# Quick question; what do you do (or did you do) for a career?



## Swedishchef

Hey guys

I was just curious what everyone does/did for a living?

Since I asked the question I should be the one to answer: I am a police officer/investigator.

What about you?

Andrew


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## CTguy9230

heavy equipment operator/truck driver

Volunteer firefighter


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## Swedishchef

Nice CT! I always wished I would have done something in the construction industry... And a volunteer firefighter: i lift my hat to you!


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## firefighterjake

Current: Public Education Officer with Fire Department . . . CPR Instructor . . . and Secret Ninja.

Past: Typesetter for large print press, journalist for commercial fishing news journal (for about six months before realizing I knew next to nothing about commercial fishing and didn't care to know much), wood cutter (cut pulp for about a month in between the journalist job and typesetter job.)


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## Pallet Pete

USMC, Class A truck driver, Construction, Mechanical Maintenance, Manufacturing and currently Production Manager.

College in multiple fields Certified Nurse Aid, Heavy Equipment Operation, Professional Driving, some Unix Administration courses ( More of a hobby )

Edit) Before the military I worked at Burger King ICK , Akers Hall Dormitory as a Janitor, and Save-A-Lot food stores. Those all bring back good memories ! 

Pete


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## ScotO

I was a 'jack of all trades' over the course of my working life.  I started out as a carpenter laborer, then worked with a guy that does renovation/window installs/etc., then became a diesel mechanic (which I enjoyed wholeheartedly), did that for quite a while and my job was abolished, so I moved for two years to Harrisburg, PA doing that job (which I hated living in the city so I quit), came back home and got into building maitenance, then became a certified TIG welder (stainless and aluminum tankers), finally ended up working as an electrician at one of the biggest railroad shops in the world (Juniata Locomotive Shop).  I love my job now, but still enjoy doing carpentry, welding, etc.....I've been "off and on" restoring a 1949 Willys Overland 4x4 wagon (10" lift, old-school resto), it has a Ford 302 in it but I will be putting my diesel mechanic skills back to work when I find a Cummins 4BT for it down the road, and I'll be setting it up to run on bio-diesel.....

Yep, a jack of all trades, master of none....


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## jeromehdmc

Right now I am a mechanic at the Harley plant here in KC. The inspectors find quality issues and send the bikes to repair for us to fix. We build the Dyna, Sportster and V-Rod so if anyone has questions about their bikes I may be able to help.
Jobs I've had here at Harley are roll test/inspector, CNC machinist, and CMM operator/programmer for the Quality group.
In my past I worked at a steel foundry in the melting department and also as a machinist. Scotty the foundry I worked for makes the trucks for the locomotives, I've machined alot of them. It was Rockwell then it changed to Atchison Castings and now I don't know who owns them.
Before that it was road construction for a few years out of high school.


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## Swedishchef

Pallet Pete said:


> USMC, Class A truck driver, Construction, Mechanical Maintenance, Manufacturing and currently Production Manager.
> 
> College in multiple fields Certified Nurse Aid, Heavy Equipment Operation, Professional Driving, some Unix Administration courses ( More of a hobby )
> 
> Edit) Before the military I worked at Burger King ICK , Akers Hall Dormitory as a Janitor, and Save-A-Lot food stores. Those all bring back good memories !
> 
> Pete


  Seems like you have done just about everything under the sun! At least you guys are very diversified.


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## Swedishchef

Scotty Overkill said:


> I was a 'jack of all trades' over the course of my working life. I started out as a carpenter laborer, then worked with a guy that does renovation/window installs/etc., then became a diesel mechanic (which I enjoyed wholeheartedly), did that for quite a while and my job was abolished, so I moved for two years to Harrisburg, PA doing that job (which I hated living in the city so I quit), came back home and got into building maitenance, then became a certified TIG welder (stainless and aluminum tankers), finally ended up working as an electrician at one of the biggest railroad shops in the world (Juniata Locomotive Shop). I love my job now, but still enjoy doing carpentry, welding, etc.....I've been "off and on" restoring a 1949 Willys Overland 4x4 wagon (10" lift, old-school resto), it has a Ford 302 in it but I will be putting my diesel mechanic skills back to work when I find a Cummins 4BT for it down the road, and I'll be setting it up to run on bio-diesel.....
> 
> Yep, a jack of all trades, master of none....


 Man oh man that is one heck of a diverse field! I wish I knew how to weld and knew more about carpentry (I am learning)....


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## Swedishchef

jeromehdmc said:


> Right now I am a mechanic at the Harley plant here in KC. The inspectors find quality issues and send the bikes to repair for us to fix. We build the Dyna, Sportster and V-Rod so if anyone has questions about their bikes I may be able to help.
> Jobs I've had here at Harley are roll test/inspector, CNC machinist, and CMM operator/programmer for the Quality group.
> In my past I worked at a steel foundry in the melting department and also as a machinist. Scotty the foundry I worked for makes the trucks for the locomotives, I've machined alot of them. It was Rockwell then it changed to Atchison Castings and now I don't know who owns them.
> Before that it was road construction for a few years out of high school.


 
You work at a HD plant? Sweet chicken. Some day I will get one.....*dreams*


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## jeromehdmc

I love the bikes and do what I can to make sure we put out a quality product.
Someday I'll make a bike ride to Canada. I rode up Lake Superior from Duluth to the Canadian border but didn't cross because I didn't have a passport.


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## DAKSY

United States Army (Vietnam Era) after High School (low draft #)... Gi Bill to get an education so I wouldn't have to work in a factory (not), AAS degree in knowledge. Got a job in the Nation's Cannon Factory (Watervliet Arsenal) as an Apprentice Machinist -graduated to .Journeyman Machinist. AAS Industrial Management then Production Controller/CNC Machine Tool Programmer, Early out 2000 with 25 years. One week retirement & into the Hearth Industry as a service technician, Worked up to NFI Certified Lead Installer. Fell from a roof & went to Hearth & Patio Specialist (Sales)...Economy crashed & stuck it out for another year or two til I got offered a job as a Technical Manager/AutoCad Chromeplate Tool Designer for a worldwide company based in Switzerland. Will stay here til 2017 when I turn 65, then I'm done.

EDIT: I should have mentioned that my new career has me working BACK at Watervliet Arsenal. The Swiss company bought the Chrome plate Facility from the US Government & we still chrome the big 120mm & 155mm cannon tubes...


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## ScotO

DAKSY said:


> United States Army (Vietnam Era) after High School (low draft #)... Gi Bill to get an education so I wouldn't have to work in a factory (not), AAS degree in knowledge. Got a job in the Nation's Cannon Factory (Watervliet Arsenal) as an Apprentice Machinist -graduated to .Journeyman Machinist. AAS Industrial Management then Production Controller/CNC Machine Tool Programmer, Early out 2000 with 25 years. One week retirement & into the Hearth Industry as a service technician, Worked up to NFI Certified Lead Installer. Fell from a roof & went to Hearth & Patio Specialist (Sales)...Economy crashed & stuck it out for another year or two til I got offered a job as a Technical Manager/AutoCad Chromeplate Tool Designer for a worldwide company based in Switzerland. Will stay here til 2017 when I turn 65, then I'm done.


 God Bless ya brother for your service......quite a decorated career there, friend!


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## Swedishchef

jeromehdmc said:


> I love the bikes and do what I can to make sure we put out a quality product.
> Someday I'll make a bike ride to Canada. I rode up Lake Superior from Duluth to the Canadian border but didn't cross because I didn't have a passport.


 If you wait 10 years, our dollar will bottom out and you'll get more bang for your $     It is a nice country. It's the country with the 2nd largest surface area in the world yet it's the 35th most populated. Hence, you can still buy oceanfront property for $10K. lol


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## Swedishchef

DAKSY said:


> United States Army (Vietnam Era) after High School (low draft #)... Gi Bill to get an education so I wouldn't have to work in a factory (not), AAS degree in knowledge. Got a job in the Nation's Cannon Factory (Watervliet Arsenal) as an Apprentice Machinist -graduated to .Journeyman Machinist. AAS Industrial Management then Production Controller/CNC Machine Tool Programmer, Early out 2000 with 25 years. One week retirement & into the Hearth Industry as a service technician, Worked up to NFI Certified Lead Installer. Fell from a roof & went to Hearth & Patio Specialist (Sales)...Economy crashed & stuck it out for another year or two til I got offered a job as a Technical Manager/AutoCad Chromeplate Tool Designer for a worldwide company based in Switzerland. Will stay here til 2017 when I turn 65, then I'm done.


 
HOly crap. I worked at a corner store in highschool, computer technician while in University and joined our National police force. You are certainly an overwhelmingly knowledgeable person Daksy!


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## fossil

30 years in a US Navy uniform.  E-1 to O-6.  3 degrees in Mechanical Engineering.  Lots of time out in the middle of the ocean.


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## DAKSY

fossil said:


> 30 years in a US Navy uniform. E-1 to O-6. 3 degrees in Mechanical Engineering. Lots of time out in the middle of the ocean.


 
"How long can you tread water?"


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## jharkin

Great thread, reminds me of the "blue collar white collar striped collar" discussion last year.  I'll bite - went to engineering school, got my BS of ME and then right out of school got hired by one of the big software companies that make software for engineering design and design data management.

15 years later I'm still working at that company. Most of my time there has been spent in software quality assurance, and later as a manager of software QA teams everywhere from Boston to the midwest to India and China.  Now I still do a bit of the managing and work on the R&D side consulting to help developers (programmers) take more of the responsibility for the quality of their own code.


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## Swedishchef

Fossil, didn't you work on a nuclear powered sub? By the way, I am reading SuperFuel: Thorium, the Green Energy Source for the Future. Great book! O-6 means the 6th rank as an officer I presume?

Jharkin: I wish I had done Chem Eng. I have a degree in Chemistry with my specialization in Organometallic chemistry and Pharmacokinetics (interaction of drugs with receptor sites). I now see that an applied science would have been more interesting to me than natural science. Either way, now I am a cop who is a detachment commander. Meh.


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## jharkin

Swedish... There are times I wish I went into mechanical design engineering, but I'm too far to switch back now. When I graduated I had interviews at the jet engine division of Pratt& Whitney, Ford, and at General Dynamics weapons systems in VT. Any of them would have involved some amount of hands on work on the production floor but none of them worked out. I always was better at the hands on than the theoretical side.


DAKSY ... That's quite a history. I went to the museum at Watervliet once when I was in school. Cool place.


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## DAKSY

jharkin said:


> DAKSY ... That's quite a history. I went to the museum at Watervliet once when I was in school. Cool place.


 
When I started @ WVA in the mid 70s, they were putting a complete 105mm M68 Cannon Assembly (Tube, Breech Mech & Bore Chamber Evacuator) out the door every 44 minutes & they were also manufacturing 8', 175mm, 165mm, 155mm, 76mm & 40mm tubes along with 4.2", 81mm & 60mm Mortar Systems. Nearly 5000 worked. Now? Less than (10) 120mm & 155mm cannons a MONTH with less than 500 workers...Sad...


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## Beer Belly

20+ Years Volvo Master Tech, Nissan Senior Specialist....gave it up to be a Custodian for a Local School system....also AFSCME Local President....at the moment....elections next month


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## Hearth Mistress

Jeesh, I really feel like a slacker compared to you guys! I started college but never finished, mom was hit by a drunk driver my junior year so my sister and I both came home to take care of her (many years of recovery but she's ok now) 

I was an advertising design major so worked in printing for most if my career as a manager at OfficeMax overseeing all of the copy centers in the district then held a similar position with Kinko's. Once FedEx bought them, it went to hell for management, they only wanted retail outlets to ship packages IMHO and didn't care about the printing business (they went from FedEx Kinko's to FedEx Office now, Kinko's is a distant memory)

Now, I work from home for Pitney Bowes, in the managed service division. For almost 3 years now,  I'm a National Operations Manager managing the mailroom operations/reception services in all of the Ally/GMAC offices in the USA -4 managers and almost 100 hourly employees report to me. I travel a few days at a time each month, mostly to Detroit where Ally's corporate offices are at the RenCen but also get out to Waterloo IA, Dallas Texas, Charlotte NC and a few others.


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## samdweezel05

I currently work on a good size dairy farm (1400 milking and 3800 acres) as a heavy equipment mechanic and welder. That's my official job title but my years as a commercial and residential plumbing foreman and my experience with heating systems, pneumatics, hydraulics, electrical, including 3 phase power, a slight background in building, and my general mechanical knowledge from growing up with a certified diesel mechanic as a father had lead me to be a jack of all trades. I also drive truck and run equipment when needed. I got my BS in BS at an early age. Welding and metal fabrication are my passions. My hobbies are so spread out that my wife gets dizzy watching me go from one to the next. One minute I am building a firearm, the next I am casting bullets for it, the next I am loading rounds for it, the next I am shooting it and the next I am off to go fly one of the many R/C helicopters. Then I am on the ATV trying to get it stuck then I am in the truck trying to outrun something or going to cut wood. And don't get me started on the chainsaws.


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## BrotherBart

Male escort.


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## Hearth Mistress

BrotherBart said:


> Male escort.


I guess that explains your answer to the other thread about what other forums people follow....need to keep your techniques fresh uh?  HAH!


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## fossil

BrotherBart said:


> Male escort.


 
On a dairy farm.


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## Hearth Mistress

I didn't need to know THAT part 
Nightmares for sure tonight!


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## DAKSY

Hearth Mistress said:


> I didn't need to know THAT part
> Nightmares for sure tonight!


 
Yeah, that definitely qualifies under the "Bad Visual" category...


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## Pallet Pete

fossil said:


> On a dairy farm.


