How do you earn your living?

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

Started out 4 years in Uncle Sams canoe club. Spent the next 8 an a half years running heavy equipment loading pipe trucks at a pipe mill that finally closed in 85 due to down turn in the oil field. I got lucky and hired on as a millwright for Warren Petroleum, crossed over to operations and been working shift as a process operator for 21 yrs.

[BudMan]

I did 20 Years in the Air Force flying B-52’s (D and G Models that are all in the bone yard now) and B-1’s. Now THAT was a sweet ride! 
Retired in 1994 and now support the Office of Air and Marine in the Customs and Border Protection division of the Department of Homeland Security.  (Even get to still fly a little on some of the missions.)
Yes, I’m one of those guys that love their job.  I have learned things I wish I didn’t know, but I can promise you, it ain’t dull! 

[center12]

20+ years making water................. Manager of the 2 water treatment plants here in town.

[Swartzy]

Piano Technician & Photographer.  I've owned a rebuilding and restoration facilty (closed it down 11 years ago), service and still rebuild piano actions.  On the photography side I do portraits, weddings, products for catalogs, displays, websites.  Sometimes I get a tad too busy running 2 businesses at once.....what's really bad is that I can't take all my photo equipment on the Valk..LOL.  Tuning......no problem....just a few specialty tools fit in the saddle bag.




I do lots of landscaping for personal enjoyment and sell a print or two here and there as well:

Old Faithful from a different perspective



Golden Gate



Shoreline at Golita, CA just north of Ventura




Sorry...could go on for hours 

[Big IV]

I teach.

[ChromeDome]

I've been in IT for 35 years. Started as a computer operator, then COBOL programming, Programming Manager, DBA, System Admin and currently System Support. Been with my current employer since 85 and hope to retire (read career change) in a couple more years.

[Dino]

I own a commercial refrigeration company, and have been self employed since 1986. Worked for a large oil distributor before that doing heating and air conditioning installations,and service.Started there in 74,and bought the hvac business from them in 86, and branched into the refrigeration field.  So I guess that's how I  blew out my back in the last 35 years.

[raja]

Jet mechanic in the Navy for 5 years, swore I'd never work on a jet again. Went into the big boy toy field. Certed Johnson, Evinrude, Mercruiser technition. Honda, Yamaha certed tech. Had fun for several years but realized that there was no retirement benifits. So, back to the jets. Retired from Boeing after 20 years as a A&P flightline mechanic. Certainly was not as much fun. Not good for the hearing either.

[BF]

Industrial Refrigeration Control Room Operator, Master Mechanic, Senior Shift Supervisor,......in other words.....I freeze and bake things for the Department of Defense.

F-22


C-130


C-5A Galaxy


We tie down aircraft and do flight operational testing inside our hangar...running engines and all.  We also can do icing certifications for the FAA.  

We also provide environmental conditions for commercial customers also.  We've had Ford, Goodyear, Crysler as well as many, many other non-governmental/non-DOD and aviation customers.  

Do it here.....



That's the new F-35 parked out front.  







 

[Scanner]

As a youngster it was 7 years as a professional musician (bass) then I had to get a real job (still play but now a weekend warrior)

30 years at Boeing - Spent 19 years in the midwest and Vandenberg AFB working Minuteman and Peacekeeper IBM sites.

I've been doing Reverse Engineering for the past 11.  I digitize things with an ATOS 3D Scanner - hence the handle.  I scan (digitize) stuff from small valves to a 747.


Lots of roadwork - when the Shuttle Columbia went down they sent me to KSC to digitize debris and digitally reconstruct the wings. That's how we found the damage to the leading edge.
 
Anyway, when I retire I hope to go back to my roots and play music full time.  Wine, women, and song....

[waterboybpf]

water treatment plant operator for 11 years now.  

also, i'm the minister of music at our church.  i'd do it for free, but they do pay me a little.

[waterboybpf]

20+ years making water................. Manager of the 2 water treatment plants here in town.

i read through these wondering if there'd be any other water operators on here.  i've been at it for 11 years.

