I vaguely remember squinting through a small Tasco refractor bought from Sears at Halley’s Comet which is probably when I actually got bit by the astronomy bug but about 1994 I got bit again and it left a mark. Shoemaker Levy 9 left about as big an impact on me as it did Jupiter. That was also when I got the same telescope I use today, mostly. Polar Alignment has always been my kryptonite. Being in the Air Force and always on the move never provided an opportunity to have a permanent setup so most of the time the telescope sat in the corner unused rather than spend half the night staring at a single star to see if it moved, did I mention I hate polar alignment? I built an observatory and the game has completely changed. Keep watching this site for more progress as I really only begin stargazing.