Not only did he send a letter, but also a massive tome entitled The Inventions, Researches and Writings of Nikola Tesla. A pleasant surprise. I've always thought I should have something about Tesla in my library. I only hope the technical stuff isn't too far above my head. Sure, I graduated from electronics tech school as the valedictorian with a 4.0, but that doesn't mean I'm up to Tesla's level.
So how did I end up a meter reader if I have an associate's degree in electronics engineering? I spent pretty much all of the 90s putting the education to good use. In the very same month that I made my last education loan payment, I was laid off. I took it as a sign. I was already completely burned out on working a bench job for several years, and I think I was going a little nutty being cooped up in a radio-proof cage for all that time. I decided it was time to take a turn toward the kind of life most of my male ancestors lived (who I know of), and started looking for something that would keep me outside and improve my physical conditioning. So here I am.
My father worked for the highway department pretty much all of his life. His father and my great-grandfather were pretty much jacks-of-all-trades, doing what they had to to provide for their families. On the other side, my other great-grandfather was a carpenter. In fact, carpentering has been prominent on both sides of my family, but I seem to have not much talent in that area.
Anyhow, here's hoping he gets his email set up soon, and if you're reading this, I will try to write a letter back pretty soon.
