Found a cheap fix for super cold days pouring concrete

I had a slab to pour last January in Denver when it was 25 degrees and windy. I couldn't keep the mix warm enough no matter what I tried. Then an old timer told me to mix in some hot water from a kettle instead of cold tap water. It kept the concrete from freezing up on me and the set time was pretty normal. Anyone else ever done this or have a better trick for cold weather pours?

Can we talk about the burn marks I keep seeing on micro USB ports?

I've been doing phone repairs out of my garage in Phoenix for about 8 months now, and I swear every other week I get a phone with a burnt up micro USB port. The plastic around the pins gets all melted and black, and the port itself is loose. I think people are using cheap chargers that push too much current or maybe aftermarket cables with bad connectors. I got a Galaxy S9 last Tuesday where the port was so cooked I had to replace the whole charging flex assembly. Has anyone else noticed this getting worse lately? What do you tell customers when they ask why it happened?

Vent: Heard a guy at the park say dogs don't need leashes if they're 'friendly'

So I was at the dog park last weekend and this dude with a golden retriever is chatting up some new owners. He literally says 'oh my dog is super friendly, I just let him off leash everywhere even on the sidewalk.' I almost choked on my water. Like bro, that's not how this works. My dog Mochi is a rescue and she gets scared if a strange dog runs up fast out of nowhere. We've had two incidents where off leash dogs bolted at her and she nipped back. This golden friendly or not could cause a whole fight just by being too excited. I wanted to tell this guy that the leash law exists for a reason, not just for aggressive dogs. It's about control and respect for other people's pets. Has anyone else run into these 'friendly off leash' people and had to bite your tongue?

Spent $60 on a vintage hand plane and it changed my whole approach to jointing boards

Saw a 6 month difference in balayage that flipped my opinion on wait times

I used to think clients who wanted balayage touch-ups every 8 weeks were just being picky. Had this one client, Megan, who kept insisting her color looked muddy after 10 weeks. I pushed back for like 4 appointments telling her she was fine. Then she came in after waiting 6 months because she got busy, and I saw her natural regrowth versus the old faded color side by side. The difference was huge - the faded parts had this orange tone I never noticed before because I was always layering over it. Turns out she was right, the older color was throwing off the whole look. Now I tell my balayage people to come back at 10 weeks max. Has anyone else gone back on something they were stubborn about with clients?

Swapped greek yogurt for mayo in my tuna salad last night and it actually worked

I was out of mayo and figured why not try it, used a 1 to 1 swap with plain greek yogurt. It came out way creamier and less greasy than usual, has anyone else tried this trick with other cold salads?

Airbnb prices in Barcelona dropped 40% after I changed one thing on my booking

I went to Barcelona back in March and paid $120 a night for a tiny room. Then I talked to a local guy at a bar who told me to search by month instead of just a few days. I tried it for a trip last week and got the same type of place for $70 a night. The difference was I booked a full 28 day stay and then just left after 10 days. The host still got paid for the month but I only paid for what I used. Has anyone else tried this trick and had it work in other cities?

The guy at the video store who insisted Clerks was a masterpiece

I rented Clerks back in 98 from a Blockbuster in Akron and the clerk spent 10 minutes lecturing me about how it changed cinema. It's a black and white movie about a guy who can't open the store shutters and a hockey game on a roof. Has anyone else had someone oversell a movie that's really just barely okay?

Chose a smaller boom truck over a big crawler for a tight jobsite in Philly last month

Picked a 35-ton boom truck instead of a 100-ton crawler for a steel erection behind a row of rowhomes. Turned out great because I could swing the boom through a 20-foot gap the crawler never would have fit through. Anyone else ever gamble on a smaller rig and have it pay off?

Dropped $200 on a vintage espresso machine off Craigslist

The thing looked perfect in the photos. Got it home, pulled one shot, and the pump died with a sound like a dying cat. $85 for a replacement part and a whole Saturday of swearing later, it finally works. Anyone else get burned by a 'great deal' on used gear?