OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

23326 Ray Pastore <Ray.Pastore@c...> 1997‑08‑04 BIO: Ray Pastore
I've been lurking here too long without a BIO and I know 
     I'm gonna stay so here it is. 
        I live in Fredericksburg VA (transplanted from Jersey).  
     I'm an IS professional (used to be Data Processing then 
     Information Technology then Information Management Systems - 
     all the same work) for a government agency that will go 
     unnamed.   Before that I was a photographer (weddings, bar 
     mitzvahs, anniversaries etc.), and I still enjoy it as a 
     hobby.  As a matter of fact, the first project after one for 
     SWMBO will be to start work on a darkroom.  
        I just reached the half century mark but still feel 45.  
     I have a wonderful SWMBO of almost 17 years and a great 11 
     year old SWMBOette.
        I've have been a woodworking wanna-be for a long time and 
     have been watching Norm and his friends on TV for a few 
     years and thought that if you wanted to make a table you had 
     to have a few thousand dollars worth of tailed apprentices 
     and a small barn to put them all in.  All in all, pretty 
     discouraging, whenever I would say that I'm going to start, 
     all I could see was money being spent on machines, electric 
     power, dust collection systems and sound suppression.  
     Pretty soon the urge would die. 
        I've seen hand tools at flea markets and antique shops 
     but thought that they were only for collectors,  no one 
     actually used them.  I really mean that, so needless to say, 
     I was delighted to find this group to realize that I could 
     actually learn to use hand tools to build something.  
     I have a typical Harry Homeowner skill level when it comes 
     to experience ( deck, chair rail, shutters etc.) but since 
     finding this group I've done a lot of reading and now I'm 
     ready to start putting together a real workshop with the 
     only electricity being use for lighting.
        I'll go back to lurk mode now.  I was going to say to be 
     gentle with my first few questions but from what I've seen 
     that isn't necessary.  It's a real pleasure and relief to 
     see how patiently newbies are treated here.



Recent Bios FAQ