Congrats, you basically built a water slide for rain right into your sleeping bag. That classic blue tarp move is a rite of passage for turning a tent into a boat. I did the same thing years ago and woke up floating on my sleeping pad. The only way a cheap tarp works is if you cut it smaller than your tent floor or fold it under so tight that not a single corner peeks out. Otherwise it just becomes a perfect rain funnel system every single time.

Ever check the host's other listings?

Honestly, that "too wordy" note is brutal but it sounds like it was the best advice you could get. I mean, it makes total sense when you think about it, people just glance at those boards while they're waiting in line. Cutting it down to the bare basics is the way to go. My buddy did the same thing with his handyman cards, just name, number, and "fix it", and he said it worked way better. It's cool to hear that just changing your flyer made such a clear difference for your calls.

Mine dissolved into a weird, sticky paste.

Oh totally, I read something similar in a career tips article last year. It said bosses hear "I deserve more" all the time, but showing proof with numbers is way harder to ignore. Like, instead of just saying you work hard, you show you saved the company five grand or brought in two new clients last month. It turns a feeling into a fact they have to deal with. Your supply cost example is perfect, that's exactly the kind of hard proof that gets a yes.