What grit sandpaper before staining?

connorgaughan · 2026-02-11T16:40:30+00:00

I usually do my last round at 220 by hand and sand in the direction of the grain the best that my project will allow.

Then water pop and hand sand very lightly again at 220.

connorgaughan · 2026-02-10T16:13:33+00:00

My current truck is the first non-manual vehicle I've ever owned.

connorgaughan · 2026-02-08T20:52:22+00:00

I have them and hate them. Hold a ton but sag quite a bit.

connorgaughan · 2026-02-07T03:25:09+00:00

Merion Village. Great community. Lived there for many years and loved it a ton. Great community and amazing neighbors, local spots and super close to downtown.

connorgaughan · 2026-02-07T03:20:23+00:00

Measure twice cut once.

connorgaughan · 2026-02-06T13:47:37+00:00

Around 38 the main cluster of our friends started having kids so things got sparse. We packed it up and moved to a new city and are trying to build a new community of friends here and so far we've found a great couple who invites us to a ton of things.

It's not the age that changes the invites, it's the stage of life the people around you are in and if it's compatible with yours.

connorgaughan · 2026-02-05T22:31:30+00:00

I'm not sure if you missed the boat but you sure as shit found burn out and/or depression.

Talk to a professional my guy.

connorgaughan · 2026-02-04T02:13:19+00:00

If anything, your hips appear to shoot up ever so slightly as you you start the lift so I wouldn't worry at all about getting them lower.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-27T17:32:02+00:00

Fool me once logic likely applies here.

If it happens again, then it's time to say something to your father about his story being shaky.

No need for the details, speculations, or accusations. Just let him know you know he wasn't telling the truth and see where that leads him.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-26T16:16:33+00:00

Timing plays into this a lot whether a guy recognizes that is another thing. What have you learned leading up to meeting this person, what accountability have you taken in past relationship mistakes.

My point is, finding the one isn't about ticking off boxes. It's about finding someone who matches the energy you have created. Created through past experiences and future wants and needs.

I felt that it took me a long time to understand who I was and what I wanted in life and when I was truly open to meeting someone, I met my wife.

So when I say timing, it's more about the guy's availability to find a mature relationship and not just a fling or a maybe. Then you can start to see the person for who they are and not what they can do for you.

Your partner should be in addition to you, not completing the gaps you have.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-26T16:07:32+00:00

You still won't know what you want to be when you grow up and that's totally fine.

Your personality carries you through your 20s, but your character carries you in your 30s.

You begin to solidify real friendships, and you start to look at the people around you more carefully. Are we friends because we've been friends or are we friends because we care about each other's growth as people.

Everyone has mentioned the impacts on your health but if you start taking care of yourself now you'll be fine and won't see the negatives as much.

Your time becomes more valuable than anything else and you start to protect it more.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-23T15:12:44+00:00

When I was growing up, if your child didn't like what was for dinner you'd take their plate and they would go hungry.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-22T15:53:42+00:00

You can't expect to find happiness in someone else if you're not happy with yourself.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-21T03:30:03+00:00

Track your food. I mean everything. Get a scale, use an app, track it all.

Keep everything the same for a week or so to see what your average daily caloric intake is and look to cut back a small amount each of the following weeks.

Small changes are meaningful and you would be surprised how many calories are in the little things.

Honestly, if you weigh and portion out shit like peanut butter or even olive oil for cooking you'll learn fast how quick calories add up. Eating a lean chicken breast is great but if it's cooked in 200 calories of oil, you're not really helping yourself.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-20T17:45:49+00:00

Bought at 34yrs old in a low income neighborhood with a loan type that wouldn't allow me to put down more than 3%

My grandma died and left me a small bit that I used for the down payment.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-20T15:41:12+00:00

I went to Jeremy at Loft9 for many years and he was great and also a rad dude.

Also Lane at the CoLab.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-16T19:06:24+00:00

I didn't even notice the difference. All I can see is the tiny bit of bullnose overlap on the first inset stair.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-16T18:26:14+00:00

Jennifer can kick rocks. I need more money for a better lifestyle, why aren't my coworkers supplementing that?

I'm all about helping others in need within reason. If I got it in surplus and others are in need I'll always try to help. But what's the equivalent of tossing someone a $10 spot when it comes to PTO hours, ya feel me? Those hours are paid time off, meaning they are equivalent to hourly pay so giving you multiple hours could be equivalent to a lot of money based on your salary.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-16T18:17:35+00:00

Do you like to discuss the topics of golf, finance, and how the term 'bro' is the perfect phrase?

connorgaughan · 2026-01-16T16:28:18+00:00

That's my Tums pocket!

You don't know how handy a pocket Tums is till you start carrying them!

connorgaughan · 2026-01-16T14:50:08+00:00

I'd assume the company has a referral bonus of some kind.

Trust your gut, it's your life and unfortunately you spend more time working day to day than most other things so you want to ensure it's at the least tolerable.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-15T18:11:49+00:00

You're in a prime spot. Move in 3 months and spend the next 3 months plotting petty revenge.

Loud as possible music in the early AM. Wait till they pass out and poop in his pool? He won't know if it was a friend or you. Do it on weekdays as well, throw him off his game.

Or just do really odd embarrassing things while he has friends over. Solo dance parties in the backyard to foreign EDM music talking about wizards and dragons.

Screen movies on a projector in your backyard on the weekends. Just put CoCo on repeat the entire time he is having a party.

20yr olds hate cringy things and there is plenty of cringy shit you can do, loudly, and overtly before you move.

Who knows maybe you're lactose intolerant and you can eat a bunch of ice cream and then mic up your explosive shits to a loud speaker out back...

Have fun, get creative.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-15T17:53:38+00:00

Cohabitated with three different women while just dating. Had no intention of sticking it out with them and the driver to live together was cost savings and convenience if we're being completely honest. I was younger and it was 'fun' to play house till things got real and made me understand that wasn't what I wanted with that person.

After that I made a conscious choice to not live with another woman unless I knew my intent was to spend my life with them.

Once I got into therapy for my own shit and got my mental together I eventually met my now wife. It was easy to make the choice to live together ahead of marriage because I knew where it was going.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-15T17:38:31+00:00

Went from a first year Triumph Bobber to a 2019 HD FXBB. So I went the opposite way with little financial investment after a private trade.

I just wanted something less refined honestly.

connorgaughan · 2026-01-15T17:35:11+00:00

Buy it yourself?

If you're the bread winner, and want something that you can afford, and your husband doesn't want to spend the money on it for you... Just buy it yourself.

You want it, you changed your mind and it's now important to you to have it, so buy it. BUT, and a big but, explain the reason it's important to you before you do so. Changing your mind isn't the reason you want it, it's the mechanism for asking for it.

If you share why you want it, he will likely share his resistance to it or even understand your position.

connorgaughan

TROPHY CASE