My buddy bought a used truck last year and found out it had a mechanic's lien for unpaid repairs. That $50 title search he skipped would have saved him three grand and a lot of screaming at the DMV.

Totally get that. Isn't it the best when your brain just finally quiets down? I love that empty-headed feeling on a straight path.

Honestly, the thing that gets me is how quiet it is right before it goes. No real warning, just a sudden stall. It's not like a belt squeal or a rod knock. That silence is the worst part, because you know what's coming next and the repair bill is already forming in your head.

That whole scene makes me think about how we learn. You can watch a hundred videos on the perfect pour, but you only really get it after you mess it up that bad. It's like your brain needed that sour cup to connect the speed of the pour to the final taste. Did you find your second try was way better just because you were paying attention?

Tell me about it, I've got more spackle in my hair than on my walls at this point. My first attempt looked so bad, I just hung a poster over it and pretended it never happened. I feel you, @matthewnelson, my patching skills are definitely popsicle stick grade too. Now I just use a big pegboard for everything, so all the holes are in one place and I can move stuff around without making new ones.