Just realized the creepiest part of the old mill in Poughkeepsie wasn't the building itself

I went out to that big brick mill by the river last weekend. The whole place is falling apart, but what got me was the second floor office. There was a desk calendar still open to October 12, 1998, and a coffee mug with a dried-up old ring inside. It felt like someone just got up and never came back, which is way weirder than any broken window. Has anyone else found a place frozen in time like that?

Warning: I bought a bootleg box set of 'Legend of the Galactic Heroes' for $60

The subtitles were machine translated gibberish and the discs froze halfway through episode 3. Anyone know a legit place to get the OVA series without breaking the bank?

I was looking up old census records for my street and found a house that shouldn't be there

I was digging through the 1940 census online for my block in Portland. The records clearly show a house at 421 Maple that was listed as vacant. But I know for a fact that lot has been a small city park since at least 1935, according to the plaque there. There's never been a house on that spot. I even checked old fire insurance maps and they show the park. Has anyone else found a building that just doesn't match up in old records?

Just finished my 100th piece with a French polish, which felt impossible a year ago.

I started trying to learn the method after seeing a guy do it at a show in Asheville, and my first ten attempts were a sticky mess. This one was a small walnut jewelry box, and the finish came out glass-smooth with no streaks. It's crazy how muscle memory just kicks in after a while. Anyone else have a finish that felt totally out of reach until one day it just clicked?

Can we talk about the way some guys treat their drysuit zippers? I saw a diver on a Lake Michigan job last week just yank his shut with no lube.

We were on the barge gearing up for a hull inspection, and this new guy from the other crew just slammed his zipper closed. I could hear it grind from ten feet away. He said he 'never has time' for the silicone spray. But a stuck zipper 90 feet down in 40 degree water isn't a small problem, it's a dive-ender or worse. I keep a small bottle of McNett Zip Tech in my save-a-dive kit, and it takes two seconds. What's your go-to zipper care routine? I'm always looking for a better product.

Had to pick between a magnesium float and a wood float for a hot pour on a garage slab in Phoenix. Went with the wood. It dragged a bit but didn't tear the surface like the mag would have.

Shoutout to the crew that showed me a new way to handle a wet patch

Six months ago I'd have panicked and overworked a wet spot, but after watching them just shield it with a board for twenty minutes and come back to a perfect finish, my approach is completely different now, so what's your go-to trick for a tricky section that's setting up faster than the rest?

PSA: That weird coolant leak on the 2017 Ford Escape 1.5L might be the turbo coolant line

Just had one in the bay that took me a solid 4 hours to actually find. Customer came in saying they were losing coolant but no puddle. Pressure test held fine, no smoke, nothing obvious. I was about to start pulling the intake looking for a head gasket issue when I finally spotted a tiny bit of crusty pink residue way down behind the turbo. The factory clamp on the small coolant feed line to the turbo housing had just barely given up. It was only leaking under full boost pressure when the engine was hot, so it would just vaporize instantly. Replaced the clamp and the short section of hose, problem solved. Has anyone else run into this on the EcoBoosts? Seems like a sneaky one that could send you down a rabbit hole.

Question about letting chickens free range near a busy road

I was at a local farm swap in Portland last month and saw a guy's entire flock get spooked by a truck backfiring, they scattered right towards the street. It made me think, is the risk of letting them roam totally worth the bugs and greens they eat? I've got a 6 foot fence but the gate's open during the day. How do you all handle this?

Finally got my pegboard wall sorted after a year of chaos

Last Saturday I just had it with digging through three different bins for a 10mm socket. I spent about $40 on hooks and spent the whole afternoon putting everything in its place. The real win was finding my old angle grinder under a pile of rags, I thought I lost it last fall. Now I can actually see all my gear and it feels like a real shop, not a junk room. Anyone else have a simple change that made their garage way more usable?