How do you earn your living?

[Varmintmist]

 5 jobs, 6 companys, 21 years, same tool belt.


You guessed it, telecommunications. Currently on the special circuits side, I install and maintain the landlines that your cell phones run through. Did the residential installer, cable tech, stupidvisor, central office, now back out in the light. Hours of boredom shattered by something being broke and everyone wanting to know when you will be done before you even know where you are going.

It has its ups and downs. They are better now that I have a bucket truck though.

Everyone wants my job when it is sunny and 75, no one wants it at 3 AM and its -7.5 before wind chill.

[Jack]

I let my wife support me and work in an HVAC warehouse M-F. 

[junior]

Porn Star

that is just great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can say my momz a porn star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!lol

[Stanley Steamer]

Porn Star

that is just great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can say my momz a porn star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!lol

Profession.....I'd probably be turned down though.....they have maximum size requirements in the good studios!!..... .... ... ....

[Stanley Steamer]

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
 

you lived over here Jean!!.....I LOVE seafood.....shrimp, scallops, crab legs, lobster, steak, chili, burgers, chili burgers, soups, pork, chicken, beef, cabbage, tomatoes, ......got to quit typing now, I'm drooling into the keyboard....

I wish I could come visit you for about a month...would that be enough time to sample all your creations??......

[hardhead]

I am retired after working 43 years as a machinest.  Now I ride my Valkyrie, run my bass boat and drag race my Camaro.  It is rough but so far I am holding up OK.

[FLAVALK]

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

When Morton bought Thiokol, it was the beginning of the end. There was so much solid propulsion talent at the Huntsville division.....and it was scattered all over the country when the plant closed. Many people, like myself, had to go in a completely different direction career wise. It was very sad when 1,100 people lost their job. The average employee had been there for 15+ years.

So, your question about ballasts...Since you said, under cabinet, I assume they are linear (long straight tubes). Stick with electronic ballasts and avoid magnetic. Magnetic ballasts last forever but they can, in some applications, hummmmmmm a tune and annoy the crap out of ya. They stock plenty of electronics at Home Depot and Lowe's

[hubcapsc]

So, your question about ballasts...Since you said, under cabinet, I assume they are linear (long straight tubes). Stick with electronic ballasts and avoid magnetic. Magnetic ballasts last forever but they can, in some applications, hummmmmmm a tune and annoy the crap out of ya. They stock plenty of electronics at Home Depot and Lowe's

Lowe's is where I got my annoying GE under counter lights... I'll look for magnetic vs electronic
when I go back...

-Mike "if that doesn't work I'm going to try LED"

[sarge]

I'm a sergeant at Standish Max prison. You've probably seen pictures of the joint and Standish Mi. on tv. We're on the short list to get Gitmo trash.

[sugerbear]

i've been a deputy sheriff, union carpenter, union electrician, machinist, truck driver, fuller brush man!!, union musician, security for the Feds, worked on soft start systems for elevators, factory worker(making ping pong tables), and for the last 20 years a C.T tech and special procedures tech.
thats about it.

[Dogg]

automotive master tech, motorcycle tinkerer and I cant fix my lawn mower.....

[Jean the Black Wolf]

I wish I could come visit you for about a month...would that be enough time to sample all your creations??......

it's will be very pleasant if you come visit me for a month
many bed and breakfast in my country and you could visit many old town
and many old castle like this one

in this old castle Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis played Viking
do you seen this movie ? she's from 1958
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052365/
I'm about 450km from Paris and 80 km from Normandy beach
Caen Utah beach etc etc etc .....
and I could book  all restaurant just for you ha ha ha ha ha  because to taste all my creations it would be good that you eat six times the day
for a month ha ha ha ha ha ha ha  !!!!!! lol
 

[saabfxr]

I have been fixing Saabs for the 25+yrs. ??? if they will still be here after the buy out. The idea of a 600+hp Saab does look good . Being bought by Koenigsegg Group, they build supercars.Fix bikes at home for hahas too.

[Medic]

18 Years - EMS / Paramedic / Shift Supervisor for Forsyth County EMS (Winston-Salem, NC). Part-Time Instructor / Coordinator for Con-Ed and Curriculum EMS Courses. Pay not greatest being local government...but Benefits and Retirement better than most public / private jobs.

[Duey]

 
And I can't fix a chainsaw! Or a lawnmower! 

