That "old cedar" line reminds me of the cedar chest in my grandma's attic, still solid after 60 years.

Totally get what you're saying about the meter readings. It reminds me of how we do this with all kinds of stuff, like only checking the weather on one app or trusting one review site. We take a single point of data and treat it like the whole story. I've killed plants before by only poking the top inch of soil that felt dry, while the roots were drowning below. Now I check a few spots, wait a day, and check again before I do anything. It's a good habit for anything that's not simple.

Man, I used to be the worst about that before I realized my hot takes were mostly just me missing the point.

Wait, a 1920s Philly rowhouse? Those walls are never straight, that laser level must have felt like magic.