Remember how that rule applies to way more than just washing machines. I've seen techs replace entire control boards in fancy ovens only to find a single bad wire connection from the door switch. Same with fridge ice makers, people swap the whole unit when the problem is just a stuck arm. Your boss was right, but the real lesson is that modern appliances hide their simple fixes behind complex error codes.

My toaster once screamed like a banshee.

That new five story mural on the old factory wall is a perfect example. It's all bright colors and geometric shapes, but it doesn't tell you anything. It feels like it was made just to look cool in a photo, not to make you feel something about the city's history. I saw a dozen people taking the exact same picture in front of it. The art becomes decoration, not a conversation. It's a shame because those walls could hold real stories.

Welcome to the joy of old house surprises.

My buddy learned that "solid thunk" lesson the hard way last year.