breakthrough

When you approach a new hobby, there's a nasty learning curve, and it's hard to learn anything because you don't know anything to begin with -- like the vocabulary. You also spend lots of time floundering about looking for simple bits of information that are practically intuitive to those in the know. You lack a tech support network, and you also lack a source of encouragement and kindred enthusiasm for whatever silly project you've become interested in.

I think the phone call I got five minutes ago represents the end of that stage in ( buick_project. )