for most backyards, it's not needed. I think we should trust our skills and save time where we can.

Got asked to make an antique journal sturdy for daily carry

Customer brought a fragile 1920s diary. They wanted it rebound tough enough for a backpack. Felt wrong to lose the original sewing. I explained the trade-off between preservation and use. We settled on a new case that slides over the old binding.

Unpopular opinion: Air frying frozen pizza rolls ruins the texture

All my friends swear by it, but they always end up dry and chewy. I'm back to using the oven for that perfect melt.

My garden had a surprise piece of calcite

I tested it with vinegar and a cheap guide. The fizz reaction was more fun than I expected.