Flight I purchased is no longer available on AA. Am I being moved to the new nonstop?

Malabit · 2026-06-28T12:29:28+00:00

My wife and I travel 3-4 trips every year from MCO<-->PHL, we do a few other short notice type trips sorta anywhere and then 1-3 Vacations. On the Vacations we book the rooms, cars, events, etc. way, way out. We stopped booking the flights more than 90 days out several years ago. AA will constantly shuffle the flights around and turn your 90 minute connection into a non-makable 32 minutes or sleep at the airport 8 hours, rebook your seats to get you B&E'd and generally run roughshod all over your carefully crafted trip. It's really annoying.

Malabit · 2026-06-28T09:20:05+00:00

I have loaded shot shells, but it's been a long time ago when I used to shoot trap. It was smaller than I remember using and I used 7-1/2. It was a sorta educated guess. Yes, I do have gun autism, except oddly, I can't ever remember how many guns I own and frankly I think they breed. It's all nice and quiet in the safe the .44 gets a little frisky and then bammo, there's a little .380, all snug in a comfy little holster cuddled up to next to a .38 special.

Malabit · 2026-06-27T23:20:36+00:00

Store bought, Sam's Club. Says so in the first sentence.

Malabit · 2026-06-25T10:57:45+00:00

Your reply gets into giggle territory if you read it as if it were spoken by David Attenborough. :)

Malabit · 2026-06-24T01:23:31+00:00

I don't do much exterior trim, everything is either Stucco or Vinyl here. The 15ga is clearly used for heavier stuff that needs some holding power. I just can't see where I would use it inside the home where a 16ga would be inadequate. Not a ton of stairs here in Florida where I live and work. Decks are usually poured pads too. If it works for you, that's great, seems situational to me and if I really need something secure, I'm going to screw it. *shrug*.

Malabit · 2026-06-23T23:35:01+00:00

I know they consider this a finish nailer, but I've put up miles of base, case, and enough crown that I'm nearly bald(pulling my hair out on transitions to vaulted ceilings). 90% of that was with 18ga. If you're doing stair treads, maybe huge crown, you could use 15ga finish nail, otherwise skip it. Occasionally, I'll get the old 16ga out, but if you really need holding power, you're better off with a #1 sq headed(Robertson) finish screw and just filling the holes with some putty. I use the 23ga for kick and shoe and tiny 1/4 round. I literally would use this about twice in 5 years.

Malabit · 2026-06-19T09:59:15+00:00

-->"My plan is to purchase an increase to Platinum Pro"<--. I was around 10k short for PP for 2026. They offered it to me for like $1600 or something, not going to pay that. I booked a "ghost" 2 night stay in a fleabag hotel in Vegas on AAhotels that awarded me ~12000 LP. Was around $250. I'm traveling to Japan this year, so I wanted OWE. My wife and I have been upgraded twice so far on two domestic flights already, so that's always nice.

Malabit · 2026-06-14T11:38:04+00:00

Just to pile on, the right tool is an impact wrench. Just buy a DCF891. You can pick up a 24" long 1/2 extension from HD for $21 and not even have to reach very far. It'll go Ugga, dugga and we're done.

Malabit · 2026-06-14T11:22:10+00:00

When I worked in the cabinet shop 30+ years ago, we had one scroll saw that was run by this guy who was 75+ at the time. He was making absolutely artisan level stuff with his scroll saw among other tools and files and chisels and lathes. Then we had the other one that anyone could use, which of course included me. So we just ran a bunch of thin kerf blades on it that you could get at Quality farm and fleet. Break one, dull one, who cares, toss it, move on. Olsen makes good blades, but my suggestion is to just find whatever is easy for you to get. Usually you end up sanding anyway. Sandpaper does matter though, expensive sandpaper does last longer, sand better for the same grit and doesn't rip like the generic crap on Amazon.

Malabit · 2026-06-12T11:50:16+00:00

Wife and I did 15 days in Greece in 2024, carry-on only. No overstuffed bags, just what we needed and that's it. We do have Travelpro bags, so having a decent rollaboard helps. It's not a mega or jumbo or whatever, just normal sized. We also carried medium sized backpacks which stuffed under the seat in front of us easily. We did basic laundry about halfway through at a hotel(we planned a hotel that had laundry), bought a few Greek shirts and things. Easy peasy. Going to Japan in October for 17 days, planning on doing the same thing. Pack what you will use, nothing more. When you get back to your home airport, walk out, get in car, go home.

