Well, progress is happening.  I spec'ed out a computer and placed an order.  Should arrive next week.  Bought a pair of monitors to set up a dual-monitor development station at home.  Also ordered a GIGABYTE Radeon R9 290 to play with some litecoin mining.  That should arrive next week, too.  I figure I can't fully understand crypto-currencies unless I also experience first-hand the joys and pains of mining.  in addition to that I've been doing a lot of reading in the evenings.  Been lurking in the forums here and on Reddit as well as reading up on the basics of peer-to-peer networks, how to use Git, what JSON is, etc, etc.   I've hardly turned on the TV at all these last couple of week.  Now *that's* an ROI not measured in $!