Man, my buddy Nate went through the exact same thing last summer. He was doing a garage slab layout and kept fighting with his old chalk line, snapping it four or five times in the same spot because the chalk was clumping up in the humidity. His kid grabbed a cheap laser off the truck and had the whole thing lined up before Nate even finished winding his reel back. Nate swore he'd never touch the chalk line again, then two weeks later he pulled it out for a quick deck job because the laser battery died on him. Funny thing is he told me both tools are staying in his bag now, chalk for the fast small stuff and the laser for anything long or fussy. Sounds like you're not stubborn, you just know when each one earns its keep.

Downstream is where it always piles up, not at the screen.

Boise winters are mild enough that a good cover plus a wash every couple weeks will keep rust away. My buddy ran his Camaro outside for three years there and the only spot he got was where road salt sat on the rocker panel. You just have to rinse the underside after the roads get treated.