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## Dune

Designer
General machinist.
Welder
Millwright
Artist-blacksmith
Iron worker
Fabricator
Marine engineer
200 ton mate
firewood collector


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## SlyFerret

I do cloud service operations.  I look at the internet from the underside, so to speak.  I work from home in rural northern central Ohio for a global technology company based in silicon valley.

I've also spent quite a bit of time doing IT work for small businesses.  I was the general manager for a neighborhood  hardware store for about 4 years.

For a couple of years when money was tight, my wife and I picked up some extra work painting rental units and cleaning section 8 housing on turnovers.  It was gross, but, sometimes you do what you have to do!

Lately, I'm thinking about trying to pick up some consulting work.  I miss helping small businesses use technology to their advantage.

-SF


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## fredarm

Commercial real estate lawyer and part-time community theater actor.  I try to do one show a year.  My daughter (age 16) also has the "theater bug" and I've been lucky to be able to do several shows with her in the last few years.


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## Gary_602z

Born and raised in the Wholesale Bait & Tackle business. I guess that makes me a Master Baiter!

Gary


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## tfdchief

Fire Chief and inspector for the city,   Started my career as a teacher, owned a construction and electrical business.


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## begreen

Lifetime moderator on a game show.


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## bubbasdad

Started out working for my dad at his tool & die shop, then went to a small die shop, then into a couple machine tool companies, building specialized automation.  Then to Chrysler Corp,  got my Journeyman's card as a Tool & Diemaker, then Chrysler took a dive in the late 70's, I took a job at Cadillac Motor Car Company, GM.  Got into tool & die inspection, visited a lot of supplier plants, became a engineer, specializing in gages.  Tried being a foreman for a couple years, gave up on that, went back to hourly, became the plant programmer on CMM's and other gages.   Got my 30 years in 2008, took a buyout and retirement.  Along the way, I went to school for accounting, tried hobby farming, play with a old Farmall H I restored, now I have a Kubota L3400 HST to play with also.  I now work part time for my wife, ( don't we all? ) and am planning on starting a hearth build in the next week or so.  I plan on getting a NC30 to heat with.   When I started at GM, they had 500,000+ workers.  The total now is under 50,000.   I'd say that automation took as many jobs as outsourcing, if not more. 

I really wish I'd gone into the male escort thing or pornstar......


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## Swedishchef

Beer Belly said:


> 20+ Years Volvo Master Tech​


 Nice! My dad is a Volvo guy. I used to love them but their quality/$ has changed dramatically over the years. He had an XC70 and replaced every single wheel bearing, a SPRING for his front suspension, etc. And he drives to/from work. Yet the old S70 and 740 we had were tanks. I am a Subaru man myself.


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## Swedishchef

Hearth Mistress said:


> Jeesh, I really feel like a slacker compared to you guys! I started college but never finished, mom was hit by a drunk driver my junior year so my sister and I both came home to take care of her (many years of recovery but she's ok now)
> 
> I was an advertising design major so worked in printing for most if my career as a manager at OfficeMax overseeing all of the copy centers in the district then held a similar position with Kinko's. Once FedEx bought them, it went to hell for management, they only wanted retail outlets to ship packages IMHO and didn't care about the printing business (they went from FedEx Kinko's to FedEx Office now, Kinko's is a distant memory)
> 
> Now, I work from home for Pitney Bowes, in the managed service division. For almost 3 years now, I'm a National Operations Manager managing the mailroom operations/reception services in all of the Ally/GMAC offices in the USA -4 managers and almost 100 hourly employees report to me. I travel a few days at a time each month, mostly to Detroit where Ally's corporate offices are at the RenCen but also get out to Waterloo IA, Dallas Texas, Charlotte NC and a few others.


 
 GOod grief! That's a pile of responsability! Don't feel like a slacker, you did something most people couldn't do: take care of a loved one! That is priceless in my books.

Andrew


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## Swedishchef

BrotherBart said:


> Male escort.


 I think there's a saying on this forum along the lines of "Pictures; or it didn't happen"

lol


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## Pallet Pete

Swedishchef said:


> I think there's a saying on this forum along the lines of "Pictures; or it didn't happen"
> 
> lol


 NO NO NO NO NO I DON'T WANT TO CUT MY EYES OUT NONONO !!


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## Wooderson

Oilfeild hand (roughneck and swamped for rig moving), machinist apprentice in a railcar shop - led into refurbishing classic coaches once the boss found lout about carpentry and finish hobby, teacher/coach, now a school principal.  Lots os hobbies some call work...


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## Swedishchef

Wooderson said:


> Oilfeild hand (roughneck and swamped for rig moving), machinist apprentice in a railcar shop - led into refurbishing classic coaches once the boss found lout about carpentry and finish hobby, teacher/coach, now a school principal. Lots os hobbies some call work...


 Ahhh..I know a few roughnecks out in Western Canada. It's no piece of cake up here: -50 putting a rig together must be a big different than +30 in the south?


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## bubbasdad

Brother Bart, back in the day?


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## Swedishchef

Dune said:


> Designer
> General machinist.
> Welder
> Millwright
> Artist-blacksmith
> Iron worker
> Fabricator
> Marine engineer
> 200 ton mate
> firewood collector


 All you're missing is He-Man! Nice knowledge!


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## Swedishchef

SlyFerret said:


> I do cloud service operations. I look at the internet from the underside, so to speak. I work from home in rural northern central Ohio for a global technology company based in silicon valley.
> 
> -SF


 Nice!! Glad to see there are a few nerds on this forum


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## Dune

Swedishchef said:


> All you're missing is He-Man! Nice knowledge!


Yeah, I forgot that one.


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## fossil

bubbasdad said:


> View attachment 88378
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Brother Bart, back in the day?


 

Actually, that was him yesterday.


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## nate379

I'm on the welfare. 

Will be a disabled vet in a couple months after 11.5 years in the USAF. Fell from a roof about a year ago and broke my back. 3 blown discs, 2 crushed vertebrae. Uncle Sam said I was of no use to anyone, so out the door.

Dunno what I'll be doing next.  Most of the things I enjoy I can't do for a living because of my back.


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## Hearth Mistress

There are so many talented folks here, I'm taking notes in case I need you guys in the future


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## BrotherBart

Hearth Mistress said:


> There are so many talented folks here, I'm taking notes in case I need you guys in the future


 
I retired.


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## BrotherBart

Swedishchef said:


> I think there's a saying on this forum along the lines of "Pictures; or it didn't happen"
> 
> lol


 
My last gig before retirement.


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## Hearth Mistress

nate379 said:


> I'm on the welfare.
> 
> Will be a disabled vet in a couple months after 11.5 years in the USAF. Fell from a roof about a year ago and broke my back. 3 blown discs, 2 crushed vertebrae. Uncle Sam said I was of no use to anyone, so out the door.
> 
> Dunno what I'll be doing next.  Most of the things I enjoy I can't do for a living because of my back.



That is awful! Like I said above, my mom was hit by a drunk driver, she had a lot of spinal injuries. She has radiated vertebrae replaced in her neck. All these years later she still has good and bad days. I feel for you man, back pain is no joke, especially at your severity. You are still an asset to us, even if Uncle Sam doesn't think so  Try to think positive thoughts (I know that can be hard when you are in excruciating pain) and good things will come to you.  Not sure what you did for the USAF but with that sort if time in, you'd think they'd offer you something like flight scheduling or inventory/supply management where you wouldn't have to do any heavy lifting. I don't have any connections out in Alaska but maybe someone here can help! Chin up!


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## Seasoned Oak

Did just about everything till 25 then got into real estate investing/rehabbing. Been semi retired since 33, am now 56. Spent a lot of winters in the South pacific since 1989.. Now i enjoy the cold weather with the help of 4 woodstoves at 4 different locations. No regrets.


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## Seasoned Oak

nate379 said:


> I'm on the welfare.
> Will be a disabled vet in a couple months after 11.5 years in the USAF. Fell from a roof about a year ago and broke my back. 3 blown discs, 2 crushed vertebrae. Uncle Sam said I was of no use to anyone, so out the door.
> Dunno what I'll be doing next. Most of the things I enjoy I can't do for a living because of my back.


Enjoy life as best you can, make lemonade from those lemons,here on hearth we dont know how to quit.


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## Seasoned Oak

BrotherBart said:


> My last gig before retirement.


Can i off you a "Dos Equis"


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## BrotherBart

Seasoned Oak said:


> Can i off you a "Dos Equis"


 
Hate the stuff but a job is a job.


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## Mrs. Krabappel

pretty much this


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## nate379

2W071, Munitions.  Anything from running a forklift, driving a tractor trailer to pulling apart missiles, throwing bombs together, etc.  Some days just mowing grass or plowing snow.  Pretty much anything that goes boom or bang minus nukes we deal with in some form or fashion.

In "the old days" they would put the "invalids" at a desk job, but with all the budget cuts and a smaller military they want only people that are 100%.




Hearth Mistress said:


> That is awful! Like I said above, my mom was hit by a drunk driver, she had a lot of spinal injuries. She has radiated vertebrae replaced in her neck. All these years later she still has good and bad days. I feel for you man, back pain is no joke, especially at your severity. You are still an asset to us, even if Uncle Sam doesn't think so  Try to think positive thoughts (I know that can be hard when you are in excruciating pain) and good things will come to you. Not sure what you did for the USAF but with that sort if time in, you'd think they'd offer you something like flight scheduling or inventory/supply management where you wouldn't have to do any heavy lifting. I don't have any connections out in Alaska but maybe someone here can help! Chin up!


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## begreen

nate379 said:


> I'm on the welfare.
> 
> Will be a disabled vet in a couple months after 11.5 years in the USAF. Fell from a roof about a year ago and broke my back. 3 blown discs, 2 crushed vertebrae. Uncle Sam said I was of no use to anyone, so out the door.
> 
> Dunno what I'll be doing next. Most of the things I enjoy I can't do for a living because of my back.


 
That's definitely a bummer. You must be thankful just to be alive. Did this put an end to the Lotus racing?


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## Dairyman

I've been farming for 18 years. Currently my wife and I are running a managed grazing dairy, beef herd, hay, and row crops.


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## Beer Belly

Seasoned Oak said:


> Did just about everything till 25 then got into real estate investing/rehabbing. Been semi retired since 33, am now 56. Spent a lot of winters in the South pacific since 1989.. Now i enjoy the cold weather with the help of 4 woodstoves at 4 different locations. No regrets.


 My Wife and I bought and sold a few houses and condos, and resold at a profit.....wasn't our intention, but we were able to buy cheap, fixem' up a little and sell a few years later (hot realestate market).....was easy to do being no kids.....and the market was right....did pretty well and put all the monies away in investments till we retire....last sale/ purchase was in 2007 in the house we are in now, gonna be here awhile with a down market, but it's a great house in a great neighborhood.


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## Dairyman

fossil said:


> BrotherBart said: ↑ Male escort.​ On a dairy farm.


 


Wait a minute.... my wife's pregnant


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## Swedishchef

nate379 said:


> I'm on the welfare.  Will be a disabled vet in a couple months after 11.5 years in the USAF. Fell from a roof about a year ago and broke my back. 3 blown discs, 2 crushed vertebrae. Uncle Sam said I was of no use to anyone, so out the door. Dunno what I'll be doing next. Most of the things I enjoy I can't do for a living because of my back​


  That is absolutely terrible. I hope things get better for ya Nate.


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## nate379

Sorry guys didn't mean to turn this into a "woe is me" thread   Thanks for the comments though, some days it's kinda depressing thinking about it and it really does help to have people that truly are concerned.

I'll get a bit of $$ each month from VA disability. Not enough to live off of, but every bit helps. Right now plans are to use a VA Voc Rehab program to go back to school. For what... honestly I'm not sure yet.


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## Hearth Mistress

nate379 said:


> Sorry guys didn't mean to turn this into a "woe is me" thread   Thanks for the comments though, some days it's kinda depressing thinking about it and it really does help to have people that truly are concerned.
> 
> I'll get a bit of $$ each month from VA disability. Not enough to live off of, but every bit helps. Right now plans are to use a VA Voc Rehab program to go back to school. For what... honestly I'm not sure yet.



Please don't take this the wrong way, but what about a psycologist or counselor? There is such a need for them right now for our troops coming home with PTSD. My sister is interning at a non profit working with autistic kids, nd loves it,  but is considering getting a special certification to work with adults, specifically for PTSD because that's where the jobs are right now


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## MasterMech

Started out in HS as a farmhand/groundskeeper on a _very_ nice piece of property. Organic small grains and hay. Custom ground animal feeds. Grew up on a 3000+ acre beef farm (pretty big for these parts) with roughly 150-200 calving females each year. Did 4-H sheep and feeder pigs (sheep were year-round breeders, pigs were summertime only) and was very sucessful at our county fair, several Grand/Reserve champion animals. even more if you count my brother in.

Went to college, 1 year, for Computer Information Systems (loved computers as a hobby when I was a teen). Never finished, don't want to. Remember this was just after the dot-bomb bust and the job market was crowded with new techno weenies like myself. Starting wages were not pretty.

Went back to my old job as a groundskeeper for a summer, and heard about a possible opening at a local Deere dealership for a service tech. Was pretty handy with keeping our grounds equipment going so why not? Started as a service tech, both in the shop and on the road, mostly residential lawn and garden equipment. Moved into sales, did 800K my first year, 1 mil gross sales my 2nd before I went back to the shop, this time as the diesel/commercial equipment tech. After nearly 5 years there I switched to a Kubota/Komatsu dealer's light equipment shop, playing with mini-excavators, skid steers, compact tractors, and whatever smaller stuff came my way. Bottom dropped out of the economy not long after I started there and 6 months in, they started swinging the axe.

