Ugh, that's the worst. It's like the houses are stuck in a loop, and you're just along for the ride. Makes you wonder what else from that era is just waiting to surprise someone.

What solvent are you using on that carbon ring?

Spot on. I see this with my mom's arthritis too. She stopped gardening because her hands hurt, and they just got stiffer. Her physical therapist had her start squeezing a soft ball for a few minutes a day, just a little bit of pushback. It's not about forcing through sharp pain, but that tiny bit of daily stress tells your body to keep the area working.

That Phoenix shop story is a real eye-opener.

Filler arcs do tend to drag on sometimes. I read somewhere that studios add them to let the source material build up. That makes sense, but it doesn't stop them from killing the pace. Waiting week after week for canon content is a real pain. A friend once said the best filler still feels like a detour you didn't ask for.