My buddy had a Cherokee Six with a gremlin that would kill the nav lights. He spent weeks on it, finally found one tiny wire in the bundle behind the panel had its insulation rubbed through. The manual had a diagram for that whole run, just a single page of spaghetti lines. Took him tracing every inch by hand with a meter to find it. Makes you realize they built these things with a soldering iron and a whole lot of patience.

Wait, "terrifying lesson"? I mean, that's a really strong way to put it. What even happened that was so bad? Idk, maybe it's just me but that phrase gives me chills.

That envelope method really does make you think twice before buying a coffee.

That Denver job would have me rethinking my whole process too. Eight years in and you still get blindsided by something simple like a flue bend. Makes you wonder what else we're all missing with our standard routines.

Yeah, that blotchy look is exactly why I never skip it. I did my basement without primer once and the paint just soaked in weird, like it was thirsty. Now I do two thin coats of a good drywall primer, sanding lightly in between. It feels like extra work but it's the only way to get a finish that lasts.