My model training run crashed at 92% and I almost lost a week's work

I was running a big fine-tuning job on a local server in Austin, and the power flickered just as it was about to finish. I thought I'd have to start over, but I found the checkpoint files and managed to restart from the last save point. Has anyone else had to recover from a crash that close to the end?

Finally got that finicky door operator in the old bank building to run smooth

Three years ago, I started working on this 1920s bank building downtown. The main elevator door operator was a real headache, always out of time and slamming shut. Last month, the building manager called me again, saying it was worse than ever. I spent a whole day last week just watching it cycle, listening to the gears. I realized the original cam followers were worn down just enough to throw everything off. I found some brass replacements that fit, adjusted the linkage by a quarter turn, and now it opens and closes like it's on silk. It's a small thing, but after all that time, it feels good to have it right. Anyone else have a go-to fix for those old, worn cam systems?

Update: I took a $5k hit on a job to keep a client happy, and my partner thinks I'm nuts.

I had to choose between sticking to my original quote for a tricky bathroom reno in Cincinnati or eating the extra cost for the tile they picked, and I chose to cover it myself to avoid a fight and keep the five-star review, which my partner says sets a bad precedent for future work.

A friend told me my old forum posts from 2012 would get me banned today, and I think he's right

PSA: The $35 'skip the line' pass for the Louvre was a total scam

Bought it online thinking it would save us hours, but the line for pass holders was just as long as the regular one. We still waited almost 90 minutes to get in. Anyone know a real way to see the big stuff there without the wait?

PSA: I wasted $150 on a 'declassified' UFO report that was just a bad novel

Got hooked by a slick website selling a 'leaked government document' about the 1952 Washington D.C. UFO flap. Paid $150 for the PDF download, thinking it was some deep cut. Turns out it was just a poorly written fiction story someone typed up, full of basic historical errors. The whole thing was a total scam, and the site vanished a week after I bought it. Has anyone else been burned by these fake 'leak' sellers? How do you even check if something like that is real before opening your wallet?

Pro tip: sometimes you have to ignore the spec sheet and just listen to the wall

I was hanging board in a basement in Cincinnati, and the homeowner wanted a specific fire-rated type. The spec said it needed a certain screw spacing, but the old studs were so warped that following it left huge gaps. I ignored the paper and put screws every 8 inches where the wood bowed, which felt wrong. The inspector came, checked it with his gauge, and said it was the tightest job he'd seen all week. When have you gone against the book to make it right?

I finally gave up on my perfect monthly spread after 4 hours of drawing boxes

Tried to make a super detailed tracker with 12 tiny squares for each day and my ruler work was a mess (seriously, who can draw a straight line for that long?). Spent more time fixing wobbly lines than actually planning my month. Anyone have a simpler layout that doesn't need an art degree?

My old boss said to never use a climbing line under 5/8 inch for removals, but I tried a 1/2 inch line on a small ash tree job.

He told me that 15 years ago, and I always stuck with it until a new guy on my crew showed up with a 1/2 inch line for a simple 30 foot ash removal in Akron. It handled the weight fine and was way easier to pull through the crotch. Have any of you switched to smaller diameter lines for certain jobs?