PSA: My sauerkraut brine level fight took a whole month to fix

I started a big batch of red cabbage kraut in a 2 gallon crock back in March. Everything looked good for the first week, but then the brine just kept dropping below the veggies. I kept adding more salt water, but it would sink again in a few days. I thought my weight wasnt heavy enough, so I bought a glass weight set from the local brew shop. That helped a bit, but the problem came back. I finally figured out the cabbage itself wasnt packed tight enough at the very bottom, leaving little air pockets that pushed everything up. I had to take it all out, repack it super tight, and then the brine stayed put. From first sign of trouble to finally getting it stable was over 30 days. Has anyone else had a batch that just would not stay submerged no matter what you did?

Went with a local bus over a tourist shuttle in Oaxaca and saved $15 each way

The bus was just as comfy and got us there in the same time, but the shuttle price was for the English brochure, I think. Anyone know other cities where the local transit is a solid swap?

Honestly, I was at the old train station in my town and saw something that gave me a story idea.

Ngl, I noticed a single, bright red door on a rusty old boxcar that was just sitting there. It made me think about who might have used it last and why it was painted that color. Has anyone else gotten a good prompt from a random detail like that?

Just hit 100 books in our club and the argument over what counts got heated

Back in 2012, I thought networking events were just awkward small talk for desperate people.

Getting a lead on a job in Denver from a guy I met at a conference for 15 minutes convinced me it's about making real connections, not just handing out cards. What's one piece of old career advice you were totally wrong about?

My jar of beach glass went from a handful to a full gallon in just one year

I started picking up pieces on my morning walks along Lake Michigan near Chicago. At first I'd find maybe one or two smooth bits a week. Then I started going after big storms, and that's when it changed. After a windy day last October, I filled a whole pocket in 20 minutes. Has anyone else noticed a specific spot or time that really boosts your collection?

Just learned that the Hubble Deep Field image contains galaxies over 13 billion light years away

I was reading an article on the NASA website last night and it said the Hubble Deep Field picture, taken back in 1995, shows thousands of galaxies. The crazy part is some of the light from those galaxies has been traveling for over 13 billion years to reach us. That means we're seeing them as they were when the universe was very young. It really makes you think about how small we are in the grand scheme of things. Do you think images from the new James Webb telescope will show us even older galaxies, or is there a limit to how far back we can see?

Warning: I keep seeing guys skip the pre-heat on high-carbon steel welds.

It causes cracking every time, and I had to redo a 2-inch thick flange last week because of it. What's your shop's standard pre-heat temp for something like that?

I was that person who always stood on the left side of the escalator for years

It just felt like the natural side to be on, you know? The tip off was a guy in a suit who sighed really loud behind me at the 14th Street station last Tuesday and said, 'Stand right, walk left, lady. It's the law.' I'd been blocking the walking lane for my whole 6 a.m. commute for probably a decade. Anyone else have a basic city rule they were totally clueless about for way too long?

I bought a $300 project management app that just sat on my phone

I saw an ad for a fancy app that promised to organize my freelance jobs, track hours, and send invoices. I paid for the full year upfront thinking it would save me time. After two months, I realized I only used the basic timer feature and kept doing everything else on paper like always. It felt too complicated for quick paint estimates and client calls. That's $250 down the drain for features I never touched. Has anyone found a simple tool that actually works for on-site work?