• Snakes, Coyotes & Desert Life:
Mike shares stories from New Mexico and Nevada: rattlesnakes everywhere, bowls full of collected rattles, coyotes bringing hambones back to the porch like gifts. Everyone compares snake-free Washington to the reptile-rich desert.

• Friendsgiving & Holiday Season:
Mike talks about giving up traditional family Thanksgivings since the Navy and instead doing a long-running Friendsgiving with his wife. Holiday decorations are delayed thanks to a basement remodel and a pile of boxed-up Christmas gear.

• Weather Check-In:
Minnesota has snow through March, Tacoma has rain for 10 straight days, and everyone debates what counts as “cold.”

• Nerd Miner Deep Dive:
A huge geek-rabbit-hole opens: Mike discovers tiny WiFi-enabled USB devices that double as DIY Bitcoin solo miners.
The crew loses it laughing about Linux, dongles, and whether anyone will ever mine a whole block.

• Holiday Movies:
Die Hard is definitely a Christmas movie, Scott’s wife is getting forced to watch it, and Nightmare Before Christmas gets respect as a universal holiday classic.

• Classic GCP Wrap-Up:
Charlie Brown references, blockhead energy, and the classic “You’ve been listening to the Grit City Podcast” outro.

⏱️ Loose Time Stamps:
00:00 – Elevator music & introductions
01:30 – Mike’s Minnesota Minute begins
04:00 – Minnesota lakes & cryptid talk
26:00 – Snakes, coyotes & desert life
32:30 – Thanksgiving food & Friendsgiving
33:40 – Nerd miner & Linux rabbit hole
57:50 – Christmas weather check-ins
01:09:00 – Holiday movie favorites
01:12:30 – Charlie Brown & outro

Sponsored By:

• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15
• RCF Exteriors: Cut Wood. Not Corners. RCF Exteriors specializes in Window and Door installation across the South Puget Sound region. RCF Exteriors is a customer service orientated company with 20+ years experience in window and door installation. Our efficient and knowledgeable team is dedication to making sure you are satisfied with not only the final product but throughout the entire installation process. Email: rcfexteriors@gmail.com Phone: 253-446-8854
• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Hugag - Wikipedia — In American folklore, the hugag is a fearsome critter similar to a moose with an extensive upper lip, preventing it from grazing, and jointless legs preventing it from lying down
• GitHub - BitMaker-hub/NerdMiner_v2: Improved version of first ESP32 NerdMiner
• Home - NMTech
• T-Dongle S3 – LILYGO®
• Pepie | Cryptid Wiki | Fandom — The monster is called Pepie, after Lake Pepin, which forms the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin, where it is said to live.
• GitHub - i-am-shodan/USBArmyKnife: USB Army Knife – the ultimate close access tool for penetration testers and red teamers.

00:00 – Justin starts the episode reflecting on their flat earther podcast, Michelle talks about what got her started as a handywoman, and speaks to how essential it is for people to update their home electrical wiring. David talks about what drew him into doing handy work, Justin talks about the McDonalds Monopoly Scandal, and the hard work behind the physical trades.

22:27 – Michelle talks about when she got her business license, starting out with grassroots advertising, and how much money it saved her. Justin shares his drill bit experience, his upcoming home project, and Derek expresses the importance of home fix-it work being done correctly. Justin dives into coaster questions and Michelle recommends what handy home tools people should get in their first apartment.

41:12 – Michelle talks about the craziest hack she’s ever run into, reflects on a recent electric switch repair, and the amount of DIYs she’s run into. Scott talks about how Pythian Temple originally had gas lighting, Michelle shares the types of jobs she enjoys doing over others, and the number one mistakes people make when hanging things.

66:22 – Michelle talks about other odd jobs she takes on, driving stick in Seattle, and some basic tips people should consider before embarking on home repairs. David encourages people to try things on their own but know their limits and be prepared to call a professional.
Michelle talks about enjoying teaching customers how to do the work themselves and the importance of having a no-contact tester.

Thanks, Michelle and David for the great conversation, we look forward to having you back on soon!

Special Guest: Handywoman.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.
• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15
• Cosmic Bottles: Tap into the universe of craft beer! CRAFT BEER FOR YOU! Tired of the same old grocery store beer selection? Looking for a beer selection that caters to your taste? At Cosmic Bottles the choice is always yours. Every day: 11am - 10pm 27116 167th Place SE Suite 108 Covington, WA 98042

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• About — Tacoma Handywoman — Hi, I’m Michelle! With over five years of experience in the field of handy(wo)man work, I've dedicated myself to serving my community by offering knowledgeable, affordable, and high-quality services.
• Tacoma Handywoman | Facebook
• The Grit City Podcast: Flat Earth with Mark Sargent
• Union Club Tacoma
• Tribal Electric LLC
• McMillions - Wikipedia
• BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network
• Non-Contact Voltage Tester