Ever try cutting drywall with a utility knife?

Yeah, the cola trick is way too harsh for anything delicate.

Remember when I tried to eyeball a shelf?

Ugh, that's the worst. You start reading about hydration percentages and ambient kitchen temps, then you're down a rabbit hole at 2 AM wondering if your tap water's chlorine level is the problem. Next thing you know you're feeding it weird schedules with exact gram weights, and the poor thing just gives up from all the stress.

Ever feel like you're the reason they put warning labels on things? I've been there. I once tried to patch a hole without cleaning out the loose stuff first, just slapped new mud over old dust. It fell out faster than I could put my tools away. For a small crack, you gotta chip out any loose bits until you hit solid edges, then soak the area with a spray bottle for a good while. The old stucco will suck up water like a sponge, so keep it wet, then apply a bonding agent or a scratch coat before your finish coat.