Oh man, I felt that! My pantry was a total mess of random containers last year. What finally clicked was just picking one type of jar, like all mason jars, and sticking with that. I got clear ones so I could see everything, and now I just refill them from big bags. It seems simple, but having everything match makes it so much easier to keep track.

Remember a buddy of mine who does freelance design. She put an auto reply on for evenings and weekends, just like you did. A couple of clients grumbled at first, asking for 'quick' fixes at 10pm, but she held firm. Honestly, @charlieb21, she said it was the best thing she ever did for her sanity and her work got better because she was actually resting. They all stuck with her too, once they got used to the new normal.

Hold on, did you say he brought his own smoker to a block party? That's crazy to me because most pitmasters I know guard their methods like state secrets. For him to just show up and give a free demo is almost too good to be true. It really does make you wonder why more chefs don't do these surprise visits. Stuff like that could change how people cook at home for good.