Getting old IS rubbish, but it generally beats the alternative, as we know.
I like the idea of the brewing mat. I’ll research that some more. I have a long heating pad (Amazon) that advertises specific temperatures for its various settings. I tend to use it on the lowest setting and often heat the pad, unplug it, and then wrap the head(s) in the pad.
I’ll add one more thought here: I was testing a grenadilla tenor once and I couldn’t get it warm enough to stop clogging. Eric Haas suggested that I get a hand warmer (one of those air-activated things), drape it over the beak, and hold it in place with a rubber band. Said I could play for hours with no clogging. Of course he was right. The results were pretty amazing. The visuals were less than amazing. For testing, though, and I guess in an emergency, it’s a solution.