Well, today was a turning point in my life, it seems. Last week, I bought a couple of vintage sewing machines -- yes, sewing machines, not computers! -- to refurbish and resell. MAYBE resell because I've already fallen in love with the one I've almost completed, hehe!
The turning point came as I was finishing up as far as I could go this morning on a Singer 5040 that is is really good condition now, except it will not zigzag. But I will figure that out, even without a service manual.
Everything actually started when I was a child. My dad used to build electronics from Heathkit kits. These were kits that came with all the electronics to build radios, speakers, even TVs. And when I was five, I remember helping him sorting out diodes, capacitors, transistors. He even had me help with soldering.
In high school, as a sophomore, I took Auto I. Not for the boys, but because I thought it would be a fun thing to do, better than wood shop or metal shop. And home ec didn't interest me anymore. It WAS fun! We learned a lot, and it was absolutely wonderful to have a tool room full of every tool you could imagine! And the space to work -- the tables, the large shop with real car lifts, and teacher who seemed to know a lot about mechanics -- wow! I took a total of three years of auto shop.
One year, there was a competition for a state championship. I was tied for fourth place. The guys in class didn't want me to go. It took two additional tie breakers before I was cut. I was disappointed, to say the least, but took it well.
The ASVAB Armed Services Entry Test told me I should become an Electronics Engineer. I wasn't having any of that! I went to college for auto mechanics and home ec. I should have been come an EE.
But my training in auto mechanics which served me well over the years, as I was able to do routine maintenance on our vehicles. Even as late as six months ago, I was still changing flat tires!
During the 80s, my dad then got into computers. He gave me his "used" ones. He'd tell me to install a second floppy drive, and I did. There were no manuals back them. One day, he brought me a new motherboard to install. No instruction, no direction. I simply observed where all the cables and parts went, and installed the new board. It ran as expected.
In 2000, I enrolled in CCCC and was majoring in IT. I worked in the Networking Lab and learned a lot there. I had a couple of superior instructors, one who taught MS Windows & Server, and one who taught MS Office, including Access. I excelled in Access [no pun intended] and during a competition, my database was selected to be used by a department for scheduling professors. Today, I still love database and wish I'd studied further, but I was still a mother with young children and had limited time.
In 2011, I'd remarried & moved to Arizona. I opened a small computer repair business in my husband's warehouse. It was a good business, and I did well. I had my workspace with three large desks and some shelves, and I'd collected tools over the past several years. And I had my kitty, Maggie, always with me. We even put out my signs in front. My business only lasted as long as the marriage, nine months, and then I returned to Las Vegas, where it was not practical for me to open a new business. I still do work from time to time when someone needs help.
And now, I'm at home. I feel my house has finally become a home. I have a couple of desks in my living room to work on. I still have my tools [except I didn't have a flat head stubby screwdriver!] Last week, I bought two vintage sewing machines to refurbish. After finishing my work today on a machine, I felt content. I haven't felt that way for a very long time. And I realized it was because I was doing something I really want to do -- to work with my hands, on my own, on something dear to me. I've been sewing for over 45 years. It's time to change from sewing back to mechanics. And remain content.
