That's one of those things that seems so obvious once you hear it... but you can go forever without realizing. Makes total sense to have the string actually touching the work surface. Had a similar thing with a chalk line, always snapping it from the top until someone pointed out you get a sharper line from the side. Just a tiny shift changes everything.

Our book club in Portland did that with 'Gone Girl' and asked who was more to blame right off the bat. We barely even talked about the plot for the first half hour.

I always thought getting more sleep was the key, but I tried the early bus thing last week and it's a total game changer. That buffer zone of quiet makes the whole work day feel less like a shock to the system. You don't realize how much being crammed in with a crowd stresses you out until you avoid it. My whole outlook is better just from having that one calm hour to myself. It feels like a secret hack everyone should know about lol.

Honestly, the tool choice matters so much on those old sloped ceilings. I was patching a similar spot in my attic and dropped my 10-inch knife right into a bucket of mud. Had to fish it out with a paint stir stick. The 6-inch is just less clumsy to handle when you're on a ladder. What's the worst tool mishap you've had on a ceiling job?

Gravel can shift and cause a dangerous sink. Steel plates spread the weight out on soft ground. That guy in Phoenix gave you solid advice.