Honestly spencerl32, I get what you mean about a compliment feeling good. But making your whole month over focaccia praise seems like a lot. Tbh, I see it differently. That kind of high from someone else's words just doesn't last for me. It puts your good mood in someone else's hands. I'd rather find that feeling from just nailing the recipe myself, you know?

What did you find that worked better back then?

My dad always kept a bread knife in his toolbox for cutting gaskets and hose. Patriciaellis, your comment made me realize we all have these weird little tool crossovers. I use an old guitar pick as a pry tool for electronics all the time. It's the cheap, simple stuff that gets used for ten different jobs.

Ever notice how the simplest hacks, like pencil lead, fix the stickiest problems?

That's a great story, but Phoenix in the 70s with shag carpet sounds like a nightmare. That stuff held heat like crazy. My grandpa in Tucson had the same thing and said his AC bill was insane. They got it done, sure, but sometimes the old way just created a different kind of problem.