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Today was my first day of blacksmithing! At eight thirty in the morning, on a Saturday. That's got to count for something, dedication-wise, right?
I got there about ten minutes early. The welding building is small and I found the classroom space without too much trouble. My class included about ten other guys and one girl, and in addition to the professor there are about five assistants. The setup's small but definitely workable - eight or nine propane forges, lots of anvils to go around, and we only have to buy a minimum of equipment. I need two specific pairs of tongs, which I can buy from the school, and that's it for my own tools. We're encouraged to pick up our own equipment, but I think I want to get my hands on a hammer at the forge before I decide what weight to buy for my first one.
You may not guess it to know me, but I'm kind of shy in new situations. I know just enough about myself (and my Asperger tendencies) that I don't push myself to participate when I'm feeling awkward. I shut up and watch, which is exactly what I did today. Did I feel awkward? You bet I did. But I did it anyway, because what else was I going to do?
Honestly, I'm still excited. I'm looking forward to getting in there with the fire and the tools next time.
Thanks to the frankly bizarre arrangement of holidays and Saturday classes, I have over a week before I have my first welding class and two weeks before this class meets again. It's probably for the best, as I have personal business to worry about this week, but it's still an odd way to go about it.