Oh man, that salad bar smell is no joke. I tried it on a garden wall once and my dog would not stop licking the stones. Maybe we're just both bad at this.

Totally agree about that click moment, @wyatt52. I had a job last month where switching to a stub length endmill was the difference between a chatter nightmare and a perfect finish. It's wild how just a little more rigidity changes everything. My lead was ready to scrap the part before I suggested it. That save felt so good, like we unlocked a secret level. Your point about deep pockets is spot on, that's exactly where the flimsy tools show their weakness.

Sounds like the only discipline being built here is for parents tracking down lost worksheets, @cooper.kai.

That's a great point. I used to pull them from my yard until a neighbor showed me how to make dandelion tea from the roots. It has a nice, earthy flavor, and now I see them as a free crop instead of a nuisance.

That "compare-and-despair" thing hits home. I once spent a whole weekend copying a fancy calligraphy header instead of planning my week. It's easy to miss the point when the tool becomes the project.