I learned to solder this weekend!You'd think I'd have picked up that skill somewhere, but it never happened. So I ordered up a kit from make: that had a beginner and a slightly less beginner kit with a soldering iron and how-to book, and cranked out the amazingly useful breadboards you see above. One of them worked, the other, well... I lost a resistor in the carpet and couldn't find one handy to salvage anywhere, and then I decided not to waste the few good components (LEDs, batter strap) on something that I didn't really plan to use. But it was just a learning exercise, and learn I did.
The fun part was when my Dad randomly came over in the middle of it and started spouting half-remembered 30-year old Naval soldering mnemonics. That part was priceless.
So, strike "lean to solder" off the Desirable Skills list. I'd also like to lean how to solder pipes and do some basic brazing, but for now, no toy is safe!