Overheard a pilot at the FBO in Boise say 'mechanics just turn wrenches'. Been stewing on that for a week.

Just realized my light meter was dead halfway through a roll at the state fair

I was in the middle of the livestock barn when I noticed the needle wasn't moving, so I had to guess the exposure for the last 12 shots by counting stops from a known setting, and three of them actually came out okay. Has anyone else had to finish a roll completely blind like that?

Spent $800 on a new forge liner and it was the best money I ever spent

My old firebrick liner was crumbling after about five years and I was losing a ton of heat. I bit the bullet and got a ceramic fiber blanket kit with rigidizer. The install took a full afternoon but the difference is night and day. My forge hits welding temp in half the time now and my propane bill dropped by almost a third last month. It paid for itself faster than I thought. Anyone else made a recent upgrade that really cut down on fuel use?

TIL a blog about restoring vintage typewriters saved my $80 flea market find from becoming a doorstop.

The step-by-step guide on 'Clack & Whirr' walked me through cleaning the seized carriage mechanism, which involved soaking parts in mineral spirits and using a specific tiny brush they recommended.