Okay but when you say the food feels less special, is that REALLY about the food? Sounds like you just miss the old social vibe. I get it, talking to the butcher was nice, but now I can order in two minutes and not waste my morning. The food tastes the same, it's just cheaper and faster. That personal link is a nice extra, not something we NEED. We romanticize the past but forget how much time it took.

Contrails lasting a long time is all about the moisture and cold air up there. If it's really humid, the ice crystals from the engine exhaust spread out and stay visible. Seen it plenty on flights, and it's just normal science, no hidden agenda.

That bit about poking the ribs with a fork reminds me of my friend Dave. His cousin, who swore he knew grilling, kept flipping the burgers every 30 seconds because he thought they'd cook faster, just completely going against what @leo667 described. They turned out grey and weird, like hockey pucks on a bun. Dave now loudly announces the grill is a one person job before he even lights the charcoal.

Oh that "grandma's disappointed sigh" feeling is so real. I totally did the same thing with a skirt last month, I was so excited to finish it I just pinned and sewed the waistband without basting. The fabric bunched up so bad it looked like a crooked accordion. I had to sit there with my seam ripper for an hour, mad at myself for being impatient. You just can't skip the boring steps.

Backyard stuff always gets judged harder than it should. Like my buddy fixing his car on the lawn, everyone assumed it would leak oil but it ran fine for years. That infection story is scary for sure, it shows cleaning your tools really matters. But there's a weird gap between "professional" and "totally reckless" where most home stuff actually happens. People see clippers outside and jump to the worst case, instead of a parent just trying to save fifty bucks and hang out with their kid.