Austin tech meetups always have the worst wifi for that stuff.

Yeah that box fan trick is a lifesaver. I had a whole batch of plates get ruined when my studio door swung open during a storm. The wind just sliced right through them while they were leather hard. Now I do the exact same thing, fan in the window blowing out, and crack another window across the room. It moves the air so much better and you don't get those random gusts.

That "chip out all the fresh mortar" part is the worst. In dry air, I actually watch how fast the water soaks into my mixing board first thing in the morning. If it disappears in seconds, I know I'll need to mix a bit tighter than usual from the get go.