Yeah, the "hiding under the leaves" part gets me every time. Once they get that big the skin gets pretty tough, so I usually shred them for bread or fritters.

Used to think fixing old machines was a waste of time. Figured you should just get the new, shiny thing. But seeing a thirty dollar part save someone over a grand really flips that idea on its head. It's not about the stuff, it's about the person who owns it. That relief on their face is way better than any new appliance.

Ugh, tell me about it. I bought a cheap blender once that just made sad noises and left chunks. It was like trying to drink a smoothie with bits of gravel in it.

Totally agree with what @patriciah51 shared about that first fee being proof. It changes how you see your own work. My first paid gig was just fixing a friend's website for pizza, but even that made it real. Getting to a number like that takes a ton of those small wins where someone picks you.

Remember my buddy who tried using a rolling pin like that? He ended up pressing too hard and the whole spine got this weird flat spot in the middle. Had to redo the whole thing, and he was so mad he just left it square.