[Jabba]

HVAC Consulting Engineer... without actually being an engineer.  6 years in the Navy as a Nuclear Plant Operator on the USS Omaha SSN 692.  That's a submarine for those of you that don't understane canoe club lingo.  Then 4 years as a boiler salesman.  Then the last 11 as an HVAC consultant.  I am getting ready to launch my own firm as a energy conservation consultant, that will run from within my current full time HVAC Designer gig.  Hopefully it'll take off and squeeze out my regular job.  I have negotiated a coexistence with my current employer to allow the new firm.  I am stoked about it too.

Jabba

[Jess from VA]

Journeyman Counsel
USDVA
Board of Veteran's Appeals
Sodom on the Potomac

[Jeff K]

Plant Engineer for Turano Baking.

We make buns for all of the McDonald's stores in Florida.
Fist line is in and running at 1080 buns/min.

[grey ghost]

Own and operate a family farm and ranch operation in Oklahoma. 1000 acres of wheat  and run about 400 registered angus and 63 hereford cattle
am employed by the Sate Fair of Oklahoma to oversee the livestock part of the Fair
Do basically the same thing for the Oklahoma Youth Expo [the worlds largest junior livestock show]
Pastor a Church in Camargo, Oklahoma
 In my SPARE time I ride my Valkyrie and enjoy the fruits of being a grandpa.....

[doubletee]

IT Director - meaning I don't do much, just considered overhead.  

[Mikey]

Graduated last fall, spent the summer doing Drafting and Design at a lighting company, and now I'm setting up a Quality Control department 

[Momz]

Porn Star

Well, back to reality. I'm medically retired due to spinal chord issues. This has caused neuro-muscular deterioration.

Eventhough my degree is in Bio-medical Engineering, I've spent the majority of my career in various automotive areas. Mostly related to emissions and safety systems.

[mattfidaho]

Internet....... My main job is working on wireless internet, we provide high speed broadband.

tower stuff


we still have to get to the towers in the winter... people cant live with out internet for over a few hours now a days.



then there is search and rescue


and helping out with lights / sound / security for concerts and such.



I was also a BC for a paid call fire dept up to 3 years ago.... just had too much stuff going on.

[Hef]

Chief Financial Officer/Deputy Director for a Social Services Organization for the last 22 years. We have programs for Substance Abuse treatment, Mental Health,  Rehabilitation for Developmental Disabilities, and A Senior Meal and Activities Programs. Prior to that was CFO for a Locomotive Rebuild Corp for 18 years.

[hubcapsc]

I drew this cartoon the other day... it is more or less about what I do at work 



-Mike

[Stanley Steamer]

I drew this cartoon the other day... it is more or less about what I do at work 



-Mike

Coming down here one day and going through the task manager function and desktop and help me delete EVERYTHING that I don't need without screwing up the rest of the pc??....I'd buy you what ever you want at the Taco Stand!!.....

I'm also thinking this winter that I may want to check my universal joint on the bike and maybe even pull the alternator out and have it rebuilt since I'm coming up on the 80,000/10yr mark.....

[R J]

"5-0"

17 Years...

What ptgb said, only retired now,

"5-0" - Motor officer 27 1/2 years

32 Years Service...

Retired from here 23 years.

Worked in IT for 10 years.

Retired from that 13 years ago.

Current job is to pi$$ Red off.  I do a good job also.
This was the last item to pi$$ her off.

http://www.hotrodhotline.com/classifieds/classifieds.php?a=2&b=23502

No, I did not get it, but I did get an 09 Dodge Ram, Big Horn, with a Hemi and loaded for bear.   Get it 9/10/09 at 10:00 AM.

That's 1 reason I get to go on a lot of bike things.

[BF]

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

[/i]


I like Willow's working style.......we have something in common.......

[Hotrodwing]

Electrician resi,comercial, industrial  for 20 yrs got moved inside now an electrical estimator.  Some days still wish I were working in the field but then I wouldn't be able to post from the office.

