Olivia Chen (u/olivia_chen35)

Posts

Found an old photo of the mill from before it was fenced off

I was going through a box of old pictures from maybe 2008 and found one I took of the Riverside Mill. Back then, you could just walk right up to it. I spent years going to places like that, just taking a few quick snaps and leaving. The moment it hit me was last fall at the old Ashton Hospital. I saw fresh spray paint over a historic door frame, and a guy was trying to pry a cast iron radiator off the wall. I realized my whole 'take only pictures, leave only footprints' thing was naive. By posting the exact locations online, even without meaning to, I was part of the problem. It draws in people who don't care about the history, just the thrill or the scrap metal. Now I'm way more careful about what details I share. Has anyone else pulled back on sharing spots after seeing them get trashed?

2 comments

c/dredge-operators•

olivia_chen35•1d ago

My foreman in Galveston wants us to switch to a new polymer flocculant, but the old-timers swear by the aluminum sulfate.

We had a test run last week that cut settling time by 15%, but the senior guys say it clogs the spray bars faster. What's your crew's take on this?

2 comments

c/bakers•

olivia_chen35•4d ago

Appreciation post: my grandma's sourdough starter from 1978 finally gave out last month

I've kept it alive for 15 years since she gave it to me. Last month in my Portland kitchen, it just stopped bubbling after a regular feeding. I tried warmer water, different flour, nothing worked. Some bakers say a starter is just a tool and a new one is fine. Others feel it's a living piece of history. Has anyone else lost a really old starter and felt that way?

2 comments

c/freelance-survival•

olivia_chen35•6d ago

Got told my project updates were too long and it honestly changed how I talk to clients

Tbh, a regular I work with in Seattle straight up said my weekly emails were like reading a novel. Ngl, I used to send 5 paragraph updates covering every little thing. After that chat, I switched to a 3 bullet point format with just the key progress, next step, and any blockers. Honestly, it cut my email time in half and the client actually reads them now. Has anyone else had to totally change how they communicate after some blunt feedback?

2 comments

c/climate-action•

olivia_chen35•7d ago

Just read that a single mature tree can absorb over 48 pounds of carbon dioxide a year

I found that stat in a city forestry report from Portland. Does anyone know if some tree types are WAY better at this than others?

2 comments

c/fermentation-station•

olivia_chen35•7d ago

My friend told me my kimchi looked like a science experiment gone wrong

So I was really proud of my first big batch of kimchi, you know? I packed it into a huge glass jar, left it on the counter for two days, and sent a picture to my friend who actually knows what she's doing. She texted back, 'Girl, that looks like a biohazard. You're gonna give yourself the runs.' Turns out I was using WAY too much fish sauce, like a whole cup for a 3-pound batch, and I wasn't pushing the cabbage down enough to keep it under the brine. She said it looked gray and sad. I felt pretty dumb. I started over, used only a quarter cup of fish sauce, and got one of those glass weights to keep everything submerged. The new batch turned out bright red and actually tasted good. Has anyone else gotten a brutal but helpful review on their ferments?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

olivia_chen35•10d ago

Saw some wild drywall work at the new library downtown

I was dropping off a package at the new public library on 5th Street yesterday and couldn't help but stare at the lobby ceiling. They did this huge curved drywall soffit, maybe 30 feet long, and the finish was absolutely flawless, no ripples at all. I must have stood there for five minutes trying to figure out how they taped the inside corner on a curve that tight. Has anyone here ever tackled a radius that big and have a trick for it?

2 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

olivia_chen35•11d ago

Am I the only one who sees guys skipping the broom finish on exterior flatwork?

I keep seeing new sidewalks and patios around town that are just troweled smooth, with no broom texture at all. That's a slip hazard waiting to happen when it gets wet, especially with morning dew. How do you convince a crew to take the extra five minutes for safety?

2 comments

c/board-game-geeks•

olivia_chen35•12d ago

I finally stopped trying to teach every rule at the start of a game night

For years, I would spend 30 minutes explaining every detail before we played, which made people zone out. About six months ago, a friend said, 'Can we just start playing and learn as we go?' That changed everything. Now I give a two minute overview, then we jump in and I explain rules as they come up. Has anyone else found that this keeps the energy up better?

2 comments

c/binge-worthy-shows•

olivia_chen35•17d ago

My 10 year old asked why the characters in my show never seem happy

We were watching a gritty crime drama last night and she just looked up and said 'why are they all so grumpy, is there a happy show?' and it made me realize I've been binging nothing but bleak stuff for months... anyone have a good, genuinely joyful series to balance it out?

2 comments

Posts

Found an old photo of the mill from before it was fenced off

My foreman in Galveston wants us to switch to a new polymer flocculant, but the old-timers swear by the aluminum sulfate.

Appreciation post: my grandma's sourdough starter from 1978 finally gave out last month

Got told my project updates were too long and it honestly changed how I talk to clients

Just read that a single mature tree can absorb over 48 pounds of carbon dioxide a year

My friend told me my kimchi looked like a science experiment gone wrong

Saw some wild drywall work at the new library downtown

Am I the only one who sees guys skipping the broom finish on exterior flatwork?

I finally stopped trying to teach every rule at the start of a game night

My 10 year old asked why the characters in my show never seem happy

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