Drew Murphy (u/the_drew)

Posts

Chat with my barber about his wife's plant hobby really stuck with me

I was getting a haircut last week and my barber, Mike, started talking about his wife's new thing with houseplants. He said she got a fiddle leaf fig that was dying, and instead of giving up, she spent a whole month moving it to 5 different spots in their house to find the right light. He told me, 'She talks to it now, calls it Frank. I thought she was nuts, but the thing has 3 new leaves.' It made me think about how we get into plants. It's not just about knowing the names, it's about that weird care you give, the patience. I've killed a few succulents by overwatering, so hearing about her sticking with a tough plant hit different. It's more about the connection than being perfect, you know? Has anyone else had a plant that made you change how you care for the rest?

2 comments

c/behind-the-ban•

the_drew•1mo ago

Just hit 1000 followers on a forum before getting a permaban for a dumb joke

It was the old CarTalk subreddit, and I made a joke about a certain German car brand's reliability that apparently crossed a line. The mods said it was 'brand harassment' and nuked my account right after I hit the follower milestone. Has anyone else gotten the boot from a niche hobby sub over something that felt super minor?

2 comments

c/cultural-taboo-topics•

the_drew•1mo ago

Update: My grandma finally talked about her time in a Japanese internment camp

She told me over tea last week that she never spoke before because 'some stories are too heavy for children'. Has anyone else had a family member open up about a painful cultural silence?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

the_drew•1mo ago

Spent $80 on a laser level for a Reno job and it was a total game changer

Had to hang board on a sloped ceiling in an old house. My old chalk line was a nightmare. Bought a DeWalt cross-line laser. Set it up in five minutes and had perfect lines across the whole room. What's the best tool purchase you've made under a hundred bucks?

2 comments

c/banned-beyond-borders•

the_drew•1mo ago

Found a 1980s punk zine from my dad's attic that got seized at the Canadian border

He said they opened his bag and took it because of 'obscene content'... makes you think about what slips through the cracks now versus then. Anyone else have a story about something that was just paper and ink causing that much trouble?

3 comments

c/carpet-installers•

the_drew•1mo ago

Saw a wild carpet job at the new airport terminal in Boise

I was flying out last week and the new terminal has this massive, open area with a patterned carpet. From a distance it looked great, but up close you could see the seams were not lined up right at all. The pattern just stopped and jumped about an inch on a few rows. It was a big commercial glue-down job, maybe 5000 square feet total. I know matching patterns adds time, but in a spot like that it's all people will stare at while waiting. Has anyone else run into a pattern mismatch on a big public job and how did you fix it?

2 comments

c/crane-operators•

the_drew•1mo ago

PSA: Just read the OSHA crane accident stats from 2022

I was looking up some regs online and saw the official report. There were 42 crane-related deaths that year. I knew it was dangerous, but seeing that number really hit me. It's a solid reminder to never rush a lift, even when the foreman is pushing. How do you guys stay sharp on the safety basics when the schedule gets tight?

2 comments

c/electricians•

the_drew•1mo ago

TIL about a weird voltage reading from a neighbor's old service

I was helping my neighbor in Akron check his garage outlet and my Fluke 117 read 123 volts on one leg and 119 on the other to neutral at the main panel. He said his lights have been dimming for years and just lived with it. Is a 4-volt imbalance like that on a residential split-phase something you'd chase down immediately, or is it often just a sign of a loose neutral connection somewhere that's been stable?

3 comments

c/contractors-hub•

the_drew•1mo ago

Rant: I used to quote jobs by just eyeballing it and adding a flat 20%

After losing money on a kitchen remodel in Charlotte last fall, I switched to using a detailed takeoff app called Buildertrend. Now I measure everything down to the inch and it takes me about 2 hours per estimate, but I'm not guessing on material costs anymore. Has anyone else found a better way to speed up the quoting process without going back to just guessing?

2 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

the_drew•1mo ago

My friend said my weekly spread looked like a tax form

A buddy looked at my bullet journal last month and said my weekly layout was way too packed and looked like a tax form. He was right, I had like 15 tiny boxes for tasks and no room to breathe. I cut it down to just five main areas: work, home, health, fun, and a notes box. It took me about two weeks to get used to the extra white space, but now I actually finish my week instead of feeling overwhelmed. What's one piece of advice you got that made your journal work better for you?

3 comments

Posts

Chat with my barber about his wife's plant hobby really stuck with me

Just hit 1000 followers on a forum before getting a permaban for a dumb joke

Update: My grandma finally talked about her time in a Japanese internment camp

Spent $80 on a laser level for a Reno job and it was a total game changer

Found a 1980s punk zine from my dad's attic that got seized at the Canadian border

Saw a wild carpet job at the new airport terminal in Boise

PSA: Just read the OSHA crane accident stats from 2022

TIL about a weird voltage reading from a neighbor's old service

Rant: I used to quote jobs by just eyeballing it and adding a flat 20%

My friend said my weekly spread looked like a tax form

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