Mila Murphy (u/mila_murphy)

Posts

I wasted $80 on a fancy silicone bread proofing basket that ruined my loaves

That expensive banneton trapped so much moisture my dough turned into a sticky mess every time, and after three ruined batches I finally went back to a floured tea towel in a regular bowl has anyone else had better luck with cloth over those trendy baskets?

3 comments

c/atlanta-networking•

mila_murphy•5d ago

Worst networking meetup ever at Buckhead Saloon last Thursday

I drove 40 mins across town to hit that Buckhead Saloon networking thing last Thursday. Got there, bought a $9 beer, and spent the whole time watching three guys argue about cloud migration while I just stood there holding my drink. Nobody even looked at me for like 20 minutes. Finally just left after 45 mins. Has anyone else walked into one of these things and felt totally invisible the whole time?

3 comments

c/first-gig-pricing•

mila_murphy•8d ago

My first gig setup got ruined by a $20 office chair that collapsed mid-call

I was on a Zoom meeting with a new client from Austin when my chair literally fell apart and I ended up on the floor with the camera still on. I tried to play it cool by saying 'sorry, technical difficulties' while crawling to find a replacement. Has anyone else had gear fail at the worst possible moment during a first job?

3 comments

c/backyard-living•

mila_murphy•9d ago

Overheard my neighbor say he waters his grass for 45 minutes every single day

I asked him why and he said because the sprinkler timer says to do it. Told him I only soak mine once a week for 30 minutes and his jaw dropped - made me wonder how many people just follow the default settings without thinking?

3 comments

c/carpenters•

mila_murphy•10d ago

Found a cheap way to fix bowed studs without replacing them

Picked up a bunch of 2x4s from the big box store in Denver last week and half of them had a slight bow. Normally I'd just set them aside or try to force them straight, but a buddy told me to try kerf cutting the concave side on the table saw. Made a few cuts about halfway through right where the bow was worst, then clamped it straight and ran a bead of glue in the kerfs. Let it sit overnight and it came out dead straight the next morning. Saved me a trip back to the store and about $30 in returns. Has anyone else done this for longer runs like top plates?

3 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

mila_murphy•11d ago

Used to buy pre-cut veggies for $5 a bag, now I chop my own for $1.50

Last year I was spending $5 on those pre-cut stir fry bags from the grocery store. One day I realized the whole bag had like two carrots and a handful of broccoli. So I started buying whole carrots at 50 cents a pound and a head of broccoli for $1. That same stir fry now costs me about $1.50 total. Takes an extra 10 minutes to chop but saves me $3.50 each time. Has anyone else found other pre-cut stuff that's way overpriced?

3 comments

c/electricians•

mila_murphy•11d ago

Tried a dimmer switch on a ceiling fan and learned why that's a bad idea

I swapped out a standard switch for a dimmer on a ceiling fan in a rental house last weekend. 15 minutes later the fan started humming loud and the light flickered. I called my buddy who's been doing this 20 years and he laughed. Said dimmers are for lights only, not motors. I had to swap it back out for a proper fan speed control. Cost me an extra trip to the supply house and $12 for the right switch. Has anyone else made this mistake or know why it messes with the fan motor so bad?

3 comments

c/botany-lovers•

mila_murphy•12d ago

That old greenhouse guy told me to stop bottom-watering my seedlings and I laughed at him until half of them damped off in a week

He said the soil stays too wet and causes root rot, but I thought bottom-watering was foolproof because it worked fine last year, so which method actually wins out for delicate starts like peppers and tomatoes?

3 comments

c/arborists•

mila_murphy•12d ago

Why I stopped using my climbing spikes on removals near houses

Used to run spikes up every removal without thinking, but after a job last spring where I gouged a customer's siding and it cost me $400 to fix, I switched to using a bucket truck or hand climbing with friction savers for anything within 20 feet of a structure. Has anyone else had a close call that made you change your approach on removals?

3 comments

c/creative-writing-prompts•

mila_murphy•16d ago

Appreciation post: That $15 antique journal I bought on a whim in Portland

I used to think expensive leather notebooks were the only way to go for writing prompts, but I grabbed this cheap one from a flea market for $15 and it's got this rough paper that makes my ideas flow way better. Seriously, I wasted like $80 on fancy Moleskines that I never even wrote in because I was scared to ruin them. This thing is stained and messy already and I've filled half of it in just two weeks. Has anyone else found a random cheap notebook that just clicks with your writing style?

3 comments