Yeah the durability is the greatest thing. I can use metal spatulas and scrape away. No need to baby it, it’s literally a hunk of metal. I don’t even give a shit how the seasoning looks anymore, if food doesn’t stick badly it’s all good.
You don’t need any special equipment. Chain mail is useful to have in general though (not just for cast iron), but not mandatory.
Imo pans just take too much space in the dishwasher so I’ll just wash them immediately after use. Takes like 30 seconds because the pan still being hot helps immensely. After drying I like to oil them, just because I like how they look oiled, literally no other reason.
I prefer to have all 3: stainless, cast iron and carbon steel. Personally I have a carbon steel wok that does double duty as a frying pan.
I started on home assistant with just a couple Smart bulbs and oh boy has it gotten out of hand since then lol. Home bridge sounds good if that’s all that’s needed though.
Your current gas prices are about at the level where a lot of people used to cruise at where I live. Haven’t really seen it much since it rose to about 2€ per liter (7.57€ or $8.29 per gallon).
Do whatever is your favourite hobby but crack a few beers if you drink (or whatever else alcoholic or non alcoholic drink you enjoy) while eating some of your favourite snacks and just have some good alone time!
Gaming, knitting, scale models, whatever floats your boat.
I don’t even remember the last time I seasoned mine. Definitely not even once a year.