People storming off over a book club discussion sounds like a lot, was it really that heated before? Writing down who you think the bad guy is feels like homework, half the fun is figuring that out while you argue.

Credit card thickness on the first try? Come on man, you're lying. That never happens, not on a wrecked car with a pulled rad support. I've spent whole Saturdays fighting a fender just to get it close, shimming the top bolt hole, ovaling holes with a file, yanking the whole thing forward with a ratchet strap to the bumper of my truck. First try is a fairy tale and you know it. What did you really do, bolt it up loose and pray?

Something I read years ago in a Cook's Illustrated article said you can grate frozen butter on a box grater and it softens up in like 10 minutes once it hits the sugar. Never tried it myself but it makes sense since more surface area means faster warming. The other thing I heard is you can cut the cold butter into small cubes and spread them on a plate, they hit room temp way faster than a whole stick. Doris sounds like she knows her stuff, that poke test is the real trick. Cold butter just smears around the bowl instead of getting fluffy, which is why your old cookies were flat and greasy.