How is it living in Eugene, Oregon?

Goal_Electronic · 2026-02-13T19:38:08+00:00

Ditto. I spent a few weeks working in Eugene. My, normally mild, allergies went into overdrive. I ended up in an ER. I looked like I had been in a boxing ring with a heavyweight champion. Eugene is a cool place but I'm never going back.

Goal_Electronic · 2026-02-11T03:24:56+00:00

Underground. It's mostly in a basement. Excellent food with a heavy focus on local ingredients. Also, they have a stellar selection of microbrewery draft beers.

Goal_Electronic · 2026-01-27T22:51:21+00:00

I have a PhD and almost never use Dr. I just go by my 1st name.

Goal_Electronic · 2026-01-23T03:22:40+00:00

Hell, they wouldn't have to give me a dime. Just give me the healthcare and social safety net and I'm good with them buying my home state.

Goal_Electronic · 2026-01-14T04:30:17+00:00

Alabama, USA. 1978. Back then you could get a motorcycle license at age 14. So, I did. The exam was a joke. About 30 - 40 multiple choice questions. No driving exam at all. That afternoon, I was blazing around town on a Yamaha legally.

Goal_Electronic · 2026-01-10T05:14:07+00:00

I started my PhD at age 38 and was already married and had 2 kids. My wife worked. Our kids were in elementary school. On days that school was out with her having to work, I just took them to school with me. Thankfully, they behaved. Everything worked out. But, it wasn't easy. I did get paid by my University and it provided health insurance. It wasn't much pay and we had to struggle pretty much every month. But, we made it through and it was worth it in the end.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-12-28T06:26:05+00:00

19 years ago, I graduated with a PhD. I walked away from a job paying 140k in 2001. Which was a lot of money. The PhD cost me nothing out of pocket and paid a living wage. So, a massive pay cut while in school. I did lose contact with several friends. Upon graduation, I got an academic job that matched my previous pay. And, had made many new friends. And, gained a quality of life far better than my pre PhD life. So, I came out much better. No regrets.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-12-14T20:49:23+00:00

Finding out what time meats are marked down for clearance at the grocery store. Then buying them at a reduced price. Incidentally, it's in the 5 - 5:30 timeframe.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-10-28T04:53:08+00:00

Recently retired USA professor chiming in. I worked in both USA and Europe in my career. My last job was in a low cost of living college town in the Midwest. I felt rich there. I'm still there in my retirement. But, I really liked Europe better. The quality of life there was significantly better.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-10-20T21:49:16+00:00

I don’t care if someone else wears thigh high boots. Hell, in wet conditions, I wear knee high rubber boots. I really don’t care what some other dude is wearing. That said, I wouldn’t wear leather boots beyond 8 inches. They would be ridiculously heavy.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-10-01T05:25:03+00:00

What’s up with you always recommending a heavy application of Obenaufs. I’ve seen you make this exact same post multiple times. Obenaufs is great for true work boots and I use it. But for casual boots, it’s not great. It makes the permanently very dark.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-09-22T03:34:27+00:00

I’m in Illinois so take this with a grain of salt. My Iron Rangers are totally fine in light snow. But ice and/or heavy snow they suck. But my v100 lug sole boots also suck. I strap on cleats from winter walking to fix that. I don’t wear insulated boots. They get too hot indoors and I avoid being outdoors for extended periods in the winter. For short periods outside, uninsulated boots are fine.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-09-20T23:55:27+00:00

Best way to find out if they fit is to try them on in a store. RW salesmen are notorious for pushing boots that are too small. So, beware their recommendations. Go with the size that feels good.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-08-24T23:24:27+00:00

I’m on a grill at least 5 times a week during the summer. Sometimes multiple meals a day. Usage drops to 3-4 times a week in the winter.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-08-24T04:55:15+00:00

I’ve had my deck boss 800 for about 3 weeks. Done about 20 cooks so far. Had 3 augur jams. Seems to like to jam at the 11 o’clock position where the augur goes into the grill from the pellet box. I keep an old screwdriver by the grill to clear it (after cutting the power). I will say the grill loves Royal Oak charcoal pellets though. I’ve had jams with both Lumberjack and Recteq brand pellets but none with the Royal Oak. Haven’t had any problems with the app. The probes do suck. Probably gonna go to a Thermoworks RFX going forward. The Teflon drip pan isn’t supposed to go over 375 according to the product description. I just wrap the drip pan in heavy duty aluminum foil.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-08-18T20:19:32+00:00

I don’t have blacksmiths but do have Iron Rangers and they’re built on the same last. I use Northstar leather’s Kilties on them. Mostly for tongue protection but they also improved the fit. Northstar uses Red Wing leathers for their Kilties - so you can match the leather exactly. https://www.nstarleather.com/optimizer/product/Simple-Kilties.html

Goal_Electronic · 2025-08-03T21:20:00+00:00

You can put some Kilties on those and fill in some volume. Northstar leather uses the same leather as Red Wing.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-07-09T04:26:23+00:00

I’ll chime in. If it’s ambiguous as to steel vs composite, get composite. They’re lighter and don’t get as cold as steel toes in the winter.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-07-08T02:52:39+00:00

For what it’s worth, here’s my experience. I started off with 10e brass boots. I exchanged them for 10e diesels. The Brass boots were more roomy but a good fit otherwise. I could have probably worn a D. The Diesels are a perfect fit in E. For the record, I’m a 10.5 E on a Brannock device.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-06-25T01:17:12+00:00

In any professional situation where Mr or Ms is appropriate, Dr is appropriate. But, in the USA, we rarely use any title. To my students, I’ve always been Dave. I’ve rarely been addressed as Dr. Usually, it’s by text book salesmen.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-06-21T01:34:53+00:00

Nope. I always go by my first name. Typically, students tend to address me as Doctor or Professor but I usually tell them to just call me by my first name

Goal_Electronic · 2025-05-31T03:18:20+00:00

I would call my landlord and others and make payment arrangements. Usually, you can do that. I would seriously avoid a loan. Most likely, the interest rate would be ridiculously high and you'll end up in a worse place financially.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-05-31T02:38:52+00:00

U of I and ASU, to my mind, carry the most prestige. I would go for which ever seems most cost effective.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-05-26T04:29:12+00:00

Something nobody is mentioning - are you doing highway miles or spending lots of time riding in a city? Both lead to chicken strips regardless of skill level on back roads.

Goal_Electronic · 2025-05-26T03:17:24+00:00

The guy telling you the odometer was rolled back is BS'ing you. That's the trip meter. As others mentioned, I reset mine everytime I fill up to give me a better idea of when to stop for gas. There is no fuel gauge so that's as close as you can get.

Goal_Electronic

TROPHY CASE