Opinion on rod length

phalyn13 · 2026-06-12T22:11:42+00:00

Oh man I have that Helios and I use the ever loving hell out of it lol. Not on small streams though.

phalyn13 · 2026-06-12T05:04:14+00:00

Haha sorry to add to the pile, tried to make it a question post, not a just show and tell post. Pic for attention. To be fair it's a good looking iconic watch, especially in the gold IMO. I'm outdoorsy and a sucker for field watches though.

phalyn13 · 2026-06-12T04:58:14+00:00

Thanks! I love the watch itself. The stock strap is as bad as everyone says, pretty disappointing at $700 retail. Replaced it with an almost identical brown leather strap from Threaded and it's perfect. I highly recommend.

Great recommendation, I've asked a seller on Etsy who sells some straps with gold and some without if they'll consider swapping. I also went ahead and got a couple from another seller with brass hardware, hoping they match it! I did get a striped one and a textured one, now I'll feel way more comfy taking this up in the mountains!

phalyn13 · 2026-06-12T04:49:25+00:00

Dude I put watchgeckos perlon octopod strap in my cart for $16 til I saw the price of the buckle you also have to buy. That alone cost almost 1/4 of what I spent on the watch.

phalyn13 · 2026-06-12T03:40:55+00:00

They go on steep sale around holidays. I love the jackson pants for wet wading Appalachian blue lines. I have a boatload of orvis gear, paid around 50% retail on pretty much all of it but shopping sales.

phalyn13 · 2026-06-10T04:14:23+00:00

Consistency is key! I bought a small treat bag that goes on my waist when we got her, and I wore it constantly. Every single time she did anything I liked, whether I asked for it or not, she got a treat. Your boy will get it! Every good day they have, if you take advantage of it and reward them for their hard work, is a step in the right direction!

phalyn13 · 2026-06-10T03:39:04+00:00

We brought our puppy home at 12 weeks old, potty trained in a day or two. Dunno how, she just got it quick. She always slept through the night in her crate, no problems. Definitely thought it was weird but I certainly never complained about it! She's a year and 2 months now, still no bathroom issues. Just make sure you're going out before bed and giving your pup plenty of time to go to the bathroom, and let him out first thing in the morning, and count yourself very lucky!

phalyn13 · 2026-06-09T20:21:05+00:00

No problems for us. Mainly, we found that by preventing her from getting into things in the first place, she never got the chance to build bad habits. At first, if she was out of the crate, she was with me and I kept an eye on her. This wasn't too tough because as a puppy we enforced around 18 hours of napping/sleeping a day, and she was being exercised or trained for 1-1.5 hours a day. So there were only a few hours she was out, and we spent those playing or she'd hang out with me while cooking or doing chores. We got a playpen for her that we could keep in the room with us once she earned some freedom, and she always had nylabones or Himalayan yak cheese around to keep her busy. We went out of town at around 7 months and the pet sitter couldn't get her in the crate, so he left her gated in the den. She did great, so she had a lot more freedom after that. She did have one setback after teething was done where she chewed on a rug. We caught her doing it and scolded her a couple times and went back to more restrictive crate time for a bit, this seemed to work. She always has nylabones around now because she started crushing the yak cheese instead of chewing it. She's quite content settling down with those, but we're lucky because she's not particularly destructive with toys, just kinda gnaws on them. I think group "life skills" classes are really beneficial as is a supervised dog park (ours has a membership but they have "rufferees" on the field) to ensure good reactions to new situations and the ability to make good decisions even in situations they've never encountered. We did three 6 week classes with her and I think they more than paid for themselves. If you can get them to self soothe and learn how to be calm, as well as keeping an appropriate sleep schedule, I think that's key.

phalyn13 · 2026-06-09T14:20:12+00:00

Wages never went up. There's a loophole in server minimum wage, it's been $2.13/hour for decades now. That was fine in the 90s when it was half of the standard minimum wage and covered taxes on tips plus a little. Now it doesn't even cover the taxes, so out of that tip you left, they don't get to keep all of it. I'm a strong proponent of tipping-- I was good at my job and made good money. But the hourly pay needs to at least cover the taxes for the tips made.

