We had almost the same thing happen during our last bad movie night, the bulb on my old TV just popped during the opening credits. We grabbed a tablet and propped it up on a stack of books, then passed it around so everyone got a turn holding it. Honestly the tiny screen made us all lean in and pay way more attention, so we caught jokes we would've missed from the couch. Someone tossed a blanket over the window to cut the glare and it felt like a weird little campout. Best part was we didn't miss a single bad line. I'd say always keep one backup plan, even if it's just a phone.

There's actually a small detail in that old timer's advice worth nudging at. The blades don't do the work by themselves, they do the work when your body weight shifts just right through the handle. I learned that the hard way finishing a garage slab in Temple, arms locked up so tight I thought I'd pop a tendon, and a foreman just said "push your hips, not your hands." That loose grip only works if you're also letting your knees and waist move with the machine, otherwise you're just swinging the trowel around like a broom.