Always start with a multimeter. Check for power at the battery, then at the starter, and work your way back. A bad ground will show up as a voltage drop. I keep a spare length of wire with alligator clips just to bypass and test grounds on the spot.

Oof, that "sketchy shop" price is rough. I always carry a universal adapter with replaceable tips now after mine blew out in Bangkok. Saved me a couple times.

That faded Pixies shirt story is a classic. Mine was an old Sonic Youth "Goo" tee, the one with the cartoon kiss. A woman at the post office just pointed and said, "Sister, you know you're right." We ended up talking about seeing them on the '92 tour. It's those little moments that make wearing the shirt worth it. Emma_burns96 gets it, it's like a secret handshake for people who were there.

It's the same with bread baking now (all the exact temps and hydration talk). We traded simple tools for a hobby, which isn't bad, just different. The ritual is the whole point.

Honestly when you said "missed details in the paperwork" it made me realize how common that is now. Tbh we're all moving so fast we just skim everything, like terms of service or even instructions on a box. I've totally bought the wrong thing because I didn't read the full product description. It feels like our brains are just trained to look for the bold print and ignore the rest.