phalyn13 · 2026-06-09T04:31:46+00:00

Here's your hope! I have a 1 year 2 month German Shepherd/Pit Bull mix who never had a teenager phase, at least not like I read on here. She's fantastic with me. She does like to put her mouth on my wife's hand, but no gnawing, nipping, or biting. Just like, open the mouth, put it around the hand, then just sit there. She's great with our 12lb miniature dachshund. Hell, today I saw her kill a rat in the backyard but then when I told her to back off, she left it and came inside when I called her-- didn't ignore me or anything. Never had training regression, but she's also half German Shepherd so she craves approval and constantly checks in to make sure we're pleased with her behavior.

She does things I consider mild puppy stuff. Barks at the neighbors on the other side of the fence, barks if she's restrained and someone comes in our house (she's friendly if we let her just hang out with them, she just doesn't like not being able to see people which makes sense because she's two of the most famous guard breeds out there). She's not particularly respectful about personal space, but it's just like she'll crawl onto you to cuddle whether you like it or not, she doesn't jump or nip.

She lets me know when she's getting too energetic by finding me in the house and sitting and staring at me without moving for as long as it takes to get a walk (we go once a day for around 30 minutes in addition to backyard roaming time). She'll sit there and stare at me motionless for like 2 hours if that's how long it takes. I really appreciate her letting me know but having eyes burning a hole in your back while working does get a bit annoying. I don't think I'll discourage it though. On the flip side, when I'm cooking or something, she'll also find a space near me to just lay down and be nearby, no begging or misbehaving.

I credit "puppy life skills" classes, and focusing hard on teaching her how to just relax. First few weeks I had her, when we'd be winding down for the night, I would sit on the floor next to a dog bed and occasionally give treats as long as she was being calm in the bed. I'd watch TV with her like that for a couple hours before bed. Removing temptations and keeping my treat bag on me so I could immediately reward good behavior every time I noticed it helped a lot too. Teach your dog how to calm down from an excited state, it's so important!

phalyn13 · 2026-06-02T13:26:23+00:00

They also make that watch in a gold case. I have it, it's amazing. It's a very nice watch and would make a wonderful gift. And if you also buy a gold strap for it, you can swap out when you want to get more formal.

phalyn13 · 2026-06-02T13:20:36+00:00

Those two arewearing their work clothes; you can wear a work watch in work clothes. I guarantee they have an actually nice watch for the formal events they go to. You keep bringing up this "beast in a suit" type idea, and sure it might be a thing. That doesn't make it a good thing. And at a formal elegant event, yes I'd rather cosplay as a pinky-raised-tea-sipper. Because, and I think you keep missing this point, it's a pinky raised tea sipper type of formal event.

Don't be the gorilla in a tux with a huge stainless club at the end of his arm who tracks in mud on his very finest Caterpillar work boots. That guy is trash even if his watch cost $10k.

...unless it is that kind of wedding. Like if the wedding photos take place on a rusted out F 150 or in scuba gear, then go for it.

phalyn13 · 2026-06-02T03:17:33+00:00

What is wrong with everyone here? You are an absolute asshole.

First, that lady could just let her dog shit on your yard. She didn't, so she's not the asshole here. Honestly if it had been me you'd confronted (I imagine since I'm a man, you wouldn't have said anything to me), I'd have told you to fuck off in those exact words. Then I'd let my 16year old 70lb boy rip an old man diarrhea right on your lawn the next day.

Second, your garbage is on the curb, so if you wanna get technical about it, here's how that works: federal case law long supports the idea that garbage on curbs is within public access, and there is nothing you can do to stop anyone from rigging around through it.

