How do you earn your living?

[Ghost]

    I have been a Forklift tech for the past twenty years. I travel around to Factorys and repair gas, elec, lp  and any other kind of  forklift. It has been very interesting job. You must respect these machines or they will kill you. I don't like going under them but i must at times. Always double block and double check what you are doing. Now days you spend alot of time on a laptop, never thought i would see that day. We are on a 10 hr a day, four day week. Which is ok for the three day weekend. Just wondering what all the Valkyrie riders do for a living.

[threevalks]

Union Carpenter 32 years. Mainly heavy construction, bridges, lock and dams. power plants etc.

[Stanley Steamer]

Landscape Crewleader for City/County Govt. in Athens, GA....Home of the University of Georgia...

[f6john]

   Self-employed General contractor. Hands-on guy for the last 12 years or so but the knees, shoulders and back are saying not for much longer. Time to bring in some young blood and step back a little. Should have a long time ago, just a control freak I guess.

[ptgb]

 


"5-0"

17 Years...

I should have been an electrician.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Last 24 years a Teamster working for Uncle Sam.

[..]

Now - School Bus Driver for Fulton County Schools (GA).  

Previously - Responsible for Sourcing, Purchasing, Inventory, Warehousing, Distribution for all printed and non printed marketing material for 4 national drugs for a global pharmaceutical company with their US campus based in metro Atlanta. Also liasing with marketing agencies, graphic designers, printers and internal clients. Let go Sept 2008

Bit of a change but that's the world we live in right now.

[Chrome]

Hi All Have been a self employed gardener for 23 years.My Dad did and my brother does the same work.I still wake up in the morning looking forward to going to work.I have an excellent client list but the greatest thing is that my youngest works with me partime.
Happy Trails Adrian(Chrome)V

[robin]

Been working for the Railroad for 34 yrs now commuter line that runs into NYC.

[22Dasher]

Aerospace engineer/Machinist for 25 yrs now

James

[junior]

up untill last month i have been in the constrution and mining repair trade

[roboto65]

Pushboat Captain on the Houston shipchannel for 12 years tankerman before that !!



Need one with my Valk but ya get the Idea

[Valker]

Starting my 33rd year as a public school teacher.

[Misfit]

   Self-employed General contractor. Hands-on guy for the last 12 years or so but the knees, shoulders and back are saying not for much longer. Time to bring in some young blood and step back a little. Should have a long time ago, just a control freak I guess.

Same here John. Only differance is I have been a hands on general for 27 years and have the bad joints, aches, and pains to prove it. To bad that I am not smart enough to do anything else.

[CajunRider]

Electrical engineer...

Been programming safety systems for drilling and production platforms since 2001.  (Automating the whole thing these days... everything run by computers.)  I cover everything from CCTV systems to ballast systems to fire & gas detection systems and everything in between. 

[fudgie]

EMS for the past 12 yrs. I do construction on my days off. Also work EMS at the races a few times the summer in Indy. Vol FF also.

Now I monitor fork lift repair trucks GPS units for folks slacking off!  Gottcha ghostrider! 

[pedsman]

Mortgage Banker for 24 years.  Helping people to purchase and refinance their homes with sound financing products and advice.   

[Gear Jammer]

I drive Tractor-Trailers for the Big Brown UPS machine going on 32 Years.  

[Capt. Morgan]

Full Time firefighter/EMT last 24 years.
For my Part time job Firefighter last 19 years.
Been in the fire service since 11/1974

[39 Chev]

I was in the car business for about 30 years, the last 10 running a fairly large GM dealership.  About 2 1/2 years ago I decided that I was tired of the 50 to 60 hour work-week and quit.

Now I'm a Realtor.   Lots less pressure and closer to a 40 hour work-week, but WAY LESS $$$.

Oh well, I think the car business was going to drive me to an early grave.   

[RP#62]

Aircraft Maintenance for the last 35 years.  Pretty much everything from Aeronca Champs to A330s, from turning wrenches, to Engineering to QA to Reliability, to writing maintenance programs to writing Extended Twin Operations programs (operating twin engine aircraft more than 60 min single engine flying time from an alternate airport).  Thats right, I can't hold a job.

-RP

[DavRed]

Computer Tech for The Associated Press. And for the last 10 years also been part of the Special Events crew. Superbowls and Oscars mostly. But did also spend 33 days in New Orleans after katrina (edit) forgot about world series

[Sharkey]

Dispatch Manager for a large family owned petroleum company. We run 26 trucks and delivered 300 million gallons of gas and diesel and 5 million gallons of lubricants last year. Before that I was a tanker driver for 12 years. I miss the truck a lot. It gets in your blood. I still drive every chance I get, which is not often enough nowadays.

[JimC]

I currently sell real estate, I retired from law enforcement 4 years ago after 26 years.

Jim

[Str8shooter]

Firefighter/EMT for the last 28 years, not many more to go. Yahoo!

[John Schmidt]

After a six+ year stint in the Air Force, I finished my BAEd and taught school for a while. Good thing I had a double major(second was in Bus. Admin.), because the local school board had a big cutback in the mid-70's due to budget restraints...I ended up on the outside. I still taught in Adult Ed. at nights for a couple years and also Adult Basic Ed. in the local prison farm(now that's an experience for ya). I finally landed a position as a gov't. auditor and stayed with that for over 30 yrs., retired in my late 60's and glad I did, judging by the way things have turned out in my old office. Management positions have been let go for real petty reasons, but when you're at that level you basically are there at the pleasure of the boss. I'm just glad I'm out of there, having played some golf with former fellow workers I get an earful of just how bad things are getting....buget wise and personnel wise.

