Man, you just described the entire business model of shonen anime right there... it's all about selling the next power-up whether it makes sense or not.

Shopping carts and broken concrete in a retention pond? Man, that's nasty. I've never had to deal with actual garbage like that in a pond job, but I can totally see the plain suction line just giving up on you. That sounds like the kind of material that would make anybody wish they had a cutterhead from the first scoop.

That bit about the tar paper peeling up like a giant bandaid got me good, @emma_perry. I had almost the exact same thing happen when I was putting new felt on my buddy's chicken coop. A gust caught the corner and it just rolled up like a window shade and took off down the street. I had to chase it through two neighbors' yards and found it wrapped around a mailbox post. Wind on exposed roofing is no joke, especially when you think you've got it weighed down enough and then nature says nope.