Sean,
Contesting is just another part of the hobby, and I stress hobby. It should be fun. There are a lot worry warts out there that get hung up on details of rules and reading in things like "spirit". When it no longer becomes fun, move on to something else. Some of the best fun you can have contesting is when you are not competing, turning in logs, or worrying about the definition of paragraph 7 section 2, the third sentence where it says may (getting all worked up over whether this means you can or can't). Who cares, its a hobby. It's fun. If it stops being fun and seems like work, its time to find something else to do.
You can find a contest every weekend that you can toil with. Enjoy.