Dakota Miller (u/dakotam17)

Posts

Switched from straw to pine shavings in the coop and wow what a difference

I had been using straw for bedding in my chicken coop for about 8 months. Figured it was cheap and easy to find. But man, it got so musty and wet under the roosts. Then my neighbor Sarah said try pine shavings instead. Now after 3 weeks with pine shavings, the coop smells way less and I'm not dealing with moldy patches. It also seems easier to clean out. Anyone else have strong feelings about what bedding works best for your flock?

2 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

dakotam17•3d ago

Finally got my sourdough starter to double in size after 3 weeks of feeding

I used to just eyeball the flour and water ratio, you know, just a rough guess. But after reading a blog from a baker in Portland, I started weighing everything on a kitchen scale (which was like 15 bucks on Amazon). Now my starter actually doubles in 4 hours instead of sitting there looking sad. Has anyone else struggled with keeping their starter at the right temperature?

2 comments

c/book-club-debates•

dakotam17•5d ago

The book club I was in for 6 years just fell apart over a debate on a memoir

I joined this local group back in 2018 and we had a solid crew of 8 regulars. We mostly read fiction and kept it light until last month when someone picked a memoir about growing up poor in Detroit. Half the group said the author was exaggerating for drama, the other half said they were being insensitive. It got real tense real quick with people talking over each other. Two people quit after that meeting and three more said they're out for the next book. We haven't had a debate that heated since 2020 over a mystery novel where the ending was ambiguous. Has anyone else seen a book club split apart from arguments like this?

2 comments

c/atlanta-local-services•

dakotam17•6d ago

Appreciation post: my plumber hit 10 years in business and I didn't realize it until he fixed my pipe

Last week my kitchen sink backed up again for the third time this year. Called the same guy I always use, named Jerome. While he was under the sink wrestling with the disposal he mentioned it was his 10 year anniversary since starting his own company. I was shocked because I've been using him for like 4 years and never thought to ask how long he'd been doing it. Made me realize how many small business owners just quietly grind without making a big deal about their milestones. Anyone else have a local service person who's been around longer than you assumed?

2 comments

c/blank-wall-art•

dakotam17•6d ago

Someone told me my gallery wall looked like a crime scene layout and now I measure everything with a laser level

A friend said my frames were all crooked and spaced uneven, so I bought a Bosch GLM20 laser measure for $45 last week and it totally changed how I plan my wall layouts - has anyone else had a random piece of criticism that actually helped you improve your setup?

2 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

dakotam17•6d ago

Finally got a decent crumb on my sourdough after 8 tries

I was at my aunt's place in Portland last weekend and she showed me how she shapes her loaves. Turns out I was way too gentle with the dough, had to really tighten that surface tension. Anybody else have that moment where one tiny tweak fixes everything?

2 comments

c/drafters•

dakotam17•7d ago

Just realized blueprint scales in my office are off by 0.5% for the last 7 years

Caught it when I double-checked a set of field measurements against a county plat from 2016 and everything was just slightly wrong, anyone else ever find a systematic error like that in their own gear?

2 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

dakotam17•8d ago

Finally got a clean shot of the Andromeda galaxy after 6 tries

I kept getting blurry stars because my tripod wasn't level, no matter how much I tweaked it. Turns out using the camera's built-in level overlay instead of the bubble level did the trick. Has anyone else found a random setting that fixed their photos?

2 comments

c/diy-desk-setup-crew•

dakotam17•9d ago

Just realized my old monitor riser was a stack of books for 3 years before I built one for $8

Ngl I had this beat up paperback collection holding up my second monitor since like 2018. It wobbled every time I typed but I just got used to it. Last week I finally grabbed a 2x4 from Home Depot for $4 and some screws I had laying around and made a proper L shaped riser in like 20 minutes. Works way better and honestly looks kinda cool with the dark stain I put on it. Kinda mad I waited that long. Anyone else have a ghetto setup they just tolerated for way too long?

2 comments

c/barbers•

dakotam17•11d ago

Wasted $150 on that fancy adjustable guide comb set and it couldn't even handle a good fade without snagging every five seconds.

The teeth kept catching on thick hair near the crown and left me with more rough patches than a smooth blend, has anyone found a clipper guide system that actually works for dense Irish hair?

2 comments