I'm unhappy with my career at 32, but I'm lost on where I go from here.

It's not just all that, though - I feel frustrated by a job in which I never seem to have anything to show for all my work. Computers break, I fix them, the cycle repeats. I feel like I never accomplish anything more than just pushing the tide back for another week. Well damn dude, don't be so hard on yourself. That's just how it is. Looking back at all the jobs I've had or tasks I've completed: I cut my grass, it grows back. I represent one client and the case ends, some other dumb bastard does the same thing and calls me. I teach one whole class of students about Beowulf, then a year later a whole new lot of ghastly smelling creatures comes in knowing nothing of Anglo-Saxon poetry.

It might be helpful to get some academic credentials. At some universities staff members can take a course a semester for free. Can you do this? If so, take some courses that appeal to you. Or you can enroll in a (totally legitimate public) online university like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_College that will give you credit for many of those things you've learned on your own.

I know that's often "just how it is," but there's at least some things in life where one can look at the end result of their work and say "I made that" or "I helped make that a reality" or something of that nature. Even if the cycle repeats, at least you can point to something real. In this field, it's a lot more nebulous and unfulfilling to me.

I ran a very popular local web site for six years on the subjects of architecture, urban planning, transit, etc. I'm not sure if you're living in the same place now as when you were running this site, but if so, that's a great starting point for local public office. Think zoning/planning commissions, city council, etc. You've got ideas and opinions about urban planning that other people have demonstrated interest in -- put them to work! That can be a good starting point for other jobs that involve working with municipal governments, plus it's not a huge time commitment and doesn't require that you quit your current job to pursue it. Even if it doesn't get you out of your day job rut it's something engaging to do a night or two a month, and it's definitely good resume fodder.

It's not just all that, though - I feel frustrated by a job in which I never seem to have anything to show for all my work. Computers break, I fix them, the cycle repeats. I feel like I never accomplish anything more than just pushing the tide back for another week. Yeah, I feel you here…but this is just the plight of the 'day job.' I have a production job that isn't as glamorous as some folks think. I come into work, and do the exact same thing on a schedule every. single. week. I'm quite interested in the field I work in, which helps a bit…but in my spare time I do things that are wildly unrelated to my day job. In the short term, I would try to find a lateral move somewhere that pays better. This will allow you two things; time and money to pursue personal projects, and give you some breathing room to figure out the next step (which other posters are focusing on a bit more). I've worked my current job position in the past, but gotten paid way less…basically, getting paid more allowed me to utilize my free time more productively, and feel better about everything. Money doesn't buy happiness, but it buys the ability to get shit done in your free time…which for some personalities leads to happiness. Right now, for the next few years at least, I'm kind of bound to this current job because it allows me a flexible schedule to split time taking care of my kid with my wife rather equitably….but having that extra cash from a better paying but identical job allows me to pursue private projects waaaaay quicker and with less risk. I'm very much like you, in the sense of I don't like "how it is" with jobs like that. Thats why all of my hobbies revolve around building physical objects that I get to use almost everyday. Most recently, I built a bicycle from the ground up. Every piece. Next time I've got a chunk of time I'll be designing and building a frame from the ground up. Having hobbies that produce usable goods isn't anything to dismiss.

It seems like you have two separate but interrelated issues here. One is your current job is kind of frustrating (lack of support, higher ups don't want to do things you think would make sense), the other is the general existential career angst. I think the latter might be holding you back from trying to improve the former. Ideally, this could be an opportunity to reflect on your goals and hopefully improve both situations. Take the advice from this thread and presumably everything else you're doing to try and rethink your career and make some plans for how you might move on to something more fulfilling. Then, use that as leverage to advocate for change in your current job. If you have a plan for how you might leave then what have you got to lose by forcefully advocating for things like an assistant or a raise? You're obviously providing value to the institution, and presumably placating you would be cheaper or at least easier than finding someone new who's reliable. After 7 years you must have some idea of who the important decision makers are above you. Any allies there? You could put together a proposal for why getting warranty support is a more cost-efficient business decision for your institution. Again, if you have an exit plan what have you got to lose by stirring things up and trying to improve your current job satisfaction?

It may be worth checking out the other parts of corporate IT - e.g. network admin - and see whether you can spend some time shadowing any colleagues who currently do that work. If you can develop/maintain a website, support IT hardware and manage a small network, that feels like a good skillset for a small company/startup IT generalist. While that's not a huge step up the ladder, it would at least give you some variety and more opportunity to move laterally. Depending on your familiarity with Mac software as well as hardware, learning to do forensics work on Apple kit might be an interesting career change.

With your IT experience and interest in urban planning... you might make an amazing electrician or lineman. How are you with heights?

I came in to say pretty much what Tarumba said. You can definitely make a change!