Diana Moore (u/diana_moore75)

Posts

PSA: I finally got my kid to eat vegetables by turning them into 'dinosaur food'

For two years, my 4-year-old would scream if a green thing touched his plate. Last month, I bought a $3 dinosaur-shaped cookie cutter from the craft store and started cutting bell peppers and cucumbers into shapes. I call it 'dino food' and put it in a little bowl next to his toy T-Rex. He ate a whole pepper yesterday. Has anyone else found a weird trick that actually worked for picky eaters?

2 comments

c/college-dropout-stories•

diana_moore75•2d ago

My cousin said dropping out meant I 'gave up', but my friend who runs a shop in Toledo told me it was just switching tracks.

We were at a family thing last weekend and my cousin went on about how I quit my path, but later my friend who owns a vinyl record store said he saw it as a strategic pivot, not a failure. That really stuck with me because he built something real without a degree. Do you think dropping out is more about quitting or just choosing a different road?

3 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

diana_moore75•9d ago

My neighbor's kid just asked me why we don't just paint over rust

I was cleaning up after a job on my driveway, and the 10-year-old from next door was watching. He pointed at a fender I had set aside and said, 'If you just paint it red, you won't see the brown stuff anymore.' I tried to explain filler and metal work, but he just shrugged and said it seemed like a lot of extra steps. It hit different because his logic was so simple and wrong, but for a second I saw the whole job through his eyes. It was just a weird shape that needed to be a single color. Ever have a conversation that made a basic part of the job sound completely absurd?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

diana_moore75•10d ago

Just realized how much faster a 12-inch knife is for big ceilings

I used to only use my 10-inch taping knife for everything, ceilings included. Last month on a big job in a new apartment building, I had to do a bunch of 12-foot ceilings. My buddy let me try his 12-inch knife and it was a game changer. I could cover almost a third more area with each swipe, and the extra length helped keep the mud flatter across the seams. It took me about two hours less to finish the first big room. The only trick is you need a good hawk that can hold enough mud to keep up. Has anyone else made the switch to a bigger knife for ceilings, or do you stick with the 10-inch for more control?

2 comments

c/camera-repairers•

diana_moore75•20d ago

Vent: I had to choose between a cheap replacement shutter curtain or a full CLA on a Pentax K1000

The curtain was $15 and the clean, lube, adjust would have been over $100, so I went with the cheap fix. It worked for about a week before the shutter started dragging again because the old grease in the mechanism was still gummed up. Has anyone else had a quick fix totally backfire because you didn't address the root cause?

3 comments

c/fence-erectors•

diana_moore75•24d ago

Choosing between cedar and pressure-treated for a big backyard privacy job

Had a client in Springfield who wanted a 6-foot privacy fence but was really torn on material. I pushed for cedar for the natural rot resistance and look, even though it was about 30% more upfront. It's been two years now and they still thank me every time I drive by, says it's holding up perfectly. Anyone have a go-to argument for convincing clients to invest in the better material?

3 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

diana_moore75•24d ago

Just realized how many competition pitmasters started in a different cooking field

I was watching an old interview with Melissa Cookston on YouTube last night, and she mentioned she went to culinary school for French cuisine before ever touching a smoker. That really surprised me. I always figured the top BBQ folks were born with a pair of tongs in their hand, learning from family in the backyard. But hearing her talk about using those classic techniques to understand meat science and flavor balancing made me rethink things. On one side, you could argue that formal training gives you a huge leg up with fundamentals and consistency. On the other, maybe that pure, self-taught, regional tradition is what makes real barbecue soulful and unique. I found a whole list of other champs with similar stories, like chefs who switched from fine dining. So what's the better foundation for a pitmaster: a professional kitchen background or being raised in the smoke? Which path actually builds a more complete cook?

3 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

diana_moore75•1mo ago

Heard a cashier say 'nobody cooks from scratch anymore' and it stuck with me

It made me think about how my grandma's cheap soup recipes, using a leftover chicken carcass and old veggies, are basically a lost art now. I tried her potato peel broth last month and it was actually good. Do you have any old school 'waste not' tips that still work?

3 comments

c/mortgage-advice•

diana_moore75•1mo ago

Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro vs Movement Mortgage?

My wife and I are looking to refinance our house to consolidate some debt. Has anyone compared Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro to Movement Mortgage? I'm trying to figure out who might have better rates or an easier process.

3 comments

Posts

PSA: I finally got my kid to eat vegetables by turning them into 'dinosaur food'

My cousin said dropping out meant I 'gave up', but my friend who runs a shop in Toledo told me it was just switching tracks.

My neighbor's kid just asked me why we don't just paint over rust

Just realized how much faster a 12-inch knife is for big ceilings

Vent: I had to choose between a cheap replacement shutter curtain or a full CLA on a Pentax K1000

Choosing between cedar and pressure-treated for a big backyard privacy job

Just realized how many competition pitmasters started in a different cooking field

Heard a cashier say 'nobody cooks from scratch anymore' and it stuck with me

Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro vs Movement Mortgage?

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