Man, that wizard feeling fading is the worst, isn't it? But those old relays taught you the real logic, how things actually connect. Isn't all that just hidden inside a chip now? My two cents, start by finding where the real world touches that board, like the wires for the floor buttons or the door motor. It's still just about closing loops and making things move, right? You already know the dance, the music just changed.

Ever get the feeling they're just giving you a hard time because it's different? I had the same thing happen. Next time they joke about the quiet, just say "yeah, I can actually hear my music now." If they say it's weak, point to your cut lawn and say "looks fine to me, and I saved fifteen bucks on gas this month." Most people just repeat stuff they hear.

Yeah that "talking shop to get sparked" thing is interesting. Sometimes I find the opposite, like all that outside talk just fills up the space in my head with other people's noise. Being stuck alone, like on a ferry with no one to talk to, forces you to dig around in your own thoughts for answers you didn't know you had. It's uncomfortable at first but that's where the real spark happens for me. The quiet makes you work with what's already in there.

Could be you're seeing a low point (it happens) not a permanent change.

Ferry ride to the islands" wouldn't do it for me, I need to be around other people talking shop to get sparked. Not for me.