What Did You, Do You Do, For A Living?

[Digger]

Well, let's see. I think every job I have ever had was done to tide me over until my next music gig, so....

 

Bagged groceries, shoveled cow manure at a county fair, drove taxis, worked as a long distance telephone operator, also a directory assistance operator, worked as a errand boy for Reg Grundy while a lad living down your way Digger, also while in Oz I worked at the Golden Circle cannery in Brisbane, the Kee Ora cannery in Melbourne, the Holden auto assembly line, some forgotten shoe factory in Sydney, warehouse manager for household goods in Melbourne, also took orders at a plumbing supply house in Melbourne, bottled perfume in Sydney, worked promotions for a record company, worked A and R for a record company, wrote advertising copy for record companies, wrote a regular music column for a magazine, worked in various public libraries, been working lately as a possible Deacon in my church while assisting my priest in various capacities, was a guitar instructor, picked grapes, and also of course, the music. Gigging, touring, recording, engineering and production. I suspect there are more nor coming to mind.

 

Best of all though? Proud stay at home dad to the world's coolest 15 year old.

 

 

Reg Grundy? I didn't know you were on TV fromnabulax??

 

No wonder you are so familiar with things here in Oz, you lived here mate!

['Scales]

While in Oz I worked at the Golden Circle cannery in Brisbane

 

I remember going there on a school trip back in primary school (I remember the smell, and not in a good way! ).

We also went to the Brisbane Holden plant if that was where you worked. Building Gemini's and Jackaroos back then I think.

Small world.

[fromnabulax]

I remember going there on a school trip back in primary school (I remember the smell, and not in a good way! ).

We also went to the Brisbane Holden plant if that was where you worked. Building Gemini's and Jackaroos back then I think.

Small world.

 

First to Digger,

I lived in Australa from 1972-1975. I shared this info with you before, but you must've been in the midst of a Vegemite frenzy at the time.

 

'Scales,

The smell that I would go home with was as noxious as any I have smelled before, or since. The place put me off pineapple for over 20 years. They had dispensers of lanolin lotion you were supposed to put on your arms to help avoid overexposure to the heavily acidic juice, but many of us would go home with third degree burns from the citric acid in the juice anyway.

 

It was literally the very worst job I ever had in my entire life.

 

Evenings and weekends I would spend busking for bikers and weirdos in King George Square near the SGIO building, or playing for hard apple cider at the Folk Centre down near the People's Palace hotel.

[Digger]

I knew you'd spent time here, just didn't remember that it was that long....damn that Vegemite!

[jaxson50]

The young have aspirations that never come to pass,

The old have reminiscences of what never happened.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

[darling67]

I have been involved in Graphic Design and Production Art (print) since I graduated many moons ago. I have worked for all sorts of companies, from music publishers to children's books publishers.

 

Today, I build catalogues for a major music retailer. I love it... getting to stare at guitars, amps, pedals, drums, etc. all day, and make them all look nice together.

[dbrian66]

I have, for my whole adult life, turned wrenches for a living. Its been good to me and my family. I have no regrets other than it has taken its toll on my body. Although that probably has more to do with age than the job! LOL. For the last 20 years I have worked for a local government working on the transit buses. Great benifits that allow me to spend alot of time home with the family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thats a little bit of what I do. I am the old guy on the left.

[J.4knee]

Project Manager for Govt contractor

 

Heading back to US from Japan

[Retired]