Laid off for the first time, looking for something, my old job at the Deere dealer called and offered to let me fill in for a tech that was overseas for several weeks. Their 2-cycle equipment had become rediculously backlogged and they needed help since it was mid-spring. Gig was _supposed_ to last 3 weeks to a month but 10 days in (as I had just brought the backlog to _zero_) they said thanks, you're done after this week. 

Good and PO'd (I was now ineligible to collect the unemployment ins from the Kubota dealer, and hadn't been employed long enough to collect from the Deere dealer) I was back on the hunt. My mother called and said she knew a golf superintendent had a few slots opening up for the summer. I called and the super asked "are you good help or just help?" . I knew nothing about golf course work other than how to mow grass (and only rough at that). He said I was vastly overqualified but if I wanted the job it was mine. They paid $9 an hour (I just came off a $16/hr job with full benefits, ouch, ) but something was better than nothing at that point. Over the course of my career there I not only did grounds/greens work, I filled in when they were forced to let their mechanic go.

Began interviewing for my current position a few months after I started working for the course (with full disclosure and the super understood completely). Maintenance mechanic at a facility that applies thermal barrier coatings (ceramic) to turbine blades destined for the hot section of a jet engine. That's been paying the bills ever since. I've also decided that perhaps working for a faceless, often soulless corporate entity isn't my idea of a good time. So I'm testing the self-employment waters by running my small engine repair service out of my garage. I'm small-time, I have a few reliable customers. Enough that I'm learning how to run the business efficiently. It's all legit despite not making big enough numbers for the IRS to notice  but I don't want trouble, I want something I can really make a go with. I'll be pushing to grow the business a bit more this year and see where it goes. Have a buddy whom I've been working with off and on for the last 8-9 years now, doing the same thing I am. We've talked about joining forces when the stars align. Here's hoping. 

EDIT: I never did really give up the golf course work. Liked it enough that I stayed on for weekends/holidays. Only required about 3 hrs a day and I did it because I enjoyed it, not for money. During the summer of 2011 I worked the spring/summer/fall for 6 hr days after coming off my night shift at my regular job. (I was on the course 7 days a week, often put in 25-30 hr timesheets on top of my regular job's 40.) While it was actually fun, I will not do that again unless absolutely necessary. Very hard on the body, even a young one.  This year I only helped out with their peak needs (tournaments and aeration, weekends after the college kids went back to school.) and next year will most likely be the same.


----------



## Jack Straw

Custodian for a small vocational school, great bennies low pay.
Building Energy Specialist, I audit 2 school districts for their energy use.(Cenergistic.com)
On Saturdays I do carpentry work for a friend who has a construction co.


----------



## Swedishchef

nate379 said:


> Sorry guys didn't mean to turn this into a "woe is me" thread  Thanks for the comments though, some days it's kinda depressing thinking about it and it really does help to have people that truly are concerned.
> 
> I'll get a bit of $$ each month from VA disability. Not enough to live off of, but every bit helps. Right now plans are to use a VA Voc Rehab program to go back to school. For what... honestly I'm not sure yet.


 Just move to Canada. We are looking for people who want to work. I am sure there would be something in the Yukon for ya   That is a terrible situation and it pisses me off to see someone dedicate their life to a job like that and then get tossed to the can...F&*^%^


----------



## Jags

After high school I was a heavy equip operator (gravel pit) for a year before going into the Navy for a 4 yr stint.  Got out and after that have been a computer dude ever since.  IT manager for my company.  We have 13 stores across 3 states and I do it all.  Wiring, networking, MS servers, IBM mainframe, training....everything.
For side work I am BrotherBarts pimp.


----------



## lukem

Started working on my friends farm (horses, hogs, beef, and row crops) when I was about 12.  Worked on the farm here and there and there till I was about 16.  Bailed hay, shovel chit, drove equipment, fed, etc.  

I detasselled corn for two summers when I was 14-16.

Started working at a green-house when I was about 14...did that for a couple years then got "promoted" to the landscape crew.  Started out on the landscape crew as chief string trimmer and wheel barrow operator.  After a  couple years, I think I was 17, I was still working for the same guy but had my own crew working for me.  Did that until the summer I graduated high school.

I got an internship for a large on-line media retailer after high school doing everything from sorting mail to wrenching on machines to writing computer code. I interned there every summer through college.  After I graduated they offered me a full time job as a system admin for their warehouse management system.  Company sold out a couple years later and I left on my own terms before I got laid off.

Picked up a job at a big box retail distribution center as a department supervisor.  That turned into PC repair, network installation and support, software support.  That turned into basically industrial engineering.  That turned into a brief sting slinging computer code and tech resourcing some projects.  That turned into my current job that includes process development, system specification, testing, and training for distribution operations projects.  I'm the ops guy who knows technology...or am I the tech guy who knows how to run a DC?  Either way...I've been with this company for about 7 years now.

Not sure where I'll end up next.  A lot of days I just want to get back to the farm or mowing grass and planting trees.  Maybe I will someday.  For now making firewood, gardening, and landscaping my own place cures most of that itch.


----------



## SlyFerret

lukem said:


> I'm the ops guy who knows technology...or am I the tech guy who knows how to run a DC?



That's me pretty much too.  I've decided I'm the first.  An ops guy that knows technology.  I've gone back to school to study business management.  Specifically, my major is Operations and Supply Chain Management.

-SF


----------



## hossthehermit

Swedishchef said:


> Hey guys
> 
> I was just curious what everyone does/did for a living?
> 
> Since I asked the question I should be the one to answer: I am a police officer/investigator.
> 
> What about you?
> 
> Andrew


 
Try to avoid answering questions from police officer/investigator


----------



## Stegman

Swedishchef said:


> Hey guys
> 
> I was just curious what everyone does/did for a living?
> 
> Since I asked the question I should be the one to answer: I am a police officer/investigator.
> 
> What about you?
> 
> Andrew


 
You're going to hate me, Chef. In addition to being a diehard Boston Bruins fan, I was a newspaper reporter for a long time. I now work in the corporate world as an editor, but I'll always be a reporter in my mind. It runs in my family and was a labor of love. Had to get out about 10 years ago once we had kids. The money blows.


----------



## Swedishchef

hossthehermit said:


> Try to avoid answering questions from police officer/investigator


 No worries, I am not an Under Cover agent (U/C). Just remember: I was born human and decided to become an officer. Not the other way around


----------



## Swedishchef

Stegman said:


> You're going to hate me, Chef. In addition to being a diehard Boston Bruins fan, I was a newspaper reporter for a long time. I now work in the corporate world as an editor, but I'll always be a reporter in my mind. It runs in my family and was a labor of love. Had to get out about 10 years ago once we had kids. The money blows.


 I can forgive you for being a reporter (I am actually PRO newsreleases/transparency and telling the public as much as possible) but I CAN'T forgive you for being a Bruins fan!! lol  I do get along quite well with the media. I seriously believe transparency is key to good relations.
A


----------



## Retired Guy

Retired for 8 years now. Previously School district administrator before that 28 years teaching, skirted mobile homes, apprentice bricklayer, laborer, bodega stock boy.


----------



## samdweezel05

Swedishchef said:


> No worries, I am not an Under Cover agent (U/C). Just remember: I was born human and decided to become an officer. Not the other way around


 
RCMP?  I thought Quebec was it's own country.


----------



## Thistle

After High School worked for small local tree service for 2 years,Carpenters Union for 4 years after that,Laborer's Union for 23 years since.Hope to be able to take early retirement when I'm 55-57 if possible,do something less strenous on the ol' body until 62 comes around......
Trained in all phases of carpentry from light/heavy framing,concrete forms to finish work,furniture/cabinet making.Operating all kinds of  power tools both hand held & stationary that are found on building site or inside cabinet/millwork factory.

Working as a laborer/tender on a few jobs tending plasterers & stone masons,I learned quite a lot besides mixing the mud,building/tearing down the scaffolding,cleaning/working on the pumps,sprayers,mixers & other equipment.Been working with my hands since first taking cabinetmaking,machine shop,hot metal/forging & a small engine course in Junior/Senior High.Had no idea it would be a 'career',just looked like an interesting class or two to take.


----------



## Swedishchef

samdweezel05 said:


> RCMP? I thought Quebec was it's own country.


 Quebec is a province. And likely will always remain part of Canada no matter what the vocal minority asks for. The RCMP has the mandate in every province except Ontario and Quebec to apply provincial regulations and are therefore the provincial police. Why? Ontario and Quebec already had their own police when the RCMP was created


----------



## Swedishchef

Thistle: I wish I could work with my hands like you. That is something you will never lose; the manual ability to get things done.


----------



## andybaker

From my avatar I'll let you take a guess. I started by visiting a family friends bakery on Friday nights when in order to reach the table top I had to stand on a bucket to fill the jellyballs. Eventually I'd fall asleep on the front floor of the bakery, covered myself with some coats and fell asleep listening to the bakers in the back talking BS. Little did I know it would turn into a career. I've worked several different bakeries until after I was married I decided I needed a better education so packed all I could in a Ford Tempo, stored what I could in parents upstairs and sold everything else and moved to Kansas to attend the American Institute of Baking. After graduation I had some offers to work back closer to home. I worked a place in Ann Arbor Mich, a big wholesale bakery in Navarre Ohio back to Toledo to work a multi unit retailer and finally came into the family bakery after my father bought a neighborhood bakery. Been there for over 20 years now. Recently decided to also spread myself out a little more and use my experience and take up sales and service/advice with a flavor manufacturer, International Bakers Services. The next 20 years should be interesting. I don't think I ever want to retire.


----------



## BrianK

In high school and college I was a bouncer, worked in a paper factory, did construction, hung awnings, delivered appliances and furniture, sold shoes, and worked at the college field station at Lake Raystown, Huntingdon County, PA. I also used to do yardwork for Mrs. Sheetz. Her husband owned the Sheetz convenience store chain.

Now I'm a Podiatrist (foot surgeon) and I do writing for Catholic periodicals on the side.


----------



## eclecticcottage

nate379 said:


> Sorry guys didn't mean to turn this into a "woe is me" thread  Thanks for the comments though, some days it's kinda depressing thinking about it and it really does help to have people that truly are concerned.
> 
> I'll get a bit of $$ each month from VA disability. Not enough to live off of, but every bit helps. Right now plans are to use a VA Voc Rehab program to go back to school. For what... honestly I'm not sure yet.


 

DH has had herniated discs since a work injury about 15/18 years ago.  Worker's comp is a joke.  VESID is a joke.  He was back at work, but is now back out and doing his best at being self employed via taking over a business I started.  He ended up with herniated discs in his neck as well, which cause migraines.  And disability laughed at him, basically, so he didn't have much choice, he hasn't been able to find another job.  I started the business he is now involved with to get out of an office job, because I get chronic migraines (since I was a kid) and it's pretty difficult sometimes to be nice to co workers, lol.

so, yeah, I have a boring office job.  Nothing special, no skilz required.

My "second" job is still the business I started and DH is now involved in.  I design greeting cards and t-shirts.  We were doing more but the economy sucks and we closed up the branches that involved inventory.  We're back to working with fulfilment companies.  I hate the lack of control, especially over quality, but it's nice to just design, upload (tag, name, etc) and wait on a check (well, it's not THAT easy, but compared to actually producing things, shipping, and dealing with customers, some of whom didn't have a great grasp on English, it SEEMS that easy).  It all started with my DSLR and a photo I took of our old Baja slingin mud.  Never would have thought that the one saying I came up with while staring at it would end up all over the freaking web (if only we'd have had the $$ to TM it!!).  So yeah, if you're into off roading and have heard the phrase "If the mud ain't flyin, you ain't tryin"-that was me, back in 2005 or so.  I have the pic somewhere still, it's from a seasonal use highway out here. 

I'd be in heaven if we could make that and rehabbing older homes/cottages (think Rehab Addict) our sole means of income.  But that is as likely to happen as winning the mega millions.  Actually, I think we'd need to win the mega to have the capitol to do it, lol.

Swedishchef...we've actually talked about moving to Canada, especially coastal or cottage country areas.  Looks like you need to prove you'd be an "asset" to the country to get a visa though, and DH is afraid he wouldn't be considered one, all things considered.


----------



## rover47

First worked in a Chrysler dealership during the muscle car era. Ah the road tests. Then moved to an import dealership, was a Land Rover master tech. 20+ years. Then moved on to be a tech support person for a Land Rover parts house. Now fix trucks on the phone and on the internet. Here 10 + years.  Oh yeah was mister mom for a few years in the middle of it all.


----------



## Swedishchef

Swedishchef said:


> Thistle: I wish I could work with my hands like you. That is something you will never lose; the manual ability to get things done.


 OMG. I wish I was a baker. That was career #3: pastry school NIIIIICE


----------



## Swedishchef

BrianK said:


> In high school and college I was a bouncer, worked in a paper factory, did construction, hung awnings, delivered appliances and furniture, sold shoes, and worked at the college field station at Lake Raystown, Huntingdon County, PA. I also used to do yardwork for Mrs. Sheetz. Her husband owned the Sheetz convenience store chain.
> 
> Now I'm a Podiatrist (foot surgeon) and I do writing for Catholic periodicals on the side.


 I love it. From bouncer to foot surgeon. Very nice! How long did the schooling take?

