I’m similarly minded. A friend and I have talked about doing this for some time, but it’s such an old joke I sorta fear it wanders into the same territory as asking the grocery clerk if the item that didn’t scan is free.
Because a lot of German humor is pun based and when the translated into English, the joke doesn’t land and so the English started this farce that the Germans ain’t funny
Germans are plenty funny, the English are the problem
It’s not really here or there, but when I was a young child, I saw Star Trek: The Next Generation before Reading Rainbow, so my parents had to explain how actors worked when I was baffled how the blind man was teaching me how to read.
I did love Reading Rainbow, though, and still read regularly, probably in part thanks to Levar Burton.
Most of the hangover is just dehydration, so the Gatorade really does help a lot. Pedialyte or a different sports drink would do similarly, but also getting in shape, sleeping right, drinking plenty of water on the days you’re not drinking helps mitigate the issues with a little indulgence just fine.
But, everyone is different so your milage may vary.
There’s a part of me that wants to suggest recipes to save you from this nightmare, but your ignorance is your bliss and it comes from a readily available, cheap and easy to prepare cardboard box.
Bookshelves don’t have to just be for books, either! Ours is a mixed setup with a few plants, books, of course, some video games since it’s near the TV and boardgames. We also put a few eye-catching objects on it to add some color and inspire conversations.
Edit: BookS, plural! Though, I bet it could be striking if you put one single book on the shelf and filled the rest of it with other objects.