Watched my burrito roll away in a parking lot once.

Staring at my phone trying to process the deck paint story. It peeled off in sheets and he still blamed the paint? That's next-level denial right there. I get not knowing prep is important, but ignoring the proof right in front of you is wild. It's like looking at a flat tire and blaming the air for being the wrong shape.

Honestly, I started treating silence like a tool. In work meetings, I'll pause on purpose after asking a question. It forces the other person to actually answer instead of me jumping in to rephrase it for them. Makes them do the heavy lifting.

Totally agree, months fly by when you're waiting on one part. My neighbor's deck repair sat for like three months just waiting for the right treated lumber to show up. Another time my car needed a specific sensor and the shop said it was on a boat from overseas. You just get used to checking the mailbox for updates that never come.

That one storm doesn't prove a thing about long term durability. My buddy's cheap tarp shredded on its second trip in the White Mountains. You still get what you pay for with gear.