Turned it into a game where I'd physically move seats to break the autopilot switch. The part that stuck was watching their faces change from "oh good the tech guy is here" to "oh wait he's just some dude watching a trailer now." That silent shift felt like getting my name back.

Nah see that's where I totally disagree. Trusting your eyes over the plan is how you get wobbly shelves and doors that don't close right. That "feel" for the work is just guessing. My best cabinet doors came from sticking exactly to the printout for the rail and stile cuts. If I went by feel, the joints would be off by a hair and the whole thing would look homemade. The printout is the craft.

Totally get that extra weight buys real peace of mind.

Used to assume empty shelves were sad, but this makes the library feel more real.

Amsterdam's Vondelpark had the perfect quiet bench for focus.