Andrew


----------



## Swedishchef

eclecticcottage said:


> DH has had herniated discs since a work injury about 15/18 years ago. Worker's comp is a joke. VESID is a joke. He was back at work, but is now back out and doing his best at being self employed via taking over a business I started. He ended up with herniated discs in his neck as well, which cause migraines. And disability laughed at him, basically, so he didn't have much choice, he hasn't been able to find another job. I started the business he is now involved with to get out of an office job, because I get chronic migraines (since I was a kid) and it's pretty difficult sometimes to be nice to co workers, lol.
> 
> so, yeah, I have a boring office job. Nothing special, no skilz required.
> 
> My "second" job is still the business I started and DH is now involved in. I design greeting cards and t-shirts. We were doing more but the economy sucks and we closed up the branches that involved inventory. We're back to working with fulfilment companies. I hate the lack of control, especially over quality, but it's nice to just design, upload (tag, name, etc) and wait on a check (well, it's not THAT easy, but compared to actually producing things, shipping, and dealing with customers, some of whom didn't have a great grasp on English, it SEEMS that easy). It all started with my DSLR and a photo I took of our old Baja slingin mud. Never would have thought that the one saying I came up with while staring at it would end up all over the freaking web (if only we'd have had the $$ to TM it!!). So yeah, if you're into off roading and have heard the phrase "If the mud ain't flyin, you ain't tryin"-that was me, back in 2005 or so. I have the pic somewhere still, it's from a seasonal use highway out here.
> 
> I'd be in heaven if we could make that and rehabbing older homes/cottages (think Rehab Addict) our sole means of income. But that is as likely to happen as winning the mega millions. Actually, I think we'd need to win the mega to have the capitol to do it, lol.
> 
> Swedishchef...we've actually talked about moving to Canada, especially coastal or cottage country areas. Looks like you need to prove you'd be an "asset" to the country to get a visa though, and DH is afraid he wouldn't be considered one, all things considered.


 
Hrmm. I am certain you could move here and get the green cards require. They simply don't want someone to arrive here and become a parasite (we already have enough of them..) of our social systems (and I certainly don't think you would!). Especially if you brought your business with you, there are tons of grants for businesses to develop/expand and grow.

You have the drive of a God. Incredibly touching story. Move to Canada, we have tons of land for sale


----------



## Swedishchef

rover47 said:


> First worked in a Chrysler dealership during the muscle car era. Ah the road tests. Then moved to an import dealership, was a Land Rover master tech. 20+ years. Then moved on to be a tech support person for a Land Rover parts house. Now fix trucks on the phone and on the internet. Here 10 + years. Oh yeah was mister mom for a few years in the middle of it all.


 Land Rover? Very nice. DId you have the chance to own one?


----------



## BrianK

Swedishchef said:


> I love it. From bouncer to foot surgeon. Very nice! How long did the schooling take?
> 
> Andrew


Four years of undergrad, BS in biology/pre-med, 4 years at Podiatry school, two years of surgical residency.

I often wish I had followed in my family's footsteps instead. My grandfather was a welder in the PA railroad shops in Altoona, my dad was a plumber/mechanical contractor, one brother is an electrician and another a plumber. My direct ancestors made PA longrifles. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't be in medicine.


----------



## Swedishchef

Interesting comment Brian. I have never met anyone who regrets a field such as medicine. It's a long road to get to where you are, you didn't change your mind during your studies?


----------



## Beer Belly

Swedishchef said:


> I love it. From bouncer to foot surgeon. Very nice! How long did the schooling take?
> 
> Andrew


 funny....spent years stickin' his foot up peoples arse (that deserved it), and now fixes the foot


----------



## firefighterjake

BrianK said:


> Four years of undergrad, BS in biology/pre-med, 4 years at Podiatry school, two years of surgical residency.
> 
> I often wish I had followed in my family's footsteps instead. My grandfather was a welder in the PA railroad shops in Altoona, my dad was a plumber/mechanical contractor, one brother is an electrician and another a plumber. My direct ancestors made PA longrifles. If I had it to do over again,* I wouldn't be in med*icine.


 
Granted my wife never put in the same amount of training or education . . . but she says the same thing about her work as a nurse. The "bad" stories and stress far outweigh those days when she comes home and feels as though she has made a real difference -- these days if the day was uneventul for her I count it as a great day.


----------



## MishMouse

At Work: Official Title Team Lead Level 4, sub-titles Programmer Analyst, Team Lead, Systems Analyst, Technical Analyst, Contract programmer.
Mainly working in Insurance using Legacy Mainframe Technology.

At Home: Cook, wood processor, house cleaner, etc...


----------



## BrianK

Swedishchef said:


> Interesting comment Brian. I have never met anyone who regrets a field such as medicine. It's a long road to get to where you are, you didn't change your mind during your studies?


 
Actually, I really like what I do. People come to me in pain and leave with relief. Its a humble but rewarding profession.

On the other hand, with the constant threat of frivolous lawsuits, frivolous insurance audits, byzantine government regulations, and now socialized medicine, its just not worth it. I WILL NOT work under socialized medicine, and I will not share my patients' private medical information with a malignant Big Brother. I'm working on getting out of my field of practice. I'll still be in medicine, but in an administrative role.


----------



## Delta-T

for "professional" jobs....technical illustator, hair stylist, now stove guy....still have dreams of becoming a Jedi Knight though, or Llama/Alpaca Herdsman.


----------



## Jags

WASABI


----------



## Delta-T

clearly Jags is a samurai/ninja/wushu master with a penchant for the dramatic.....who else would warn you of your impending doom with an exclamation like WASABI!?? Unless he's a sushi chef and its more like a question than a statement.....WASABI!??


----------



## Jags

Consider it the air raid siren of the ninja.


----------



## Danno77

I'm a School Psychologist. Just to be clear (because it comes up a lot), this is NOT the same as a School Counselor, not even close.

I come from a long line of farmers. I wasn't allowed to have a "job" in HS, my "job" was to work on the farm. I decided then that I would not be a farmer. I should explain: I come from a long line of the hardest working farmers you've ever seen. I'm so extremely proud of my father and what he does, he is the ruler that people use to measure their success around here. I knew I'd never be able to do anything close to what he does, so I opted out and went in a completely different direction.

When I graduated from HS I went to college to get a degree in Computer Science. Around the second year I decided I didn't like it as much as I thought, and changed to Psychology. Did so at just the perfect time that my coursework gave me a minor in computer science without wasting any credits. As graduation came closer I realized that I couldn't do anything worthwhile with a BS in Psych, so went on to grad school in School Psychology. It's the perfect blend of helping kids with learning disabilities, giving mental health support to kids, and working with a LOT of statistics and numbers.

I've held a number of jobs in college and since. I was a ski instructor, I worked at a body shop detailing cars, I was a ski-lift operator, I worked at Walmart, a video store, worked in the computer labs in undergrad and graduate school, worked the campus computer help desk, was a statistics tutor in grad school, I worked in county mental health when they were short one summer, and I've been a track & field coach.

I really just want to be retired. I enjoy my hobbies more than any job I've ever had. Stupid hobbies tend to cost me $$ though, so there's that.


----------



## Adios Pantalones

3 days a week I'm a chemist
3 long (12+ hour) days a week I'm a potter (plus a couple hours here and there)
1 day I'm a honey-do dude.

Yes, I'm a Bruins fan. Terry O'Reilly is still worshiped here, as he should be.


----------



## Delta-T

Adios Pantalones said:


> 3 days a week I'm a chemist
> 3 long (12+ hour) days a week I'm a potter (plus a couple hours here and there)
> 1 day I'm a honey-do dude.
> 
> Yes, I'm a Bruins fan. Terry O'Reilly is still worshiped here, as he should be.


 
...but what do you do the other 2 days of the week?


----------



## Adios Pantalones

Delta-T said:


> ...but what do you do the other 2 days of the week?


 
Listen to Pink Floyd and travel in astral space.


----------



## Jags

Adios Pantalones said:


> Listen to Pink Floyd and travel in astral space.


 
If you see me float by, give a wave.


----------



## granpajohn

BrianK said:


> . My direct ancestors made PA longrifles.


 
Nice website. (Blogsite, I suppose)


----------



## Swedishchef

Mishmouse: so you're a techie???

Brian: move to Canada. We don't tend to throw lawsuits around like we're slinging mud. I do laugh every time I saw an advertisement on TV for some sort of a class action lawsuit in the US. By socialized medicine you mean medicare?

Jags: your ninja skills don't intimidate me. I believe your ninja skills suffer from bad case of general weakness.....

Danno: You're right, it's not even close. Physchologists have their hands full, especially in a school environment.  Didn't enjoy programming? I too did some CS but ended up sticking with my chemistry instead and was also a technician at my university during my time there. Working in the labs, etc. Man oh man that was a while back!

A


----------



## BrianK

Swedishchef said:


> By socialized medicine you mean medicare?A


No, ObamaCare.


----------



## Swedishchef

Gotcha. In Canada we have Medicare and everyone seems to accept it. It's just the way it has been for years. However private clinics have begun to open for those who have private health insurance. two tiered healthcare society has begun. It helps clear the backlogs in the public plan that's for sure.


----------



## Thistle

Beer Belly said:


> funny....spent years stickin' his foot up peoples arse (that deserved it), and now fixes the foot


----------



## Retired Guy

Swedishchef said:


> Gotcha. In Canada we have Medicare and everyone seems to accept it. It's just the way it has been for years. However private clinics have begun to open for those who have private health insurance. two tiered healthcare society has begun. It helps clear the backlogs in the public plan that's for sure.


 
I expect that to happen here when the transition to government health care is complete. Currently, a number of Medicare clients are signing up with concierge medical practices the provide same or next day primary care.


----------



## Delta-T

Swedishchef said:


> Jags: your ninja skills don't intimidate me. I believe your ninja skills suffer from bad case of general weakness.....


this same attitude was taken by many of Musashi's rivals....they ALL lost. just sayin


----------



## Jags

Delta-T said:


> this same attitude was taken by many of Musashi's rivals....they ALL lost. just sayin


 
Please - do not correct.  I enjoy the element of surprise.


----------



## Delta-T

Jags said:


> Please - do not correct. I enjoy the element of surprise.


 
my bad....where'd I put that popcorn?


----------



## Jags

Delta-T said:


> my bad....where'd I put that popcorn?


 
Its over to your left, up on the end table next to your kids picture.


----------



## Shane N

Software engineer


----------



## Swedishchef

Bring it on ninja man!

Shane: how long have you been doing that?


----------



## Jags

Swedishchef said:


> Bring it on ninja man!


He does my light work:


----------



## Shane N

Swedishchef said:


> Bring it on ninja man!
> 
> Shane: how long have you been doing that?


 
Six years


----------



## Delta-T

Jags said:


> He does my light work:
> View attachment 88899


holy smokes. what kinda animal is that? thats one-o-the craziest things I ever seen.


----------



## Jags

Delta-T said:


> holy smokes. what kinda animal is that? thats one-o-the craziest things I ever seen.


I think it is in the coon family, but don't tell him that.


----------



## Scols

Commercial Fisherman


----------



## Swedishchef

Scols: what do you fish?


----------



## legrandice

Audio engineer and landlord


----------



## Scols

Swedishchef said:


> Scols: what do you fish?


 Primarily Monkfish and Skate. We also target Striped Bass for a short time in the fall and trawl for Fluke and Squid in the summer. I have also been a lobstermen here on Long Island and a Spiny Lobster and Stone Crab fishermen in Key West for 7 years. Have been a clammer, bay scalloper, and deckhand on offshore trawlers and longliner as well over the past 25 years.


----------



## Odie

I'll add to the nerd quotient... I'm in IT, more specifically data network security, have been in IT for 23 years.


----------



## Swedishchef

What ever happened to those .com days eh?


----------



## Hearth Mistress

Scols said:


> Primarily Monkfish and Skate. We also target Striped Bass for a short time in the fall and trawl for Fluke and Squid in the summer. I have also been a lobstermen here on Long Island and a Spiny Lobster and Stone Crab fishermen in Key West for 7 years. Have been a clammer, bay scalloper, and deckhand on offshore trawlers and longliner as well over the past 25 years.


What a great profession! My grandfather owned a marina when I was a kid and there was nothing like my parents buying fish just off the boats, amazing. I wish I could get monkfish and skate! I used to be able to get both at my local market but now can only get it at an asian grocery store. Monkfish, "poor mans's lobster" and skate are my favorites. This year we were at the shore and the guys fishing were throwing the skate back! I told them how good it was but they didn't believe me.


----------



## Swedishchef

Scols said:


> Primarily Monkfish and Skate. We also target Striped Bass for a short time in the fall and trawl for Fluke and Squid in the summer. I have also been a lobstermen here on Long Island and a Spiny Lobster and Stone Crab fishermen in Key West for 7 years. Have been a clammer, bay scalloper, and deckhand on offshore trawlers and longliner as well over the past 25 years.


The community I live in is partly a fishing community. Mostly lobster, crab and some other fish species. Gotta love living near the ocean!!  I have utmost respect for you and your trade. Storms, early mornings, long hours as hard as hell!


----------



## Swedishchef

Circuit city?

There's not much stability in anything these days other than working as a funeral home director ... people will always die.....unfortunately.


----------



## Adios Pantalones

Delta-T said:


> holy smokes. what kinda animal is that? thats one-o-the craziest things I ever seen.


I believe it's a tanuki. You may recall my traditional tanuki sculpture with the sake bottle, and the giant package.


----------



## jharkin

Swedishchef said:


> What ever happened to those .com days eh?


 
Venture capitalists funding businesses that never had any hope of making a profit....


----------



## ironpony

What do I do??
I'll tell you what I do.
Mind my @#@ own business, thats what I do..........


----------



## Delta-T

Adios Pantalones said:


> I believe it's a tanuki. You may recall my traditional tanuki sculpture with the sake bottle, and the giant package.


I always remember a giant package...the rest is sort of a blur though.


----------



## SlyFerret

ironpony said:


> What do I do??
> I'll tell you what I do.
> Mind my @#@ own business, thats what I do..........



I hope to have my own business some day, too.  I work too hard to spend my whole life working for somebody else!

