What "old school" things do you still do?

[GrayHare]

I hate those hazy hairlines in the finish, so prefer the touchless car washes. They have no brushes or gritty cloth to scratch the paint. Might not totally clean up a very grimy vehicle, however.

 

[aja8888]

I used to, for both of them. But now back and shoulder issues (especially back pain) prevent that. And I hate taking them to a car wash because they do a lousy job and it's terrible on the finish.

I've been lucky with my back (knock on wood) but the shoulder arthritis is starting to get to me. I'll be paying for this tomorrow!

 

[Walt34]

I hate those hazy hairlines in the finish, so prefer the touchless car washes. They have no brushes or gritty cloth to scratch the paint. Might not totally clean up a very grimy vehicle, however.

There's that, and after a long series of touchless washes it seems to get a "film" on it that looks kind of dull. The "cure" for that is to go to one with the "soft" brushes so there's actual physical contact. The kind with the plastic brushes I take great pains to stay away from.

 

[AllDone]

Just got a car with my first ever back-up camera (as well as blind spot cameras and all-around) - I don't know where to look now! ha So, I'm breaking that old-school method, and the car's an EV so I'm forced to learn all kinds of new stuff...maybe I'll put post-its on my first ever display in the car?

I replaced my 2001 BMW at the beginning of 2024. When I drive my 89 year-old mom anywhere, she always demands to know why I look over my shoulder to back up instead of looking at the screen. "Because YOU taught me to keep looking over my shoulder when I back up!"

I like the backup camera, but I really, really like not having to buy gas.

 

[Car-Guy]

Washed my car by hand in the driveway this morning.

I used to, for both of them. But now back and shoulder issues (especially back pain) prevent that. And I hate taking them to a car wash because they do a lousy job and it's terrible on the finish.

I hate those hazy hairlines in the finish, so prefer the touchless car washes. They have no brushes or gritty cloth to scratch the paint. Might not totally clean up a very grimy vehicle, however.

There's that, and after a long series of touchless washes it seems to get a "film" on it that looks kind of dull. The "cure" for that is to go to one with the "soft" brushes so there's actual physical contact. The kind with the plastic brushes I take great pains to stay away from.

I've got a really good "gas powered" pressure washer at home but I hate dragging all that stuff out to wash the vehicles, and then putting it all up. Soooooo I drive to town and hand wash the trucks using the pressure washers at the car wash. First I'll spray it down really well with their soap and power washer, then hand wash it with a good towel, then power wash it again just with water to get all the stuff off. (Total time ~15mins) Then blow dry it off by driving 15miles to home at 70+mph. Probably takes me about the same amount of time as doing it at home, but it's a lot less work and looks better.

 

[Koolau]

I love seeing the flip clock. I can still remember slowly waking up and hearing the clicks. Then, the "big click". Uh oh, the hour turned. I'm late.

The early digital world was so cool in that it had analog backing like the flip clock or nixie tubes.
View attachment 54543

Ah, yes. Nixie tubes. I had an atomic absorption instrument at w*rk that displayed with Nixie tubes. It seemed pretty cutting edge at the time. Now, these Nixie tubes look antique. Thanks for sharing.

 

[corn18]

I’m married to an early adopter. Not much old school here!

We were both enginerds in a previous life anyway.

I am the early adopter in my family. I get an email each month from the washer and dryer giving me a summary of loads done. Get a text every day from the sump pump telling me it's ok. Fridge and water softener will text me if they think they are having issues. We have almost everything hooked to "hey Google!". I can flush the master toilet via the internet (that's handy!). Prolly the only old school thing we have left is our blinds are all still manual.

 

[Fermion]

I had to unfriend my washer/dryer after getting too many clingy texts.

 

[aja8888]

I am the early adopter in my family. I get an email each month from the washer and dryer giving me a summary of loads done. Get a text every day from the sump pump telling me it's ok. Fridge and water softener will text me if they think they are having issues. We have almost everything hooked to "hey Google!". I can flush the master toilet via the internet (that's handy!). Prolly the only old school thing we have left is our blinds are all still manual.

Corn....my kids tell me email is so 1990's. If you don't get texts or get messages through social media, you are ancient.

 

[deserat]

Use only a paper calendar/planner.
Have rotary dial landline phones.
Have a doorbell with two actual tubular bells and an electromagnetic striker.
Shave with a straight razor.
Make my own soap.
Grow my own vegetables.
Pressure can my home grown vegetables.
Make and can my own chicken broth.
Play vinyl records.
Use paper maps.
Read only paper books.
File my taxes by US Mail.
Maintain a checkbook and register.
Have a pocket full of folding green in a clip.
Carry a pocket knife.
Polish my shoes.
Drive only manual transmission cars.
Do most of the maintenance on my cars.

Ahh, manual trans -check, taxes by mail -check, paper maps--double check...pet peeve of mine when answer is app..I want a map not an app!, carry cash-check, checkbook and register-online Moneydance-looks like a register, paper calendar...-check.

 

[Ronstar]

Still use a 100 year old calculator.

 

[HFWR]

I’m fairly “modern” for an old fart…

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

Still use a 100 year old calculator.

View attachment 55162

Cool!

 

[Trailwalker]

I've hand split all of the wood used to provide most of the heat in my home for over twenty years.

 

[COcheesehead]

My bike isn’t an E bike.

 

[GrayHare]

it's not as cool as a century-old calculator, but I still use an electric (plug in) calculator purchased over 50 years ago, just ran some tax numbers through it today

 

[ls99]

Use a pocket knife to sharpen pencils. Like I learned to do in second grade.
We were required to have a pocket knife with us in school every day. To be sure we can sharpen pencils.

No ball point pens were available in Hungary then.
Third grade learned to use fountain pens. Dip int ink well etc.....

A few weeks ago made toast at camp by putting bread on top of woodstove. That was another lesson in second grade. Each classroom had a coal stove, at lunch time we held bread to the side of the coal stove to make toast. When fingers got hot, was time to flip the bread.

 

[HFWR]

One thing I failed to acknowledge is that write my own text. Don’t need AI, either as a timesaver or a crutch. Then again, I have no deadlines, nor a pile of important **** to get done.

 

[tflannery]

I don't watch Fox news.

 

[COcheesehead]

I don't watch Fox news.

Or CNN

 

[HFWR]

I don’t stream music, as I think it rips off artists. Plus I hate monthly fees.

I don’t have tik-tok, and think this trend of 30 sec entertainment is destroying our brains.

Had a xitter account I never used.

I have a 1980s ten-speed Fuji.

Discussing what news source one chooses will soon summon Porky. Since I don’t have cable, I watch news clips from various sources on youtube.

 

[albireo13]

Pay my bills on time

 

[COcheesehead]

I don’t stream music, as I think it rips off artists. Plus I hate monthly fees.

I don’t have tik-tok, and think this trend of 30 sec entertainment is destroying our brains.

Had a xitter account I never used.

I have a 1980s ten-speed Fuji.

Discussing what news source one chooses will soon summon Porky. Since I don’t have cable, I watch news clips from various sources on youtube.

Streaming music is free

 

[HFWR]

I didn’t know that Spotify et al were free. Learn something new everyday…

 

[Pointby2]

Where is the "what surprisingly new-school things do you do" thread?