Actually the darker colors tend to fade slower because they absorb the UV rays instead of reflecting them back off the pigment particles. Lighter colors have more white pigment that can break down faster from the sun. We had a light beige on our place in Tucson and it was chalky within 18 months, but the dark gray we switched to has been solid for 4 years now. The heat thing is real though, you're not kidding about that south wall getting nuclear. Did you notice any difference in your cooling bills after switching?

Honestly I'm gonna go the other way on this one. That dog was probably doing you a favor by exposing a problem in your routine. If your soot bag isn't secured tight enough that a golden retriever can grab it and dump it out, that's on you not the dog. I've had raccoons mess with my gear bags at night and you know what I did? I started locking my truck and securing my loads better. Dogs don't know what soot is, they just see a fun smelly bag to play with. The homeowner's patio getting messed up is a bummer but you're the professional who left the bag accessible mid-job.

Great, now I have to go check all my wrenches and probably my self esteem too.

Is it just me, or does that same "tighten it til it stops, then give it another quarter turn" mentality show up in tons of stuff we do? I've seen guys put lug nuts on with a breaker bar, or crank down on a drain plug way too hard (and then strip it, of course). @lewis.brian your buddy's story is spot on - we all hate the idea of something coming loose, so we overcorrect like crazy. It's like we forget that a gentle hand usually works better in the long run, you know?

And here I am still burning toast, @daniela85.