Today I learned to befriend power tools.

Power tools are the embodiment of things unknown to me. My Dad helped me tear out my deck last summer and I was impressed when I learned how to use a power screwdriver. My lack of excitement concerning power tools is because power tools are, well, powerful, and you’ve probably noticed by now that I tend to be accident-prone. I envision a perfect storm of pain and emergency care.

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For instance, you don’t see one of these on a shovel:

 My husband pointed out that the picture is fuzzy

but I think its message is abundantly clear.

The Catholic priest in my hometown had firsthand experience with such a snowblower injury. Oh dear. No pun intended. :/ The poor fellow lost fingers. So, yes, when I decided to learn how to use the snowblower it was with some apprehension. But I have a lot of confidence in my tutor – my husband, since he has both my best interest at heart, and practical knowledge of the equipment. So, I bundled up and got ready to learn how to use the snowblower.

Which I have named Matilda the Hun.

Doesn't it look like it should have "Binford" somewhere on there?

Haha! This made us laugh.
The last time it snowed (over five inches),
my husband couldn't find the key and had to shovel.
There was a back-up on the blower all along. :)

Pretty self-explanatory. They saw me coming.
Although I needed help with words like, "choke" and "throttle"
- which, by the way, sounds like a very violent situation to me.


I had to look around for the ignition, since most snowblowers
don't have theirs in the dashboard.


Bunny go fast. Turtle go slow. Me like.


You plug it in? Seriously?
We have an electric starter on our snowblower,
and when Jess handed me the power cord...
...well, you see the picture.


Pushing to start the engine.
I jumped about six inches when it started.
I think Matilda laughed at me.

The most important thing that I learned is that Matilda uses the big red part to eat snow, and anything else that gets in her path. Do not let Matilda eat anything except snow. No planters, no small animals, and especially not the back bumper of the car. Per my husband’s request.

Left handlebar is the snow-eating auger. Right handlebar makes it go. Shift into drive, hold auger, make it go. Stop making it go, stop auger, reposition snowblower to go around the corner. Oops. Missed a spot. Stop making it go, stop auger, shift into reverse, make it go – oops, forgot the auger. And don't forget to go straight! It’s a lot to remember.

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Oh yeah, and you should watch where the snow is blowing...

LoL. Just a tip.
There's a neat angle-director on the blower-vent thingie
that will keep the snow from redecorating the outside of your house.

Tah-Dah!

I accidentally shot some snow back onto the sidewalk before Matilda ran out of gas and keeled over. You know, looking at this picture, I think that the biggest thing I learned today was how much work it was. I was pretty tuckered out when I got done. (My husband even moved the cars out of the driveway so I could get the full experience. Thanks, Sweetie. I saw you laughing crazy out loud as you pulled the car out, by the way, Ornery. I have a new appreciation for all the times you've moved snow for us... :)

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When I was done, I was covered in sweat and my muscles ached. Husband dear said that I was trying to do all the work, that the snowblower is supposed to do the work. He pointed out that I was leaving snow behind because I was pushing it as it was supposed to be driving itself. And then, thinking back to my near-burning experience last night because I pushed down too hard on the tip and worked it loose...instead of letting the burner do the work. I guess I do that a lot. I take on more work than I need to in order to make something work. Even in the job that I just lost. I put a lot of work into that job, poured a lot of myself and my time and my life into that job. So I guess the most helpful thing I realized today is that it will either work or it won't, but pushing something harder than it's supposed to go will wear you out. Like any of the other goofs on this blog, I’ve know that mistakes are fine as long as you learn from them.

(And as long as you don’t end up at the ER…or let Matilda gnaw on the fender of the van.)

Ooh - And since this blog has just made my whole week fun and adventurous, I'll throw in a freebie that I learned on accident - How to make a layered beverage!

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I had some leftovers from my Shirley Temple lesson and so I poured half a glass of extra pulp orange juice, filled the top half with ginger ale and put in a splash of grenadine and had this "happy little accident" as the late great Bob Ross would call it.

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I don't know yet what I'll be learning tomorrow...

...but I'll keep you posted.

Today I learned how to write with fire.

Ok - just FYI, I haven't started a cooking blog. Although my husband would probably be ok with that. He took the Pineapple Upside-Down cake to work with him this morning and he said his co-workers thought it was pretty tasty. After two recipes in a row, though, I wanted to mix things up a bit. So today I learned about pyrography. I mean, come on. Anything with the prefix "pyro" has got to be fun!

I think it was a year ago at Christmastime that I bought my woodburner tool and a wooden slate. I was feeling all ambitious about making Christmas presents, and I wanted to make a sign for my Uncle. This Uncle has a piece of property, 40 acres, I'm assuming because the locals refer to it as "The Lost 40" and he liked the name and kept it. Uncle had a little hunting cabin imported to plunk down on a hill there and I thought it might be nice to make him a sign for the cabin.

I was cleaning out my cupboard recently and found the dusty woodworking tool and slate and realized that I do this a lot. My husband bought me a really awesome sewing machine that I wanted, but don't really know how to use. I have crochet hooks, scrapbooking and painting supplies and an assortment of other crafty gear around that has been collecting dust because of my lack of know-how or my lack of time to achieve the know-how. Haha - but no longer! I will conquer the unknown day by day, whether it be crafting or life-skills or wielding a chainsaw! And I shall share the process here with you. ;) If you're there. : *tap-tap* Is this thing on?

The Materials:

Woodburning tool, with multiple tips, wood slate, scratch paper for design.

Fire up the cannon! :) It takes about five minutes to heat up to 510F.

Yes, I did have a moment when I thought about learning if

I could roast a marshmallow above it.

I also realized the coincidence that yesterday

my goal was to NoT burn things.

Practice doodles on scratch wood were helpful to figure out
the feel of the tool and how to handle it.

I started it up and then realized I should do my rough design sketch
BeFoRe I started burning the wood.

There we go.
A little reverse engineering and we're off...

I made an outline of the design in marker
and then sort of let creativity take over.

Although I don't know what in the long-legged porcupine
I was thinking here.
Bad, creativity. Bad. You get a time-out.
I was probably distracted by the fact that whoever designed this thing
probably doesn't press as hard as I do.
My index finger is still a little flat and
I have a permanent dent in my middle finger.

Oh, and I almost caught my pants on fire.
Apparently, pressing too hard loosens the tip
to the point where it comes loose.
So I wouldn't recommend that. For the love of all things holey.
Unless you enjoy the idea of dropping something
hotter than the inside of an oven, near your crotch.
Which, by the way, is a VeRy alarming sensation.
Hmm. Yeah. Don't do that.
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Somehow, I have an inkling that
I'll be learning how to patch holes soon.
And a refresher on basic first aid might be handy, too

Especially before I try that whole chainsaw thing...

The finished product. Tah-Dah!

BYW, you can click any photo on my blog to get a closer look.

I'm not planning to quit my day job (hehe)

but it's not too bad for a first try. :)

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Tomorrow, I'll go the other extreme and learn how to do something colder.

I'll keep you posted!