-SF


----------



## corey21

Going to try to explain this as best as i can.

I was born with issues that prevent me from working a normal job. Currently thinking of a job from home but my internet is the problem. Anyway i get disability checks each month.


----------



## granpajohn

Swedishchef said:


> There's not much stability in anything these days other than working as a funeral home director ... people will always die.....unfortunately.


Tax Collector


----------



## Flatbedford

When I was a freshman in high school I walked into the school auditorium and saw a huge scaffold set up in the middle of the house. It  looked like the best jungle gym ever. I asked one of the older kids if it would be OK if I climbed the scaffolding. He said it would be fine, but I'd have have to focus the stage lights while I was up there. 27 years later I am a stage hand in the electric dept. at the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC. I pretty much ran the stage crew in high school and went on to study for BFA in theater design/technology. I dropped out after a year and a half and went to work in the business. I have worked in pretty much every aspect of "back stage". I worked on Broadway, dance, rock & roll, corporate events, feature films, TV,  commercials. etc and worked for scenery and lighting shops. I also worked in construction a few times between jobs. I have been at the Met since 2000 and will most likely stay here through retirement. In fact most of the posts that make on this site are from my lighting bridge 40 or so feet above the stage during rehearsals or performances. For better or worse I am 42 years old and living the dream of a 15 year old. (sort of).


----------



## firefighterjake

Delta-T said:


> I always remember a giant package...the rest is sort of a blur though.


 
Funny . . . that's exactly what I remember about it as well.


----------



## Flatbedford

Didn't seem _that_ giant to me.


----------



## Scols

Hearth Mistress said:


> What a great profession! My grandfather owned a marina when I was a kid and there was nothing like my parents buying fish just off the boats, amazing. I wish I could get monkfish and skate! I used to be able to get both at my local market but now can only get it at an asian grocery store. Monkfish, "poor mans's lobster" and skate are my favorites. This year we were at the shore and the guys fishing were throwing the skate back! I told them how good it was but they didn't believe me.


 95% of our monkfish get exported to south korea so they can be a bit difficult to find. Skates are very difficult to skin so they need to be fairly large to yield a decent fillet so most sportfishermen regard them to be a bait stealing nuisance.


----------



## Scols

Swedishchef said:


> The community I live in is partly a fishing community. Mostly lobster, crab and some other fish species. Gotta love living near the ocean!! I have utmost respect for you and your trade. Storms, early mornings, long hours as hard as hell!


 Thanks for the well wishes! Even though fishing can sometimes be a brutal and unreliable profession I wouldnt trade it for any other. Im very lucky to see and experience things most people only read about or see on tv.


----------



## fossil

[quote="Flatbedford, post: 1332406, member: 10479"0]...living the dream of a 15 year old.[/quote]

Even when I was 15 and fit, fiddling around with light bulbs 40' above whatever I would fall on (unless it was water) would have made me a bit nervous.  Today, at 64, I have no fascination with that concept whatsoever.  As I've aged, my tolerance for heights has continued to decrease.  These days, an 8' step ladder is about my comfort zone.  You should post that pic you took looking straight down from up there in that old thread about "pics from your office", or whatever it was.  That pic pretty much says it all.  Rick


----------



## fossil

I found it (pic of the view from Flatbedford's office):


----------



## Thistle

Looking through old pics on hard drive I found this - Dec 2003 at Wells Fargo Arena jobsite downtown.I used a disposable 35mm camera kept in my lunch box for a while.Not bad pics for an $8 camera really.Didnt have my Minolta Z1 digital SLR until the following March,wasnt about to bring that to work,too much risk of it getting stolen or damaged.Arena was finished November 2004,company I was working for was done in late June.Top photo is about 95ft up,leaning over the railing on concrete forms/decking to alleyway/job trailer down below.Late in day if I remember,just about quitting time.


----------



## Beer Belly

fossil said:


> I found it (pic of the view from Flatbedford's office):
> 
> View attachment 89089


 WHOA ....feeling dizy


----------



## Flatbedford

Beer Belly said:


> WHOA ....feeling dizy


 
That's why I got into this in the first place! You should have seen me when we went to the Grand canyon a few years ago. I almost gave my wife multiple heart attacks trying to find the ultimate cliff side perch.


----------



## Flatbedford

Here's another. Not nearly as high off the ground, but perched on a lighting truss.




Yes, I was clipped in.


----------



## Swedishchef

Flatbedford said:


> When I was a freshman in high school I walked into the school auditorium and saw a huge scaffold set up in the middle of the house. It looked like the best jungle gym ever. I asked one of the older kids if it would be OK if I climbed the scaffolding. He said it would be fine, but I'd have have to focus the stage lights while I was up there. 27 years later I am a stage hand in the electric dept. at the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC. I pretty much ran the stage crew in high school and went on to study for BFA in theater design/technology. I dropped out after a year and a half and went to work in the business. I have worked in pretty much every aspect of "back stage". I worked on Broadway, dance, rock & roll, corporate events, feature films, TV, commercials. etc and worked for scenery and lighting shops. I also worked in construction a few times between jobs. I have been at the Met since 2000 and will most likely stay here through retirement. In fact most of the posts that make on this site are from my lighting bridge 40 or so feet above the stage during rehearsals or performances. For better or worse I am 42 years old and living the dream of a 15 year old. (sort of).


 That is amazing. Great story!! I am glad you followed your desires!

LOL. Most posts are made while 40 feet up? Don't drop the phone/tablet!


----------



## Swedishchef

Flatbedford said:


> Here's another. Not nearly as high off the ground, but perched on a lighting truss.
> View attachment 89132
> 
> Yes, I was clipped in.


 You gotta feel comfortable with heights to be able to do that.

It's like I once told someone: after 30 feet you're likely to suffer severe injuries and possibly die if you were to fall. So what's another 200 feet?


----------



## Flatbedford

I know more people that have been injured falling from 6' ladders than from 40+'.


----------



## madrone

Interesting how many have been through a wide variety of work experience.

Also been through a few occupations: Facilities maintenance, printing press operator, restaurant server in Vegas casino, glass etcher, welding and bronze casting instructor, college shop tech. Got a BFA in sculpture along the way. Currently apprentice electrician.

I appreciate having a range of experience, but sometimes I'm jealous of those who picked early and stuck with it. Usually means they retire early as well...


----------



## Flatbedford

madrone said:


> I appreciate having a range of experience, but sometimes I'm jealous of those who picked early and stuck with it. Usually means they retire early as well...


 
_Usually_


----------



## Swedishchef

Flatbedford said:


> _Usually_


* Pfft*. Everyone seems to be riding the freedom 75 train and no longer the freedome 55 train.

I have an amazing pension (2% of my wage per year service plus after 25 years the pension is indexed with inflation) but I will likely work until I am 65. I could retire with a full pension at 58. By the time I retire a loaf  of bread will cost $7. lol


----------



## Flatbedford

My union has a pretty good pension too, but I didn't get into the plan until I was 30. No early retirement for me.


----------



## BrotherBart

If you were staying until the fat lady sings you would have had to leave on the third day.


----------



## Flatbedford

We've got fat ladies singing all the time here! Matinee starts in 15 minutes.


----------



## bfunk13

I work in the oil & gas industry.
Basically the guy at the wellhead responsible for all production and maintenance of oil and gas wells.
I pump 66 wells spread throughout about 300 square miles. Typical day it is me and the dog, might not see another person all day. Usually see my boss twice a month. Good job, great pay, winter time is more than a huge challenge. Between frozen wells, brutal working conditions and just getting to your locations. Not for everyone for sure.


----------



## Flatbedford

bfunk13 said:


> might not see another person all day. Usually see my boss twice a month.


 
I could put up with some pretty brutal working conditions for that.


----------



## bfunk13

Flatbedford said:


> I could put up with some pretty brutal working conditions for that.


It is pretty nice, the field i work in has elk, deer, antelope, badger, coyote, eagles and more. I probably see a human to animal ratio of 1/1000


----------



## Flatbedford

I've seen your pictures. Pretty awesome scenery out there. Are you still smoke free?


----------



## bfunk13

Flatbedford said:


> I've seen your pictures. Pretty awesome scenery out there. Are you still smoke free?


YES! Thanks for asking


----------



## Flatbedford

Good news! Judging from my experience, you should be good for life by now if you want to be.


----------



## Flatbedford

I just looked up you quitting thread. You are more than a year now. Congarts! I knew that if you really wanted to, you could.


----------



## madrone

yeah, we don't tolerate smoking here of any kind


----------



## Jags

From up high in my perch:  (Scary, ain't it?)


----------



## Flatbedford

Don't look down


----------



## Shane N

Jags said:


> From up high in my perch: (Scary, ain't it?)
> 
> 
> View attachment 89420


 
/me looks down. GAH! Same view!


----------



## madrone

you guys are tied off, right?


----------



## Seasoned Oak

Flatbedford said:


> I've seen your pictures. Pretty awesome scenery out there. Are you still smoke free?


Wish my relatives would kick the habit,visiting them is like perching on my chimney before the afterburner is engaged. Pure torture.


----------



## fespo

Well I grew up in the family owned landscaping business, work there till I was 35 or so. Thing were getting bad with everyone working out of the back of there truck. Found a job on line joking around. They call me in hired me that day. That job was a maint. tech job for Prologis in Chicago. Great job at first, company truck, tools, and everything else you would need. My manager that hired me said I won't last more then 2 years right in the interview. He said I wanted more then the company could offer me. I lasedt 4 1/2 years. Oh ya they sent me to HVAC school too. That took my 3 1/2 years of night school a night a week. Then I seen an add in the local paper for maint.tech,with grounds and snow plowing exp. I put in my resume, I got an interview and 2 weeks later I was working, at my local school dist. were my kids go to school as maint tech. About 2 or so years later, they split things up. Now there was inside building maint. and outside grounds. I took the outside grounds supervisor job and never looked back. Great benfits, great pay, 6.5 miles from home. Im outside everyday, good or bad. Im doing what I like, playing in the dirt.


----------



## Swedishchef

fespo said:


> Well I grew up in the family owned landscaping business, work there till I was 35 or so. Thing were getting bad with everyone working out of the back of there truck. Found a job on line joking around. They call me in hired me that day. That job was a maint. tech job for Prologis in Chicago. Great job at first, company truck, tools, and everything else you would need. My manager that hired me said I won't last more then 2 years right in the interview. He said I wanted more then the company could offer me. I lasedt 4 1/2 years. Oh ya they sent me to HVAC school too. That took my 3 1/2 years of night school a night a week. Then I seen an add in the local paper for maint.tech,with grounds and snow plowing exp. I put in my resume, I got an interview and 2 weeks later I was working, at my local school dist. were my kids go to school as maint tech. About 2 or so years later, they split things up. Now there was inside building maint. and outside grounds. I took the outside grounds supervisor job and never looked back. Great benfits, great pay, 6.5 miles from home. Im outside everyday, good or bad. Im doing what I like, playing in the dirt.


 Sounds like you have a great gig! Gotta love working close to home. I have lots of friends working in Montreal and spending 3-4 hours a day in traffic. I have had numerous opportunities to work there but have passed them all up because of the loss of time in traffic. No thanks!


----------



## loadstarken

I'm a stay at home dad with lots of manly hobbies.  Hehe


----------



## Swedishchef

loadstarken said:


> I'm a stay at home dad with lots of manly hobbies. Hehe


AWESOME! I am currently on parental leave and my wife stays at home (will go back to work in 4 years once the kids are in school)

 I can tell you one thing: that is hard. Taking care of kids is something that in this day and age not many parents want to do: they would rather ship the kids off to daycare so they can have 2 new SUVs, 4 trips down south a year, etc etc etc. Consumerism has taken over their lives. I know of people my age that take 2 weeks vacation and send the kid to daycare for 1.5 of it.

All that to say I raise my hat to you buddy, it's not easy. Lots of work! way to go!


----------



## Flatbedford

Post some pictures of that '78 Loadstar!


----------



## Swedishchef

Not to mention that I am yet to see a person say "I wish I would have shipped my kids to daycare more often" however I have heard many people say "I wish I would have stayed home longer or spent more time with my kids". The child pahse of a human goes fast. Take time to enjoy it, raise your kids with your values and morals and things will work out great for them down the road!


----------



## loadstarken

Swedishchef said:


> All that to say I raise my hat to you buddy, it's not easy. Lots of work! way to go!


Thanks man!  I am soo glad that we made the choice for me to be a stay at home dad!  One year when we were doing our taxes and we got the statement from the child care and it was $32k for 2 kids!  We then decided that I should stay home with the kids instead of paying them that much!  Then 2 weeks into being a stay at home dad my wife received a very sizable raise.  So it was almost like we got 2 raises within a month!



Flatbedford said:


> Post some pictures of that '78 Loadstar!


I originally bought this truck to transport one of my other trucks on the bed but have decided that it will be better to pull a trailer with the truck on it instead.
I am working on getting some bed sides figured out so then I can make some huge hauls of scrounges or from the tree service i've been helping out.

Here is the day that I picked it up and ready to bring it home.


----------



## Swedishchef

That is one sweet truck! I gotta see if I can find one like that. At least something with a flatbed and dualie.

Most people think they can't afford to have only 1 income when in fact it's the CHOICE that they make. Having a $400 000 house is not a requirement. Kids don't know how big a house is. they think a toilet is huge As I said, i lift my hat to you sir and appreciate what you are doing for your kids!

Andrew


----------



## Scols

"Having a 400,000 house is not a requirement". Unfortunately here on LI the areas with houses in that price range are the only areas that are safe and have good schools.


----------



## Swedishchef

Scols: I understand. I guess I should have mentioned that houses in my area are around $250 000.

