Babble Community

c/canceled-plans-club

7

adam_patel•2d ago

Wasn't sure about this whole meetup app thing, but then my plans got nuked last Thursday

I had a group camping trip to Big Sur planned for months with some old friends, and then three of them backed out the day before because of work stuff and a family emergency. Ended up just going solo anyway, and this random guy at the campsite invited me over to his fire because he saw me struggling with my tent for like 20 minutes, and we talked about fishing spots until midnight. Has anyone else had a canceled plan turn into something better just because you're forced to go alone and meet someone new?

10

adam_patel•2d ago

Met a guy at the dog park who saved my whole Saturday

I was supposed to hit a trail run with my buddy last Sunday but he bailed last minute. I was already at the park near my apartment in Austin so I just sat on a bench feeling kinda annoyed. This older dude with a golden retriever sat down next to me and asked if I was okay. I told him about the canceled run and he goes "well your legs still work, right?" and pointed at this random hill. We ended up doing 5 hill sprints together while our dogs chased each other. He didn't even know me but he stayed for like 30 minutes just to help me get over being let down. Has anyone else had a random stranger turn a canceled plan into something way better?

10

drew55•2d ago

Friday night concert got rained out so I sat in my car in the parking lot eating gas station nachos instead

Was parked out at the Hollywood Bowl lot for like 45 minutes waiting for the storm to pass but they finally called it and I just sat there scrolling my phone eating those soggy cheese nachos from the 76 station down the street has anyone else gone through the denial phase where you just sit there hoping it clears up?

8

miles_young59•18d ago

My neighbor walked over while I was pressure washing my driveway and pointed out I was holding the wand wrong

I had been spraying at a steep angle for 3 years and leaving dirt stripes. He showed me to keep it flat and move slower and suddenly my concrete actually looks clean. Has anyone else had a random stranger give you a tip that made you feel like an idiot?

8

patricia558•18d ago

Unpopular take: that fancy online cooking class was a waste of 60 bucks

Everyone said this chef's live class would level up my skills but after 90 minutes I just had a burned pan and five emails from them trying to upsell me on knives. I followed every step but the streaming kept freezing and I missed the part about heat control. Honestly I learned more from a 15 minute YouTube video for free. Has anyone else gotten ripped off by a hype class?

32

craig.john•19d ago

Buddy told me my knife sharpening angle was way off and I fixed it

I was over at my friend Mike's place last Saturday and he watched me sharpen my EDC knife. He straight up told me I was holding it at like 25 degrees when kitchen knives need closer to 15-20. I went home and tried his method on a cheap Chicago cutlery knife and it actually sliced through paper smooth for the first time. Has anyone else had a friend call out a bad habit you didn't notice?

5

the_elizabeth•19d ago

That park trip I had planned got rained out, so I finally tried organizing my grooming cart

Last Saturday I was supposed to meet a friend for a long walk at a local nature preserve near me, but it poured all morning. Instead of just sitting around annoyed, I decided to tackle something I'd been putting off for months: reorganizing my mobile grooming cart. I had all these bottles of shampoo and conditioner just tossed in bins without any system. So I grabbed some cheap plastic trays from the dollar store and grouped everything by type, like hypoallergenic stuff on one shelf and flea treatments on another. It only took about 45 minutes, but now I can grab what I need without digging through five different things during a groom. Has anyone else found a use for canceled outdoor plans that turned into something productive?

12

grant.felix•21d ago

Had a friend tell me my sourdough starter was too acidic and she was right

I've been making sourdough for about 2 years and always wondered why my loaves tasted a bit off. Then my buddy who bakes at a bakery in Portland tried a slice and said my starter had too much hooch on top, I was feeding it wrong. I started discarding more and feeding it every 12 hours instead of 24, and the difference was night and day. Has anyone else gotten super specific feedback that totally changed their baking game?

