Paul,
I know that "keeping a beginner's mind" is difficult for many advanced people, but if you do, or if you can remember feeling a bit of awe and a sense of wonder at seeing the almost limitless possibilities while watching an advanced person creating high quality work in such an efficient manor - then you will understand how I feel after watching you create icons for the past 7 days.
Thank you very much for your generosity, and I can promise you that it is not wasted time as far as I am concerned. This is going to be a great year of learning graphics tools and techniques for me, and this will play no small part in my learning process.
Thanks teach, and I can't wait for the next lesson.