What a difference between small towns and bigger areas..."safe and have good schools" is not something we worry too much about in Canada other than Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.

You could always move somewhere else, no?


----------



## n3pro

Missed this thread somehow.  Property management - day job and Newspaper, Magazine, and periodical delivery overnights which is my play money.   Day job is the family business which started early in the 80's.  Dad met a Realtor through a friend after complaining about his investments.  Now it grew to 70 units.  My brother, dad and I are the maintenance team,  rental collection specialist, etc.  My sister is the paper pusher and I also take on anything office work that require a computer since being 34 I grew up around computers and my sister 52 refuses to learn.   Hours can be long, schedule can be unknown and time off is a difficult task.


----------



## Scols

Swedishchef said:


> Scols: I understand. I guess I should have mentioned that houses in my area are around $250 000.
> 
> What a difference between small towns and bigger areas..."safe and have good schools" is not something we worry too much about in Canada other than Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.
> 
> You could always move somewhere else, no?


 I misspoke a bit. I forgot about some towns on the north fork of LI. Theres some nice places that can be had up there in the high 200's or low 3's. But for me being a commercial fisherman,I need to be somewhat close to a port with good infrastructure,meaning fuel,ice,boat haulout facilities,and fish packing docks so I can get my catch to NYC.This means Montauk which is in the high priced Hamptons. I live about a half hour from there so the commute is fine, but if I lived further away my 14-18 hour days would get longer so I pay the higher price for a home.Besides the schools are good and the quality of life is too.


----------



## DJB

Excavating, a small company started by my grandfather 80 years ago. It's just my dad, uncle and myself, which makes me the laborer, equipment operator, mechanic, welder, etc, etc. We mostly install septic systems, dig foundations, and underground utilities, plow snow in the winter. Most of my firewood is collected from job sites. loading wood with an excavator with a thumb is quite a luxury


----------



## webbie

I used to talk about my main employee in this way "If the world ended in a nuclear Holocaust, he could rebuild the entire world close to what it is within a few decades with just the tools in his garage and his capabilities".....

I think we see 1000X that here on Hearth.com! Wow, talk about both capabilities and diversity! 

My resume is looking pretty weak in comparison...luckily, I was good at making money. That part is simple "buy it for a dime, sell it for a dollar and pocket your 10% profit" or something like that!


----------



## webbie

Swedishchef said:


> * Pfft*. Everyone seems to be riding the freedom 75 train and no longer the freedome 55 train.
> 
> I have an amazing pension (2% of my wage per year service plus after 25 years the pension is indexed with inflation) but I will likely work until I am 65. I could retire with a full pension at 58. By the time I retire a loaf of bread will cost $7. lol


 
I suggest moving at at 58.
Something happens to the body and mind right about there.....and that gives you some time before it REALLY goes down to do something else.

That is, unless you truly look forward each day (at that point) to getting up each morning and slipping into the uniform.


----------



## Swedishchef

Hey Webbie.

I will certainly debate my options once I arrive at that crossroad. I am very career driven do it depends what is happening. However, lots of people I know retire and work another job that usually pays just as well for 2-3 years and save a nest egg for retirement. However, considering I am only in my 8th year service, I have a lonnnnnng way to go before even thinking about retirement.


----------



## Swedishchef

webbie said:


> I used to talk about my main employee in this way "If the world ended in a nuclear Holocaust, he could rebuild the entire world close to what it is within a few decades with just the tools in his garage and his capabilities".....
> 
> I think we see 1000X that here on Hearth.com! Wow, talk about both capabilities and diversity!
> 
> My resume is looking pretty weak in comparison...luckily, I was good at making money. That part is simple "buy it for a dime, sell it for a dollar and pocket your 10% profit" or something like that!


 I agree. There seems to be quite the diverse and able field of talent on this forum.

So if the workd goes down the crapper I say we all get together to try and save mankind.

A


----------



## webbie

Swedishchef said:


> ay we all get together to try and save mankind.
> 
> A


 
Daksy will make us up some howitzers which we can mount on Scotty's locomotives in order to bring the fight to those Mad Max Characters threatening our new way of life.


----------



## Swedishchef

Like these





DAKSY is coming my way this summer with his HOG group. Hopefully I can provide insight to places to see/stay and things to do for him.


----------



## rover47

Swedishchef said:


> Land Rover? Very nice. DId you have the chance to own one?


Actually i have owned several. Ranging from  1993 back to the one I currently own. a 1971 series 2A. looks like it should be on safari! Tyre on the hood and all.


----------



## tbuff

I'm a Supervisor of Buildings, Grounds and Operations for public school district here in NJ.

My wife and I also own a Heating and Air Conditioning company.

Lastly, I'm a Dad, 4 kids, a dog, 2 cats and 2 pigmy goats...

Great thread!


----------



## Swedishchef

rover47 said:


> Actually i have owned several. Ranging from 1993 back to the one I currently own. a 1971 series 2A. looks like it should be on safari! Tyre on the hood and all.


 Nice! I just wish newer ones were as good as older ones. Like Volvos. Things are simply no longer built to last like they were. Too many electronics and not enough mechanics. Land Rovers are sweet rides but they're not the off roading vehicles they used to be (in my opinion..which isnt worth a dime. lol)

Tom: 4 kids?!   Congrats! It seems you are one heck of a busy man.  How are the goats as pets??

Andrew


----------



## Beer Belly

webbie said:


> I suggest moving at at 58.
> Something happens to the body and mind right about there.....and that gives you some time before it REALLY goes down to do something else.
> 
> That is, unless you truly look forward each day (at that point) to getting up each morning and slipping into the uniform.


 My brother made the move at 57, and never looked back....no regrets...enjoying life


----------



## Swedishchef

I will have to wait and see what life brings me. I am 25 years away from that. That's almost the entire amount of time I have been in this world - ahead of me! Ok, gotta stop thinking about it. Happy thought...happy thought!


----------



## Jags

12 more years.  That'll put me at 56.  Just about right in my opinion.


----------



## blujacket

I run an appliance parts store.September will be my 19th year in the business. Before that I was a Jarhead.


----------



## Danno77

Swedishchef said:


> I will have to wait and see what life brings me. I am 25 years away from that. That's almost the entire amount of time I have been in this world - ahead of me! Ok, gotta stop thinking about it. Happy thought...happy thought!


Shoot, we have about the same amount of time left. Depressing some days. I try not to think about it. I was born to be retired; I know that's my real calling in life.


----------



## Jags

Danno77 said:


> I was born to be retired


 
I am sooo stealing that.


----------



## Flatbedford

Danno77 said:


> I was born to be retired; I know that's my real calling in life.


 
Me too! I could get so much more done if I didn't have to spend all this time at work!


----------



## Swedishchef

Danno77 said:


> Shoot, we have about the same amount of time left. Depressing some days. I try not to think about it. I was born to be retired; I know that's my real calling in life.


 I hear ya. I love my job but can think of 10 000 things I would like to do if I had the income to stay at home.


----------



## bmblank

I'm an engineer. Mechanical. For the last 4 years I've been a testing engineer for a company that makes lightweight shelters and containers, mostly for the military. It sounds like a great job, crashing and breaking stuff... But i can't stand it. If i got fired i wouldn't be at all upset, and this is coming from somebody building a house, so a paycheck is important. I'm not sure if its the job or the company i despise. I mean,i know i don't like the company and i wonder how it stays in business, but still.. Anyway, I'm ranting on the internet, which is like kissing your cousin. It may feel good at the time, but you wouldn't want to tell anybody about it.


----------



## Swedishchef

bmblank said:


> Anyway, I'm ranting on the internet, which is like kissing your cousin. It may feel good at the time, but you wouldn't want to tell anybody about it.​


 L   O   L. that is the quote of the year in my books!

Why don't you look for another job? Lots of friends of mine studied mechanical and some of them hated their jobs. SOmetimes it is a toss up but in the end what counts is your happiness: you can't work a job you hate forever.


----------



## Flatbedford

Swedishchef said:


> you can't work a job you hate forever.


 
I may have to.


----------



## firefighterjake

bmblank said:


> I'm an engineer. Mechanical. For the last 4 years I've been a testing engineer for a company that makes lightweight shelters and containers, mostly for the military. It sounds like a great job, crashing and breaking stuff... But i can't stand it. If i got fired i wouldn't be at all upset, and this is coming from somebody building a house, so a paycheck is important. I'm not sure if its the job or the company i despise. I mean,i know i don't like the company and i wonder how it stays in business, but still.. *Anyway, I'm ranting on the internet, which is like kissing your cousin. It may feel good at the time, but you wouldn't want to tell anybody about it*.


 
Heck, up this way they not only would tell everyone . . . they would end up marrying her.


----------



## Flatbedford

firefighterjake said:


> Heck, up this way they not only would tell everyone . . . they would end up marrying her.


 
Do you and your wife have the same grand parents?


----------



## Swedishchef

I would never work a job I hate. I have done it in the past and I couldn't see myself do something for 25-30 more years hating it. The advantage within my field is that with my employer there's about 100 jobs I can do with the same benefits. Change jobs, keep salary and benefits.

Andrew


----------



## firefighterjake

Flatbedford said:


> Do you and your wife have the same grand parents?


 
Nope . . . I was one of the smart ones . . . I married a gal "from away" . . . originally from Ellington, CT.


----------



## Danno77

There is no other profession in the world that I'd rather do, but I still hate my job. I'm telling you, retirement is where it's at. I'm just afraid I'm going to be too old to enjoy it.

Someone should develop a way to let people from age 18-50 just do whatever the heck they wanted to and then you work until you die. Since I'm scheduled to die early from a heart attack, I'd make out like a bandit on that deal.


----------



## ColdNH

Im a CAD Manager/Specialist/Architectural designer, Spend most of my day (when im busy) troubleshooting CAD issues and doing on teh spot training for my coworkers. When were really busy i assist the architectural department in creating contract documents and doing renderings.

I wish i could say i loved my job, but it would be the furthest thing from the truth.

I tolerate it because it pays well and my coworkers are good people, But constantly having to fix everyones problems when their already frustrated gets old. Same goes with sitting in a cube all day.


----------



## Jags

ColdNH said:


> But constantly having to fix everyones problems when their already frustrated gets old.


 
 Did I mention that I am an IT Manager.


----------



## loadstarken

My dad always told me "If you loved your job you'd do it for free."
So hating your job is OK!


----------



## Delta-T

Danno77 said:


> Someone should develop a way to let people from age 18-50 just do whatever the heck they wanted to and then you work until you die. Since I'm scheduled to die early from a heart attack, I'd make out like a bandit on that deal.


 
it used to be called "following the Dead"..and then Jerry went and died and ruined the whole thing....anyone wants a hemp friendship braclet? See! no opportunity anymore...


----------



## Swedishchef

ColdNH said:


> Im a CAD Manager/Specialist/Architectural designer, Spend most of my day (when im busy) troubleshooting CAD issues and doing on teh spot training for my coworkers. When were really busy i assist the architectural department in creating contract documents and doing renderings.
> 
> I wish i could say i loved my job, but it would be the furthest thing from the truth.
> 
> I tolerate it because it pays well and my coworkers are good people, But constantly having to fix everyones problems when their already frustrated gets old. Same goes with sitting in a cube all day.


 I can agree that it must be frustrating..... However at least the people are nice and the pay is good!


----------



## Swedishchef

Delta-T said:


> it used to be called "following the Dead"..and then Jerry went and died and ruined the whole thing....anyone wants a hemp friendship braclet? See! no opportunity anymore...


 lol


----------



## Blackcountyburner

Hi, fellow cutters, stackers,splitters haulers,and burners ,
Here in the Mid shires of England I have worked as a gardener for a local council for 34 years,starting at 16 years old and due to retire at 66, so just another 15 years to go,in the winter months I do quite a few tree jobs so this is a good source of burning wood  .
I supervise a team of 6 men and togeather we maintain an area of approximately 8 sq miles,this includes all highway grass cutting,weed control,tree maintanence,4 schools and all housing estates, so we are busy most times of the year.
Regards Tim.


----------



## lukem

Swedishchef said:


> That is one sweet truck! I gotta see if I can find one like that. At least something with a flatbed and dualie.
> 
> Most people think they can't afford to have only 1 income when in fact it's the CHOICE that they make. Having a $400 000 house is not a requirement. Kids don't know how big a house is. they think a toilet is huge As I said, i lift my hat to you sir and appreciate what you are doing for your kids!
> 
> Andrew



I think my wife staying home actually saves us money given her previous profession (teacher).  It costs a lot more than just daycare (more eating out, clothing, etc).  

That and it is nice not having a stranger raise up the young'uns.


----------



## Swedishchef

Blackcountyburner said:


> Hi, fellow cutters, stackers,splitters haulers,and burners ,
> Here in the Mid shires of England I have worked as a gardener for a local council for 34 years,starting at 16 years old and due to retire at 66, so just another 15 years to go,in the winter months I do quite a few tree jobs so this is a good source of burning wood .
> I supervise a team of 6 men and togeather we maintain an area of approximately 8 sq miles,this includes all highway grass cutting,weed control,tree maintanence,4 schools and all housing estates, so we are busy most times of the year.
> Regards Tim.


 Holy crap. you must be busy Sounds like a great job!
Andrew


----------



## Swedishchef

lukem said:


> I think my wife staying home actually saves us money given her previous profession (teacher). It costs a lot more than just daycare (more eating out, clothing, etc). That and it is nice not having a stranger raise up the young'uns.​


I believe this way of thinking is much more popular in the US than Canada. Lots of my friends think I am crazy for sacrificing some income for a few years so that my wife stays at home with the kids. It's great knowing that OUR values and morals are being installed in the young ones.