[Mike in AR]

Been carrying the mail for the last 23 years. Before that I worked for thew Vet. Admin. during the day and tended bar at night. Counting my military time, the V.A., and the Post Office, only got 2 more years to have my 30 in. Just hoping I'll be able to retire at that time.

[Serk]

IT my whole professional life (I.E. 15 years)... I'm currently a Wintel Systems Administrator and moving more into VMWare and Linux system administration...

(I.E. - Professional computer geek)

[Gary]

Been in Healthcare Materials Management for the past 31 plus years = Heading up Purchasing, Warehousing, Distribution, Shipping, Receiving, Inventory Management, Courier Services for corporate owned, stand alone, for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals. Served about 17 or years in the southern California area. Got hooked up with a contract management outfit based out of W. Houston which took me to northwestern IL (where I got my Valk back in 97), Houston, and western OK to clean up operations and leave a smooth running shop. In the off time I meet up with the likes of the Texas based Valhalla Six Guns, Hotglue, FB, and some guy named Scott in the Oklahoma area, not to mention many others. Have since worked in southern CO and now in northern NM.

A previous post asked "do you love your job" or something similar... I use to but things have changed in healthcare so much, its just not like the old days anymore. 

Oh yeah, and raised two kids flying solo, dragging them around the states with me for the most part and we all survived.

Life's been good to me so far....

[PAVALKER]

I earned it serving in the Navy for 22 years.  I had a few retail jobs (full or part time) since I retired from the Navy in 96.  I'm still not sure what I want to do when I grow up          Taking care of mom now and then since dad passed, has kept me a little busier than just goofing off of course.    I'd like a nice high paying part time job (no nights or weekends) so I could buy another Valkyrie or two, maybe even a Wing and have those nights and weekends to ride em all......  but that won't happen.

[Goody]

Donut Taster 

Plant engineer for production bakery.  136,000 fresh donuts a day for 7-11 Stores.
Industrial electrician
Teach PLC programming and electrical controls for The Electric Leauge Of Maryland.

[gregc]

  I have been in the automotive field as mechanic, for a combination mechanical, body/paint and towing company. been with the same company for the last 35 years working in all the shops as a combination man. Wouldn't trade it for anything, went to college for mechanical engineering, after second year worked for a firm doing design checks, on the plans for 3 mile island. Hated it,quit the job and college, and havent ever regreted it. I am just not the office type. For fun,I have been a volunteer fireman for the last 30 years.

[Oss]

Country lawyer from the Bronx   Solo practice   1 secretary but always willing to hold auditions but no money to pay a 2nd one.  

I get to ride the Valkyrie to work most of the year if I feel like it.

When I need to go to the Court in the south Bronx I get to park right in front less than 50 feet from the entrance and a bunch of friendly armed Court Officers watch the bike all day till its time to go back to the office.

Mostly real estate, represent some cooperatives, wills and administration of estates, personal injury cases and lots and lots of evicting tenants.   Thats about the majority of my work now evicting tenants

Sometimes I meet some nice people and I enjoy my work. Today was not one of those days, but I hope tomorrow will be one.  Taking the Valk to work helps.  Riding home on it feels even better

Figure in another 15 years I can retire  I should be 68 then, but in 5 years I plan to start taking off 4 weeks every May or June to ride the country while I am able

[HotRod]

 Major Appliance repair Technician for the last 20 years, worked a couple mom and pop shops and about 8 years with Circuit City and then another 9 with G. E. and now with another medium size shop. Getting ready to make a switch to Facilities Technician/Commercial Refrigeration here in Las Vegas for City center hotel and casino and hopefully retire there or somewhere doing commercial refrigeration work.

[Sodge]

Used car dealer... Worked as a salesman then sales manager at a new car dealership for about 8 yrs. Got tired of long hours and always working on Saturdays. (missed an entire season of Little League) Had enough...Took off about 3 months to spend time with family, got job selling paper for a paper converter for about a year. Cars get in your blood. Ran into a buddy I used to work with and we opened our own car lot. Couldn't picture myself doing anything else. BTW... were closed on the weekends.

[badger1002]

Customs Officer for 17 years, USAF for 14 years before. Meet tome of the nicest people and see/hear some of the craziest & zaniest stories or situations you ever heard of.  We frequently use the phrase "you can't make this $**t up!" Some days it is boring as hell, other days just scare me to death!. If you have seen the "holmeland Security" TV show, let me tell you, it is just the tip of the iceberg!

[legender]

Started out as a software engineer for a telecommunications company in the 80s worked into program management position... was great for awhile, then the whole industry went south.
Latched on to Thermal Infrared sensors with Raytheon and now serve as Systems lead for the production of Thermal Weapon Sites for our boys in the danger zone.
Been with 5 companies in 24 years... been a rough go for some of us and some worse than others and still trying to get back to where they were.  Been there and feel for you as I know your hardship 

[Printer Mike]

Printing and graphic arts business since 1970. Started on my own in 1978. Semi-retired since 2005.

[Willow]

My life is a gift. I've done nothing to earn it.



For a paycheck I'm a z/OS systems programmer.

[R Bowers]

Have work as a diesel and heavy equipment mechanic untill 2003 had enough of working for the other guy. Started my on shop and have not look back.