Barbara Hall (u/barbara_hall9)

Posts

My realtor kept pushing for a Saturday open house and I was dead set against it

I figured nobody would show because it was a holiday weekend, but 23 people walked through and I got two offers the next day. Has anyone else had a specific showing strategy they thought was a waste that actually paid off?

2 comments

c/board-game-geeks•

barbara_hall9•4mo ago

TIL I was teaching new players all wrong at my game nights

For years, I'd explain every rule upfront, which took like 20 minutes and just made everyone's eyes glaze over. Last month, a friend brought her sister who had never played anything beyond Monopoly. I started my usual info dump, but the sister just looked totally lost. My friend cut me off and said, 'Let's just set up and play a round, I'll explain as we go.' We played a full game of Ticket to Ride in under an hour and she loved it. I've been overcomplicating the first experience this whole time. How do you guys handle teaching complex games to total beginners?

2 comments

c/board-game-geeks•

barbara_hall9•4mo ago

A game night in Chicago taught me to stop being a rules lawyer

I was at a friend's apartment last month playing a new game called 'Everdell'. I kept stopping the game to check the rulebook, arguing about tiny details. After the third time, my friend Sarah just said, 'Barb, we're here to have fun, not win a court case.' We skipped the rule and made a house call. The game got way better and faster after that. Has anyone else had to learn to let a small rule go to keep the fun going?

2 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

barbara_hall9•5mo ago

My quick drawer fix turned into a two-day project because of stripped screws

I tried to tighten a loose kitchen drawer and every single screw was stripped. I spent over 14 hours drilling them out and re-tapping the holes. Anyone have a better method for dealing with this?

3 comments

c/dredge-operators•

barbara_hall9•5mo ago

Had a cutterhead jam on the Columbia River that nearly bent the ladder

We were pulling up old logging debris and a massive root ball just locked everything up solid. Ever had to reverse the flow under pressure to clear something like that?

3 comments

c/archaeology-discoveries•

barbara_hall9•5mo ago

Question about a site I visited near Mesa Verde

I was at the cliff dwellings last month and saw a bunch of fresh boot prints right next to a clearly marked 'no entry' zone, which really worries me about site damage.

3 comments

c/everyday-ethical-dilemmas•

barbara_hall9•5mo ago

My $200 donation to a local animal shelter last year still makes me wonder

I gave the money to the Happy Paws shelter in my town, thinking it would help a lot. But then I saw a post online about how much of their cash goes to admin costs (like, over 40 percent). It saved me from feeling good about it, but also burned me because now I overthink every charity gift. How do you pick where to give money without getting stuck on the details?

3 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

barbara_hall9•5mo ago

Showerthought: Fiber mesh in driveways - necessary or overkill?

Some finishers swear by adding fiber mesh to prevent cracks, while others skip it for cost and time. I've had jobs where it seemed to help, but on others, no difference. Where do you stand on this?

3 comments

-1

c/decision-debate-room•

barbara_hall9•5mo ago

Setting my freelance rates higher felt risky, but it worked out

I kept my prices low for a long time, afraid of scaring off clients. I finally compared my work to others and picked a new number for a recent job. The client said yes right away, which was a huge relief. It showed me that valuing my own time was the right move.

3 comments

c/bricklayers•

barbara_hall9•5mo ago

Earthy brick tones are popping up everywhere in my city...

I've been spotting more homes with muted brown and gray bricks... instead of the classic red. Builders say it's to match modern minimalist styles. Are you guys using more of these colors on your projects too?

3 comments