Lynette George

No. I'm not talking about NASCAR. This is way more exciting than watching cars go 'round and 'round.

It's power tools!

Yessiree Bob! After 48 years of begging, whining and moping, I was finally allowed to run power tools last week -- all by myself!

My husband, Roger, and I spent our vacation working on a construction project at home. As folks mistakenly think I have an uncanny knack for getting hurt, I'd never been turned loose with anything but a hammer and screw driver. Last week, however, it was crucial that our work move faster than a slow crawl.

My job was to measure and cut 2x4s and nail them into the walls. That required the use of an electric saw and an air nail gun. Wahoo!

I measured the first space, then ran outside to cut the board. I carefully placed the saw blade directly on my carefully-placed mark, cautiously pulled the saw trigger, and zip! The board was cut in a split second! I immediately decided to never use a handsaw again.

Proud of my first official board-cutting, I confidently strutted over to the space and tried to put the board in its place.

What in the world? Did the wall move? The dadblamed board was too short!

Roger grinned and scooted farther away from me as I angrily muttered and stormed back outside.

The scenario continued.

The boards ended up too long, too short, not wide enough. You name it. When I'd finally get a board to actually work, the nail gun would balk.

"You're not pushing the end of it in hard enough," admonished my construction supervisor.

"I am too pushing! Exactly how do I hold to the ladder, hold to the board, and lift this 100-pound nail gun 5 feet over my head and shoot the board?"

I'll let you imagine the how the rest of that conversation went.

Eventually, things smoothed out a little and a good portion of the work was done without a single injury! It was a record for me.

Celebrating, I went inside to fix dinner. I should've known it was too good to be true. I nearly cut half my finger off on the aluminum foil box.

Great! Now I can use power tools, but have been banned from tin foil.

Happy birthday Thursday to Bill Godwin of Van Alstyne; Mel Carruth and Bill Houston, both of Denison; Lee Hodges, Tyler Temp, Zachary Temp, Dadrian Calhoun and Gregory Jackson, all of Sherman; Brenda Neal, Corrie Branham and Jesse Neal, all of Bells; Johnny Ingram of Princeton; Glenda Morgan of Cartwright, Okla.

Happy anniversary Thursday to Roy and Carlyn Blair of Collinsville, 55 years.