Spraying it down first can actually trap the heat and make it set even faster.

Totally get what you mean about it looking dead. That was my first thought too. It took seeing a really well done arrangement to change my mind. The texture and shapes can be really cool when you mix them with other things. Now I love how it looks, plus you can't beat not having to replace it all the time.

Oh man, that grease trick is pretty clever actually.

But hold on, what if the manual was wrong from the start? I've run into a few old units where putting it the other way actually lined everything up better. The rope sat fine and we didn't see any weird wear. Maybe the original install had it backwards and the "right" way just copies the mistake. Could be that some of these jumps happen from a bent frame or worn bearings, not just the sheave direction.

Honestly my travel journal is just a mess of sticky notes and half finished lists. Last time I got stuck in Denver I had to tape a whole new page over my original itinerary because the pen bled through. It looked like a crime scene but at least I remembered which hotel I was actually booked at that night.