[Casper96]

Full time Friefighter/Paramedic....part time/ Dispatcher for another fire department and safety crew member at a private race track(is it actually a country club)

[captsharky]

Well I started out after 4 in the USCG, working for a Honda shop as a Parts man. Worked at several different shops, some may remember "Honda Vespa of 36 st in Miami, and ended up as Ast. Mgr For Honda of Boston. Then had New England as wholesale area for motorcycle aftermarket parts. In the 80ies got a Cert. as a Honda Mach. But it didn't pay enough, so now after several different things I am a Sr. Network Administrator, for a benefits co. Prof. Geek. Got 12 years with the co, and hope to retire at 59 1/2, so I can save my upside down house here in Florida, and I'll have to find something to do. I do acid staining of concrete floors, and make concrete countertops, and Water falls. So I hope I can find something in that area when the time comes. I wear a shirt and tie everyday, and am looking forword to being able to hang that up. I get to ride to work, when it's not raining or two hot.

[Hog Killer DS0048]

For the last 28 years come November, sales and marketing in third party debt collection business. At 63 years old, looking to retire somewhere around the end of the year or first part of next.

[hubcapsc]

Coming down here one day and going through the task manager function and desktop and help me delete EVERYTHING that I don't need without screwing up the rest of the pc??....I'd buy you what ever you want at the Taco Stand!!.....

I'm also thinking this winter that I may want to check my universal joint on the bike and maybe even pull the alternator out and have it rebuilt since I'm coming up on the 80,000/10yr mark.....

I'd be glad to try and help with your PeeCee, but I think the secret to unclogging a plugged up PeeCee
is in the registry, which I don't really know how to manipulate manually. They taught us how to program on
mainframes back when I went to school and I've been a Unix programmer since then. We could probably get some disk
space back and defragment some stuff, but It will probably only help marginally... I don't have any faith in
those programs that claim to delete spyware and fixup your registry, I think a lot of them  just add more goo. 
I guess I don't believe in magic bullets.I made my four or five year old PeeCee work good again by nuking everything
and reinstalling everything, doesn't require any smarts, just a willingness to plug through the whole procedure... my
registry is clean as a whistle now 

I'll be tearing my bike's rear end apart soon. I ordered new swingarm bearings, and one of the special
tools needed arrived yesterday. Most people replace their universals without taking the swingarm off,
but I want to look at the bearings and maybe swingarm removal is easy when you have the tool ?

I don't know nothin about no alternators, but I'm going to take my starter off while I'm in there. I thought
it was dull looking so I polished it... apparently I polished off some kind of zinc coating or something, cause
now it is rusty and makes my bike look like a junkyard cast off...

-Mike "don't polish your starter"

[Dag]

Region Manager with "Mento AS" www.mento.no dep. Kristiansund since 1996
We are serving the Oil & Gas industry in Norway.

Filtration:
•Norway´s largest ware house in filter products
•Over 300 different filter brands in stock

Valves:
•Butterfly Valves, Ball Valves, Gate Valves, Rotary Process Valves, Plug Valves, Globe Valves, Check Valves, API 6A Valves

Hoses and Flowline:
•All kind of low pressure and high pressure hoses, drilling hoses, quick couplings, adapters and fittings.

Oilfield Supply:
Washpipe System, Mud Pump Piston Rod System / Valve covers / Liner Retention Systems, Drilling Compounds and Lubricants, Centrifugal Pumps etc....

Our new location in Stavanger


Choke & Kill Manifold

[Jean the Black Wolf]

cook since 39 years  , when I was younger I worked in Paris and now I'm Boss chief and owner in my restaurant in Brittany since 25 years
it's my third restaurant
hope in the futur sell this one and to go to visit your country whis my Dragon
I've got many spécialities
lobsters and spany lobsters ,scampies ,schellfish, sea fruits, mussels, and many fish , hope you like French food







and the best for the end and the best for the end and the best for the end

[hubcapsc]

cook since 39 years  , when I was younger I worked in Paris and now I'm Boss chief and owner in my restaurant in Brittany since 25 years
it's my third restaurant
hope in the futur sell this one and to go to visit your country whis my Dragon
I've got many spécialities
lobsters and spany lobsters ,scampies ,schellfish, sea fruits, mussels, and many fish , hope you like French food

I'm sure I like all of that and I'm real sure I want a bucket of mussels!

-Mike

[Grumpy]

Lead Technician for Bombardier Transportation, based at Tampa International Airport.
Most of the time I repair these................

