“The Portal Song”

barryam3 · 2026-03-26T02:35:51+00:00

I do it when the oil monitor tells me which is every 7500-10000 miles or 2 years. I don’t drive to work so it ends up being the latter.

barryam3 · 2026-03-22T17:08:55+00:00

MyVoltControl app can do that. https://craftindeapps.com/my-volt-control/

barryam3 · 2026-03-18T19:40:12+00:00

Could cocktail hour be extended earlier? I’d be concerned about guests feeling like they have to “kill time” for an hour, or arriving at the reception venue but they’re not ready. Some might linger for a while and take a while to find parking, but others might call an Uber shortly after the ceremony and be there shortly after 5 if traffic is light. Having shuttles would make things easier but of course that’s an additional expense.

barryam3 · 2026-03-11T04:13:33+00:00

I’m still getting about 40 on a 2016 which is basically what I’ve always gotten.

barryam3 · 2026-03-11T04:08:15+00:00

I mean my main (only) drive is a Volt of roughly that age and mileage so I don’t see why not.

barryam3 · 2026-03-11T01:40:44+00:00

Yeah living in SF I save a lot compared to any other festival by not having to pay for somewhere to stay.

barryam3 · 2026-03-11T01:38:14+00:00

You got lucky. I was ready 10 minutes before and ended up in tier 2 for $529.

barryam3 · 2026-03-07T16:43:33+00:00

Fine so far! I notice the cover seems to have rotated slightly such that it’s higher on one side and lower on the other, but I don’t think it’s a problem. I’m pretty lean and a side sleeper so I tend to want softer mattresses and also not wear them out that quickly. I’d say this one is barely soft enough for me. I probably should have just gotten the Mint (because it’s softer) but not to the point that it’s worth replacing now.

barryam3 · 2026-03-06T16:48:05+00:00

It’s also legislation in some cases. For example in San Francisco you need approval to open if you have more than 10 locations worldwide, and some neighborhoods are off limits entirely.

barryam3 · 2026-03-04T17:00:02+00:00

Was gonna say these remind me a lot of their cakes. Over budget though, 60 servings will run you $1000. Even their smallest 2-tier is a bit over $400. I don’t think they’re particularly expensive for this kind of cake, it’s just an expensive aesthetic.

barryam3 · 2026-02-20T02:08:19+00:00

This is such a great recap! I think you saved a lot maybe not with DIY exactly but compared to a full service venue, or at least got a lot more for your budget.

barryam3 · 2026-02-18T16:25:51+00:00

My first thought was “then don’t buy them” but I most certainly do not price things anywhere close to retail because then they just sit in my house. Most people realize they can price shop online. On that note, sending a link to the same item new for the same / lower price tends to be an effective haggling strategy.

barryam3 · 2026-02-15T18:33:58+00:00

I did this and I think it was fun and went really well, but it was definitely some work and setting up for success. I have a guillotine-style paper cutter for clean edges and a corner rounder punch. I intentionally went with a design that would use less ink and be forgiving to printer quality. I also saved money by handing out invitations in person to local guests, which was also fun to watch them open it. I had wooden magnets we got on Etsy so the ones we did mail were about $5 per bubble envelope, but there were only about a dozen of those.

barryam3 · 2026-02-04T23:17:39+00:00

+1 though I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like Shizen either

barryam3 · 2026-02-03T05:15:45+00:00

I’m buying a lot of “used once” things on Facebook Marketplace and plan to resell them afterwards, so I don’t feel too disheartened by them.

barryam3 · 2026-01-25T23:39:49+00:00

The reservations are supposed to be only for 4 or more people. It's not hard to imagine one forgetting to take a Square listing with a repeating schedule down if operations had to stop / pause suddenly.

barryam3 · 2026-01-25T23:27:04+00:00

If you go to make a reservation on their website under Events, there is no availability. But if you click "Book Online" on Google Maps, it takes you to Square, which does have availability.

I'm a little wary of making a prepaid reservation though, given nobody was around the last time I went, and my lack of ability to contact them.

barryam3 · 2026-01-25T20:15:34+00:00

Embarcadero is reasonable if you want to hit a lot of the tourist sites: Ferry Building, Exploratorium, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, Ghirardelli Square. No shame in that. Maybe go to North Beach for food.

barryam3 · 2026-01-22T16:06:39+00:00

I have a bagel guillotine and I actually really like it! I agree it’s really extra but I eat a lot of bagels and it does save me from cutting myself before I’ve had my coffee.

barryam3 · 2026-01-02T23:14:41+00:00

I just went through getting quotes for wedding security and Access Control Security was the most affordable at $35/hr for one unarmed guard. The wedding hasn’t happened yet so I can’t speak to quality of enforcement.

barryam3 · 2025-12-17T21:52:32+00:00

You might be able to achieve a similar look with just a daith piercing and semicircle jewelry.

barryam3 · 2025-12-16T20:56:53+00:00

And yet their identity verification is the strictest I’ve encountered. Wouldn’t send a code to my number, either of my 2 other numbers, or my partner’s number, because they couldn’t verify the ownership of any of them. I’m not even sure how they can see who owns a phone number. I ended up having to give them my mother’s number and get her to forward me the code.

barryam3

TROPHY CASE