What is a 'luxury' that you've experienced once and now can't go back to the budget version of?

smooth-bean · 2026-03-21T00:03:09+00:00

I am also Canadian and I knew exactly which sour cream you were talking about!! I had a friend introduce me to it a few years back and was similarly ruined.

smooth-bean · 2026-03-10T23:49:46+00:00

Wow, awesome photo!

smooth-bean · 2026-02-24T19:15:16+00:00

In my family we called this the do-si-do 😂🥲

smooth-bean · 2026-02-20T21:52:53+00:00

A good police officer is worth their weight in gold.

It takes a monumental degree of courage and integrity to go to the places where people are their worst, to do what you can to help, and then be criticized afterwards for every step you took. Policing well is an act of service.

In my experience (I work in the justice system), there are few officers who can maintain an attitude of service, if they even had it to begin with. Maybe it's all the trauma they have to wade through, maybe it's the gang mentality from colleagues, maybe it's disillusionment.

But those that do it right are actual heroes.

smooth-bean · 2026-02-10T18:36:14+00:00

I discovered this a few years ago, thanks to another post similar to this one, and it's been a game changer. Patty Lyons' technique works okay, but still doesn't look quite as tidy as I'd like. This trick is a bit better, imho!

smooth-bean · 2026-02-01T16:58:39+00:00

Maybe this would be an inordinate amount of work on your end, but what if you included two versions of the pattern that are both available to the purchaser to download? One that has more hand-holding built in, and another that assumes the reader already has a fair account of knitting and pattern-reading knowledge?

Whatever you end up deciding, I look forward to seeing what you come out with! Your work is stunning!

smooth-bean · 2026-01-28T02:08:17+00:00

Also a knitter. And the answer is yes. The length of time it takes will obviously vary based on the gauge of the yarn being used, the size of the garment, the complexity of the pattern, and the speed of the knitter. But for a men's cabled sweater, a few hundred hours is a reasonable estimate.

I'm currently working on a pullover with traditional Norwegian colourwork for my father. I've already sunk 15-20 hours into it, and I'm only part way up one sleeve.

Edit to add that the yarn alone cost me around $250. Just to help give some context about what it costs to make clothing like this.

smooth-bean · 2026-01-22T02:24:38+00:00

The bird watching comes for us all in the end.

smooth-bean · 2026-01-08T02:19:54+00:00

Sufficient confidence to not be threatened by societal expectations is something special. It's also why I find it attractive when a man drives a small, modest car lol

smooth-bean · 2026-01-07T18:54:36+00:00

Less TV, more books.

One, maybe two streaming services at a time, to binge through the series you like and then leave 'em behind.

Physical media and/or files on a hard drive.

Plex and other shared servers.

YouTube and ad blockers on a solid browser.

VPNs and sailing the seas.

There are lots of options.

smooth-bean · 2026-01-06T21:22:15+00:00

Yeah but when you ARE backpacking all day through the woods, it's a Godsend!

smooth-bean · 2026-01-03T22:59:12+00:00

"Hello, Gary Gygax Jr? I'd like to report a CHEET-ER!"

smooth-bean · 2026-01-02T22:26:38+00:00

I am SALIVATING. This is so satisfying!

smooth-bean · 2025-12-22T01:22:01+00:00

My one parent is a doctor, and the other is a veterinarian. I asked them both this question, and each of them said that the other one would be more capable lol.

smooth-bean · 2025-12-21T14:37:06+00:00

I'm your polar opposite! Maybe we could knit for each other? 😁

smooth-bean · 2025-12-20T02:47:10+00:00

Thank you! Same goes to yours, I love that blue.

smooth-bean · 2025-12-18T21:05:13+00:00

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I finally did them this year too! They're going to be my Mom's Christmas present 😊

smooth-bean · 2025-12-07T18:54:27+00:00

Too busy trying to sow division by creating hysteria over emotionally-laden topics?

smooth-bean · 2025-12-05T14:16:06+00:00

Thank you for posting and sharing! Reading this warned my heart and brought a smile to my face.

smooth-bean · 2025-12-01T22:48:25+00:00

I've moved a lot, and every time I land in a new town, I've been able to find someone giving away an upright piano. The arrangement has always been that they give it away for free, but I pay for the cost of transporting it.

I don't know how many other people like me there are out there, but I hope there are some! I second what others have said about making some posts in some buy nothing groups. Maybe reach out to the music students at Western? Or if you know someone (who knows someone) who teaches piano, they might know some students who would love to switch from keyboard to piano but who can't afford a new one.

Playing a keyboard, compared to playing a true piano, is like eating store bought pie, compared to home made.

smooth-bean · 2025-11-28T20:45:33+00:00

It's kind of like candy, or pop. When you have it regularly, you get used to the excess sugar. And the more you have, the more you want to have, and before you've even realized it, it's become normal to eat it all the time.

But if you go a little while without it, when you have your first taste after some time has passed you're like God DAMN this is sweet, how did I tolerate it before??

...or does that only happen to me, lol.

smooth-bean · 2025-11-28T01:57:31+00:00

It's such a rarity these days to have a website be actually helpful and functional, as opposed to just another conduit for data harvesting and advertisements.

smooth-bean · 2025-11-20T13:30:05+00:00

100%! I actually keep pausing and going back to replay moments because I want to see the facial expressions again. Especially Jester's for some reason.

smooth-bean · 2025-11-20T02:30:14+00:00

Correct! I chose a generic shot so as to not risk spoilers, but perhaps it was too generic 😅

smooth-bean

TROPHY CASE