22

diana_west27•21d ago

My beach trip got rained out and it turned into a way better day than I planned

Honestly, I was so mad when my friends bailed on our Saturday trip to Santa Monica because of clouds. But I ended up grabbing my 3 year old nephew and we spent 6 hours building a massive fort in my living room out of couch cushions and blankets. He laughed so hard he snorted and we watched Toy Story 3 twice through. Has anyone else had a canceled plan that secretly worked out better?

25

taylor.sean•21d ago

Got stood up for dinner so I wandered into a comic shop and found something wild

Got stood up for dinner so I wandered into a comic shop and found something wild. My buddy canceled on me last Friday for our usual pizza place downtown. I was already out so I just started walking around the block and ended up inside this tiny comic shop I never noticed before. The guy behind the counter was super chill and we got to talking about old issues. He pulled out a beat-up copy of Amazing Spider-Man #300 from a locked case and let me hold it. I'm not even a big collector but seeing that cover in person was something else. Ended up staying for over an hour just flipping through stuff I never knew existed. Has anyone else stumbled into a hidden gem like that after plans fell through?

22

wesley181•22d ago

My hiking trip got rained out so I ended up at a local rock shop in Tucson

I was supposed to hike Sabino Canyon last Saturday but the forecast showed 90% rain by 8am. Bummed out, I drove to this random rock and mineral shop on Grant Road called The Gem Shop. The owner let me use his UV light on some of his rocks and I saw this plain looking piece of calcite GLOW bright orange. Now I kinda want to collect fluorescent rocks. Anybody else find a cool hobby after your outdoor plans got canceled?

8

the_anthony•23d ago

The hiking trip I planned for 3 years that fell apart in one phone call

I had this big hike planned up Mount Whitney for last summer. Booked the permits 8 months out, trained for months carrying a 40-pound pack up stairs in my apartment building. Then my buddy bailed 3 days before because his kid got sick, and I just didn't have the heart to go alone. Ended up spending that weekend at my parents' place in Fresno instead, helping my dad fix his old lawnmower. Just sat there drinking coffee on their porch wondering if I'll ever actually make that climb.

15

emma_dixon70•23d ago

Had a pressure washer hose burst on me Saturday, so the job got canceled... do you push through with a patch kit or just call it a loss?

I was halfway through cleaning a two-story driveway in Arlington when the hose gave out right at the coupling, and now I'm stuck deciding between a quick repair that might fail again or buying a new $60 hose and losing the whole day's pay - what's your take on patching vs. replacing mid-job?

15

parker183•24d ago

My buddy in Denver swore by his cheap rain jacket

He said I was dumb for spending $200 on a Gore-Tex shell and after getting caught in a 3 hour downpour on a mountain bike ride last spring, his cheap jacket was soaked through in 20 minutes while mine kept me bone dry - who else has had a budget gear fail like this at the worst possible time?

2

faith_king•25d ago

That time a barista in Portland told me my coffee order was boring

I used to always order a vanilla latte, no questions asked. One morning at a little shop on Division Street, the barista looked at me and said 'you know you can get better flavor out of a single origin pour-over, right?' I felt kinda called out but she was super nice about it. She walked me through picking a natural process Ethiopian bean and brewed it right in front of me. That one cup tasted totally different than anything I'd ever had. Now I hardly ever go for flavored syrups anymore. Has anyone else had a stranger at a coffee shop change up your usual order?

26

harperg76•25d ago

My favorite brunch spot went from dead to slammed in 4 months after they changed their menu

There's this little cafe on 3rd street I've been going to for years. Used to walk in any Saturday at 11am and have my pick of tables. Then around March they hired a new chef and totally redid their breakfast menu - added these weird savory waffles and a chorizo hash thing. I was annoyed at first because my usual go-to got cut. But now you literally cannot get a seat after 9am on weekends. I waited 45 minutes last Sunday just for a table for one. The place isn't even bigger or nicer than before, the food just got insanely popular on Instagram. Has anyone else had a regular spot blow up like that and ruin your whole routine?

