So Mike's telling you that breaking the thermometer is actually the secret? That's wild but I kind of get it. When you're not staring at numbers, you just go off how the dough looks and feels and smells. That's how people baked for thousands of years before someone stuck a metal probe in a loaf. Same thing happened to me with steak - I threw away the instant read and now I just poke it with my finger. The crust thing makes sense too because you're probably leaving it in longer than you would if the thermometer told you it was done. Maybe the real trick is using the thermometer for the first few bakes to learn the basics and then letting it go.

Whoa wait, you found a Zeiss Ikon just sitting in a thrift store? That's wild. I mean, the sticky shutter and fungus sound bad but not the end of the world. A lot of those old leaf shutters just need a good cleaning and some exercise (like working the speeds back and forth a bunch). The fungus in the lens though, that's the real kicker - if it's etched the glass coating, you might get some haze or softness even after cleaning. I'd say it's totally worth saving if the body is in decent shape and the glass isn't scratched up too badly. Just don't expect it to be a quick or cheap fix, but if you're handy with small tools, it could be a really cool camera to bring back to life.

My old man always said "buy nice or buy twice" and I learned that one the hard way with a $9.99 Cen-Tech meter that told me a 9 volt battery was somehow pushing 14 volts. Spent three hours replacing fuses and relays in my truck before I wised up and tossed that thing in the trash where it belonged. Now I just borrow my neighbor's Fluke 87 and buy him a six pack as payment, cheaper than therapy for sure.

Facts. Did the eyes-closed drills trick too, worked like magic.

Mrs. Jenkins Detention" sounds way better than Bully honestly.