Kim Smith (u/kim_smith82)

Posts

My kid asked why my bullet journal pages are always so empty

He said, 'Dad, you just write a few things and then turn the page.' It made me realize I was so focused on the 'system' that I stopped actually using it to think. How do you balance keeping it simple with making it a useful tool?

2 comments

c/carpenters•

kim_smith82•16d ago

My old DeWalt miter saw just gave up on me halfway through a trim job in Albuquerque

I was cutting some crown molding for a client's kitchen remodel last Thursday, and the motor started making this awful grinding noise, then just stopped. It was a DeWalt DWS780 I've had for almost eight years, so I guess it had a good run. I had to run to the local tool rental place to finish the day. Has anyone else had a saw fail right in the middle of a job, and what did you do to get back on track?

2 comments

c/boss-fight-therapy•

kim_smith82•16d ago

Update: My old way of tracking freelance invoices was a mess

I used to just keep a messy pile of emails and scribbled notes, which meant I was always chasing late payments. Now I use a simple Google Sheet with due dates and client names, and I set a calendar alert for every Friday to send reminders. Anyone have a better system for keeping on top of who owes you money?

2 comments

c/butchers•

kim_smith82•18d ago

My pork shoulder trim was a mess until I saw a kid's drawing

So I've been trimming pork shoulders for, like, five years, thinking I was doing it right. I'd just go at it, taking off what looked like extra fat and silver skin. Then last month, my niece brings her school project to the shop, a drawing of a pig with all the muscles labeled. She points at the shoulder and goes, 'Uncle Kim, why is this part so bumpy?' I looked at my trim and then at her drawing. The muscle groups were totally clear. I was cutting across them, not with them, making the meat look ragged and losing good bits. I felt so silly. A six-year-old's art class taught me more than my old boss did. Anyone else have a moment where something basic just clicked way later?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

kim_smith82•19d ago

I was setting post concrete wrong for years and didn't know it

I was doing a big cedar fence job in Gilbert last month, about 40 posts total. My helper pointed out that the concrete mix looked way too dry. I'd always just mixed it until it felt right, no measuring. We did a slump test with a coffee can and it failed hard. Turns out I was using almost half the water I should have been for a solid set. The whole crew had to chip out and reset six posts we'd already done that morning. Has anyone else had a wake-up call about their concrete mix?

2 comments

Posts

My kid asked why my bullet journal pages are always so empty

My old DeWalt miter saw just gave up on me halfway through a trim job in Albuquerque

Update: My old way of tracking freelance invoices was a mess

My pork shoulder trim was a mess until I saw a kid's drawing

I was setting post concrete wrong for years and didn't know it

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