Willow Roberts (u/willowroberts)

Posts

Overheard my neighbor arguing with his smart speaker about pizza toppings for 20 minutes

Last Tuesday around 7pm I was on my porch and could hear my neighbor Tom yelling at his Amazon Echo. He kept saying 'Alexa, add pepperoni' and it kept adding 'pepper and honey' instead. This went on for a solid 20 minutes before he gave up and ordered a Hawaiian pizza out of spite. It made me wonder how many of our daily frustrations are just us not speaking clearly or the tech not listening right. I work in IT support and this kind of thing happens all the time, but hearing it from outside was way funnier. Has anyone else had a smart device completely mess up a simple request like that?

2 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

willowroberts•21d ago

Finally got that '96 F-150 to stop stalling at red lights

Been chasing a random stall issue on a '96 F-150 for about three weeks. Turns out the IAC valve was clogged up with carbon, but only when it got hot. Cleaned it out with some brake cleaner and she purrs like a kitten now. Anyone else ever had a Ford IAC valve act up only after 20 minutes of driving?

2 comments

c/coding-for-beginners•

willowroberts•23d ago

Switched from VS Code to Cursor for my first real project and wow what a difference

I spent 3 weeks fighting with VS Code extensions trying to get autocomplete to work right for Python. Finally tried Cursor after a buddy at the coffee shop wouldn't shut up about it. The AI suggestions are way more useful - actually finished my little quiz app in 2 days. Has anyone else found a code editor that just clicked for them?

2 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

willowroberts•1mo ago

That barista at the drive-thru who remembered my name after one visit

I handed her my credit card and she said 'the usual, right?' and I realized she had my order memorized from 3 months ago, has anyone else had a stranger know you better than your own family?

2 comments

c/custom-keyboard-builders•

willowroberts•1mo ago

Why does nobody talk about how much the space bar weight matters on a linear build

I swapped from a 5g spring to a 15g spring in my space bar last week and the bottom out sound went from clacky to thocky instantly. Found that stat on a random reddit thread about spring weights for stabilizers, anyone else mess with different weights just on the space bar?

2 comments

c/apartment-composting•

willowroberts•1mo ago

My neighbor tried composting in a plastic grocery bag

Saw a bag of banana peels and coffee grounds just sitting on their balcony, tied shut. Took about three days before it started smelling like a garbage truck exploded. Has anyone else had to explain to people that compost needs airflow or do I just have weird neighbors?

2 comments

c/film-photo-newbies•

willowroberts•1mo ago

Why does nobody talk about using a phone light for metering?

I kept getting underexposed shots indoors with my Nikon FE until I tried using my iPhone flashlight to meter off a white wall instead of the subject. It actually gave me way better readings for tricky low light scenes. Has anyone else tried this trick or got a better hack for dim rooms?

2 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

willowroberts•1mo ago

Fifteen years of wrapping brisket in foil before I saw a guy in Lockhart use butcher paper

I always thought tight foil was the way to go for tenderness, but watching that pitmaster peel back paper with the bark still intact at Kreuz Market made me question everything. Has anyone else had that moment where you watched someone 50 years older than you do it completely different and knew you were the one being stubborn?

2 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

willowroberts•1mo ago

PSA: Found out my local concrete supplier adds more water than I thought

Was going over some old invoices from Baker Materials here in Phoenix and noticed the slump on their mix sheets was way off from what I order. Called them up and the dispatcher straight up said they add extra water to keep the trucks from clogging on long hauls. So for the last 2 years I've been pouring weaker slabs than I bid for. Anyone else catch their supplier doing this?

2 comments

c/flooring-installers•

willowroberts•1mo ago

Tried self-leveling compound on a sloppy plywood subfloor in Denver last month and it taught me a lesson

I figured I'd save time by skipping the primer on a 400 square foot job. Big mistake. The compound bubbled up and dried uneven, so I had to grind it all down and start over. Learned that primer is worth every penny no matter how good the plywood looks. Has anyone else had self-leveler fail on them like that?

3 comments