I spent 3 months trying to fix my own leaky faucet versus calling a plumber for $150

Remember when we had to trace patterns from library books?

Back in college, my whole class would crowd around the one photocopier to copy patterns from big books. We'd spend hours trying to get the scaling right on the grid paper. Now, I just download a PDF pattern from a designer's site, print it at home, and tape it together in about 20 minutes. The shift happened around 2015 when indie pattern companies really took off online. Has anyone else found a favorite digital pattern maker they trust for good fit?

PSA: Don't trust a 'waterproof' phone case from a gas station for dive site photos

Bought one for 40 bucks on the way to a job in Pensacola last month. Figured I'd snap some shots of the hull we were inspecting. Made it about 15 feet down before it filled up like a tiny aquarium. Phone was toast. Has anyone found a decent, cheap housing that actually holds up?

Bought a new headset for the radio and it was totally worth it

Got a David Clark H10-13.4 headset for about $280 after my old one kept cutting out on a big job in Tacoma. The noise canceling is so much better, I can hear the signalman clear as day even with the engine running. Anyone have a good brand for a backup set I can keep in the truck?

Update: I just spent 4 hours trying to get a new toilet seat to line up straight in my house near UNM.

The bolt holes were off by maybe an eighth of an inch and I had to file them out with a metal rasp I found in my garage, which my buddy texted to ask 'are you building a toilet or fighting one?' lmao, has anyone else had this much trouble with a simple seat swap?

A damp concrete slab taught me a costly lesson

I was laying down plush carpet in a basement job last month. The concrete felt dry, so I didn't use my moisture meter. Wrong move. Got a call after a few weeks about a weird smell. Found mold growing under the new carpet. Had to rip it all out and treat the slab. Lost a day of work and ate the cost for new pad. Now I test every floor, no exceptions. Anyone run into this before?