I used to find those team-building exercises pretty useless. Then at a company retreat, we did a similar taste-testing game that actually helped people talk more openly. It broke the ice in a way regular meetings never did. Now I see how connecting unrelated things can sometimes loosen folks up. Still, forcing it at an office party might be a bit much.

My gym routine finally stuck after three months.

Damn, my friend's suit shrank from not pre-washing the fabric.

Watched a coworker replicate that exact scenario last winter, turning his heat down to 58 to save money. He ended up with a burst pipe in his basement that flooded his laundry room and ruined his water heater. Your buddy's story, @robin_lee, reminds me so much of that mess where being too frugal backfired massively. Sometimes you gotta balance ethics with common sense, like keeping the heat just high enough to avoid disasters. Ever wonder why these horror stories don't get more attention before people try these extreme measures?