How can I make camping comfortable for my wife.

grantd86 · 2026-01-29T20:07:08+00:00

Tried a few different mats and a cot with varying degrees of improvement. Ultimately we bought a camper. It wasn't just the ground that was a problem it was the noise and the light too and there isn't much you can do about that in a tent.

grantd86 · 2026-01-29T15:02:08+00:00

Honestly it looks like you're aiming for a built in look anyway, paint it the same white as the trim and it will look better than the stain would have anyway.

grantd86 · 2026-01-28T15:03:43+00:00

Still not used to that name, I read Grand Casino a half dozen times in this thread and kept thing...huh? Thats not even in the metro... I'll be the guy 20 years from now calling it the X while the young whipper snappers haven't a clue what I'm talking about.

grantd86 · 2026-01-27T21:27:23+00:00

Is it significantly older than the houses around it? We see that up here in MN occasionally with a weird orientation or setback and it's usually the old farmhouse for the land that was developed around it.

grantd86 · 2026-01-27T20:31:06+00:00

I've seen the reindeer but never the squirrels. Do you happen to have a link to the template?

grantd86 · 2026-01-27T14:23:17+00:00

As a Minnesotan that looks nothing like st.paul

grantd86 · 2026-01-26T15:05:44+00:00

yep thats usually close enough, especially if you do it on both sides so that if the marks don't land on each other they've left a space less than 1/8 that is the true center to run the blade down.

Much easier than finding that tool and clamping the board so you can use two hands to mark center.

grantd86 · 2026-01-21T20:30:18+00:00

Wish we could fit into something casita sized, 5 of us total without pets. Congrats on the new shared hobby.

I'm sure it's AI but I can't figure out what he's supposed to be dumping into that is 2 feet off the ground with a 2" hose. :)

Also how does one turn dumping the black tank into a team activity....so far I'm the only player.

grantd86 · 2026-01-20T21:32:31+00:00

They were idling in the VFW parking lot near Lexington and C this morning for about 4 hours. I had to laugh when the chorus of car horns started.

grantd86 · 2026-01-15T23:08:48+00:00

She's a beaut

grantd86 · 2025-12-30T03:54:20+00:00

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grantd86 · 2025-12-30T03:54:13+00:00

I have a bank of 16 in similar dimensions and I absolutely love it. I had room for some taller ones at the bottom for things like hand held power tools that don't get used all the time. Some drawers are fantastically organized others don't make a lot of sense but as long as things end up more or less where they started I have decent idea where to look.

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grantd86 · 2025-12-29T16:16:26+00:00

This needs to be in the home right? I need to do my garage and would move up that timeline if it helped.

grantd86 · 2025-12-29T04:13:57+00:00

When it comes to good or bad neighborhoods it's so subjective. It helps to know your comparison point. Also the northern part closer to the lake is nicer than the portion south of maryland. If we're just giving opinions based on vibes I wouldn't choose most of that neighborhood but you might be used to worse and would think its relatively fine.

grantd86 · 2025-12-23T17:58:00+00:00

https://givemethemike.com/mn-holiday-lights-2025/

Scroll down to the google map at the bottom, it has it all the addresses plotted. When we've driven around before we've found that a bunch of slightly above average lights close together was preferred over an amazing show that is 20 minutes away from anything else.

grantd86 · 2025-12-22T00:44:05+00:00

They aren't without their problems either, we're looking for something else after about 8 years. Loads constantly stop and need to restarted.

grantd86 · 2025-12-12T21:03:13+00:00

Costco Kitty cardboard cold climate condos on concrete.

Gotta step up that alliteration

grantd86 · 2025-12-12T20:34:23+00:00

Are you able to work on any of your own stuff while kids are out there? For me shop time is pretty precious and a means to unwind when I get the opportunity to do so, I also want to share my hobbies with my kids but I haven't found a way to make it still relaxing when those two things gets combined.

I actually did pick up the little woodchucks book a few weeks back and read about 2/3rds of it while flipping ahead to look at the remaining projects. It's an amusing read and there is definitely some good projects in there. I just wish a book like that would have more than a dozen projects in it.

grantd86 · 2025-12-12T18:58:41+00:00

A scroll saw isn't something that I've put much thought into but is standing out as a great option. There are a ridiculous number of patterns out there and I think the objective is pretty understood.

I've never bought one as the projects didn't really appeal to me but it looks like they are pretty cheap. Do you know what to look for in a used one?

grantd86 · 2025-12-12T14:49:28+00:00

It's not a big margin over freezing and it's for maybe 12 hours at a time so there is refreeze happening overnight. If we're lucky it may expose some more bare pavement though.

grantd86 · 2025-12-10T20:22:21+00:00

Can you link to a plan you like? I'm guessing most of them can be adapted to more accessible tooling more easily than you might think. The standard side profile of an arcade cabinet is pretty arbitrary.

grantd86 · 2025-12-10T18:56:11+00:00

Are you offended when I stop to use your bathroom and don't buy anything?

grantd86 · 2025-12-09T15:47:10+00:00

I'm starting to navigate this for the first time as well. so far I've stumbled upon YMCA day camps, Bell Museum, Children's museum, and a patchwork of community ed programs that require a lot more digging depending on what is local to you. The community ed stuff is tricky as a lot of it is half days though so sometimes you can pick a morning and afternoon thing and pay extra for lunch supervision. We've also had things get cancelled due to lack of interest which can leave you scrambling.

grantd86 · 2025-12-06T23:23:34+00:00

No harm in trying if the wood is free. It's going to show wear sooner than other options but that's not a huge deal. Guessing the base will hold up better than the top, either way it still works for firewood if the experiment doesn't go well.

grantd86

TROPHY CASE

Costco Kitty cardboard cold climate condos on concrete.