Just hit 500 shoes on my new anvil and the difference is real

I bought a new 70 pound anvil about six months ago and have been keeping a rough count. I finally hit 500 shoes shaped on it this morning. The horn and face have worn in just right, and my hammer strikes feel way more solid now. It took that many to really break it in and get a feel for the steel. Has anyone else noticed a big change after hitting a certain number on a new tool?

Serious question, a customer in Austin said my bottle openers were too sharp on the edges.

I started rounding them off with a file before the final polish, and now they feel way better in the hand. Anyone else get feedback that made you tweak a small detail?

My basement sump pump failed during a heavy rain two nights ago.

I woke up to three inches of water and had to quickly rig a temporary pump with a garden hose and a bucket. It took about six hours to get everything dry and the new pump installed. What's the longest you've ever had to work on an emergency repair?

Vent: Bought a $75 variant cover that was just a reprint with a new logo.

Vent: Had a vinyl fence panel blow clean out in a Kansas windstorm last month.

Honestly, we set it in concrete like we always do, but the wind just ripped the whole section from the posts. Ngl, it was a mess. Has anyone else had this happen and found a better way to anchor vinyl in super windy spots?

I finally tried that 'paper towel trick' for keeping steaks dry in the fridge

A guy at the meat show in Kansas City last month swore by putting a paper towel under steaks on a rack in the fridge for a full day. I thought it was just extra work, but I tried it on some ribeyes. The surface got so much drier than just patting them, and the sear I got was way better, like a real crust. Anyone have other simple tricks for a better sear?

Watching a local coffee shop in Denver pivot their entire social media after a failed giveaway

They ran a 'tag three friends' contest for a free bag of beans and got almost zero engagement, but when they switched to just posting a short video of their head roaster explaining a light roast's flavor notes, their views tripled in a week, which really shows that giving actual value beats begging for interaction, right?

PSA: Bought a cheap tablet for field sketching, lost $150 and a week of work

My neighbor Dave took a package off my porch that was meant for me

I was at work yesterday and saw on my doorbell cam that Dave, who lives two houses down, walked up, grabbed a box, and took it to his place. He brought it over later saying he thought it was his because it was from Amazon too. It was clearly addressed to me at 142 Maple Street though. I didn't make a big deal about it, but it felt weird that he didn't just leave it. Is it wrong to be annoyed, or is that just being a good neighbor?

Question about a trip to the desert for the Perseids

I drove out to Joshua Tree last August to try and get a good shot of the meteor shower, but my first few pictures just showed a black sky with a couple of faint streaks. Then a guy camping near me saw my setup and said, 'You need to point your camera at the radiant near Cassiopeia and use a wider lens.' I switched to my 14mm and got a whole sky full of trails in a single 20-second shot. What's your go-to lens or camera setting for shooting meteor showers?