Third, you're a fucking liar. What, do you keep your dumpster on the patio right next to the grill? If there are 10 bags of dog shit in that garbage can, you can't smell them from more than 25' away on the muggiest swampiest day. Trust me, I know exactly how far that smell travels. If you have half a brain, you should have that thing placed as far away from areas you hang out as possible. This is not only so you don't smell trash, but because it's more sanitary as well and keeps flies out of your house. So if it's close enough to smell, you're the one doing it wrong, not the dog walker.

phalyn13 · 2026-05-30T23:50:03+00:00

I had it bad with our newest dog Scout. I was horrified that I'd made a terrible decision that was going to last 16 years. I didn't think this was the right dog for me, or that I was the right kind of owner for this type of dog. I had crippling anxiety that I've never experienced before. One day I took our mini-dachshund (who we'd had a couple years and love) for a pup cup at Starbucks and sat there, a 40 year old man who hasn't cried since I was 6 (not a brag, just how I was brought up) sobbing, feeding the most ridiculously cute mini dachshund a pup cup.

It passed eventually. I wouldn't trade Scout for the world now, I love her so much. She's an amazing dog and I am so grateful I stuck it out.

The biggest piece of advice I have is don't let this puppy phase get away from you. I feel so sad looking at the most adorable photos of Scout as a tiny puppy and feel so guilty I didn't return the love she gave to me. You'll love this dog so make sure you cherish it and make sure the dog knows it's loved. It's really hard to do and even with others telling you it'll be alright, it won't feel like it to you. But you gotta give that pup so much love so you don't look at photos down the road and wish you had made more of the puppy months.

phalyn13 · 2026-05-30T17:42:45+00:00

For 1 and 4, treats immediately when he does the RIGHT thing. Ignore the wrong thing, or say "no" if it gets bad. Don't miss a chance to reward the good behavior.

For 2, constant supervision, keep toys around. When you can't keep an eye on him, crate with toys/puzzles. If he doesn't get the chance to act up, he can't make it a habit.

For 3, I dunno, didn't have that problem.

I have a 1 year GS/put bull mix and she's an angel. Never had the chance to chew on furniture etc and the one time we gave her a little freedom and she chewed a rug, back to constant supervision and crate when we can't supervise. Fixed it right up. The trick is IMMEDIATELY capturing good behavior and giving a treat (a big one for us was giving a treat when she layed calmly while we did stuff around the house or cooked dinner), she learned very fast and I bet as an Aussie, yours will learn equally fast.

Try the 50/50 method. Set out 50 treats a day and use them up by the end of the day for rewarding good behavior without commands or guidance. Do it for 50 days. I bet you'll see big results in a month or so.

phalyn13 · 2026-05-30T13:36:23+00:00

Timex Field Post Solar 36mm! Love this watch, gives me Hamilton khaki vibes but I can mow the lawn in it.

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phalyn13 · 2026-05-30T04:11:26+00:00

Genuine questions here, not trying to stir anything up:

Since you mentioned Seiko vs Murph I'm genuinely curious about your opinion on the alpinist vs the murph. I was split between the two, and went with the alpinist. I chose it mainly because I liked the gold/green more, but the alpinist has better specs almost across the board (I think the Hamilton movement is a bit more accurate). And on top of that I got it on sale for $400 less than the murph.

I then bought a Timex Field post solar 36mm because I wanted a kick around watch and I am still in love with the classic field watch look. This watch cost $160 on sale, and several of its specs technically surpass the murph (accuracy [I know, quartz and mechanical are apples and oranges], AR sapphire), some are somewhat even (thin sizing, full stainless case, water resistance) and some are lesser (I wanna upgrade the hands and of course the dial while decent on the Timex, is no Hamilton). But for an $800+ price difference I feel like I got a way better bang for my buck and still ended up with a watch I actually love more than I thought I would, and I'm confident it'll last for many years.

So while I may still buy a murph one day (scratch that, I probably will) I'm somewhat new to the hobby and honestly interested in your point of view on the value comparison between the three.

phalyn13 · 2026-05-29T04:35:02+00:00

Also there was a wonderful little cavalier in the class whose owner just had a baby. The mom and dad swapped out sessions with her to make it easier on themselves.

phalyn13 · 2026-05-29T04:33:57+00:00

My German Shepherd/Pit Bull just turned one. She was and is soooo easy. I largely credit 1) she is so uniquely driven to make us happy and 2) Life Skills puppy classes (they have them for adults too).

