Hard time reading oil dipstick

I am lucky enough to have a garage I can change my oil in, which I do because I'm cheap! I can do oil, oil filter, air filter, and cabin air filter for about $85. And then I also wallow around underneath, greasing it, and getting grease everywhere. Irritating that the dealer would underfill it- I would just want it filled to Toyota spec, not their eyeball...

 

Blasted the tip in my spark plug cleaning blaster. Shizam i can see the dang eral mark now

 

My owner's manual specifies ~6.1qt. My biggest gripes are removing the skid plate and the use of a cartridge oil filter. What is this, the 1940s?

 

I don't mind the cartridge filter at all.
The drain plug is a nice addition for shade tree mechanics working without a lift.
A bag of cheap cat litter is an absolute must for absorbing drip spots.

I had to send our 2016 RAV back to our local shop to have them break loose the cartridge.
They had Godzilla with an impact gun working there the last time, and mine was installed so tight my electric impact gun would not remove it.
The shop fired Godzilla, comped me to a filter and torqued it back to 18 ft-lbs as it should be.

I prefill my cartridge when the new filter is in place.
This avoids a temporary dry-run while the cartridge fills with fresh oil on the first start.
I also appreciate the vertical filter orientation, as it does not drain down like side mounts or upside down mounts do.

I tried using the plastic tubing method to read my dipstick level.
This is nearly as problematic as the bare unsanded stick.
Plus it leaves me with an oil covered tube that I have to manage.
Next, I will try the paper towel method shown above.

 

Some people are hypnotized by the ugga-dugga!! I found that taking the dipstick out for a while really worked for me. It allowed the oil in the dipstick tube to drain down, and since I sanded the dipstick I got the first actual clear reading I have ever had with this truck (since 2018)! Also, on my 2013 Tacoma, the oil filter is on the top of the motor, and easily accessible. That is a small miracle in itself...

 

I don't know where the hell the dipstick is cause I don't change the oil myself.