[Jean the Black Wolf]

I'm sure I like all of that and I'm real sure I want a bucket of mussels!
-Mike

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha  excellent my bud Mike
must excellent !!! my buckets of mussels are very good to eat and my best customer ate 3 of them (about 3kg of mussels) with fried potatos and sauce
a Valkyrie rider of course
 

[FLAVALK]

For 22 years I worked in the aerospace industry building solid propellant rocket motors for Thiokol Corp in Huntsville, Alabama. I started as a plant operator and later became an engineering tech, then a production forman and finally a production engineer. I worked on many different tactical rocket motor programs including Pershing II, Hellfire, Maverick, Sam-D, Patriot, Sidewinder, Tow II, Stinger, MK-70 Sandard and Aegis. I also worked on commercial motors like Castor I, II,III, IV, Delta and Delta II. Even did some support work for NASA on shuttle booster motors. It was a fun job and I miss it a lot. In 1996, the plant closed and I moved to Orlando.

Today I am plant manager of a company that specialized in energy efficient compact fluorescent lighting. It's a lot less exciting than the rocket buisness, but the pay is good, there is very little stress and I have never had to layoff an employee due to lack of work.

Yup, I have been blessed.

[SANDMAN5]

I've been in the printing industry for 26+ years. Everything from Bibles to
Playboys. Yep, I helped print "Playboy's Leading Ladies" a long. long time
ago. But, more importantly, I also printed a few thousand covers for the
Chilton's Valkyrie manual!! That's almost as important as the Bible. (OK, it's
not really THAT important) I enjoyed printing for a long time, even the 84 hr
weeks for months at a time (at least I enjoyed payday) but now (different
company) I don't get to print anything FUN so it's just a job. I've been trying
to find out where to apply to become a philanthropist but I've not found it yet.
Maybe I'll just buy another lottery ticket.

[henry 008]

for as long as i can remember breathing i've been on my family's farm, watching dad shovel coal in the greenhouses in winter, sittin in his lap while he plowed. i've been driving tractors, field trucks etc. since i was 11. started making deliveries in a 10 wheeler when i turned 16. started working in the shop during the winters after i graduated high school. found out i like welding, running a lathe and mill. for the last 25 yrs i have been designing and building machinery (planters, harvesters, conveyors etc.) hours are long in the summer but i can't imagine doing anything else.
http://buurmafarms.com/

[hubcapsc]

For 22 years I worked in the aerospace industry building solid propellant rocket motors for Thiokol Corp in Huntsville, Alabama. I started as a plant operator and later became an engineering tech, then a production forman and finally a production engineer. I worked on many different tactical rocket motor programs including Pershing II, Hellfire, Maverick, Sam-D, Patriot, Sidewinder, Tow II, Stinger, MK-70 Sandard and Aegis. I also worked on commercial motors like Castor I, II,III, IV, Delta and Delta II. Even did some support work for NASA on shuttle booster motors. It was a fun job and I miss it a lot. In 1996, the plant closed and I moved to Orlando.

My mother worked for Texize Chemicals, was a division of Morton at one time - Thiokol was a division of Morton then too... I guess those were memorable times to
be working at the solid rocket booster plant... a couple of years before your time there I guess...

Today I am plant manager of a company that specialized in energy efficient compact fluorescent lighting. It's a lot less exciting than the rocket buisness, but the pay is good, there is very little stress and I have never had to layoff an employee due to lack of work.

Can you tell me what kind of under counter fluorescent light fixtures to buy that don't have *&^*&^$#!! loud ballasts? ? ? ?

-Mike

[Bob E.]

I'm a Civil/Structural Engineer.  After graduating from Penn State in 1994, I worked for a consultant that designed precast concrete buildings like parking garages, stadiums, arenas, warehouses, and prisons.  A few of the higher-profile stadiums and arenas I've worked on are the Penn State footbal stadium expansion, Princeton Football Stadium, OSU Baseball Stadium and Football Stadium Expansions, NC State football stadium, Redskins stadium, Atlanta Hawks/Thrasher's arena and several others.  After 6 years of that, I moved back home and got a job with another consultant that does highway design, mostly for the PA Turnpike and PennDOT.  I spent 6 years in the highway group and have spent the last 2.75 years in the structures group designing highway bridges.  Lately though, with my experience, they have been giving me more Project Management assignments...so my time spent doing actual design has decreased somewhat.