My kid dumped a whole glass of red wine on our new countertop. My mother-in-law gasped like it was a crime scene. Just wiped it off and told her it's concrete, not cement. The look on her face was priceless.

Ask if that tape holds up after multiple uses. Mine failed when it got damp then dried out. Gear reviews might avoid simple fixes because they seem temporary. Companies want to sell new products. But sometimes cheap works fine for a while. What conditions did you camp in that tested the patch?

Man, that's seriously cool. Seeing your work printed and actually stopping people in their tracks? That's the dream right there. All those late nights staring at the screen finally turn into something real you can point to. Makes you wonder why we even do this sometimes, and then a day like that just answers it. Really happy for you, that's a huge win.

Nah, I use the cooling time to get other stuff done, so it flies by.

See this happen with so many hobbies now, they pile on fees and complicated rules that push out newcomers. Like @bettyh84 mentioned, local events are a better start, but the big contests still feel like a club for the connected. I noticed the same thing with craft beer festivals, where entry costs and vendor requirements shut out small brewers. It just makes the whole scene feel exclusive instead of fun.