Not every store does this but a lot of the ones in bigger cities definitely have a back room. The workers usually have to like you or see you know what you're looking at before they'll let you back there. Fifteen bucks for a Dewalt drill is a steal even if it needed new brushes. I'd say you hit the jackpot and that worker probably saved that drill from sitting on the shelf for months.

Man, that reminds me of my buddy Dave. He had a half-empty fridge and made a killer soup out of some sad celery, old onions, and leftover rotisserie chicken bones. Said it was the best thing he'd made in months, just boiled everything with salt and pepper.

Yeah I've been seeing the EXACT same thing around here. Those vertical cracks are a dead giveaway from that February freeze where the sap froze and expanded inside the trees. Keep an eye on them through spring and if you see any sawdust or oozing then you'll need to call an arborist quick.

I glued my fingers to the table once.

Honestly, you mentioning "The Bronx Bar" is key here. Laptops dying in a loud, crowded bar where people are spilling drinks is basically asking for trouble. I think most backup plans focus on tech but forget the environment. You should have a waterproof case or a bag that keeps your gear safe from spills, not just a dead battery. Ngl, I keep a cheap tablet in my bag with all my pitch docs loaded, and I never take it out until I'm at the table.