The shear pin thing got me. I mean, you hear about wear on those all the time but usually it shears clean or it's obviously bent. For it to look fine to the naked eye and just be slightly off, that's the kind of thing that would drive me up a wall. I've had a similar deal with a gear on a baler where the teeth wore uneven but you couldn't tell until you put a straight edge across them. Eight hours though, that's a full day of your life gone. Bet you can find that pin in your sleep now. Idk if I would have ever thought to compare it to a brand new one, that's some next level patience right there.

The $12,000 budget cut at Jefferson High says a lot about how these things usually play out. I've noticed in my own neighborhood that the people making the rules almost never lose the fight, they just make the cost of winning too high for anyone else. It's like when the HOA threatens to fine you for a slightly overgrown lawn, technically you're right, but fighting it costs more than just mowing the grass. Your blank box with the online link was smart, you got the message out without giving them a reason to come after the whole paper again. That's the pattern I see everywhere now, you pick your battles and find the side door when the front one's locked.