A guy at the library gave me the best coding advice I ever got

I was stuck on a Python loop problem at the Seattle Public Library last month, looking at my screen for over an hour. An older guy at the next table leaned over and said, 'Write it out on paper first, step by step, like you're explaining it to a dog.' I felt silly, but I tried it. I wrote down each step with a pencil, and in about 15 minutes, I saw my mistake. He said he'd been a programmer for 30 years and still does that when code gets messy. Has anyone else found that simple tricks like that help more than just staring at the screen?

Bought a $400 glass suction cup lifter for a big storefront job last month.

It was a two person job that turned into a one person setup, saved me a ton of time and felt a lot safer moving those big lites. The handle grip is way better than the old style we had. Anyone have a good trick for keeping the rubber pads from getting slick with dust on site?

Question about frozen french fries in the air fryer

I cooked a bag of store bought fries for 15 minutes at 400 degrees like the bag said, but they came out pale and soggy. The next time, I gave the basket a good shake every 5 minutes and they turned out golden and crispy. How often do you all shake or flip your food to get it right?

Finally got a stubborn old flue in a 1920s house to draw right...

It was a brick chimney on a house in the old part of town, and the owner said it always smoked up the room. I checked it last fall and the draft was just... nothing. Came back this week after they had the roof redone, and the difference was night and day. The new roofer had raised the chimney crown by about two inches, which was just enough to clear the tree line. Now it pulls like a dream. Anyone else had a fix that simple solve a huge draft problem?

Vent: I tried to get my friend into comics with a 'safe' pick and it backfired completely

My buddy said he wanted to try reading a comic, so I lent him the first trade of 'Saga', thinking it was a good mix of story and art. He gave it back after two days and said it was 'too weird' and he couldn't get past the giant cat that could tell if you were lying. I guess what's normal for us isn't for everyone. What's a better first book for someone who thinks spaceships and swords are already a lot?

Found a chunk of what I thought was obsidian in a creek bed near Bend

I mean, it was black and glassy, so I was sure. Took it to a local rock club meeting and a guy pointed out the conchoidal fractures were way too big and grainy. It was actually slag glass from an old smelting operation, which makes sense given the area's history. He showed me under a 10x loupe and the tiny bubbles were a dead giveaway. Anyone else run into industrial slag masquerading as cool volcanic rock?

My 'experimental' hot sauce went from a mild green to a glowing pink in just 48 hours.

I threw in a whole beet from my garden on a whim, and now it looks like something from a sci-fi movie, but honestly it tastes pretty great on eggs.

My smoker lid flew off during a windstorm in Amarillo last weekend

I was doing a 12-hour brisket cook when a gust caught the lid and sent it rolling down the driveway. Had to chase it with oven mitts on while the temp dropped 50 degrees. Ended up using a big rock and some foil to keep the heat in until I could get it back on. Anyone else ever have their gear try to make a run for it?

I spent three whole days trying to write a simple story about a talking cat

My bean soup went from bland to amazing after a $2 change

I've been making the same cheap bean soup for years. It was always just okay. Kind of boring. Last week I grabbed a smoked ham hock from the butcher counter. It was only two dollars. Threw it in the pot with my dried beans and water. Let it simmer for like three hours. The difference was crazy. The whole pot had this deep, smoky flavor. The beans were so much richer. My partner actually asked for seconds, which never happens. It felt like a restaurant soup for pennies. What other cheap cuts do you guys use to boost flavor?