Lovemath

Read the sentence from "On Becoming an Inventor" by Dean Kamen. I went to buy this new equipment I thought I'd need and met a man who had a machine shop of his own who was about to retire and move to Florida. What type of signal word is used in this sente...

The word, "I thought" makes me think that it should be thought, but I'd need makes me think that it could be a feeling. Please help.