Gotta say, a half cup of salt on a brisket is wild, I would've sent that back to the kitchen. That's not a rub, that's a brine you cooked, haha. Glad you found the 2 to 1 pepper ratio though, that overnight rest makes all the difference for sure.

I remember watching a documentary about the Tower of London a few years back and figured the Crown Jewels were basically a tourist trap with painted props. Then a friend of mine who works security at a museum told me how they actually move the real stuff for state events. That changed my mind pretty fast. These places have insane insurance policies and armed guards standing right there. The whole point of showing real gold is that people can tell the difference up close, and they want that reputation. Fake bricks would get exposed by any inspector or historian in five minutes flat.

Wait, you ran a 40-unit in Round Rock and the drywall only slipped three days? That's practically a miracle on its own. What kind of subs are you using, monks who schedule by prayer? Because around here three days is what I call a good day.

Funny you mention that @julia557, because I used to be the type who thought making stock from scraps was a waste of time. Like, why bother when the store stuff works fine, right? But after a few batches where I actually paid attention to what I was tossing in, I totally get the appeal. The flavor difference is real, and it makes me feel less guilty about throwing away onion skins and carrot peels. My own disaster was leaving a pot simmering way too long and turning it into a weird jelly, but that just taught me to set a timer. Now I'm hooked on the whole process, even with the occasional cleanup headache. Is it just me, or does every kitchen fail end up teaching you something you actually use?

Hire your own guy for a second opinion before you close. I've done it twice now and it saved my ass both times. First time the first inspector missed a bad sewer line and the second guy caught it with a camera scope. Cost me 150 bucks for peace of mind but saved me 8 grand. Second time a roofer came out with the inspector and found three layers of old shingles under the new ones that were supposed to be a tear-off. Get specific people too, not just whoever the realtor recommends. Ask for a licensed engineer if the house is older than 30 years, they'll actually crawl under the house and check the foundation instead of just poking at baseboards.