Why does everyone rave about the JMT when the High Sierra Trail is way less crowded?

Switched to a retractable leash after 5 years of hating on them

Was at the park near my house last Tuesday. Saw this older guy with a golden retriever on a long Flexi. Dog was wandering around sniffing bushes, guy was just standing there drinking coffee. Not pulling, not tangled, just chill. My dog always pulls on a standard 6ft leash. Tried the retractable on a recommendation from the pet store clerk. First walk was rough but now I get it. Do most people here use retractable or standard?

Hot take: Easy boots are way better than glue-ons for most trail rides

Ngl, I used to be all about glue-ons for my clients, especially on the fancy endurance horses. But after a wet season in Bend last spring, I had three sets delaminate within a week. Switched to Easyboot Gloves for a 50-mile ride and they stayed put through mud and creeks. Anyone else find glue-ons overrated for anything but show ring stuff?

That bag of dried beans from the dollar store took 14 hours to cook

I grabbed a 2-pound bag of pinto beans for $1.50 thinking I scored big. Soaked them overnight for 8 hours like normal, then put them on the stove at 9 AM. They were still crunchy at 6 PM. Turns out discount store beans can be years old and they just never soften up. Anyone else run into beans that refuse to cook no matter how long you boil them?

That $400 forge I bought off Facebook Marketplace was a total dud

I picked up a used forge from a guy in Bakersfield thinking I got a steal. First fire up, the refractory cracked in three places and the burner wouldn't hold a steady flame. Lost $400 and two weekends trying to fix it before I just scrapped it. Anyone else get burned buying secondhand forge gear that someone swore was 'barely used'?

That one Tuesday that nearly made me quit the desk for good

Last summer I had a client bring in a 10 year old Dell that was so full of malware it took me 3 hours just to get the bootable USB recognized. Finally got it cleaned up only to find the motherboard was fried from a bad PSU surge. Has anyone else had a single machine fight you that hard for a whole shift?

TIL my backyard compost pile was way too dry for the last 2 years

I finally bought a $15 moisture meter and found out my compost was sitting at 20% when it should be 40-60%, so now I'm spraying it down every few days and actually seeing food scraps break down in 3 weeks instead of 6 months - has anyone else been accidentally neglecting their pile like I was?

My bone folder snapped clean in half yesterday while I was doing a tight crease on a 500-page novel

It was a cheap bamboo one I got in a starter kit off Amazon for like 12 bucks, and now I'm wondering if I should just get a Teflon one or try making my own out of deer antler like that guy on YouTube showed.

Showerthought: My 2FA app broke at the worst possible time

Last Tuesday I was trying to get into my work email from a new phone and my authenticator app just crashed on me. Had to call IT and wait 45 minutes for a backup code while I stood in the warehouse with a pallet jack halfway down an aisle. Has anyone else had a backup method fail when you needed it most?

Guy at a coffee shop in Portland tried to explain diversification to me using his tea collection

He had like 47 different loose leaf teas and told me it was 'hedging against caffeine boredom' - I just wanted to know if their pour-over was any good. Has anyone else had a stranger launch into financial advice when you were just trying to order a drink?