And I can tell you one thing: those who think it is easy have never done it! We have a 28 month old and a 3 month old. Between naps, changing, feeding, entertaining, cleaning up after them, etc it is a fast paced day!

Andrew


----------



## lukem

Swedishchef said:


> I believe this way of thinking is much more popular in the US than Canada. Lots of my friends think I am crazy for sacrificing some income for a few years so that my wife stays at home with the kids. It's great knowing that OUR values and morals are being installed in the young ones.
> 
> And I can tell you one thing: those who think it is easy have never done it! We have a 28 month old and a 3 month old. Between naps, changing, feeding, entertaining, cleaning up after them, etc it is a fast paced day!
> 
> Yeah...uh...we have 5.  7-6-4-2-4 months.
> 
> Andrew


----------



## Swedishchef

At least the 7-6 year olds are in school. Here in Quebec pre-Kindergarden begins at 4. So we would only have 2 at home. That is a pile of kids. Do you have a small yellow bus for when they get older and can't stand each other? lol


----------



## Fi-Q

Just cause you ask andrew....

Got a Industrial maintenance technology degree for the CEGEP in Gaspe. It was a coop program, so through the 4 years of the program I worked as a maintenance tech, 3 months in a furniture factory, 3 months in a steel mill and 3 months in a GE aircraft engine machine shop near montreal. All this was paid !! So I finished my cegep with enough hour for decent unemployement check. I did spend 2 month at home, doing the beach bum drinking m un employement check, and beleive me it was an awesome summer !! I wish I could have an other 2 months off in the summertime before i retired.  Then The GE shop called me back, I was basically a troubleshooter for all the digital multi axis cnc machine that were making jet engine blade, lot of hydraulic, pneumatic and electronic control. But as this was a contract job with no full time employement possibility I ended up quiting for a full time job in a paper mill near ottawa. I did enjoyed the job, even if it was a big contrast from high tech GE to 3 old paper machine, but it was more heavy mechanixs, crazy big beari gs and pumps and compressor. I was workin with a good team, money was good, but living in the city was killing me, traffic jam, living in an aprtement.... It sure was not for me and I was missing the friend and familly from home. So i eventually accepted a job as a quality control inspector for a 500 MW hydro electric project up northern quebec by James Bay. That was an awesome job with a lot of mechanical, pipe fitting and electrical challenge. The man camp was 't bad and the food on thise hydro quebec camp was like eating in a 4 star restaurant every day  I did gain 25 lbs in 6 months there. I really really enjoy this job, and it was a fly-in / fly out rotation shift of 20-8. So back then I moved back home in the peninsula, and that was psycologically really important. Even if i was not to be there at all for the following 5 years.....

And then a big wind mill company qas starting up there canadian division, and I guess i couldn't miss this oportunity, so i trade the north for the south ( my first assigement was california) . So I started as a construcion tech, then became a lead and still am.Been doing that for 8 years ! Dang, 8 yars already  Always on the road, on some job site through US & Canada. I have 3 kids now and teying to spend some qulity time at home. 

    I love my job, but that 4 days off every 6 week is killing me. I was lucky to have some project not to far from
Home in the past 2 years, but they are all donw now and there aint no project planner with our company within 1000 miles from home for the next 3 years. So i guess as soon as the snow melt will hitch the rv and being the familly down the road.

   And I hope to reired before 65, but i don't have a pension plan. And a new house, 3 kids, a wife at home dosen't leave much for retirement fund, and with the 2008 krash....... Anyway.... That about it dor me


----------



## Swedishchef

Louis: THat is quite the story That is why you are rich right now.. he he. James Bay projects were always well paid jobs.

Retire at 75 like me. 

Andrew


----------



## Mrs. Krabappel

Most parents I know who work don't do it for fancy cars or the like. Most do it to provide basic necessities, especially health insurance. Most people do not want to put their children in day care. Even so, they are remarkably still able to raise their children with their morals and their values.   Day care is not the gulag.


----------



## Danno77

Mrs. Krabappel said:


> Most parents I know who work don't do it for fancy cars or the like. Most do it to provide basic necessities, especially health insurance. Most people do not want to put their children in day care. Even so, they are remarkably still able to raise their children with their morals and their values.   Day care is not the gulag.


This seems to be my experience as well and it holds true for my family. My wife and I both have summers off and our two kids both have the daycare experience, but because our schedules for work match school schedules, they don't go to daycare very much after they are school age. 

Would we like more time with our kids? Sure, but we definitely recognize that we have it better than about 90% of other parents, so we don't complain.

Also, people complain about transferring morals and values like its only possible to do so if you have 100% of your kids' adult interaction. Just not true. Daycare ain't Walmart, a diligent daycare consumer does a lot of work to choose their daycare provider. We have been extremely lucky to have consistent providers who are very close friends, almost family, who live a few doors down and share our values and morals. These are the people our kids would be exposed to on a regular basis even if they weren't in daycare. Our current daycare provider lives caddy-corner to her brother (a very good friend of mine) and two houses down from her parents (they always say how they see me as their son). She literally lives around the corner from us, we walk our daughter home from daycare. 

Takes a community to raise a child, I always say.


----------



## Swedishchef

Mrs. Krabappel said:


> Most parents I know who work don't do it for fancy cars or the like. Most do it to provide basic necessities, especially health insurance. Most people do not want to put their children in day care. Even so, they are remarkably still able to raise their children with their morals and their values. Day care is not the gulag.


 I do believe that putting your kids in a daycare is a case by case basis. But I would say that 75% of the people I know who send their kids to daycare do it for the perks of having a second income and not because of the actual *necessity* of a second income. They want nice 2 storey houses with a garage, paved driveway, 2 cars, snowmobiles and ATVs, trips down south, big screen TVs, etc. I don't know many people today who don't have/do 2-3-4 of the things mentioned previously. In 2010 statistics Canada stated that a family with one earner and two parents took home $62000 a year after taxes. That is $5150 a month clear. I think that can be lived on fairly easily...

 In Canada we don't need health insurance. We have medicare. You may need a plan to help pay for prescriptions but for the best ones you may pay $350 a month (80% coverage for entire family). So I don't think that statement fits up here.

I am not certain of your age. But I do think it is a fair statement to say that the majority of people under 30 (my age) were spoon fed by a silver spoon. Grad trips to Cuba, $60 a month data cell phone plans, iPads, iPods, Laptops, etc. Too much commercialization. They are of the generation where several of them had their parents split up when they were younger (compared to 45 years ago) and some times you try to "buy" your kids after a divorce. And once these kids become parents themselves it is hard to pull away from that lifestyle.

And I agree Danno you don't have 100% of your kids intereaction while they are at home. But if you drop them off at 7:15 AM and pick them up at 5:30 PM and put them to bed at 7 PM you have a heck of a lot less.

I am not saying that daycares are gulags whatsoever. I am just saying that the younger generation pawn work off more often than not. It's easier to get a daycare to potty train your kid than to do it yourself.

But that's just my opinion.


----------



## Mrs. Krabappel

You run in a different caste.    I do work with many twenty somethings and don't know any who are as you describe.   Of the hundreds of working parents I've come in contact with over the years, I can count on one hand the ones who swapped child rearing for luxury.    This is not even including single parents who are the sole breadwinner.   I think it's fine for you to feel great about your choice but I don't think, on a public board, you need to make assumptions about other people who did not or cannot make the same choice.


----------



## tbuff

Swedishchef said:


> Nice! I just wish newer ones were as good as older ones. Like Volvos. Things are simply no longer built to last like they were. Too many electronics and not enough mechanics. Land Rovers are sweet rides but they're not the off roading vehicles they used to be (in my opinion..which isnt worth a dime. lol)
> 
> Tom: 4 kids?!  Congrats! It seems you are one heck of a busy man. How are the goats as pets??
> 
> Andrew


 
Thanks Andrew, 2 girls (11 and 7) and 2 boys (5 and 2) they keep us active.

Goats are good pets, we had one a few years back and she was great, almost dog like personality. She passed and we got 2 more, sisters, they're good but not as friendly because they have each other to keep company. We used to raise call ducks, thats a whole other chapter in our life....


----------



## Swedishchef

Mrs. Krabappel said:


> You run in a different caste. I do work with many twenty somethings and don't know any who are as you describe. Of the hundreds of working parents I've come in contact with over the years, I can count on one hand the ones who swapped child rearing for luxury. This is not even including single parents who are the sole breadwinner. I think it's fine for you to feel great about your choice but I don't think, on a public board, you need to make assumptions about other people who did not or cannot make the same choice.


 You're right, this is nor the time and the place for the discussion. You simply commented to a reply of mine (my reply was out of context in this thread/forum). My appologies. But I can also speak from experience: I lost my mother when I was 9. Had she not stayed at home for 6 years I wouldn't have had the few memories that I have.

 But what I said are facts about people I know, not necessarily my friends. And trust me, do I feel great about my choice? It's wasn't my choice, my wife wanted to stay home and I accepted it.

Either way, let's keep talking about who does what for a living! And happy burning!


----------



## Swedishchef

tbuff said:


> Thanks Andrew, 2 girls (11 and 7) and 2 boys (5 and 2) they keep us active.
> 
> Goats are good pets, we had one a few years back and she was great, almost dog like personality. She passed and we got 2 more, sisters, they're good but not as friendly because they have each other to keep company. We used to raise call ducks, thats a whole other chapter in our life....


I bet those kids keep you busy indeed!

See, I was thinking about getting some ducks. Now you're making me second guess my choice!


----------



## tbuff

Swedishchef said:


> I bet those kids keep you busy indeed!
> 
> See, I was thinking about getting some ducks. Now you're making me second guess my choice!


 
Call ducks are great, a little on the dopey side, but great. I recommend hatching them in a incubator so you can interact with them from day one which will make them very friendly. We had 6 of them, that we let roam free and put in a coop at night, they would follow my kids around, chase the dog and goat, pretty funny. Unfortunately they all died, 4 of them were taken out by hawks 2 of what appeared to be natural causes.


----------



## Swedishchef

Good to know. A friend of mine made a real nice coop out of old barn boards and offered to let me use it. I may just take him up on the offer! I think pet ducks would be great! How long do they live?

Andrew


----------



## Swedishchef

Danno77 said:


> This seems to be my experience as well and it holds true for my family. My wife and I both have summers off and our two kids both have the daycare experience, but because our schedules for work match school schedules, they don't go to daycare very much after they are school age.
> 
> Would we like more time with our kids? Sure, but we definitely recognize that we have it better than about 90% of other parents, so we don't complain.
> 
> Also, people complain about transferring morals and values like its only possible to do so if you have 100% of your kids' adult interaction. Just not true. Daycare ain't Walmart, a diligent daycare consumer does a lot of work to choose their daycare provider. We have been extremely lucky to have consistent providers who are very close friends, almost family, who live a few doors down and share our values and morals. These are the people our kids would be exposed to on a regular basis even if they weren't in daycare. Our current daycare provider lives caddy-corner to her brother (a very good friend of mine) and two houses down from her parents (they always say how they see me as their son). She literally lives around the corner from us, we walk our daughter home from daycare.
> 
> Takes a community to raise a child, I always say.


 YOu're in a great situation to be able to have a daycare with family members so close!! My wife wanted to stay at home so I support her decision. It's only for 4 years and time goes fast (already passed the halfway point) and then she will return to work...

 Where I live we have government subsidized daycares for $7 a day. It's a pretty cheap deal and that is why everyone takes advantage of it and sends their kids.

Andrew


----------



## bubbasdad

Swedishchef said:


> YOu're in a great situation to be able to have a daycare with family members so close!! My wife wanted to stay at home so I support her decision. It's only for 4 years and time goes fast (already passed the halfway point) and then she will return to work...
> 
> Where I live we have government subsidized daycares for $7 a day. It's a pretty cheap deal and that is why everyone takes advantage of it and sends their kids.
> 
> Andrew


 
Canada has a far better economy for working folks.  Working folks here are usually a couple paychecks from disaster.


----------



## tbuff

Swedishchef said:


> Good to know. A friend of mine made a real nice coop out of old barn boards and offered to let me use it. I may just take him up on the offer! I think pet ducks would be great! How long do they live?
> 
> Andrew



About 10 years or so if nothing gets them first.


----------



## Swedishchef

bubbasdad said:


> Canada has a far better economy for working folks. Working folks here are usually a couple paychecks from disaster.


 Do you really think so? I am fairly unfamiliar with the US economy other than what we see on TV. That and the fact that your gas/milk is much cheaper than ours. lol.


----------



## Swedishchef

tbuff said:


> About 10 years or so if nothing gets them first.


 Holy crap! I didn't think they'd last that long Maybe I will stick with chickens.


----------



## Fi-Q

Swedishchef said:


> Louis: THat is quite the story That is why you are rich right now.. he he. James Bay projects were always well paid jobs.
> 
> Retire at 75 like me.
> 
> Andrew


Hehe, you're right, with all those year on the road i am rich of all kind of story about my adventure across north america, you'll be surprises how entertaninf i can be 

And money wise, i was only in eastman-1, james bay for 6 months, just enough to finish paying some cegep loan and the fisrt piece of land I bought in Bonaventure est  And hourray for liberty 75 !!


----------



## bubbasdad

Swedishchef said:


> Do you really think so? I am fairly unfamiliar with the US economy other than what we see on TV. That and the fact that your gas/milk is much cheaper than ours. lol.


 
Things have gotten tougher for folks since the 80's.  Wages have gone down, pensions are just about nonexistent.  I'd say that Canadians are lucky, but they should look at us and learn.   Things like deregulation eliminated millions of jobs.  Nafta killed a lot of jobs.  It's a lot tougher for young folks than it was for my generation.


