Fishing Placed on the Back-burner

I inherited my '93 Toyota Pickup about ten years ago after my Pickle-Rocket ('89 Nissan mini-pickup) fell victim to a hit and run. I've had to do little in the past ten years to keep it running strong. But all came to a head when I took it in for a safety inspection. A big red FAIL was issued due to worn-out brakes and the hood was held down by a bungee cord. And on top of that, it was diagnosed with intermittent starting disorder.
I THOUGHT I was mechanically inclined and this little weekend project would only take me out of the game for a day. I started by cleaning the battery terminals in hopes it would resolve the starting issue...wrong. Then I placed the truck on MacGyver jacks stands found in my back yard and began tearing into the axles. The brakes were paper-thin and the rotors were scratched and covered in rust. My little helper helped me lose a few parts along the way, but he got a good dose of grease in the process. After countless hours and lost fishing trips, I got it going strong with new brakes, rotors, battery cables, and a hood that latched.

I felt about the same way before it was done.