That "unpredictable" part is key. My dog's joy follows a pretty set pattern. Kids build a whole weird story around a stick, then suddenly decide it's a spaceship. It's the layers of made-up meaning that feel different.

Oh man, @fiona_anderson, your buddy is totally right about those fiberglass rods. I grabbed a set on a whim and they're way better for tricky walls than a stiff metal tape. That flex makes all the difference when you're not going in a straight line.

My uncle used that trick to run ethernet in his 1920s plaster house.

Yeah, the "enforcement method was the real problem" part is key. It's like the difference between a locked gate and a wall with guards. One just stops a path, the other controls the whole area.

My trip to the Great Wall at Mutianyu last spring was a total zoo. Got there at 10 AM on a Saturday, worst mistake ever. Could barely move on the wall itself. The trick is to be on the first bus out there, like 6:30 AM, or go super late in the afternoon. Those mid-day tour groups are brutal. Felt like being stuck in a slow moving line for hours.