My buddy found out his grandpa's old dutch oven was worth like 300 bucks, after using it as a camping pot for years and letting it rust. He was so mad at himself. At least you know now before you did any real damage to that pan!

Ha, at least lemonade is a way better story than when my dad's joke made Grandma drop the potato salad.

Something nobody ever talks about is how much that patch follows you around on future bids. The GC knocked off 800 that day but the real cost is he remembers it at bid time and the owner tells his buddy who tells another owner in town. Flatwork rep is fragile like that because people only see the finish. One bad pour and they forget the hundred good ones. A big part of your fix has to be getting ahead of the story before it spreads, not just eating the 800 and hoping it blows over. Call the GC, call the owner, tell them flat out what happened and that your screed guy walked. Most folks respect a straight answer way more than a quiet patch.