[Jess Tolbirt]

started out as a mechanic at 18 and at 24 i went into the electrical field,,,i am an electrician and probably will be till the day i die cause retirement is out of the question,,,

[x]

My business partner's son is a Marine with two tours in Iraq... lots of aircraft maintenance.  He's out now and looking for a job... would like to maybe work aircraft maintenance.  A place in North Carolina has offered him a job that gets him his A&P and puts him to work.  Anyone familiar with the Boeing facility in San Antonio?  I believe it is the old air force base and if he could get a job there, he'd be a lot closer to home (Houston/Dallas).  Connections, pointers, ideas... all appreciated.
 
Thanks.

[Swartzy]

Just wanted to say how much I'm enjoying this thread.  So many different gifts and interests...some love what they do, some think it's time to move on but bottom line, you all amaze me.  Thanks very much for sharing.  How cool!  As Strider would say, "WhooooooooooooooooooooHoooooooooooooooooooo".

[Duckwheat]

Nurse Practitioner. Currently working in a Prison Clinic. I have worked ER, Rural Clinics, and remote Alaskan Villages.

[mikeb]

i worked as an sound Engineer for over 15 years working with everyone from cubby checker to garth brooks ran monitor boards and the main & house mix board boards. when i was not on the road i built the effects racks and eq racks and all the inter cabling to make these all work and wired up the multi cables so when we rolled up we could set up and break down in record time i toured with many of the old rock dogs b.o.c b.t.o cheap trick nazareth and so many more that was in my drunken/drug days . missed my kids'  i started to hate the travling and wanted to see the youngest  kids grow up so i settled down and now work for waste management ben there for 13 years i do repair work on the customers compactors and building repair.safety officer. d.e.q. compliance ect ect ect i have good days at work and some bad days and have my great hobbies  http://www.cmen.us/  and riding my valk riding with my vrcc friends it the best part of my summer   http://forums.mivrcc.com/
 ride safe 

[Raverez]

I'm one of those guys Oss talked about.  Though I'm up in Syracuse NY now.  

[Whistler]

I spent the first thirteen and a half years as a Police Officer/ Detective. That was my dream job and I still miss it. I am now a Railroad Engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad based in central Kansas. It's a job with good benefits and retirement. The hours are long and constant 24/7/365 on call. Usually work everyday and leaves very little time for riding, but I ride when I can. 15 more years till I can retire and I can't wait! I have also done about 14 years as a volunteer EMT, just recently relocated and have not found any place to do that here, I miss it as well.

I too have to say this has been an interesting thread I have enjoyed seeing all the talent and different backgrounds drawn together by a love for a certain two wheeled vehicle! Ride Safe!! JDW

[Stude]

Porn Star

that is just great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can say my momz a porn star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!lol

Profession.....I'd probably be turned down though.....they have maximum size requirements in the good studios!!..... .... ... ....

[Navychief]

Hvacr service tech since 1976. I have paid my dues (bad shoulders, 3 back injuries, broken left wrist from a widowmaker drill, been on fire a number of times from bad furnaces and boilers). Now a stationary engineeer for a major D O D plant. I work the graveyard shift and just love it, no one to bother me as I am the only plant operator. I can't post any pics of the equip I run as it would be a serious security violation due to no photograhpy policy at the plant. The chillers that I run are upwards to 1000 ton three stage centrifugals and 500 hp steam boilers and almost every type of refrigeration equip known to the havcr world.
I also have a side business doing handyman work and also do all of the maint at a 32 unit apt complex!! Not much time to ride "the Silver Ghost" (99 Tourer), but I get in as much time as I can.

[hubcapsc]

i worked as an sound Engineer for over 15 years ...

Got a bigger picture of the red valkyrie in your avatar?

-Mike

[Big Rig]

Product Development Engineer....I design medical implants...no, not those ones...that would be my dream job I design plates, screws and rods for bone fractures, been doing that for 15 years now. Great job with benefits of knowing the best orthopaedic surgeons in the world. An added benefit is know who to recommend for a family memeber with a broken bone...extended family(VRCC) especially. Been to some intereting places and seen some very interesting things and surgeries...Aero Space before this gig...design structures for GPS satelites. As my wife puts it, I draw all day...

[valkmc]

Hey Raveraz,

I grew up in Oswego, love Central NY. There is some great riding up there.

Started out as a small business owner, (lawn/gardner work in Miami) went to work as a Union Painter in Nuke plants. Followed that up with 3 years of college and part time nail driving. Left NY and moved to Florida where I investigated unemployment claims for awhile (I think this is where I developed my disgust with big business). Left that for work inside a max security prison and for the last five years I have been a High School teacher. I love working with kids, I also love that ten weeks of riding time I get every summer.

