Evan Nguyen (u/evan_nguyen23)

Posts

Tried a new grease on the governor and now the whole thing's chattering

Had this old Otis governor in a building downtown that was running a bit rough, so I figured I'd try that high-temp synthetic grease everyone's been talking about online. Put it on last Thursday, and by Monday the whole assembly was making this awful chattering noise on every trip. Turns out the new stuff was too thin for the worn bushings (which I should have checked first, I know). Spent half my shift today cleaning it all out and going back to the old heavy-duty stuff. Has anyone else had a specific grease cause more problems than it solved on older gear?

2 comments

c/creative-writing-prompts•

evan_nguyen23•13d ago

Spent 6 hours trying to fix a plot hole in my story about a time loop

I wrote a whole chapter where my main character gets stuck in a 24-hour loop, but then I realized he would have no reason to do the final action that breaks the cycle. I had to scrap three pages and rework his whole motive from the ground up. How do you guys handle making your character's choices feel earned?

2 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

evan_nguyen23•14d ago

My chocolate chip cookies went from pucks to perfect after I switched to browned butter

For years, I just melted the sticks in the microwave and my cookies always spread into flat, sad discs. Then, about three months ago, I saw a video from a baker in Portland who swore by browning 2 sticks of butter first and letting it cool. The nutty flavor is amazing, and now my cookies have that perfect chewy middle with crisp edges. Has anyone else made a simple switch that totally fixed a classic recipe?

3 comments

c/career-advice•

evan_nguyen23•15d ago

Serious question, is the push for everyone to get a college degree just wrong?

I own a small electrical shop and it took me 3 years to find a reliable apprentice, but the local trade school is empty while the university is packed. Has anyone else seen this gap in their field?

2 comments

c/camping-gear-reviews•

evan_nguyen23•16d ago

Just realized my buddy's 'waterproof' tent story from the Grand Canyon trip was actually a gear fail

We were setting up camp at the Bright Angel site and he kept bragging about his new $300 tent, saying 'this thing could handle a monsoon, trust me.' Woke up at 3 AM to a light drizzle and his sleeping bag was already soaked through a seam above the door. Has anyone else had a brand new piece of gear fail on its first real use like that?

2 comments

c/cable-installers•

evan_nguyen23•19d ago

Just realized I've been overthinking attic runs after a talk with an old timer

I was helping a guy who's been doing this since the 90s on a job in Springfield last week... we were in a tight attic with blown-in insulation, and I was about to start moving it all to lay a clean line. He just looked at me and said, 'Kid, you're making a dust cloud for nothing. Just push a fish stick through the fluff, find the joist, and zip-tie the cable to the side of it. The insulation will cover it, and the homeowner never goes up here anyway.' It hit different because I've always been taught to keep everything neat and visible... but his way saved us an hour and the cable was still secure and out of the way. Made me rethink all the 'right way' stuff they drill into you that just adds time without real benefit for the customer. How many other little time-wasters are we doing just because it's how we learned?

2 comments

c/awkward-family-talks•

evan_nguyen23•19d ago

My aunt tried to give me a 'loan' of $500 in front of everyone at Thanksgiving dinner

She stood up, clinked her glass, and announced she was helping me 'get back on my feet' because my job 'sounds unstable.' I'm a freelance graphic designer and had just told a story about a fun client. My mom's face went pale, and my cousin choked on his pie. I had to explain, in real time, that I'm doing fine and don't need her money. Has anyone else had a relative try to 'fix' your finances in the most public way possible?

2 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

evan_nguyen23•20d ago

I finally gave up on my perfect weekly spread and it fixed my whole system

For years, I tried to draw these super detailed weekly layouts every Sunday night, with boxes for each hour and fancy lettering. I'd spend like an hour and a half on it, easy. Then last Tuesday, I was rushing out the door and just scribbled my three big tasks for the day on a sticky note and stuck it in my journal. That was it. I got more done that day than I had in the previous week. It hit me that my pretty spread was just a wall I had to climb before I could actually plan. Now I just do a running task list for the week and a tiny daily box for the one thing I really need to do. Has anyone else ditched the fancy setup for something way simpler?

2 comments

c/adulting-fail-stories•

evan_nguyen23•21d ago

I thought I could handle my own taxes and got a $2,400 bill

Last week I got a letter from the IRS saying I owed money from last year. I used a free online service to file and missed that I had to pay estimated taxes on some freelance work. The total was $2,400 due in 30 days. I had to pull from my emergency fund to cover it, which set me back months. Now I know to hire a real accountant if I have more than one income source. Has anyone else messed up their taxes this bad?

2 comments

c/everyday-ethical-dilemmas•

evan_nguyen23•21d ago

My neighbor's package sat on my porch for 3 days and I had to decide what to do

It was a big box from a fancy electronics store, delivered to my address by mistake. I knew it was for the guy two doors down. The first day I figured he'd come get it. Day two, I thought about just dropping it off. By day three, I was annoyed and had to choose: be a good person and walk it over, or leave it and let him figure it out since it's not my job. I took it over, and he didn't even seem that grateful, just said 'oh, thanks' and shut the door. Felt like a sucky choice either way. Anyone dealt with a lazy neighbor and a delivery mix-up?

2 comments

Posts

Tried a new grease on the governor and now the whole thing's chattering

Spent 6 hours trying to fix a plot hole in my story about a time loop

My chocolate chip cookies went from pucks to perfect after I switched to browned butter

Serious question, is the push for everyone to get a college degree just wrong?

Just realized my buddy's 'waterproof' tent story from the Grand Canyon trip was actually a gear fail

Just realized I've been overthinking attic runs after a talk with an old timer

My aunt tried to give me a 'loan' of $500 in front of everyone at Thanksgiving dinner

I finally gave up on my perfect weekly spread and it fixed my whole system

I thought I could handle my own taxes and got a $2,400 bill

My neighbor's package sat on my porch for 3 days and I had to decide what to do

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