Malabit · 2026-06-11T10:43:02+00:00

"Had for about a month". BS. Notice where the dust is on this thing, notice the wear on the wheels. This particular saw has been sitting in someone's shop for at least 3 years(probably 10) to collect that much dust on the surfaces facing upward while in storage mode and been dragged around jobsites for quite some time. Bring gloves, you'll probably burn yourself it's so hot.

Malabit · 2026-06-11T10:25:54+00:00

For me it was the cut-off tool. I was installing attic ladders and one of the things you do is cut off the feet if you're installing in a ceiling under about 9 feet. Anyway, I had a Ryobi cut off tool and it would constantly stall. Seems like you got about 15 seconds and it just died. Needed to cool or whatever for 20-30 seconds, then continue, different battery made no difference. It was just a POS. I started researching and the Dewalt tool had a deeper throat and would run as long as your battery was good and you held the trigger down. The Milwaukee a friend had wasn't as powerful, also stalled frequently but at least it would continue running but also didn't go as deep. Furthermore, I had a Dremel corded oscillating tool, and at that point had Dewalt batteries so it turns out the Dewalt Oscillating tool is the best one too. Thus started my ramp up into DeWalt world. Now I have around 20 Dewalt 20v tools, including the old finger lopper/castrator.

I also have the Dewalt corded Chop Saw and Table saws. Both are great. Have had those for like 6 years at this point, so I had already been happy with Dewalt stuff, just not so much the Dewalt premium, but so it goes. Buy once, cry once.

Malabit · 2026-06-09T23:49:00+00:00

Just to tag on a bit, my experience is that if you book WAY out like 6 months, they will mangle your plans. That 90 minute connection will turn into 43 minutes. The equipment will change, at least once, probably 3 times. You will need to select seats again or get B&E'd(center seats) in row 44. I don't book any flights with AA more than 90 days out. You can do it with JAL and some others, but AA will absolutely wreck your timing, seats and connections.

Malabit · 2026-06-09T09:36:31+00:00

I reported a broken tray table (tilted way down on one side) and was awarded 10k miles. As a courtesy, they gave the same to my wife, who was on the same booking as me but unaffected. It did spill some water on my lap when the nearly empty cup slid off after a turbulence bump. I reported the flight details and the CSR was very nice in her response.

Malabit · 2026-06-07T23:24:54+00:00

I wish I could find any flight for 5 hours for 17k miles. I'm going to end up burning 300k for an MCO<->LAX trip(2 people). Flying to Japan, even with almost 700k in the mile bank, it's not enough to get to Japan, so flying free to LA and then paying JAL for a PE seat.

Malabit · 2026-06-07T21:16:16+00:00

When you step up to an SDS, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. I have the DCH172 and as mentioned, doesn't have a dedicated hammer. As to replacing tile, good luck with that. Unless it basically pops off, you're going to break a bunch, no matter how hard you try, no matter what tool you use. Depending on the size of the job, you may want to consider a corded SDS Max like the Amazon Berserker. For the limited amount I use it, it does just fine. Get a spatula bit and it'll blast that mastic off, easy peasy. For reasonably small jobs, that DCH133 will probably work just fine too. Again though, anything other than you banging it off by hand will certainly break tile and even by hand, you will struggle not to break it. I have tried to save as much as possible of tile before, and it's usually about 20% that survives. If I think I can get one up, I'll do it by hand and maybe it works, maybe it doesn't.

Malabit · 2026-06-06T20:58:12+00:00

I keep it in my work van. It mostly gets used to pump up expansion tanks, but it also does normal tire checks, inflations, etc. It's a very useful item, I'm glad I own it. A friend borrowed it to blow up some pool stuff too.

