how do you/did you earn a living?

[Jim Person]

I've worn many hats.... Logger,landscraper,HVAC, managed and owned adult entertainment establishments(that about killed me,or landed me in prison),heavy equipment operator, now I work maintaining a 1500 commercial airfield, where all my skills are applied except the go go stuff...Jim

[Colonel Blimp]

Metallurgist and industrial chemist. (Young man, lots of laughs, no money)

Formed a partnership making diamond tooling. (Wrong partner, no laughs no money)

UK and European Business Development Manager for a US Chemical outfit. (Loved it, made a packet)

Was head-hunted to manage a chemical disaster recovery outfit. (Brilliant time until right before the heart attacks)

For about 10 years I was a semi-professional wood pigeon shooter, fitting it in between the other stuff.

Now retired and relishing every bit of it. Four Labs out 45 -50 days a season, training group to run, happy as a pig in clover in the Welsh hills.

Eug

[Gerry Clinchy]

What are wood pigeons?

[Marvin S]

Maternal Grandparents raised me until my grandma died when I was 12. Got passed around until I decided to go on my own @15. Short stint in Army Air Corps until I saw the VD film & told them how old I was & got discharged. Had grown up on a farm so knew how to work, actually enjoyed it. Went to college on BB scholarship, didn't feel real challenged so enlisted in AF before getting drafted. By that time had done all you could do farming at that time + some burger flipping to make extra money while in college. 3 years in USAF, Special Services & ran base Athletic Supply while playing on Base & Squadron Basketball teams. Ike decided that everyone could get an early discharge whose MOS did not require an IQ .

Enrolled at SD School of Mines & probably looked @ every Engineering major before deciding on Mining. While there managed to muddle along scholastically & held jobs working in a feedlot, liquor store clerk, delivery/sales for a laundry/dry cleaning outfit. After 3 years there the Dean of Students & I mutually agreed that this was not a good relationship so I spent a little over a year working in the mines eventually becoming a contract miner. Left when CU prices dipped to $.26 a pound from $.43 & watched some damn good miners get laid off because they were a little long in the tooth.

Went to UW & finished my degree in Mining Engineering, but while there also sold RE & worked in a Dept Store. This is all before student loans were available & a $110 a month GI Bill doesn't stretch that far . Went to Climax Molybdenum Co as a management trainee & left as a Shift Boss. Got involved in politics there. On to Boeing & the missile sites in ND where I met my 1st lab. Boring job, stayed a year & back to the mines as a Shift Boss in Butte for the Anaconda Co. Asst. Foreman after a year with 15 shift bosses & 400 men under my guidance. When I got the Asst. Foreman job all the bright guys that got into the Anaconda training program left so I was the anointed one except they forgot that I needed enough to feed the kids, by that time 3 of them, along the way, so I'm back to Boeing as a Liaison Engineer.

Head Hunted, not looking, to go to the Philippines as a Mining Consultant & eventual Mine Supt., but after being there 6 weeks saw that it was not going to work out. So exercised my mutual turn down clause & came home. Back to Boeing as a LE until the 1971 crunch, was in last bunch of engineers laid off. By then we had our kennel started (sold in '89), so trained dogs & did whatever else was available which was not much. Back to Boeing in '72 & left in '92 as a Lead Engineer when I hung it up to chase the dogs. I will say, when I was there the culture would not have allowed a fiasco like the 787 has become. After about 4 years the boss said every trial grounds is beginning to look the same & stayed home so I traveled on my own until that dog retired @ 8 & we went hunting .

Now I clip coupons, raise havoc with our local government, truly enjoying it & sell my son's cheese at the local Farmers markets & shows. Don't make any money for myself but it helps him get his name out there, generate some cash for feed & I do get a lot of samples .

[MB'S DRAKESHEAD BELLA]

Worked at Exxon Mobil in the Lab for 5 years then moved to Shell Oil @ Motiva 3 years ago.

[depittydawg]

i thought it might be interesting if we knew what each other does for work, or did for work if retired. it might give our discussions an additional dimension, and help us to understand each other better.

i'll start; i was a machinist in several small shops in the mid 70's, then went to work as a machinist in a shipyard that builds warships for the U.S. Navy for 20 years before taking a job in design at that same shipyard. hopefully i'll retire from that job in another 6 or 7 years.

being a shipbuilder has been a rich and rewarding career. though my higher education was supposed to take me in another direction, i wouldn't change a thing if i had it to do over again.-Paul

Started life in manufacturing on the bottom many years ago. Got a degree on the way. Currently a Section Manager for a manufacturing Company. Have worn a few other hats due to downsizing and industries moving out of the country. Was a Stock Broker for a while but hated the intense Sales quotas. Same thing in banking for a few years. Also, have owned a couple of small business' over the years. Currently back at what I enjoyed the most, manufacturing.

[Hunchaser]

I've been retired for two years and started a dog training business. My business plan was based on field trial and hunt test dogs. However, the business soon turned into training hunting dogs of all breeds.

Prior to that I was employed as a major loss examiner for ICBC in British Columbia. It's a crown corporation and that's where I spent the previous 31 years.

[badbullgator]

After I graduated I became a male porn star. That did not pay very well but the benifits were great. After that I hit the lottery and partied hard for a few years until I spent it all. I worked with Bill Gates for a while before he got all rich famous and stuff but had to quit because I thought he was a sell out. The bull fighter gig did not go so well as I dont speak spanish. My doctor told me I had to do something to relieve stress so I started my sign and metal fab company in Oct. of 99 in my garage and has grown into a very small business that employs 10-15 people.

eh Steve....is there really any such thing as a porn "star"???