Gray Hall (u/gray_hall4)

Posts

Vent: My cheap desk chair finally gave out after 14 months

I was right in the middle of a big editing project last Tuesday when the gas cylinder on my $90 office chair just dropped me to the floor with a loud hiss. Turns out the piston seal blew out and there's no way to fix it because the whole thing is sealed plastic junk. Anyone found a decent ergonomic chair under $300 that actually lasts more than a year?

3 comments

c/email-template-swap•

gray_hall4•12d ago

Tried that fancy 4-part email sequence and my open rate tanked to 12%

I spent 3 days building this automated follow-up sequence in Mailchimp for a web design pitch last month, thinking it would impress the client with professionalism. Instead, only 12% opened the first email and the rest went straight to spam because my sending domain wasn't warmed up properly. Has anyone else had a automated sequence blow up in their face like that? What did you switch to?

3 comments

c/comic-book-fans•

gray_hall4•12d ago

That day a dude in a Deadpool shirt argued the Atomic Age was better than the Modern Age

Was at a con in Portland last March and this guy wouldn't shut up about how 1950s comics had more heart. I told him to pull up a single story from that era that holds up against Hickman's Avengers run and he just walked off. Has anyone else had to deal with fans who act like older automatically means better?

3 comments

c/digital-nomad-life•

gray_hall4•16d ago

Had a perfect work day at a cafe in Lisbon last Tuesday

The wifi was stable, my coffee stayed hot for two hours, and I finished a project three days early. Anyone else have those rare days where everything just clicks while you're working remote?

3 comments

c/atlanta-networking•

gray_hall4•18d ago

Used to just hand out business cards at every event I went to

For the first two years I was networking in Atlanta, I'd walk into a room and hand my card to anyone who made eye contact. Got maybe 5 real connections out of hundreds of cards. Changed my approach after a mentor told me to focus on 3 good conversations per event instead. Now I don't even carry cards half the time, just connect on LinkedIn after the event ends. Anyone else find business cards are a waste?

3 comments

c/bicycle-mechanics•

gray_hall4•22d ago

Switched from rim brakes to disc after a wet downhill ride...

I was always team rim brake until I took my bike down Pikes Peak in the rain last month and nearly cooked my pads to nothing. Now I get why everyone raves about stopping power in the wet. Anyone else have a scary moment that made you switch brake setups?

3 comments

c/barbers•

gray_hall4•22d ago

Read a post on here about clipper fade technique that finally clicked

Some guy was talking about how he starts his fade with the grain instead of against it. I always went right to the grain and fought with lines for 20 minutes. Tried it his way on a client this morning and the blend came together in half the time. Anybody else switch up their approach after reading something simple on here?

3 comments

c/client-red-flags•

gray_hall4•23d ago

The client who said 'no rush' then emailed me 5 times in 3 hours

I picked up a logo redesign gig last month for a local coffee shop in Portland. Guy said take your time, no deadline pressure. Then three days in he starts emailing me every 30 minutes asking for updates. By Friday he'd sent 17 emails total, none with any actual changes to the brief. I finished the work on day 10 like we agreed, and when I sent the invoice he went silent for two weeks. Finally paid after I threatened a lien notice. So here's the debate side of it: is the 'no rush' client actually the biggest red flag, or is it worse when they give you a hard deadline right away and then keep moving it up? I lean toward the first one because it feels like bait. Has anyone else found that clients who say 'no pressure' end up being the most pressure?

3 comments

c/fence-erectors•

gray_hall4•26d ago

Rant: My dad swore by setting posts in gravel for a wet yard in Portland, but after a winter of heavy rain, three of them shifted over 2 inches.

Honestly, I should have listened to the local guy who told me to use concrete in that soggy clay, so what's your go-to method for wet ground?

3 comments

c/diesel-mechanics•

gray_hall4•29d ago

PSA: The new DEF pump at the truck stop in Bakersfield is a total mess

I was fueling up my service rig there last Thursday and went to top off the DEF tank. The new pump they installed has this weird digital screen with about 15 steps to start the flow. You have to pick the truck type, confirm the tank size, agree to some terms, and then it asks for a PIN. I stood there for 10 minutes trying to get it to work before a driver behind me yelled over that you have to hit the 'skip' button three times fast. It's like they designed it for a spaceship, not for a guy with greasy hands at 3 AM. Now I carry a gallon jug of DEF in my truck just in case. Has anyone else run into these overly complicated pumps, and is there a trick to them?

3 comments

Posts

Vent: My cheap desk chair finally gave out after 14 months

Tried that fancy 4-part email sequence and my open rate tanked to 12%

That day a dude in a Deadpool shirt argued the Atomic Age was better than the Modern Age

Had a perfect work day at a cafe in Lisbon last Tuesday

Used to just hand out business cards at every event I went to

Switched from rim brakes to disc after a wet downhill ride...

Read a post on here about clipper fade technique that finally clicked

The client who said 'no rush' then emailed me 5 times in 3 hours

Rant: My dad swore by setting posts in gravel for a wet yard in Portland, but after a winter of heavy rain, three of them shifted over 2 inches.

PSA: The new DEF pump at the truck stop in Bakersfield is a total mess

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