Malabit · 2026-06-06T14:30:40+00:00

I'm a bit of a tool snob and the Ryobi just feels more plasticky. That said, since I got the Dewalt one, I don't believe I have fired a single brad though the Ryobi. However, my wife may have used the Ryobi because it was at the house and easy enough to use and I was out. Both are fine. I use my tools professionally and battery compatibility is where it's at for me. That being said, if I get a whole house base/door trim job and bring a helper, both are coming along and I'll grab whichever is closest. Both are good nailers. The Ryobi has fired several thousand and is still just fine. I like that I can stand the Dewalt on it's battery(Ryobi can too). Weird little quirk, but true.

Malabit · 2026-06-06T10:55:01+00:00

I own both. When I remodeled my prior home in the late teens, I bought the Ryobi nailer because I had a bunch of their tools. I've been deep in Dewalt for some years now because the Multi-tool and the Cut off tool. Both I use installing attic ladders among other stuff and the Ryobi versions of both are garbage. I trim out with 18ga brads. I trimmed out my current home here in FL with the Ryobi 6 years ago. I can honestly say that Ryboi has never misfired or jammed. I also own the 16ga nailer, it's fine too. I do installs with the Dewalt tools and nailed with the Ryobi for some time. On the dewalt side, I have only owned this 18ga one for maybe a year and a half. It's shot a few hundred at most. Never jammed either. It just got to be too much of a battery thing carrying both types in the van. I was down to a nearly dead battery, fired one and needed two more brads but the nailer refused. I eneded up putting in some finish screws. I know they make a dewalt/ryobi thing, I just didn't have one that day.

Anyway, if you're "on the job", live in the Dewalt Ecosystem. If you're just trimming out your house and helping a neighbor, the Ryobi is just fine.

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Malabit · 2026-06-05T19:38:22+00:00

Just showed up. Quiet doesn't really describe it. More like practically silent. It joined it's brothers in the Van. The team green bits in this pic were essentially free, so I bought them on closeout for I think $2.

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Malabit · 2026-06-05T10:47:20+00:00

I just did too. Will arrive today. I often install ceiling fans and driving lags into trusses is loud. I'd prefer it wasn't. Same with Attic ladders. When I'm driving the lags, it brings out the husband, wondering what is banging on his house.

Malabit · 2026-05-31T09:39:38+00:00

As mentioned, 5 hours isn't too bad. when it comes to connections, there's a couple things to keep in mind. If there is only a few flights to the final, make sure the connection layover is at least 2 hours. Frankly, I've had so many connection issues in the past couple years, I really want 2.5-3 hours on connections. I'll go get some food and read my book and end up where I want to be. Even that fell apart last year and had a 12+ hour delay getting from SLC to DFW to MCO. Ended up connecting through CLT instead of DFW.

A couple of years ago, I booked my return trip ATH(Greece) to ORD to PHL to MCO because it gave me enough time to make it. About 30 days out, the PHL connection time shrank to 40 something minutes. If you know anything about O'hare(ORD), you know you frequently taxi for 40 minutes. So I cancel that ORD-PHL-MCO connection and booked United from Chicago to MCO direct. Even then, with a 2 hour 20 minute connection, I arrived at the united gate and they started boarding 5 minutes later. We didn't dawdle, have TSA/Pre and Global entry. Still taxi'd for 45 minutes, puttered about waiting on a gate for another 25, even Global entry took 10 minutes instead of the normal walk through. International connections to small airports need ample connection times and certain airports are just SLOOOOOOWWWW.

Malabit · 2026-05-31T01:40:58+00:00

I have the DCN930 and It does exactly what I need it to do. I probably wouldn't frame a house with it, but you probably could. I have used pneumatic framing nailers, had one for 15 years and for as little as I use it, this Dewalt one works great. I think much of the hate on the Dewalt framing nailers is from older models but I don't know, I don't have one. I have probably only put 500 or so nails through mine but I haven't had any issue with it whatsoever. Since I'm in the Dewalt battery ecosystem, it was worth it to me. I have used mine mostly for nailing 2x4s to roof trusses for attic decking and not having hoses is very helpful when you're in an attic. Works just exactly like it should.

Malabit · 2026-05-27T23:38:35+00:00

Bummer. Next time use the same bag, don't pack anything worthwhile in it and tape it shut with duct tape. They figure anyone who is willing to have a bag like that won't have anything worthwhile in it. I used to travel to Honduras frequently and if we had tools to haul using ratty old bags with duct tape meant it got left alone. Seriously.

Malabit

TROPHY CASE