After years of building tools in Flash, DHTML, Perl, PHP, Java and a myriad of other programming technologies, I've recently adopted a new tool for developing real-world solutions. I have to say I've been able to do things with it that I never could with any other tool, and I heartily recommend it to anyone else who's tired of the same old development routine.

My new favorite tool is called MIG, and while I guess it's considered nonproprietary technology, I'm afraid you won't be able to download it from the Internet. You see, MIG is — gasp! — not a computer term: It stands for "Metal Inert Gas," and it's a technique for melding real-world steel with real-world steel. In other words, I'm physically welding things together, and I'm having a great time not dying while I do it.

Readers of my other Web site (Hi, mom!) will know that in addition to spending time in front of a computer, I'm also knee-deep in an auto restoration project at the moment. It's something I'm not qualified to do, something I don't understand, and something I'll probably throw away my entire life savings on. In other words, it's just like every project I've ever tackled, and I'm having a blast.

So yes, it's true: Geeks can step away from their gadgets every now and then and try something new: The real world. If you haven't been in it for a while, I'd highly recommend it!

And yes, I do have a computer in the garage — I can't totally abandon my true nature.