Well,
after 3 years on the ground, I finally flew my LT40 again. I flew with an instructor, and
I can't imagine trying it without. Not only did he save my bacon several times, but he
had many words of wisdom, tips, etc.

Now, I am very excited. Just need to quit shaking. LOL.
That and to quit drooling on his neat airplanes.

Glad you're with an instructor. As an instructor myself I have noticed that sometimes the student seems amazed or surprised that he lost control. I let go of the trainer switch and pull the plane out of it to get it ready for him to take over again. Sometimes they seem to act as though they are surprised that they lost it for a second. It's like a realization that it's not as easy to fly as they think. Anyway, yes, instructors are very valuable in the learning process.