Smarter Than My 5th Grader

Do you prefer to work on the software side of computers or the hardware side? It seems I’m always tweaking the OS or software settings but what I really love is opening a computer case and tinkering with the hardware.

I still remember being terrified of opening the case on my old 286 over a decade ago just to look around. I was still a bit nervous when I upgraded to a 386 and took a peek inside. And then I got my first Pentium - a Gateway2000 P133 - and within a month a thunderstorm zapped my modem. I paid a fortune for that computer and to say that I was nervous about opening it and swapping a modem is an understatement. But something interesting happened that day. I swapped the parts and everything worked perfectly. I was hooked.

Over the years I’ve gone through entire sets of tools that were supposed to remain in my office. With 5 sons, though, tools have a tendency to make their way to other parts of the house or even to places outside of the house. Now, my computer tool storage solution is kind of “hidden in plain sight.” I have a beautiful red Victoria’s Secret gift box that is the perfect size for holding screwdrivers of various sizes and even a can of compressed air. No one here has thought to look in there yet for my tools.

Yes, I’m a genius. Well, at least I am when it comes to out-smarting these kids!