[JimL]

My full-time job is defender of the constitution, our military, our veterans, and the American work ethic which has made this the most prosperous country on earth (which by definition now qualifies me as a full-time anarchist since this past January).  I get paid for being an IT Architect for one of the large automobile manufacturers and a part-time author of Computer Science topics.

[JimL]

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

Jean...that food looks very good (especially the chocolate cake)! By the way Carla Bruni is hot!!  I will gladly trade Michelle Obama!

[Jean the Black Wolf]

hey Jim
thanks a lot for the compliment about my food
the chocolat cake was for a dinner with some Valkyrie buds
6months ago

about Carla Bruni  ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha  LOL  she's my cousin 
lovely  and so pretty , so you would like a deal ha ha ha ha ha ha  !!!!
you will gladly trade Michelle Obama for Carla  ? 
I don't think the présidents are ok with us but we can ask
what do you think about  my bud Jim
 
maybe I can call to Paris for you and ask Elysés
 
I love this joke 

[JimL]

hey Jim
thanks a lot for the compliment about my food
the chocolat cake was for a dinner with some Valkyrie buds
6months ago

about Carla Bruni  ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha  LOL  she's my cousin 
lovely  and so pretty , so you would like a deal ha ha ha ha ha ha  !!!!
you will gladly trade Michelle Obama for Carla  ? 
I don't think the présidents are ok with us but we can ask
what do you think about  my bud Jim
 
maybe I can call to Paris for you and ask Elysés
 
I love this joke 

Jean, I suspect that Mr. Sarkozy is much too intelligent to accept that trade!  Also, my wife saw the photos of your food and says that she will be on the next Air France flight! 

Ride safe...

[DFragn]

My life took a dogleg left back in the early 80's.
Left college behind after 2 years to sow my oats in California. Why? Dunno!

Moved back to Chicago a short time later and being desperate for money I lied my ass off to get a job in residential roofing. I needed to make some good honest money.

Within a few years I was highly respected for my work and one of the highest paid. $60k was alot of money for a 22 y.o. in 1983. Soon my architectural copper work was in high demand, especially for 150 year old cathedrals in Chicago. My last church had received a $1,000,000.00 rehab grant from Oprah Winfrey, regardless that it was on the south side and tenants across the street were taking potshots at us from CHA housing. No one got hit thankfully. I stopped wearing red t-shirts tho'. I didn't want to risk taking multiple shots because they couldn't see any blood!

Eventually, I became the Chicago Operations Mgr. for a national roofing company. 2 years later I started my own contracting business in highend hard surface residential roofing. Slate & Copper became my life. I had 36 employee's of which I considered 7 of them top notch key employee's.

Soon, several of Chicago's top architectural firms were requesting my company's proprietary slate & copper roofs. They were specing the stone work and trim around my roofs. Top firms were consulting with me in their design stages. A bit rare for proud architect's. Who would be putting their project out for bid to maybe 3-5 G.C.'s and were urging them to use my company. Not 100% ethical, but I was OK with it. Actually, I could only handle 3 of these monster projects simultaneously. So I was comfortable with sharing once in a while. Although, I refused to share my [trained, groomed by me] craftsmen with others roofing contractors who occasionally asked me for assistance. My guys were very well paid because they deserved it and as a side benefit it helped keep them on the right side of the fence.

These homes are huge, averaging 10,000 sq. ft. All with indoor pools and elevators.

Sadly, my health forced me into retirement and although my team was good they were master craftsmen only. None of them could help me run the business. I fought like hell, but finally I had to shut it all down.

I miss it. I loved what I did.

These homes are so big I couldn't get back far enough in their huge lots to get it all in the frame.

Sorry there's so many, but I'm kinda proud of what we [my teams] did.

These roofs ran between $200,000.00 & $400,000.00.
Yeah, roofs only! But hey, they'll last up to 150 years.

These stone roofs weighed 100+ tons.
Needless to say I had to play structural engineer at times because I doubted some load carrying capabilities
and had to have architects & G.C's waive my company's liability.
I've seen other roofing contractors blow perimeter walls out with poor load capabilities.
One in particular waited for the addition of the first snow load. IDIOTS...

[JimL]

These homes are so big I couldn't get back far enough in their huge lots to get it all in the frame.

Sorry there's so many, but I'm kinda proud of what we [my teams] did.

These roofs ran between $200,000.00 & $400,000.00.
Yeah, roofs only! But hey, they'll last up to 150 years.

Awesome work Dennis...there is no substitute for good craftsmanship...

