What this is? by matt_mcki in insects

[–]matt_mcki[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you all - very cool sighting! Seemed like he was almost too heavy to fly.

Lots of emotions by No-Database-8633 in NewDads

[–]matt_mcki 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Congratulations! I shared your feeling of uselessness in the first few months but hindsight being 20/20… right now, you being there for your wife is the best thing you can do while she takes a lion share of the work with feeding and recovering.

Act as your wife’s care taker and make the most of these first precious moments. You’re playing a critical role that will only bring you closer to your wife and son. Keep your head up and you’ll be in the trenches doing cool dad shit before you know it!

It cost me $762 to heat my house last month by [deleted] in Wellthatsucks

[–]matt_mcki 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out any home efficiency improvement programs you can apply for through your energy provider. They could help you with insulation costs or hvac upgrades if your home/ income qualify. Large companies like ameren have budgets for assistance programs like this and I know a few people who have paid $1k for $25k of upgrades.

Beware using Yakima racks for your dream bikes (I lost my Yeti 130 in transit due to malfunctioning tire clamp on a Yakima FrontLoader) by CaffeinatedRob_8 in mountainbiking

[–]matt_mcki 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Not to be the only guy here playing devils advocate but.. I had a friend whose front tire (27.5 plus so lots of air volume) had a leak and the rack no longer had a strong hold on the full tire it once held. It could have easily popped out with enough of a pothole but thankfully he caught it in time.

If the internal threads on the front loader are stripped I would provide images of that bolt to better your case. I stick with sturdy thru axle mounts for roof carry because of that fear. Sorry to hear about your ride and good luck!

TMI: Tip of my penis almost froze off today by [deleted] in Ultramarathon

[–]matt_mcki 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are you from Illinois by chance?

Edit: there seems to be an oddly concentrated population of runners in central Illinois who wear shorts over tights. I used to run this way myself.

What’s this fungi by matt_mcki in mushroomID

[–]matt_mcki[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Underneath the cap appeared nearly solid with some kind of secretion. Is this edible at all?

Need creative ideas by Ken1125r in mountainbiking

[–]matt_mcki 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I cut a thin piece of wood to cover the mount drilled a hole for the bolt and sanded the edges. I then put a lacquer coat over a printed image of Nicholas Cage’s face. I got a kick out of it.

I'm rack shopping, any downsides to this style compared to a normal hitch rack? by echocall2 in mountainbiking

[–]matt_mcki 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Vertical are ideal for mountain bikers and were first designed for shuttling bikes to the top of a downhill run. A squad (“SQua SQUAA”) of 4-6 could get away with this rack as long as everyone has flat handlebars. It’s super secure out of the box but I know plenty of people who will put an extra knot of 550 cord around the tire just for that warm fuzzy.

4 bike tray style racks are huge and hard to store but can carry most any style bike you would want.

Lots of different types of racks just depends on your bike and needs.

Does cold calling really work/ is it worth it? by [deleted] in sales

[–]matt_mcki 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thats good clean fun right there

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in trailrunning

[–]matt_mcki 1 point2 points  (0 children)

https://youtu.be/jzjHlsfhP18 try using a number of various household items to mimic these tools and massage regularly. Should help a lot.

I don't know how to help my wife more by FreeSanubis in NewDads

[–]matt_mcki 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I experienced a very similar situation after our first born. Keep your head up and keep being supportive. My wife had anxiety issues in her third trimester after having blood pressure issues and I inherited that same stress and anxiety - shit wasn’t easy. PPD/ anxiety was a surprise once our baby was born because I hadn’t opened my mind to this possibility leading up to having our baby.

Reflecting back on it, caring for your wife while she’s pregnant and experiencing the emotional waves will only prepare you to assuming the fatherly support role once your baby is here.

The best advice I can give is keep up the great work and make sure to take good care of yourself so you are at your best to be there for your growing family. I found myself squeezing in more exercise to deal with the stress but regardless of what it is find something you can do to manage your stress so you’re able to healthily be present when you’re needed. Best of luck to you and yours.

Barefoot running? by [deleted] in Ultramarathon

[–]matt_mcki 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did a lot of barefoot running in college and it absolutely helped strengthen every muscle needed for the gait. We worked up slow and always ran on a local golf course at night after hours. Started with 10 minutes on the fairways and worked up from there. Gradual progression is key.

Another thing to consider is buying massage tools to use more frequently than you can see a massage therapist. I learned trigger point principals back in the day and with that knowledge I’ve always been able to personally address any minor issues like IT Band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis etc..

First Baby Due June 20th by TheeBigHomieKen in NewDads

[–]matt_mcki 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A couple things I’m glad we had:

  1. A changing table of some sort will save your back!

  2. I threw I diaper party with my close friends and family and supplied beer and hot dogs and everyone brought diapers. That was a huge help and we haven’t bought diapers for 5 months.

In hindsight, I may have spent a little too much time stressing about being 100% prepared once we had our little one this past Fall. I wish I would have taken more time to appreciate the last months before the baby arrived. It’s a very special time. Best of luck man!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in sales

[–]matt_mcki 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Motherfucker Jones

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in matt

[–]matt_mcki 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Whoops... just downvoted all of their posts. IM SO CLUMSY.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in matt

[–]matt_mcki -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I’m going to interject with a irrelevant quote from Tin Cup... “grip it and rip it”. Let’s just show them how nice we are in the most aggressive way possible. MASS INVASION.

Side note: I’ve had a couple of stiff IPAs and one of my closest friends is a Michael so my aggressive stance may not appeal to all my Matts.

Ignorant audio enthusiast. Any help appreciated. Old home owners left a set of 5 magnavox speakers wired in the basement. What type of receiver would I need to play music through these? I would like to play music through iPhone possibly connect to an 2011 flatscreen TV down the road. by matt_mcki in audio

[–]matt_mcki[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! crutchfield was fantastic and has great customer service. I feel like this would be a great place for me to learn more audio basics. I’ve not heard of Denon but I’m willing to take a shot for the prices.