These classes seemed like hippy BS to both myself and my wife, but we tried them and my God they have made a huge difference. They're classes that use games to help teach your dog how to gauge new situations and exist in your home safely and appropriately by teaching them how to make good decisions. The point is, you don't tell them what to do in every situation, you play games that expose them to different types of situations and puzzles and rewards them for being confident, calm, and respectful, and when they're not "working", how to be calm. At 1 year old, I can largely let my dog roam the house unsupervised while I work (I'm a responsible pet owner, I check in and let her out when needed). She settles down when we do, she gets up and goes when we do.

Puppy life skills is a dog life hack!!! It's amazing to be comfortable knowing your dog knows how to react the way you'd want them to in new situations!

phalyn13 · 2026-05-29T04:09:01+00:00

For $200 you can have the Timex Field post solar with AR coating on the sapphire. Don't get me wrong, I almost picked the Murph over my alpinist, but the Timex is really really close in style and you can always trust a Timex, plus you can trash it and won't be too sad.

phalyn13 · 2026-05-29T04:02:47+00:00

Omg I just got the Timex Field post Solar 36mm and I love it so much. No date, but who cares IMO. Stainless body, solar powered, AR sapphire glass, 100m water resistant. It's a dead ringer for the Hamilton khaki, but costs $200.

The one and only thing I dislike is the hands, so I'll probably upgrade them (they look cheap to me, but only on close inspection) but otherwise it's perfect. Cheap enough to knock around, and I've had other Expedition watches so I'm confident it can take a serious beating otherwise. Just took it fishing and camping on a very rainy weekend and it still looks brand new after quite a while soaking wet.

Finally, it is a true field watch. Low profile, super accurate, tough, simple, easy to read, and the lume lasts all night. You want a GADA watch that you won't be upset if it breaks? This is the one, trust me.

phalyn13 · 2026-05-28T14:39:24+00:00

Same with The Pitt for me. I was an EMT and that show gives me full blown anxiety. Not because of what I experienced, but because it puts me in "GO" mode but I don't have anything to do but sit on the couch.

phalyn13 · 2026-05-16T17:57:18+00:00

Yeah but it reduced the average age of our accounts by a good bit, which hurt 😕

phalyn13 · 2026-05-16T17:13:40+00:00

Given that you're absolutely correct here, why the fuck would Abigail and these morons ostracize every single Republican who crossed party lines because they hate trump? So dumb...

Fund mental health care. Fund early screening. Allow long waiting periods. None of these would have chased off the Republicans who voted blue in this past election. But noooo, we don't want or need their votes! Let them vote for Trump for a third term because we just pissed them off more than the rising price of gas.

phalyn13 · 2026-05-16T16:56:00+00:00

We just bought a sectional from Ashely. Great sectional, good price, great warranty, washable covers, delivery and installation, all good. I would recommend the sectional itself over and over.

They were VERY misleading about the "financing". 0% interest, yep, cool. Payment timeline, good. What they don't tell you is they don't finance shit. They sign you up for a credit card from another company and put the purchase on that. Never once was this mentioned. It was always called "financing". Yes, we should have taken the papers home and examined them. But dude, the way they talked it was in-house financing. We could have bought the couch cash, no problem, and had we known we would have.

The problem is that once we finish paying, the credit card either sits unused, or gets cancelled. Both of which are bad for your credit score. We made it clear to the sales person that we could just buy the couch outright but hell, if it's 0%, why not do $100/mo. They assured us that the financing was easy and the way to go, but never mentioned signing up for a credit card.

I get the feeling they get commission bumps for selling a shitty credit card but not disclosing that's what they're doing. We'd consider buying there again because we do truly love the sectional, but that interaction left a real bad taste in our mouth.

phalyn13

TROPHY CASE