TIL that silicone caulk is way harder to remove than I ever thought

I spent 3 hours last weekend scraping old caulk out of my shower in Cedar Rapids. Watched a YouTube guy say to use a specialized tool for like 15 bucks, figured my putty knife would do the trick. Nope, it took a $9 caulk remover tool and a heat gun to finally get it clean. Anyone got a faster method for this stuff?

Just ditched my old way of underwriting multi-family deals

For years I looked at DSCR and cap rate first on every apartment deal that came across my desk. Figured if those numbers weren't there, nothing else mattered. Then last November a guy in Denver showed me his underwriting for a 12-unit property that barely hit a 1.15 DSCR. He talked about the local job growth, the fact rents were 15% below market, and a major infrastructure project breaking ground nearby. I ran the numbers his way on my next deal and it got me a loan that cash flowed from month one. Now I spend more time on the market story than the hard ratios. Anyone else shift their focus from pure math to location story?

Coupon stacking was a waste of my time for 5 years until Tuesday

Honestly I thought I was saving big by clipping coupons and matching store sales every week. Then I sat down with my receipts from the last 6 months and realized I was only saving like $4 per trip on average. The real kicker was when I saw a neighbor just buy store brand everything and walk out with a lower total than my coupon haul. Has anyone else found that simple swaps beat couponing for real savings?

I was reading a baking history book and found out something wild about bagels

I picked up a book from the library called 'The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread' last week. It said that in the early 1900s, bagel bakers in New York City formed a union and went on strike for over a month to get better pay. I had no idea there was that kind of organized labor history tied to baking. It made me think about how much the trade has changed. Has anyone else come across any surprising bits of baking history like that?

Had a week where every chimney was a straight shot with no creosote

Did six jobs in a row where the flues were clean as a whistle, maybe a cup of ash total. It was weird but nice, saved me a ton of time on each house. Anyone else ever get a lucky streak like that?

A cheap trick to stop my chickens from kicking bedding out of the coop

My three hens were making a huge mess, kicking pine shavings out of the run door every single day. I got tired of sweeping it up, so I cut a strip of that rubber matting you use for truck beds, about 8 inches wide. I nailed it to the floor right inside the doorway, flush with the sill. Now when they scratch, the bedding hits the rubber and just falls back inside. It's been three weeks and the area outside is totally clean. Has anyone else tried something like this, or found a better way to keep the litter in?

I dropped $8,000 on a 'guaranteed' tech certification course after leaving school and it was a total scam.

The so-called job placement program they promised just sent me a list of public LinkedIn postings anyone could find, and now I'm stuck working a retail gig in Phoenix to pay off the debt, so has anyone found a legit way to get certified without getting ripped off?

I just counted 12 clients this week who asked for the same 'lived-in' blonde look. I thought that trend was fading, but it's clearly not.

I always scoffed at infrared lamps for curing paint, but last week changed everything

Man, for years I thought those infrared paint curing lamps were just for shops with too much money to burn. I'd always just let things air dry or use fans, figuring it was fine. Then last week, I had this rush job on a classic car where the customer needed it for a show in two days. I was sweating it, so a buddy lent me his IR setup. Used it on the clear coat, and wow, it cured rock hard in like an hour with no dust nibs or anything. I guess I was stuck in my ways, but seeing how it saved my bacon and gave a better finish, I'm totally converted now. Probably gonna invest in one for my own shop soon.