It's confusing- feel like I'm trying to learn a whole bunch of procedures by starting in the middle. I don't have a clear work flow in my brain. I know this, like other places, will suddenly "click" and I will suddenly go "aha! so THAT'S why I have to do x". It will pull together but right now there are bits and pieces of information that are all disjointed. The person showing me a lot of this is very familiar with it all, and doesn't realize how much of a blank slate I am.

I have learned more today than yesterday, and maybe all this information is like all the metal guts of The Iron Giant after the explosion...there are things here and there that alone make no sense...all of his body parts are like all this information, and it's being pulled together magnetically...slowly...from all parts of the world...and pretty soon will arrange itself into something functional. I know I'm soooooooooo frickin' weird, ain't I!!!!!!

PS I like Iron Giant. I highly recommend it to people with kids about age 5 or so. It's a really well-made work of art, funny for grown-ups and kids, with a good message about peace and love and all that, and best of all it doesn't come with $4000 worth of video games, cereal, clothes, and toys you have to buy for your kids.