Wait, isn't @miles279 saying it was just two other ladies, not two ladies plus the one who ended up referring work? That math doesn't quite add up, but the point still stands. Those one-on-one meetings really do build more trust than any group event.

The thing that FINALLY pushed me was realizing how much paperwork I was missing. My second denial letter pointed out I didn't include a proper function report from my doctor, and by that point I had lost track of what files went where. A lawyer knows exactly what forms the SSA actually looks at versus what's just extra noise. They also handled all the back and forth with my medical providers, which saved me from chasing down records myself. That alone was worth the fee since I stopped making dumb mistakes like forgetting to list every single condition I had.

I'm more concerned about the air. Nobody talks about oxygen unless they're deep into home roasting, but that's the real flavor thief. @the_eric might be right that a little heat isn't the end of the world, but letting beans sit in a half-empty bag for weeks while air slowly leaks in makes them go stale way faster than a warm spot on the counter. I've done side by sides with beans that were stored open versus vacuum sealed and the difference is obvious even to my non-snob friends. Your buddy's beans are probably fine for him, but if he ever tries fresh beans from an airtight container, he'll never go back.

William your grandma probably knew that recipe was too good to be true. Did you ever try adjusting the hydration level in the dough, like dropping the water by a tablespoon or two? I messed around with a cheap hand-crank model once and found out most of those ad recipes are way too wet for the machine to handle. It took me three tries just to get the dough to stop sticking, and that was before the rollers started slipping. Did you check if the machine had any kind of warranty or return policy? Sounds like you got stuck with a dud and a bad recipe.

60 bucks says he still uses a paper map instead of GPS on his phone.