That "bruises my head" part is too real. My buddy did the exact same thing with his doorway pull-up bar, but he actually knocked himself out cold. Woke up on the floor of his apartment hallway with no idea how he got there. He had a lump for a week and his roommate had to hide the bar from him. Now he just uses the monkey bars at the park like a little kid.

Feel your pain... heat and oil finishes never mix well. Saw @hart.reese's comment about microwaving varnish and it's the same kind of bad idea. That sticky layer is probably uncured oil that got cooked. You'll have to strip it back to bare wood, maybe with a chemical stripper to really get it out of the grain. Sanding might just push the gummy stuff around. Next time, just smile and nod when family gives tips, then go back to following the product directions.

Last month I labeled every drawer in my workspace with exactly what goes inside. Now I spend zero minutes hunting for a certain brush or pencil. That coffee mug method sounds like a recipe for clutter and lost items. With a strict system, my mind is clear to focus on the actual art. The initial setup takes work, but it pays off every single day. Calling order a barrier ignores how much chaos slows you down.