how do you/did you earn a living?

[Richard Halstead]

A year o working for Quaker Oats putting dog food in cans under the Kennel Ration label after college I advanced as far as the people with 40 years left me yerning for more/else. I took a job with the USDA in agricultural research in small grains. I liked the job and stayed with the promise of health care when I retired. A physical disibilty force an early retirement at 55 with 31 + years made me elidgible 2 years before. I had almost 2 years of sick leave and they let me work from home. I have about 65 publications and received an award in Canada. The University of Minnesota released a new variety named after me.

[paul young]

Walt,

yes, i've heard of Direcktor. actually, they're doing quite well, turning out high speed megayachts as well as commercial vessels. they now have 3 construction yards.-Paul

[Pals]

Resource Conservationist for local Soil and Water Conservation District in Central Illinois-20 years as an RC in three Illinois counties. Neither county, state or federal employee-funds are grants and soft money through IDOA. I serve at the discretion of five local landowners. Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control. Mostly work with landowners, farm bill programs and drainage/flooding issues. Wildlife habitat planning and designing wetlands are my favorite things to do these days.

[Evan]

1. Firefighter/Paramedic
2. Registered Nurse
3. Pro dog trainer
4. Trainer of trainers

Evan

[BrianW]

Quite a few hats based on location & political fluctuations.

CA - (Carter) milling machine operator> (Reagan/Bush) machinist>manufacturing engineer Laid off after 15 years at company due to budget cuts under Clinton.
ID - (Clinton) Carpenter> EMT> (Bush) Amusement ride safety inspector/maintenace technician> insurance inspector> QA specialist> amusement ride construction tech> (Obama) work zone flagger> customer service rep

If the Dems are for "the working man" why is it that my wage/standard of living has always been lower when they're in office?

[Matt McKenzie]

Senior Chief Gas Turbine Technician, U.S. Navy. Was due to retire last July and start training full time, but decided to do a few more years active duty. I deploy to a warm part of the world in a couple of weeks. I'll be back some time in August (hopefully).

[Jim Wetzler]

Worked for U.S. Steel, in western PA until 1983, got canned with the rest of the local steel industry and then moved to the Finger Lakes of NY and work for a defense contractor.
Also worked for 14 years part time at gun shop.

[Hew]

Contractor (mostly insurance restoration...fires, floods, etc.) for past 8 years.

Environmental and building forensics consultant for previous 12 years.

All of my fun/interesting/crazy jobs were in college or just after... sold cell phones back when "portable" meant the size of cinderblock...repo man....drunk exclusion technician at a bar...shuttled cars around the state between dealers in the middle of the night (I presume they were trying to stay a step ahead of the manufacturer's inventory man and/or the tax man)...wore Shamu costume at SeaWorld...delivered pizza.

[badbullgator]

Microbiologist for many years and currently and embryologist. Loved doing micro, but getting women pregnant is far better

[T. Mac]

Good thread Paul!

Worked through school doing general grading construction as a gofer, and then an estimater. After school worked as an import food inspector with FDA for a short while until transferred to the Army where I worked as a toxicologist at Fort Baker (San Francisco- under the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge). Moved to Sacramento and a job with DOJ working as a criminalist in the state crime lab. Was transferred to the Santa Barbara lab where I spent several more years. Decided I wanted to be my own boss so got my contractors license and had a construction company doing primarily residential and commercial remodels. During the crash in the 80's moved back to Sacramento with the lure of doing a major developement only to lose funding. Did a bunch of remodels and home construction until I met my wife, who didn't understand/approve of the cash flow of a contractor - always the last one to get paid. So retired my construction company and got a job as a QA chemist for the Almond Growers exchange. Spent 10 years there and then moved on as the director of Chromatography at a major national environmental lab. After several mergers and name changes and 15 years retired from that and am now back working for myself as owner and property manager of several apartment complexes. Thought that would give me more time for dog training, but I seem busier than ever.

T. Mac