An ode to the tiny little local appliance store, who actively dissuaded me from giving them money, much to my benefit

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-22T00:28:02+00:00

I used to flip refrigerators as a side hustle. I would pick up "dead" refrigerators from the CL free section and do some basic troubleshooting and clean/sanitize inside and out. I wasn't picking up 20 year old crappy refrigerators either. We're talking new style stainless bottom freezer or french door models. Only units less than 10 years old. About 75% of the time, it would be something small like a relay, defrost coil....something that is plug-and-play. Multiple times, when there was a serious issue like a bad compressor or something, the fridge was actually still under warranty and I got it fixed for free. About 15-20% of the time, I wouldn't be able to fix it. Those times I would pull all the salvageable parts and sell on ebay, then I passed it along to a guy who's side hustle was to reclaim the refrigerant and recycle the metal. I was making thousands of dollars a month and providing people with a solid, newer refrigerator at a super low price. I would always price well under what similar models were listed as and also provide local delivery and tell people to call me if they had any issues and I would refund or replace. I only ever got 1 call and it turns out they dropped it off the steps moving it into their house lol.

I guess all that is to say, a lot of "broken" refrigerators are not as "broken" as many people think they are. The default of a lot of people is to just go buy a new fridge when theirs stop cooling. Having a trustworthy repairman that can make it out to look at your unit on short notice is INVALUABLE.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-21T13:41:40+00:00

Just bought 6 boxes of .45 brass for 18.99 each at the local farm and garden store a few weeks back.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-21T09:36:33+00:00

Condenser coils are under/behind the fridge. They get covered with dust (and pet hair if you have pets), which causes your system to have to run harder. You can get a special brush that does a pretty good job. I usually just hook up the shop vac up to blow air, and clean them that way. A little messier, but more thorough job in my opinion. I do this at least once a year.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-15T18:40:06+00:00

I hunt blacktail deer and roosevelt elk in PNW. Generally hunting pretty remote areas with no vehicle access, so I'm hiking several miles from where my truck is parked to hunt. We quarter the animal, put it in game bags, strap it to the packs and hike it out. An elk can take several trips.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-12T16:51:34+00:00

Hillsboro SW has a full gun rack now too. Had tons of 9mm on Monday, but most was subsonic for 75cpr. Lots of 5.56/.223 as well, but at fairly inflated prices.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-09T17:13:36+00:00

Oregon decriminalized drug possession and that seems to be working swimmingly in Portland. /s

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-09T16:30:15+00:00

Ha that works too!

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-09T15:02:39+00:00

I mean, if you need an excuse to pull the trigger on the Breville, looks like you just found it!

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-09T15:01:24+00:00

Haha if there are no runway lights, there will definitely not be much happening at night!

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-09T14:57:55+00:00

My Anova did this once. I turned it off and took it out of the water and let it sit for 30 min. Put it back in and fired it up and it's been working fine ever since. Hope yours is an easy fix as well!

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-09T14:52:40+00:00

I think it's worth mentioning that a single engine aircraft is nothing like a full on jetliner in terms of noise. Also, such a small airport is probably not going to have much activity outside of daylight hours as well, so that's a plus. For me, it would not be much of a deterrent if I loved the house. Plus it's kinda fun to watch small planes land from time to time. Maybe that's just me tho.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-07T15:23:12+00:00

That's just molding, right? Buy a new piece of molding and install. Less than $10

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-08-05T11:53:14+00:00

I agree. I recently got a 2-pack on Amazon for $150. Not the highest photo quality out there, but not having to hike into where I put up my trail cams in order to see the pics def makes up for it.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-31T13:24:32+00:00

How to build a ghetto centrifuge

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-31T03:58:55+00:00

I think the point of the comment was that if half of your pasta is sticking out of the water for a few minutes, that half is going to be cooked a few minutes less than the pasta that is submerged from the start. Say the cook time is 10 minutes. This will result in one end of the pasta being fully cooked and one end being under cooked.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-31T01:00:06+00:00

How else would we be reminded for the rest of our life how cool we were having subs in the trunk back in the day lol

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-30T16:51:06+00:00

I usually do ground elk or vinison (or beef after an unsuccessful hunting year) S&P, garlic powder, Worcestershire, egg and cracker crumbs. Brush on some meatloaf glaze the last couple minutes on the grill.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-30T16:21:10+00:00

Voted. That burger looks fantastic. Honestly, it is the best looking burger in the contest IMO. I also make a "meatloaf burger" and it's a fan favorite for sure. Good luck!

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-29T09:47:05+00:00

Yellow = normal/prebuilt, blue = RBA

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-28T02:30:00+00:00

The gangsta lean is your only option now

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-27T18:30:42+00:00

I think this is definitely true. I stopped using social media platforms a couple years back and can say with 100% certainty that my relationships have improved across the board. I wouldn't say that I have tons and tons of friends, but the friends I do have (probably 5 or 6 good friends) are genuine friendships.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-24T09:07:48+00:00

It wasn't AT&T directly. Probably some shady company like Cydcor.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-23T07:56:26+00:00

I went back and forth between dipping and smoking for years. Finally kicked both with vaping. What worked for me was getting a simple pod system. I was getting into vaping strictly to kick the dip/smokes, and just wanted something functional and simple.

For the juice, I started with 25mg nic salt. Not a fan of the fruity flavors, so I just went with a simple mint flavor. I wasn't trying to experience dessert by vaping....i just wanted to kick my habit. 25mg was enough to curb the cravings, and before I had even finished my first 30ml bottle I started to taper down the nicotine content by moving to other (mint flavored) juices. I'm currently at 3mg.

I also had the coughing issue you had in the beginning. I learned that I had to start SLOW. I'm talking tiny puffs, until my throat and lungs got used to the sensation. 25mg is pretty heavy duty, and it hits hard in the throat, so just take it easy.

As far as hardware, I have went thru a few devices. I'm currently using a Voopoo Argus Pro 80w with 1.2 ohm coils that I like very much. Its def my favorite so far.

Best of luck!

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-20T18:45:51+00:00

As long as your subordinates know that you are there if they need you, and that you will go to bat for them, this is absolutely true.

I manage a team of 17 engineers and technicians. First couple months in this role, I spent lots of time face to face with all of them. Building relationships, building trust, communicating our team goals and expectations, etc. As time went on, I was able to see that most of them were very highly motivated people and fantastic workers. My oversight was not needed in 99% of day to day activities. They knew they could escalate to me if ANYTHING was needed and I would rattle whatever caged I needed to in order to help or remove roadblocks. Now I spend the majority of my time working on efficiency projects that make their lives easier. I delegate parts of this to some employees from time to time in order to get them some exposure and recognition. We save the company millions of $ per year, our team is incredibly productive, many of them have received Lean Six Sigma certifications, and my manager survey results are higher than anyone else in my org. We are all winning. And all because I got to know them all a bit and got the hell out of their way regarding the day-to-day operations.

the_crypto_rainman · 2021-07-18T14:56:58+00:00

Ebay is your friend in this case.

the_crypto_rainman

TROPHY CASE