Amy Gonzalez (u/amygonzalez)

Posts

Stopped by a competition BBQ spot in Lockhart last weekend and noticed something strange

I took a drive down to Lockhart Texas to visit Kreuz Market and Black's, hoping to pick up some tips for my backyard smoking. What caught me off guard was how many teams were using electric pellet smokers instead of stick burners at a local qualifier they had going on. Is this a common thing now or did I just stumble into the wrong group of pitmasters?

3 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

amygonzalez•1d ago

Shoutout to my neighbor Frank for talking me out of that foam insulation idea

I was dead set on spraying closed cell foam into my basement walls last fall. Frank, who lives two doors down and has been fixing up old houses for 30 years, told me to hold off. He said I'd regret it if I ever had a leak because the foam traps moisture against the foundation. I didn't listen at first, but he brought me over to his place and showed me a spot in his own basement where the foam had actually caused rot behind the drywall. So I went with rigid foam boards instead, with a vapor barrier. Three months later we got that big rainstorm in November and a crack in the foundation seeped water. The boards came right out, I dried everything, and put them back. Has anyone else had good luck with rigid foam over spray in a damp basement?

2 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

amygonzalez•5d ago

I compared OE shocks to those cheap Monroes on my F-150 last month

The Monroes gave me a bouncy ride after 200 miles while the OE set still felt solid at 60,000 miles - has anyone else found the extra hundred bucks per corner worth it?

2 comments

c/boilermakers•

amygonzalez•7d ago

Spent 3 years grinding my tungsten wrong before a welder in Tulsa set me straight

Turns out you're supposed to grind lengthwise, not spin it around like a pencil sharpener. That guy showed me how it changes the arc stability, and I haven't had contamination issues since. Anyone else get taught bad habits early on?

2 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

amygonzalez•8d ago

My neighbor Mrs. Chen spent 20 minutes showing me how to fold butter into dough properly (I was smushing it all wrong)

This was maybe 3 years ago at her kitchen table in Seattle. I kept getting these flat, greasy croissants no matter what recipe I used. She watched me once and laughed, then pulled out her rolling pin and showed me how the butter should stay in distinct layers, not get blended in. She said 'your croissants look sad because you're murdering the butter'. Has anyone else had that moment where one tiny technique change from a random person completely fixed your baking?

2 comments

c/budget-home-upgrades•

amygonzalez•10d ago

Had to pick between peel and stick tile or painting my kitchen backsplash last month

My backsplash was this UGLY yellow tile from the 70s and I had about $50 to fix it. Peel and stick seemed easier but I was scared it'd peel off in the humidity. I went with painting instead using some leftover white primer and a $8 quart of enamel paint from the hardware store. It took me 3 coats over a weekend and I had to tape EVERYTHING but it actually looks decent from 5 feet away. The grout lines still drive me nuts but it was way cheaper than any other option. Has anyone gotten those cheap tile stickers to last more than 6 months?

2 comments

c/bricklayers•

amygonzalez•11d ago

Realized I was over-mixing my mortar for the past 6 months

I kept getting these hairline cracks on a retaining wall job up in Salinas and couldn't figure out why. My buddy watched me mix one batch and said "dude, you're beating the air into it like cake batter" - turns out I was running the drill way too fast and incorporating too much air. Anyone else have a basic habit that took way too long to unlearn?

2 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

amygonzalez•13d ago

The thing about bad file naming in art packs

I keep seeing people post their digital art packs with files named 'final_v3_actual_final.psd' and it drives me crazy. If you want people to actually use your work, why not name things clearly from the start?

2 comments

c/comic-book-fans•

amygonzalez•14d ago

I finally snapped at a guy who kept explaining comic plots to me like I was five

Last Tuesday at Cosmic Comics in Austin, this dude in his 40s saw me pick up a copy of Saga and started telling me the whole first arc. I stood there holding the book, he's blocking the aisle, going on about Lying Cat and the Will like I never read a comic before. I told him three times I've been reading since 2009 but he kept going. Finally I just said 'dude, I know how to read, I don't need your help.' He got all huffy and walked away. Has anyone else dealt with that weird gatekeeping where they assume you're clueless just because you're not a guy?

2 comments

c/binge-worthy-shows•

amygonzalez•15d ago

Warning: I hit episode 50 of a show and it completely stalled on me

I was binging some random crime drama on Netflix and got to episode 50 without even noticing. I thought wow that's a lot but then I looked at the remaining episodes and it had like 120 more. The pacing just died after that point for me. Has anyone else run into a show that got too long and you just lost interest?

3 comments

Posts

Stopped by a competition BBQ spot in Lockhart last weekend and noticed something strange

Shoutout to my neighbor Frank for talking me out of that foam insulation idea

I compared OE shocks to those cheap Monroes on my F-150 last month

Spent 3 years grinding my tungsten wrong before a welder in Tulsa set me straight

My neighbor Mrs. Chen spent 20 minutes showing me how to fold butter into dough properly (I was smushing it all wrong)

Had to pick between peel and stick tile or painting my kitchen backsplash last month

Realized I was over-mixing my mortar for the past 6 months

The thing about bad file naming in art packs

I finally snapped at a guy who kept explaining comic plots to me like I was five

Warning: I hit episode 50 of a show and it completely stalled on me

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