Blake, I have a grandson named Blake and he is pursuing a mechanical engineering degree. My daughter and her husband WHN (What's-His-Name) are both mechanical engineers so he's following in their footsteps.
I am honored that you read this whole thread but I feel so bad about your loss -- you'll never get those 8 weeks back. I'm pretty sure some of the images I've posted will haunt you for a long time.
I go in the garage and upon seeing the two Vettes and the CTS-V, I pinch myself. I had to kiss a lot of Ramblers and Lincoln Town Cars to get to this point. It may not have been obvious from the pictures but sandpaper only comes out late at night or during nail appointments. I don't want my last words to be "it's very fine sandpaper."
Sometimes the hurricanes visit us on their way to your neighborhood (Katrina in 2005) but you're right, it's Texas OR Florida OR the Carolinas. Our 17" of rain in one day was a drizzle compared to 54" in five. Also, who has a 54" rain gauge?
I don't think I have optimized my storage but my goal has always been to find a place for my stuff and then never move it. I do spend a fair amount of time sitting on the floor trying to remember where I used that missing tool last. There's a 1/4" ratchet handle that went AWOL several years ago and I still can't remember when I saw it last. SOB me put a $300 A/C hose assembly away and I'm pretty sure the box is labeled but it looks it's going to be an archaeological find in a future century.
I have an electrical nightmare in the garage and I am ignoring it. A triple duplex outlet went dead and I am not positive which breaker controls it. It should be easy to find because it's the only wire in the house that has a black neutral and white positive (discovered with one of those test plugs). It is also the only cable in the garage that heads down the stud toward the floor. I see a real fun drywall project in my future.
I appreciate the kind words about my brother. It's been 54 years but he's still 21 to me.