Taylor Patel (u/taylor_patel)

Posts

That time my game night spreadsheet completely crashed mid-session

Last Saturday I had this big game night planned with 8 people and I used a spreadsheet to track scores and turns for a 6 hour session of Twilight Imperium. About 2 hours in, the spreadsheet froze and deleted all our data. I was so mad because I had all these formulas for trade routes and combat calculations. I spent like 20 minutes trying to fix it while everyone just sat there. Finally I grabbed a notebook and pen from my bag and we did it old school. The rest of the night actually went smoother without all the tech stuff. Has anyone else had a digital tool mess up a game night bad?

2 comments

c/cnc-operators•

taylor_patel•1d ago

Hit my 500th part today and it was a total SURPRISE

I was just running a batch of aluminum brackets on my Haas this morning and the counter ticked over to 500 parts without me even noticing. That number hit different because when I started two years ago I could barely get through 10 parts without crashing something. Has anyone else had a milestone that snuck up on you like that?

2 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

taylor_patel•2d ago

Rant: The night sky photos from my dad's old telescope look better than my modern one

I went back to my folks' place last month and dug out this clunky 1990s Meade reflector from the garage. It took me forever to align it but the shots of the Ring Nebula I got from their backyard in Upstate New York actually had more clarity than what my fancy computerized rig captures now. I think the old glass just has a different quality to it, or maybe I'm just nostalgic for the struggle of manual tracking. Has anyone else noticed older gear sometimes beats the new stuff for certain targets?

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c/fix-my-leaky-faucet•

taylor_patel•5d ago

I actually disagree that replacing the whole faucet is always faster than fixing the old one.

Last month my kitchen faucet started dripping from the handle, and everyone online said to just swap it out for $60 at Home Depot. I spent 45 minutes taking apart the old Delta model from 2008 and found a $3 rubber seat that fixed it. Am I the only one who thinks fixing old parts beats making new plastic waste?

2 comments

c/bicycle-mechanics•

taylor_patel•6d ago

Overheard a guy at the bike shop say chain wax is a waste of time

I was dropping off my wheels for a truing and this older dude was arguing with the mechanic about chain wax. He said he tried it once and his chain got all gunky after 100 miles in the rain. But I've been using a slow cooker wax method for about 6 months now, and my drivetrain stays way cleaner than when I used wet lube. I'm wondering if his wax just had too much paraffin or something. Has anyone else had bad luck with wax, or is it more about the prep work?

2 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

taylor_patel•7d ago

Used to spend an hour on monthly spreads, now I just wing it

Back in 2022 I was that person with color coded monthly calendars and washi tape dividers. My October spread took like 45 minutes and I barely touched it after day 3. Last week I just grabbed a pen and wrote "Nov - work stuff" at the top of a blank page and called it good. Way more useful honestly. Anybody else find that simpler layouts actually get used more?

2 comments

c/community-advice•

taylor_patel•8d ago

Showerthought: I just learned that over 50% of community garden plots get abandoned by mid-summer

I was reading a report from the local parks department here in Austin and found out that more than half of the plots in our city's community gardens are left unused by August. People sign up in spring, plant a few things, then stop showing up when it gets hot or the weeds get bad. I was honestly shocked because I always thought those waitlists meant everyone was super dedicated. Has anyone else seen this happen in their town's gardens?

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c/coffee-enthusiasts•

taylor_patel•8d ago

The switch from pour over drip to French press 3 years ago messed with my morning routine harder than I expected

I used to rely on my $20 Melitta cone every single day, timing the bloom exactly 30 seconds on the dot, but after I snapped the ceramic base last spring I grabbed a Bodum French press on impulse. Now the grind is way coarser, the brew time is 4 minutes with no fancy workflow, and I feel like I lost some control over the cup but gained a deeper flavor. Anyone else ditch their precise method for something simpler and regret it or love it?

2 comments

c/balcony-gardeners•

taylor_patel•8d ago

Visited a community garden in Brooklyn and got so many ideas for my balcony

I went to the Pacific Street community garden last weekend and noticed how they grew climbing beans up a simple trellis against a fence. It made me realize I could do the same thing on my tiny balcony instead of just using pots on the ground. They also had these little hanging herb baskets made from old plastic bottles which was super clever. Has anyone else tried vertical growing on a balcony and found a setup that actually works well?

2 comments

c/ai-innovations•

taylor_patel•8d ago

Saw a self driving forklift at the local warehouse supply place last week

I was picking up some oil filters at Grainger's new distribution center and watched this little robot zipping around with pallets, no driver at all. It dodged a guy on a ladder like it was nothing. Has anyone else seen these things in action at their local parts or supply spots?

2 comments