smitten

ah! it was time for another welding lesson!
oh yes!

i headed out to the shed early so i could do
some stuff on my own. figured it would save them
some time and it would help me learn.

not welding.
i wasn't gonna do that alone yet.
i still figure there's a good chance i'll blow
up the shed. so i was okay waiting on that.

but i went out and took the stick of metal we
had been using and cut a few pieces from it.

as i got the roaring green saw started, my insides
were just delighted. sparks flew everywhere - just
like sparklers - as the blade cut into the metal.

mmmmmrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrr

oh wow.
that is soooo cool.

i cut a few more times just for the fun of it.

and then i needed to grind off the grit and rust and gunk.

that's nice and loud too with more sparks.
and my gosh......under the rust and gunk is just this
gorgeous shiny silver.

it was so pretty.

the guys came wandering out as i was putting the pieces
in the clamp. i proudly showed them what i had done.

i swear, honest to pete, they looked like they were dealing
with their daughter instead of their mother. you could see
that they didn't want to squelch my enthusiasm but weren't
thrilled i was out there using the saw alone in the shed.

when i rolled my eyes at their overprotectedness, they reminded
me that i wouldn't let zakk work out their alone with that stuff
for a long time.

oh yeah.

and zakk pointed out that he was way less likely to get distracted
by seeing angels in the stuff and that he was prolly a safer bet
to be alone.

oh yeah.
okay.
okay.

and then.........

it was time for the really adorable green and white polka dottted
hat which you wear backwards to protect your neck.

i remember the first time i saw bob in his polka dotted hat, backwards,
i thought he was the cutest thing. and i was surprised he was so fun
with the hat. he's usually pretty conservative. ahhhh...little did i know
that it was a welding hat.

and my gosh, welders must just be fun. they have the cutest hats.

hat on.
googles.
those really big gloves that i really can only wear one because
i can't move my hands in those things....

and we were ready.

striker.
poof!

i have never heard a poof that thrills me like this poof
thrills me.

noah stood next to me, talkin' in my ear.
guiding me with his words.
remembering the things i had read to him from the welding
book, he repeated into my ear as i welded.

i welded.

i melted metal again.

oh my gosh.

i think i'm in love with welding.........
i feel head over heels in love.
what an incredible feeling.
and there's not even a guy involved.
seems a whole heck of a lot easier this way!!!

when we were all done, i took a little piece of metal
i had cut from the big metal stick. it's as long as my
hand. rusty and grimy. the two ends are shiny as i used
the grinder on them. i showed it to zakk.

'i'm taking this in. i'm gonna carry this around. i just
love this thing.' i said.

and without missing a beat, my gorgeous son smiled at me
and said 'it's your power stick.'

i smiled, squeezed my stick, and agreed.

heading in, i thanked them up and down.
they are giving me a new love.....

and i gotta say.......it feels good to be so smitten.