Abby Kim (u/abby_kim55)

Posts

Update: My neighbor's balcony worm bin made me rethink my whole setup

I was walking my dog last Tuesday in our building's hallway and saw my neighbor, Mr. Chen, on his balcony. He had this big plastic tub with a lid, and he was adding coffee grounds to it. I asked what it was, and he showed me his worm farm. He's had it for almost a year right there on his 4th floor balcony in Chicago. He said the key was using shredded junk mail as bedding and keeping it out of direct sun. I've been using a small countertop composter that you have to empty every week, but his system just keeps going. It made me realize I could handle a bigger volume of scraps without it being a hassle. Has anyone else switched from a small electric composter to a worm bin in an apartment? I'm worried about fruit flies.

2 comments

c/flooring-installers•

abby_kim55•1d ago

Rant: An old guy in a Tacoma supply house told me something I still think about

He was buying a single box of 3/4 inch oak and saw me struggling with a new click-lock floor sample, then just said 'kid, the wood doesn't care about your fancy system, it just wants to be flat'. That was maybe 8 years ago and I still check for flatness twice now before anything else. Do you have a simple piece of advice that stuck with you like that?

2 comments

c/estheticians•

abby_kim55•1d ago

Shoutout to the client who insisted on a patch test

A new client came in last month and asked for a full face chemical peel. She mentioned her skin was sensitive, so I suggested a patch test behind her ear first. She agreed, and we did a small spot with the 20% glycolic solution. Two days later, she called to say that area was red and itchy. If we had done the full treatment, her whole face would have reacted. It was a good reminder to always listen to those gut feelings, even when you're running behind schedule. Has anyone else had a client's own caution save a treatment from going wrong?

2 comments

c/everyday-tool-hacks•

abby_kim55•7d ago

Can we talk about that one time a clogged shop vac took over your whole afternoon?

I was cleaning up sawdust in my garage last Saturday and my shop vac just stopped pulling. I figured it was a quick fix, maybe a full bag. Nope. I spent the next 3 hours taking the whole thing apart. The hose had a solid plug of fine dust packed about a foot deep, and the filter was caked even though I just cleaned it a month ago. Some people say you should just buy a new filter or a more powerful model when this happens. Others swear by a few simple hacks, like wrapping the filter in a pantyhose to catch the fine stuff or using a leaf blower to blast out the hose from the other end. I tried the blower trick and it finally worked, but my Saturday was basically gone. What's your go-to method for dealing with a totally clogged shop vac?

2 comments

c/farriers•

abby_kim55•10d ago

Hot take: I switched from a straight knife to a curved one for pulling shoes about 6 months ago.

I was working on a draft horse in Spokane and kept struggling with the crease. My mentor suggested trying his curved knife, and it slid right in without the usual fight. Anyone have a favorite tool for tricky creases like that?

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

abby_kim55•10d ago

My cousin swore by the 'free hotel breakfast buffet lunch' hack for Rome

She told me to load up on rolls, fruit, and cheese at the morning spread and pack them for lunch. I felt like a total spy sneaking food into my bag for three days. On the fourth day, a hotel worker saw me and just smiled, handing me a proper takeout box. Has anyone else tried this and gotten caught?

2 comments

Posts

Update: My neighbor's balcony worm bin made me rethink my whole setup

Rant: An old guy in a Tacoma supply house told me something I still think about

Shoutout to the client who insisted on a patch test

Can we talk about that one time a clogged shop vac took over your whole afternoon?

Hot take: I switched from a straight knife to a curved one for pulling shoes about 6 months ago.

My cousin swore by the 'free hotel breakfast buffet lunch' hack for Rome

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