we first introduce the honored guest, ricci flow and present some simple examples. we'll then get excited about why it is used: it is essentially a nonlinear heat equation which is used for smoothin' out the rough edges around some baddie metrics. however there are some real rogues who are a hopeless case, and develop singularities when goin' with the flow. these can ``excised'' under certain conditions, and we can continue on our merry way. next, we describe why it is called a ``flow,'' and chat about how flows fit into the big picture in solving pdes in general. we really hope that this will not only (partially) demystify the now famous ricci flow, but also give newbie analysts and pde-ers a big picture of what kinds of totally awesome modern tools and methods they'll be encountering.