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Recent Bios FAQ

45424 "Matt George" <mgeorge@g...> 1998‑06‑26 bio of a plane lurker
My name is Matthew George (you can call me that, or you can call me Matt, just
don't call me late for d...). Sorry if this comes through twice, but I sent the
original over 2 days ago now, and didn't see it come through.

I don't smoke, an' I don't spit, but I learnt my cussin' the honest way: from
my Daddy's side whilst he butchered wood and tools in the shop. An' he  learnt
it somehow else, since the stongest cussword I EVER heard my grandfather utter
was "Aw bean-juice and chocolate-cake!" (like if he slammed a ball-peen into
his thumb or something).

But my grandafather was an accomplished cabinet-maker, as was his daddy before
him. I guess I learned my love of woodworking and working in the shop from him.
Many were the hours that my brother and I would spend in grandfather's shop,
covered head-to-toe in sawdust and shavings. And though he's past on nearly 25
years ago, the smell of new-cut wood and wood-oils and mineral spirits and
visons of rows of tools and gadgets from his basement workshop are still strong
in my head. He showed us the basics:
measuring, squaring, joint-layout, handsawing, planing, and sanding. We made
endless half-laps and grooves by hand and saw and chisel. We made our first
simple furniture in that shop.

But the world has moved on (to quote Stephen King in one of his saner moments).
And now I have my own family, and my own small shop. I was always
procrastinating setting up a woodshop: when I have time, when I have space,
when I have some free money, whenever.. So a few years ago, I finally came to
my senses and decided that whenever may as well be now; since life kept racing
by me without a workshop and without many proper tools. So SWMBO and I cleaned
out the garage, and set-up a small workbench cobbled
together from 2x4's and 4x4's and 3/4 MDF (works gud-nuf). THEN the whole dang
life and house (and garage too) got taken over by a small man-child appearing
some 18 months ago now. My shop-time now is a few hours in the evening or
weekends when he's asleep or SWMBO can watch him; and it's more than a fair
trade.

Maybe a year ago now I got into newsgroups, and discovered rec.norm (BTW:
Norm's shows are always entertaining, but they give SWMBO too many ideas that
projects can be zip-zip-zipped out in 1/2 an hour. I have to keep reminding her
that it's about as real as Star-Trek, and its just TV: suspension of reality
and all that). The content was slim amongst the "which TS/Routah/SCMS should I
buy" and the "what finish's safe for my baby's crib" and solicitations to
hundreds of adult-site passwords". Until: someone
mentioned a site for the Electronic Neanderthal. Went there. Found the
signposts pointing to the porch.

So I snuck up under the floorboards and had me a listen here for the past
coupla months now (confessions of a shameless lurker). Subscribed to the
digests thinkin': we'll see. I was unprepared for what followed: the
discussions stayed (barely) on topic! And the folks here are Knowledgeable
(definitely with a capital K). If I don't pay attention, the mailbox
practically overflows (and I digest)!. I mean I've learned more about tools
(old and new and where to get 'em) and wood and technique than I had any
expectation of. The stories and the characters and the good humor are special
bonuses that add just the right amount of flavor.

I don't think this place happened by accident, so I want to say thank you
already to the Mom's for their benevolent dictatorship; and to the few kindly
Galoots with whom I've lightly corresponded over the past few months. I hope
Martha don't think I'm stealing her line by saying: "its a good thing" (and
it's a good place too).

So. Kin ah have mah hat now Paddy?

-Matt



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