The DIY Den

The DIY Den Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The DIY Den, Digital creator, 4515 Bird Street, Ruidoso, NM.

I’m SICK and TIRED of going outside to relax on MY porch every morning just to stare at my neighbor’s giant lump of dirt...
09/20/2026

I’m SICK and TIRED of going outside to relax on MY porch every morning just to stare at my neighbor’s giant lump of dirt…

It’s been sitting there for almost TWO MONTHS.

At first I figured they were working on something and it would be gone in a few days.

Nope.

Week after week I come outside with my coffee and there it is.

The dirt has literally been sitting there so long that GRASS is starting to grow on top of it.

At this point, finish whatever you started.

Spread it. Move it. Haul it away.

I. don’t. care.

I just want to sit on my porch and look across the street without somebody’s unfinished project ruining my scenery.

And I don’t care if it’s their property.

I STILL HAVE TO LOOK AT IT.

If the dirt pile needs its own lawn mower before you finish the project, it’s been there too damn long.

Finish ur damn project.

Holiday merchandise/candy shouldn’t be allowed on the damn shelves until the MONTH of the damn holiday…I’m so serious.It...
09/20/2026

Holiday merchandise/candy shouldn’t be allowed on the damn shelves until the MONTH of the damn holiday…

I’m so serious.

It’s still September and Walmart already has an entire aisle packed with giant bags of Halloween candy.

Can we finish ONE month before stores start rushing us into the next holiday?

And don’t even give me that “just don’t buy it” bs either. That’s not the point.

Every year this stuff comes out earlier and earlier.

Halloween candy in September…

Christmas decorations before Halloween is even over.

Pretty soon we’ll be buying Easter baskets on New Year’s Day.

I don’t care if stores want to “prepare early.”

October has 31 whole days.

Put the Halloween candy out October 1st and let September be September.

We don’t need two months to prepare for kids knocking on the door asking for a KitKat.

THE HOLIDAY AISLE CAN WAIT UNTIL THE HOLIDAY MONTH.

Just bc you own an OBNOXIOUSLY loud motorcycle does NOT give you permission to create your own parking spot wherever th...
09/20/2026

Just bc you own an OBNOXIOUSLY loud motorcycle does NOT give you permission to create your own parking spot wherever the bike fits…

There’s an actual accessible parking space right beside it, and this motorcycle is sitting across the striped area like the owner just unlocked a secret bonus spot.

Those lines are there for a reason.

They’re not motorcycle parking.

They’re not “I’m only going inside for five minutes” parking.

And they’re definitely not “my bike fits here so it’s fine” parking.

If you drove a car up there and left it across those stripes, everybody would immediately ask what the hell you were doing.

Probably get towed.

A motorcycle shouldn’t magically make it different.

Find an actual parking space.

And walk inside.

You don’t get to invent new parking spaces because your vehicle happens to be small enough to squeeze somewhere.

NO PARKING SPOT = DON’T PARK THERE.

If I put my trash cans on the DAMN GRASS, put them back on the grass when you’re finished emptying them…Before I left th...
09/20/2026

If I put my trash cans on the DAMN GRASS, put them back on the grass when you’re finished emptying them…

Before I left this morning, I specifically moved BOTH cans along the grass so my driveway would be completely clear when I got home.

I come back and what do I see?

One of them sitting right in the middle of my driveway.

Now I have to stop my car, get out, move the trash can, get BACK in my car and then pull in behind the other vehicle.

Why??

You already had to grab the can to empty it.

Just put it back where you found it.

I’m not asking you to bring it to my house.

I’m not asking you to wash it.

Just don’t take something that was OUT of my way and leave it directly IN my way.

EMPTY THE CAN. PUT IT BACK. Common sense really.

Snap-On really has the audacity to charge mortgage-payment prices for tools just for my dead blow hammer to literally tr...
09/20/2026

Snap-On really has the audacity to charge mortgage-payment prices for tools just for my dead blow hammer to literally transform itself into a “Snap-Off” in the middle of a simple job 💀 everybody swears you’re paying for “professional quality” and “American craftsmanship” but somehow this thing exploded like a Harbor Freight clearance item after a couple normal taps. At this point I’m convinced the only thing premium about Snap-On is the weekly truck payment they trap mechanics into. $200 for a hammer that identifies as a gr***de the second it sees actual work is insane. Meanwhile the tool truck guy is gonna show up smiling talking about “well technically that’s abuse” because apparently using a hammer as a hammer voids the warranty now