16

casey682•25d ago

Hot take: The old flea foggers worked better than the new bait stations

I used those foggers for years and they cleared out a house in one afternoon. Now with these gel bait stations I'm supposed to wait 2 weeks for results and they still miss half the nest. Has anyone else had better luck with the older method or am I just stubborn?

20

ivanross•26d ago

Got stuck at 247 days on my no-buy streak and it threw me off

I had this plan to not buy any non-essential stuff for a full year. Made it to day 247 which is like 8 months. Then my car registration came up and I had to drop $185 on that and it felt like cheating even though it's totally essential. The number 247 stuck with me because it's so random, not even a nice round number like 200 or 250. I ended up just sitting on my porch flipping through old receipts to see what I had actually missed buying. What weird numbers or milestones have hit you unexpectedly like that?

20

leo_fisher•29d ago

Had to choose between a camping trip and a family wedding this weekend

I planned a 3 day solo camping trip up at Harriman State Park for months. Then my cousin's wedding got rescheduled to the same Saturday. I picked the wedding because my mom would never let me hear the end of it. Honestly the reception had a good spread and I ended up talking to my uncle about his old fishing boat for an hour. Still wondering if I should have just gone to the woods instead. Anybody else make the wrong choice between family stuff and your own plans?

6

sarah_patel25•1mo ago

My weekend hiking trip got rained out in Gatlinburg

Drove 4 hours to Gatlinburg last Saturday for a 10 mile trail but it poured all morning. Ended up spending the day at a pancake house and then walking through the indoor craft fair. Anybody else ever pivot to indoor stuff when outdoor plans fall through?

4

kellys78•1mo ago

Shoutout to the random thunderstorm that saved my Saturday night

I had plans to hit up this big concert at Red Rocks with my buddy Mark, but it got canceled like 2 hours before doors due to lightning in the area. On one hand, I was so bummed cause I paid $75 for the ticket and was ready to see the band. But on the other, we ended up grabbing cheap tacos at this hole-in-the-wall spot in Denver and honestly that night was way more chill and fun. Which side do you lean more towards mad about the cancel or glad you got something better out of it?

10

phoenixb34•1mo ago

Read a sign at a coffee shop that said 'Sorry for the inconvenience' and it got me thinking

So my plans to meet a friend for brunch got canceled because the place had a plumbing emergency lol. I ended up at this random coffee shop down the street, and on the wall there was a sign that said 'Sorry for the inconvenience, we are making things better.' It was just a generic sign from some contractor, but it hit me different. I spent like 20 minutes thinking about how we always focus on the disruption instead of what comes after. Has anyone else had a random moment like that where some dumb sign or overheard comment changed how you saw a canceled plan?

17

michael_jenkins39•1mo ago

That time my sink backed up and took 4 hours to fix instead of 20 minutes

I had plans to hit the flea market last Saturday morning, but my kitchen sink started draining super slow. Figured it was just a quick clog, so I grabbed the plunger and went at it for 10 minutes with zero luck. Ended up having to pull the P-trap, fish out a wad of soggy coffee grounds and grease that had built up over months, and then snake the line twice. Four hours later the sink was clear, but I missed the whole flea market. Has anyone else had a 'quick fix' turn into a whole afternoon project?

22

joel_martinez•1mo ago

My concert tickets got canceled an hour before the show started

I was all set to see a band in Austin last month when my friend texted she was sick. Instead of just going home, I walked to a small park near the venue and listened to a local guy play guitar for a couple hours. It was free, the weather was perfect, and I actually had a better time than I think I would have at the crowded show. Has anyone else had a canceled night out turn into a surprisingly good solo adventure?

22

uma_ellis•1mo ago

My whole crew bailed on our weekend fishing trip at the last minute, so I just sat on my porch with a beer and watched the rain instead.

My buddy texted 'maybe next time, boss' from his dry couch, and for once, I didn't even mind being alone with the quiet, lol.