But Eric, sometimes the fun part is actually the worst part. It can turn into a huge mess that nobody wants to deal with. Calling it fun is just being nice about a real headache.

That line about the core heat blowing the surface to pieces is so real. My buddy had a similar thing happen with a fence post concrete job. Some guy at the hardware store saw him buying bags and asked if he was doing it that day. Told him the ground was still frozen a few inches down from a cold snap, and the concrete wouldn't set right, it would just crumble in a month. My friend blew him off and did it anyway. Sure enough, spring came and half those posts were loose. He had to redo the whole thing.

Keeping a secret... man, that phrase just reminds me of the time I forgot to tighten a drain plug. Found it rolling around the shop floor after the car left. Had to call the guy and tell him to come right back. My heart was in my throat the whole time.