Classic overthink! It's so easy to get caught up in doing things right that you forget to have fun. I've done the same thing trying to explain board game rules. You want to share your passion, but it comes off too strong. Now I try to remember that good times matter more than perfect moves. Your cousin's teasing is just his way of saying he enjoys playing with you.

Hold up, gotta disagree with the whole gauge check thing. Tbh, sometimes you just get in the zone and trusting your gut is better than staring at a dial. Honestly, if you really know your craft, you should feel when the heat's dropping before a gauge tells you. Relying on gadgets just makes you a lazy worker.

@umaf20, I never took hand signals seriously until now. Your friend's close call totally changed my view on using them.