Ever since my wife learned how to run the barbecue, the minions have fared poorly...
Actually, it was she that chose that Eduard kit: "That's cute! Do they really mean 'weekend'? Bet you can do it." My wife's great for my hobby, she really is. "That looks awful! Those Germans knew nothing about color-coordination. Here, build this one."
I spent a lot of time working out my techniques so sometimes I can almost build on autopilot. The Yak fit well and had a low parts count. Economy of motion: build the wings while the cockpit dries, kind of thing. I glossed with Metalizer Sealer, which dries in seconds. That helped. And I cut corners too. That said, some Tamiya kits can be done in a weekend as well, but some of the other Eduard 'weekend' kits can't. That La-7, for instance. Too fiddly.