And then there was the time when a tiny amount of water kept me from
getting the joint hot. I guess about that time someone pointed out
the old plumbers trick of stuffing some bread into the pipe to absorb
the water.

You can't even burn a hole in a dixie cup if there is water on the other
side of the cardboard. I used to use a straw and such to get the water out
of the pipe before soldering it, but finally I discovered an auto-supply
gizmo used to take the acid out of a battery. It is a big squeeze-ball with
a narrow tube, and fits into the pipe to get that water out of there,
without even wondering where the bread goes. ;-)