Try a thrift store for mugs with character.

All water is the same" is the perfect comparison, that's wild. I'd lose my mind hearing that flour take in real life. Some people just have no clue.

Actually had the opposite happen for me. Angling down just a bit fixed it completely, even with mixed chips. Maybe it's a machine difference?

About soft checks not being a big deal, my friend thought that too. He applied for a new credit card and got denied because of several soft checks on his report. I mean, it really set him back and made him take them seriously.

Funny enough, my old habit was always locking in the longest, cheapest stay. It took getting a last minute chance to join friends in Portugal while stuck in a Madrid lease to really shift that. Now a shorter commitment feels like buying options, even if it costs a bit more upfront.