But what if the real problem was how the sheet was used? I've had to track time before and it actually helped me see where my day went, so I could fix it. Maybe the boss just used it wrong.

Have you ever tried writing in a totally different place than usual? I once got stuck on a scene for days, then wrote the whole thing on my phone while waiting at the car wash. The weird noise and smell of soap, plus not being at my desk, somehow made the dialogue come out way more natural.

Wow, my last DIY project lasted about that long too.

That "just plugging things in" comment hits home. I had a client watch me trace a network issue for an hour, then ask if I was almost done because it looked like I was just changing cables. They didn't see the mapping of their whole setup I did first. Sometimes I'll point to a wall and say, "The hard part was getting the cable through there without breaking anything," and that makes them pause. It helps a little.

Sounds like a rough day but not the end of the world.