----------



## Swedishchef

With ou conservative government, deregulation is their middle name.


----------



## madrone

a 





Swedishchef said:


> Do you really think so? I am fairly unfamiliar with the US economy other than what we see on TV. That and the fact that your gas/milk is much cheaper than ours. lol.


A couple? That's generous. Most are probably 1 away.


----------



## Swedishchef

madrone said:


> a
> A couple? That's generous. Most are probably 1 away.


Why is that? Do you feel that it is because of the high level of consumerism? Debt for housing ?


----------



## madrone

i don't want to drag this thread into the ash can, but my feeling is it's the result of a number of things. deregulation of banks, increasing personal debt, shrinking unions, outsourcing...the middle class has been undermined. i used to think it was intentional, but now i just think the wealthy elite in this country are more interested in their own success than america's. consumerism is a symptom.


----------



## bubbasdad

madrone said:


> i don't want to drag this thread into the ash can, but my feeling is it's the result of a number of things. deregulation of banks, increasing personal debt, shrinking unions, outsourcing...the middle class has been undermined. i used to think it was intentional, but now i just think the wealthy elite in this country are more interested in their own success than america's. consumerism is a symptom.


 
I used to think that conservatives simply didn't understand that some folks had a tougher row to hoe than people like us.  I now realize I was naive.  The rightwing folks, especially the neocons, simply don't care.  It's the Ayn Rand thing - I got mine, folk you!  I used to be good friends with a manager I worked for - a guy with a Harvard MBA.   30 years ago, we used to drink beer and bs together.  But then I saw him getting more hard core, angry at anybody who disagreed with him, and his politics.  As time went on, he seemed to suspect politics in everything we did at work, thinking that the union guys were spying on management.  ( I never understood what we would spy on?)   All the managers seemed to go this way, to one extent or the other.  One even told a bunch of us, "If I am going to get promoted, I need to be an poophead".  He got promoted!!  We went from being a team organization, same cafeteria, parking lot, open door, same uniforms, to seperate everything.   My favorite was when management got concerned about their own workplace safety.   The built a escape pod into the plant, the top 3 guys, and 2 secretaries- the secretaries had the function of having panick buttons that shut bullet proof glass doors protecting the big 3 guys.  They even put in a executive bathroom, and shower setup there, so the top 3 guys didn't have to use common facilities.  And their own exit, so they never had to encouter anybody, unless they wanted too.  Meanwhile, 150 engineers were left undefended, no bullet proof glass for the unwashed.  And the 150 engineers had to share a 3 hole john with a couple hundred factory workers.   The engineers, although salary, had to card in and out, and if they didn't spend at least 9 hours per day in the plant, it went against them.  No OT for those folks, tho.  And they seemed surprised when engineers simply quit...


----------



## BrotherBart

madrone said:


> yeah, we don't tolerate smoking here of any kind


----------



## bubbasdad

You guys have some rocking software here, the translation between my profanity to something more family friendly is cool.


----------



## wazzu

I work for the guvment and do not feel comfortable listing my title or agency. It SUCKS 90 percent of the time. The other ten percent of the time is when I am in the bathroom or at lunch. I really do like the guys I work with though. I am here for the special retirement provisions I receive as an LE Officer. I can't leave because I have too much time invested and am now institutionalized with no marketable skills that would earn me even close to $27 an hour plus unlimited OT. I have also worked as a bouncer in college, farmhand, tow truck driver, and was in the Army as well. My ideal job might be farming, but I was kept out of that due to family politics. 

I did a short stint in heavy construction building a water treatment plant one Christmas break. That cured me of wanting to work in the trades, and further reinforced my opinion that management people are pretty much retards or scumbags. Those a-holes hired me, a 21 year old kid with no family or kids. The next day they laid off one of the main equipment operators with four kids, and this was 2-3 weeks before Christmas.


----------



## Swedishchef

What is an LE Officer?

Your story about laying off a family man 2-3 weeks before Christmas is terrible.

Looks like you have tried various areas of employment and found a career! That is good!

Andrew


----------



## Flatbedford

I'm thinking Law Enforcement.


----------



## Swedishchef

Ahhh. Gotcha. I am used to hearing PO (Police OFficer). The terminology in Canada is much different. It must be due to the cold.


----------



## Flatbedford

We usually hear PO here in the US too. I'm just curious what agency hew works for that he "uncomfortable" about sharing. Maybe ATF or IRS?


----------



## firefighterjake

Or maybe the dreaded Post Office.  Just kidding . . . I learned a long time ago not to mess with the Post Office . . . they've always looking . . . seriously . . . wrote a humorous article about the Post Office and the next thing I knew my Aunt who works for the Post Office was calling me up . . . turns out someone made the connection between me being her nephew and wanted to know if she "could do something about the column." True story.


----------



## Flatbedford

The Post Office even has their own police! I was on a movie set and a USPS truck crashed into a local police car that was doing traffic control. The local police couldn't do anything with the driver who was visibly drunk! We had to stop everything and wait for the postal police to deal with him.


----------



## katwillny

System Administrator for a health insurance company during the day. Woodburner at nights.


----------



## Swedishchef

Nice Kat. been doing it for a long time?


----------



## katwillny

Which one?  I've been in IT since november of 95, right before i graduated college and a woodburner for 9 years, the last 5 years consistently, prior to that it was sporadically just to set the ambiance, now i burn for heat and purpose. Which one i like the most, both, they soft of compliment each other in different ways. lol. great post.


----------



## Mrs. Krabappel

This is the beta version of my job


----------



## Swedishchef

Kat: Did you study in IT?

Nice cats Krabappel. The litter was up in the top?


----------



## katwillny

No, i have a degree in Psychology with a minor in early childhood education. There was a time that I wanted to teach but that changed along the line.


----------



## BobUrban

Specialty Veterinary surgical device rep with a really large territory.  Have worked as an iron worker/welder/fabricator and do a little semi-amature blacksmithing  - I also have a small custom cedar arrow building business that generates a little income each year. 

Kind of do what I like - work and create with my hands when I can for extra lettuce and make a living saving dogs lives which I love.


----------



## Halligan

Out of high school I went to work in the construction field building wastewater pumping stations. Dirty job and the pay was LOW due to my age and experience. I did however learn a lot and ran a lot of equipment including a crane, travel lift and a 10 wheel boomtruck for delivering precast tanks.

I always had an interest in the Fire Department because my father was a firefighter. I started as a volunteer at 16 and was lucky enough to get hired as a career firefighter at 21. I'm currently a shift commander (Lieutenant) in charge of the shift on duty. I've also moonlighted part time as a truck driver (tri-axle dump & heating oil) and had my own lawn maintenance company. Lately, young children have kept me home on my day's off from the firestation but I'm sure I'll pick up something on the side again when my little one is in school all day.


----------



## Swedishchef

Halligan said:


> I started as a volunteer at 16 and was lucky enough to get hired as a career firefighter at 21. I'm currently a shift commander (Lieutenant) in charge of the shift on duty​


 Very nice! Already planning a retirement? I got into my gig at 24, not too shabby.



BobUrban said:


> Specialty Veterinary surgical device rep with a really large territory​


 Very interesting! Never seen anybody with a job like that before!


----------



## Halligan

Swedishchef said:


> Very nice! Already planning a retirement? I got into my gig at 24, not too shabby.
> 
> 
> Very interesting! Never seen anybody with a job like that before!


 

I'm not sure what you mean by "planning a retirement" but I can assure you I have a long way to go before I collect a pension.


----------



## Swedishchef

I hear ya, I too am a long way from a pension. I can retire at 20 years with penalty however at 25 years there is no penalty (2%/yr for the average of my last 5 years of service). Considering I am in my 9th year, I have a ways to go


----------



## Flatbedford

I am 13 years into 30 required for retirement.


----------



## Swedishchef

How old are you? I will likely work my full 35 years which means I have another 26 to go...full pension at 59. Then I will likely get a pension for 1 year and drop dead just to piss me off: all that money put into a pension and get nothing out of it.


----------



## Flatbedford

I'll be 43 this year. Can take early retirement from my union a couple days after my 60th birthday.


----------



## Swedishchef

That's not a bad deal either
However my investments these days are not working: the lottery hasn't been too forgiving. If I win it..poof, gone!!


----------



## Flatbedford

Its OK. I don't expect to stop working at 60. I just hope to work less doing something I want to do. It's a long time from now. We'll see how it goes.


----------



## BobUrban

Swedishchef - It is very interesting and surprising as it may seem canine ACL repair surgery is a billion+ dollar a year industry in the US.  That is more that what is spent on human knee surgery.  My dog has a bionic knee   I do not work with ortho or sell any of the ortho plates and it is very competitive for obvious reasons.  My company specializes in minimally invasive procedures and nitinol stents are pretty much our flagship line but we offer a whole bunch of other surgical tools and devices. 

For me it is great because I am such a dog guy but the real upside to veterinary medicine vs. human medicine is the "pay to play" requirement - no insurance or Obamacare issues to deal with.  Veterinary medicine is an all cash business for the most part.  Statistically there are no more dogs/cats in America per capita than there was 20yrs ago but the medical money spent has increased in the neighborhood of 500% over the same time span.  Instead of having a dog that lives outside with minimal interaction they are now treated as a family member - I am certainly guilty of this change


----------



## smoke show

Automotive Technician my whole life.


----------



## Swedishchef

BobUrban said:


> Swedishchef - It is very interesting and surprising as it may seem canine ACL repair surgery is a billion+ dollar a year industry in the US. That is more that what is spent on human knee surgery. My dog has a bionic knee  I do not work with ortho or sell any of the ortho plates and it is very competitive for obvious reasons. My company specializes in minimally invasive procedures and nitinol stents are pretty much our flagship line but we offer a whole bunch of other surgical tools and devices.
> 
> For me it is great because I am such a dog guy but the real upside to veterinary medicine vs. human medicine is the "pay to play" requirement - no insurance or Obamacare issues to deal with. Veterinary medicine is an all cash business for the most part. Statistically there are no more dogs/cats in America per capita than there was 20yrs ago but the medical money spent has increased in the neighborhood of 500% over the same time span. Instead of having a dog that lives outside with minimal interaction they are now treated as a family member - I am certainly guilty of this change


 I agree. I have a friend who is a vet. Like he said, people are very attached to their pets and will go to any length to give them the care they need.

ANdrew


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## Swedishchef

Smoke: do you work for a dealer or a 3rd party?
That is something I need to learn. I barely know a thing about a car. I can change oil and that's about it...


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## AL Moyer

Worked on two of my uncles farms, driving Farmall H & M tractors, plowing, disking, planting, harvesting, hay, beef heifers, another uncles gas station & garage, specialized rope manufacturing. Then started working with my father in the constuction/ building business, custom homes, additions, repairs & re-modeling, driving school bus as a substitute, if things were slow, driving ice truck during the summer on the weekend & some evening runs. Still in the constuction/ building business after Dad's passing (still miss him!) working by my self, learned how to work smart, as trying find good help is hard these days. Plan on getting my A&P license to work on general aviation planes, always want to have something to fall back on. Also helps when working on my own planes, especially my 48 Luscombe 8A & my 48 Temco Swift project. Also working on my 53 Farmall Super H. Yes I have a very understanding Wife    Boy did I love the Farm !


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## smoke show

Swedishchef said:


> Smoke: do you work for a dealer or a 3rd party?
> That is something I need to learn. I barely know a thing about a car. I can change oil and that's about it...


 Worked at a GM dealer from age 19-37. Now at an independent still looking for greener pastures....


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## Swedishchef

AL Moyer said:


> Worked on two of my uncles farms, driving Farmall H & M tractors, plowing, disking, planting, harvesting, hay, beef heifers, another uncles gas station & garage, specialized rope manufacturing. Then started working with my father in the constuction/ building business, custom homes, additions, repairs & re-modeling, driving school bus as a substitute, if things were slow, driving ice truck during the summer on the weekend & some evening runs. Still in the constuction/ building business after Dad's passing (still miss him!) working by my self, learned how to work smart, as trying find good help is hard these days. Plan on getting my A&P license to work on general aviation planes, always want to have something to fall back on. Also helps when working on my own planes, especially my 48 Luscombe 8A & my 48 Temco Swift project. Also working on my 53 Farmall Super H. Yes I have a very understanding Wife  Boy did I love the Farm !


 That is an AMAZING pass time: working on your own planes!! Contracting is a great business and can pay off quite well! COngrats!


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## Swedishchef

smoke show said:


> Worked at a GM dealer from age 19-37. Now at an independent still looking for greener pastures....


 I am sure you'll find greener pastures sooner than later!


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## burnham

Worked as an electrician for the family business from the time I was 16 to 33 years old.  Started work as a lineman a little over four years ago.  I still have a cube van and do some electrical work on the side, but I don't make much time for that anymore.

 So, journeyman lineman and master electrician. I can get the electricity from the substation to the blender.


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## Swedishchef

burnham said:


> Worked as an electrician for the family business from the time I was 16 to 33 years old. Started work as a lineman a little over four years ago. I still have a cube van and do some electrical work on the side, but I don't make much time for that anymore.
> 
> So, journeyman lineman and master electrician. I can get the electricity from the substation to the blender.


As a kid, I always wanted to be an electrician. I was fascinated with electricity. I am only now learning how to wire things (outlets, lights, panel, etc). I certainly admire what you guys do. Does your employer purchase electricity from Hydro Quebec?


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## burnham

Swedishchef said:


> As a kid, I always wanted to be an electrician. I was fascinated with electricity. I am only now learning how to wire things (outlets, lights, panel, etc). I certainly admire what you guys do. Does your employer purchase electricity from Hydro Quebec?


 

 I'm not sure, but I think we do buy some power from Hydro Quebec.


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