MASTER L**E TECH HERE. I’ve been fighting this nut for 45 MINUTES and I’m starting to think whoever engineered this susp...
09/03/2026

MASTER L**E TECH HERE. I’ve been fighting this nut for 45 MINUTES and I’m starting to think whoever engineered this suspension has never actually worked on a car. The axle is literally right in front of the nut, so apparently you’re supposed to remove HALF THE FRONT END just to get one nut out. I finally managed to get it loose, but now the nut is trapped because the axle is blocking it from coming all the way off. I’m thinking about pulling the entire axle out, but there HAS to be a professional shortcut I’m missing. I already tried prying it sideways and hitting it with an impact. Any other master techs know the trick for getting this nut out without removing the axle? And please don’t tell me “read the service manual.” I’ve been doing oil changes professionally for YEARS. Also if you have nothing INTELLAGENT to say then keep scrolling.

Master L**e Tech here. I purchased new Brembo rotors and it has an indent. Never seen this, Is this normal? Parts shop s...
09/03/2026

Master L**e Tech here.

I purchased new Brembo rotors and it has an indent. Never seen this, Is this normal? Parts shop says that’s how they were manufactured

Restaurants used to simply suggest a tip.Now we’re seeing signs that practically tell customers what they’re supposed to...
09/03/2026

Restaurants used to simply suggest a tip.

Now we’re seeing signs that practically tell customers what they’re supposed to leave—and even explain how much more the bill should become.

“Do the math.”

Okay… let’s do it.

A $100 meal suddenly becomes $122 or more, and if you question the extra $22, somehow you’re made to feel like the problem.

That’s where tipping starts to feel less like gratitude and more like pressure.

A tip should be earned.
It shouldn’t feel like a requirement disguised as a choice.

And then there’s the message:

“If you can’t afford to tip, don’t eat out.”

Really?

Since when does ordering dinner come with a financial warning?

Servers absolutely deserve to be paid fairly, and good service deserves recognition. But customers have budgets too. Not everyone can keep adding another 20%, 25%, or more every time they sit down to eat.

If a restaurant has to put up a sign explaining why customers should pay significantly more, maybe we should be asking a bigger question:

Is the problem really the customer—or is the system?

Be honest: Would you pay the suggested amount every time, or would you walk away? 🍽️💰

💭 When Did a Tip Stop Feeling Like a Choice?Tipping was once a simple way to say, “Thank you for taking good care of us....
09/03/2026

💭 When Did a Tip Stop Feeling Like a Choice?

Tipping was once a simple way to say, “Thank you for taking good care of us.” But somewhere along the way, the expectations started changing—and the percentage keeps climbing.

Think about a $105 restaurant bill. Not long ago, leaving $10 or $15 might have felt like a perfectly reasonable gesture. Now, some diners are made to feel that $30 or even $40 is what they’re supposed to leave.

Of course, servers deserve fair wages, appreciation, and respect. But should customers be expected to make up the difference through ever-increasing tips?

🤔 At what point does tipping stop being appreciation and start feeling like an obligation?

😳 A 45% “mandatory tip” before you’re even seated? At what point does a tip stop being a tip?Tipping has traditionally b...
09/03/2026

😳 A 45% “mandatory tip” before you’re even seated? At what point does a tip stop being a tip?

Tipping has traditionally been a choice—a way to show appreciation after you’ve experienced the food, service, and overall dining experience.

But if the rule is “minimum 45% tip or no service,” that feels like something completely different.

At that point, it doesn’t feel like a reward for great service. It feels like an entry fee just to sit down.

And to be clear, this isn’t about saying restaurant workers don’t deserve fair pay. They work hard, deal with demanding customers, and often work long, exhausting shifts. They absolutely deserve to be compensated fairly.

The question is how that cost is presented to the customer.

If a restaurant needs to charge more to properly pay its employees, why not build that cost into the menu prices or clearly disclose a service charge instead of calling it a “tip”?

Because once a percentage becomes mandatory before the service even happens, it starts looking less like gratuity and more like a required surcharge.

Personally, seeing 45% minimum tip at the door would make me think twice before even sitting down. 😬

So what would you do?

👉 Stay and dine anyway, or turn around and walk out?

And more importantly, what percentage crosses the line from “tip” to “mandatory fee” for you?

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4515 Bird Street
Ruidoso, NM
88345

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