Man, forget the bones, throw those in a pot with some onion and celery and make stock. The real trick is to skim the fat off the top after it cools and use that schmaltz to roast potatoes, that's where the actual value is hiding.

Why would you cheap out and not just fix the button while you had it open? Pay the shop next time.

Man that El Paso water is no joke and I feel you on the starter acting different after a move. Mine went totally flat for like three weeks when I moved and I thought I killed it for good. Honestly your theory about routine makes sense to me, because my starter perks up way more when I switch up when I feed it than when I mess with the ratios. I stopped weighing everything last month and just feed it when it looks hungry and it has been way more active. So it might not be a fluke at all, could just be that your starter was bored with the same old schedule. Either way congrats on breaking the rubber band record, that is a good day.