Those tribulations would have had me throwing a temper tantrum. Ugh!!

Also, what you say about the dough is reminding me of the time I tried to cook with my father's long, long, LONG expired flour. I mean, I have cooked with flour past its expiry date, no problem, but this must have been ancient, because I swear, the resultant item--pancakes? cookies? I can't remember now--tasted like death. It was like eating the ashes from a funeral pyre. I threw everything away, bought my dad new flour, and have been VERY aware of flour expiry dates ever since.

--I don't think that was your crust problem. It's just that your experience reminded me of that experience.