Okay, "cataloging" might be a bit off. I mean, they were probably processing the whole collection. That's way more than just typing up a list. You've got to sort them, figure out the dates and places, put them in acid-free folders, maybe scan some. A big postcard collection could have thousands of items, all mixed up. So three years for one person's life work? That actually sounds right, idk.

Your uncle's story reminds me of a Cessna 172 with a log entry just saying "adjusted mixture." @gray_roberts. Turned out someone had bent the fuel line and didn't note it, which caused a rough idle for months. Good notes save so much time and guesswork down the line.

Heard of guys using old bike brake cable for that.

Honestly, that "blanket of stars" groan is brutal but useful. The worst I ever wrote was for a college story, something like "The rain fell like tears from a sad sky." Makes me cringe just typing it. Starting with action, like your character tripping, is always smarter.

Full power cycle is a solid move. Just a heads up though, pulling main power on some newer panels can cause a tamper alert. I usually try the quick breaker reset first.