Where to begin....
I guess I picked up the "tinkering" ability from my Dad.  He
 was/is what you would call frugal?  He made our first clothes
dryer last 25 + years and then gave it away, still working.  He
build many thngs, but I hesitate to call it woodworking.  They
were'nt pretty, mostly functional.
My paternal Grandfather dabbled with woodworking. He was
building a canvas canoe in the basement when he died.  My
 paternal Great-Grandfather was a cabinetmaker and I have
a cedar chest, solid eastern red ceder, that he made.  My dad
gave me a #3 and #5, a '60's vintage Craftsman crosscut and rip,
and other selected tool (like a 16 lb sledge!).  I can still remember
my Dad chopping mortises for door hinges and not having a chisel
the right size, so he would just pop the iron out of one of the planes
take off the cap iron and go to work.  I cringe at that now.
I had the obligetory woodshop class in 7th grade, but that was it
for training.  I got bit by the Normite bug and started making
Pukey Ducks for my wifes friend (come on, we've all done a
couple of those).
I guess my first epiphany was while attempting to flatten the top
of a china cabinet base with a b*lt s*nd*r.  I had let it sit too long and
the SoB cupped.  After butchering it with the belt sander I decided to
try planing it.  I put a #5 to it and then used a #7 to flatten it,
followed
by a #80 to scrape it smooth.  All done in about 2 hours.  I was hooked.
First ran into the MofA on rec.norm and met him at Crane's in February
 of 93? to buy a replacement iron and cap iron for a #8.  And as they
 say.... the rest is history.

Steve