Absolutely the right call with the brush. Seen too many people get speed-blind with a trowel and shear through a find. Had a similar thing on a Saxon site with a fragile bone comb. The trowel would have snapped every tooth. Slow brushing for an hour got it out in one piece. Sometimes you just have to ignore the urge to go fast.

Wait, you leave your starter in the oven with just the light on? That's genius, I never even thought of that. I've been trying to find a warm spot in my kitchen for ages and it's always either too hot or too cold. I mean, my starter probably thinks it's on a roller coaster. Gonna try the oven light trick tomorrow, for real.

My uncle did that in his 1970s kitchen reno. Honestly, the wiring was so old and brittle, putting a blank plate over it might have been MORE dangerous long term. Sometimes covering it up IS the safer fix if you know the circuit is dead.

Wow, that number really makes it feel real, doesn't it? I had a similar moment when my daughter turned 18 last year. It helped me to write a long letter to her, just for myself, about all the feelings. Maybe try doing something small and quiet to mark the day for you, like looking at old pictures. These big birthdays really do open the floodgates.

Did you have a written contract or was it just a verbal agreement?