Such great detail @Dave 1970, thanks for the stories! Your path to climbing is very similar to mine, which started for me in the early 1990s. I acquired the skills (and gear) I needed as the summits got higher, harder, and more complex. I remember the smell of the old REI, thanks for the reminder! I worked in the "new" REI in 1997 and 1998 and got nearly all my early gear there (and Swallow's Nest).
Keep the stories coming as you remember them!