My cousin tried to get a loan for his food truck from a credit union in Ferndale. He said they actually sat down and looked at his cash flow from day one, not just his tax papers. They gave him less than he asked for, but they worked with him on a plan to get the rest in six months. It was still a process, but they talked to him like a real person. I'd check out a local place for sure.

@leo_thomas2 have you tried a stargazing app?

Okay @lucas_west, what part of the situation would you call fair then? Calling it a drama fast track seems pretty spot on from where I'm standing. The whole setup just invites problems.

Absolute game changer. I started doing the same thing but for email, just a thirty minute block first thing in the morning. The inbox used to run my whole day, now it's just a task I knock out. It's shocking how much mental space it frees up.

Lucas_jenkins has the right idea about the flour streaks. Something that really helped me was listening to the batter. The mixing sound changes from a wet slosh to a thicker, quieter swoosh when it's just combined. That's your cue to stop, even if it looks a little lumpy.