Oh man, I'm the worst for this. I once tried to count a graphic novel I read in a dentist's waiting room. The fight over that was longer than the book itself. Hitting a big number just turns us all into rule lawyers trying to pad our stats. It's half the fun, honestly.

That's the best kind of surprise, honestly. You just do the thing without thinking and then one day it's a whole truck transmission just sitting there. Makes all those automatic transfers feel worth it.

Try a clear jar with actual coins. Watching the pile grow is way more convincing than cookies (and cheaper, trust me).

Remember reading about how water-based poly can have clear UV blockers that break down faster than the old oil-based stuff. It makes sense in a place like Phoenix where the sun is basically a laser. My uncle had a similar thing happen with a red oak floor near a big window, it lost all its warmth in about two years. He ended up using a different top coat with more stable blockers, but it was too late for the original color. Sunlight just cooks everything in the end.

Used to think those kinds of rules were too gimmicky. Your story about the fantasy book fight actually makes a lot of sense, though. Might have to suggest something like that for my own group.