[BamaDrifter64]

After graduating high school, I worked for 8 years for a NASA contractor in Property Management and Procurement at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.  Quit that to go to law school at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide, btw!).  Worked  6 years in Birmingham, AL as an attorney before I decided to come back home to the Huntsville area.  Got a job with the UAW Legal Services for 5 years, then quit there to open up my own firm in Athens.  Been practicing there for almost 5 years - being a small town attorney means you have to do pretty much everything, which includes ALOT of handholding scared clients.  I was trying to get established as a real estate attorney, but when I was almost there, the recession hit and real estate closings went away.  Fortunately I got hooked up with several out of town and out of state collection firms and I am a hired gun for them in North Alabama, trying their cases all over usually 3 days out of the week.  As far as my regular cases, I am pretty much a threshold lawyer (take whatever comes across the door threshold that pays!).  I do appointed criminal and juvenile cases, appointed guardianship cases, probate and civil litigation.  Hope to get back to making some money so I can ride alot more - haven't had much time to ride at all this summer.   

[DFragn]

Golden Gate

I've taken photo's from that same very spot. I don't know what happened, but mine look like they were drawn by a 3rd grader in Crayola's. Did you know there's such a thing as a fog crayon. 

WHAT AN AMAZING TALENT YOU HAVE.

[Jean the Black Wolf]

Jean, I suspect that Mr. Sarkozy is much too intelligent to accept that trade!  Also, my wife saw the photos of your food and says that she will be on the next Air France flight! 

Ride safe...

ha ha ha ha ha yes Jim too intelligent but very small  
so............
your wife will be on the next Air France flight!  excellent !!!  one more chair for dinner
 
ride safe Bro and cheers

[therapist]

The short version-

Was supposed to be a school teacher, held up at gunpoint at a gas station I worked at while attending college.  Got the law enforcement bug and sent out applications to all the Federal Agencies.  Upon graduation was sworn in as Federal Agent, ATF in Detroit.  Soon found out it wasn't for me (more paperwork than action) so moved to NYC to write with my sister (TV, Plays).  To pay the bills did store and hotel Det. work and ended up superviser of security for 6 hotels (Lowes owned all of them).  Move back to MI because of marital issues (she hated it there, maybe because between the writing and security hours, I was never home).  Took a job at a radio station and played DJ for 12 years while doing bunch of local TV spots.  Then, since I was doing counseling on the phone for free anyway (everyone with a problem calls the radio station) I ended up working at Boysville at a group home for ten years than went back for my Masters and have been doing individual counseling at a Catholic non-profit agency for the past 10.  A strange journey with many twists and turns, but lots of adventure along the way.  Oh, and I even was an extra in a Die Hard movie for 6 nights of filming...yep, me and Bruce are tight 

[Brovietnam]

I am getting ready for the last two years of my working career.  I have worked for the Department of the Interior since 1988.  Same petty differences amoung people here as in the private sector when I worked for a major oil company.   

[Swartzy]

The short version-

Was supposed to be a school teacher, held up at gunpoint at a gas station I worked at while attending college.  Got the law enforcement bug and sent out applications to all the Federal Agencies.  Upon graduation was sworn in as Federal Agent, ATF in Detroit.  Soon found out it wasn't for me (more paperwork than action) so moved to NYC to write with my sister (TV, Plays).  To pay the bills did store and hotel Det. work and ended up superviser of security for 6 hotels (Lowes owned all of them).  Move back to MI because of marital issues (she hated it there, maybe because between the writing and security hours, I was never home).  Took a job at a radio station and played DJ for 12 years while doing bunch of local TV spots.  Then, since I was doing counseling on the phone for free anyway (everyone with a problem calls the radio station) I ended up working at Boysville at a group home for ten years than went back for my Masters and have been doing individual counseling at a Catholic non-profit agency for the past 10.  A strange journey with many twists and turns, but lots of adventure along the way.  Oh, and I even was an extra in a Die Hard movie for 6 nights of filming...yep, me and Bruce are tight 

Ahhh...it all makes perfect sense now.....the informed and logical way you write, your handle and personable skills.  Very interesting blend of occupations and interests.  Gee, how does one get up one day and say, "Hmm, I think I'll be a DJ today"?...LOL     Thanks for sharing.

[Kindred Spirit]

After college I traveled the world singing professionally.  Took 4.5 years to get tired of being away from my family that much and I stopped traveling full time(240 concerts per year).  It was a great experience and got to see so much and meet so many people.  Now I teach 6th grade Math and tour about 25 weekends a year (75 concerts) around the southeast.  Life is good!

Kendall Hadden
www.kindredspiritministry.com