Moments from ATT

Math instincts, for starters. I knew about English instincts. English instincts are when you look over a friend's paper, and you know where six semi-colons go, and correct about twelve other mistakes, but you have no idea why that's right, you just know it is. I HAVE my Little Brown Handbook (yes, we intentionally knock out the commas; no, I don't have it here with me), all the rules are in there, but I couldn't tell you any of them off the top of my head. I just know that that comma doesn't go there, so take it out because it's driving me nuts!

Same with the math. I can look at the schematic for a circuit, and tell my buddy H the total resistance or whatever, but when he asks me to show him how I got it on paper, there's a brilliant, "Uhhhhh...."

So then he checks it himself, with the calculator. And I'm right. And I know I'm right. I just don't know how I know that.

We're also getting a little bit psychic. For example, there's a point where H was asking me whether he'll need to know something after this unit. Pairing the two of us may have been a mistake, because I'm an ET - we need to know everything in ATT - and he's a GM. Gunner's Mates have the shortest time in ATT, because their program is designed to barely skim through all the lessons. "I don't know, ask R."
H glances over at R, the only other GM in our class. "Can't. He's taking a test."
I'm back, focused on my lesson. "Yeah, but he's already on number fifteen, he'll be done soon." I stop, look up. "How do I know that?"
H looks at me, looks at R, walks over to check his screen. Comes back, also looking mystified.
"Well?"
"He's on sixteen, now. How did you know that?"

Still have no explanation.

On an unrelated note, we occasionally do a little damage to ourselves. There are all kinds of posted warnings and occasional briefs about safety and don't wear your wedding ring while you're working and nasty ways to lose a finger - so when small damage happens, we're pretty relieved that it's small.

"*$*%!"
Reassuringly, "That'll feel better once it stops hurting."

That'd be our instructor.