I should have gotten into art as I was into it from 2nd grade through the 12th and had a scholarship to a college in Illinois. But I was in the NHRA and thought I'd make a name for myself so I turned down the scholarship. My partner sold the car behind my back when I got married. So I had lots of temporary jobs, starting with McDonalds in high school, Hoiday Inn, and Campbell Soup when I graduated. I went to Iowa Western and learned Auto Mechanics in 6 months, " There's my Drag Racing Career. " then switched over to Welding, and passed all the older students and graduated in 6 months of a year welding course. They got me a job at Eaton Metals, but they closed the shop down after 8 months there. So I went back to Iowa Western and asked one of the teachers to show me how to weld aluminum. He did and I hired on at Frueoff Metals that built your many aluminum semi trucks. There I learned all types of different welding and was certified in stick, I could braze, sigma, submerged arc, steel wire, Heliarc, torch welding, ect. I've been certified many times in my carrier. I left there for Omaha Standard for 3 years and found out about Union Pacific Railroad. I was laid off there for over a year and did more side jobs. The most humbling was pulling weeds for a gal in her 3 lot home for $5.00 an hour and 8 to 10 hours a day. Never saw so many plants in my life. It was a never ending job. A friend asked me to come paint with him for a contractor so I did. We painted inside homes for Dodge Realator. We also did roofing for a friend. I was called back to UP and they closed the Omaha Shops down with 10 years and 4 months service there. That's when I got my brain tumor cancer and went through that from September 7, 1988 to January 1, 1990. At that time I was hired on at Burlington Northeren in Lincoln, Jan. 24, 1990. I worked there one year and was hit with another year lay off. I went back to painting again for a different contractor who did more apartments, and commercial buildings. They had me do lots of staining as well. I also did some home exterior construction of homes then was called back to BN. After about 3 years in I was hit with my last Railroad lay off. I tried Nebraska Job Sevice but didn't like the job they found me after I tried it out so I went to Atchison Kansas, and worked on the Rail Gang for BN as a laborer for two weeks. When we were done there I was hired on at Stacys Car Wash as a Equipment Manager. Then later there the BN called me back and merged with the Santa Fee. I finished my career there with a total of 34 years and 4 months combined UP and BNSF. I've welded, cut up and scrapped cars, worked in the wood Mill, thousand ton press, forklifts, fab shop, hazmat, derailments, sand blasted and steel blasting, heavy wrecks, built new cars from scratch, Petibone driver, worked inside as well as outside. Did just about everything between the two railroads. I was so glad to have retired from it and it has a pretty good pension. In which my wife collects half of mine this year as well as her own. But at 67 she will roll over to social security.

[Guest Farnsbarns]

I've done a lot of different things. The last 15 year as or so has all been sales and marketing in a number of industries including freelance e-marketing when I did quite a bit for bands and labels.

 

I'm currently running the aftersales-sales for a group of car dealers. This was a small group of 6 dealerships until last November. Now we're part of a bigger group with 80-odd. Half the guys do predictive sales of service items and the other half take queries and sell/upsell.

 

It's not exciting but it does transfer across industries very easily which makes for some security in the long term.

[badbluesplayer]

I'm a civil engineer and land surveyor. I'm pretty much retired by I still have my licenses. I have my own practice but it's pretty much closed. I helped land developers when they wanted to build housing or other building projects. I did the surveying and engineering, drew up the plans and got the projects approved by various governmental authorities, like planning commissions, environmental agencies and those kinds of people. It's been super stressful dealing with tons of money on the line and difficult and egocentric developers. There's a prominent developer in the news these days - those were the kind of guys I worked for - same mentality, just 1/10th the net worth. I could make a guy a million bucks in one night and they'd be foaming at the mouth about getting a $10,000 bill a couple weeks later. I had a triple bypass at age 46.

 

I'm 59 now and I finally said screw the engineering biz after I had some seizures a couple years ago. They put me on a seizure medicine that caused the most god-awful neurological side effects - unworldly Kafkaesque torture - every waking hour of every day, 24/7, for 15 months. I almost had to take myself out almost every day. Somehow I had the strength to make it through that and got on a better med. But I'm still running a little scared.

 

I ran my own business for about 25 years and survived somehow and I'm proud of that. I had to work for another guy for 7 months during that time, but that's it.

 

I do amp work now. I'm not super busy but it's lots of fun. I'm working on a Vibroverb right now, so put THAT in your pipe and smoke it.

[zigzag]

I am 62 and have been retired for two years. For over 35 years, I was an applications chemist in the printing ink industry. In the early '70s, the EPA wrote legislation requiring the printing industry to cut emissions of volatile organic compounds by 80%. My primary responsibility was to develop water-based flexographic and roto-gravure printing inks mostly for the packaging industry. I have developed an ink system for the packaging of almost every product on your local grocery store shelves. Along the way, I've worked with agencies like the EPA, OSHA, and the FDA interpreting and applying regulations and reporting company compliance.

[rocketman]

Former NASA engineer. Now I'm a professor and I own my own company. I teach now because I could never do.

[kelly campbell]

I am Soon to be 57 years old and I am retired somewhat forced due to health issues. I have listed what I did in my work career.

 

4 years in US Navy

Restaurant Management 10 years

Manufacturing Management 12 years

[saturn]

God@#%& it! 2 times now I have typed up, long well written summary of my work history and both times something happened before I hit Add Reply and I lost all text.

 

Oh well. You all will probably appreciate the shorter version anyway.

 

1984-1992 La Fontaine Bleu Catering. Began as busboy and eventually Maitre D' Manager.

 

1987 a road construction company as surveyor assistant.

 

1988-2006 Piedmont/US Air/US Airways/America West airlines. Spent majority of time at BWI Airport, but last 3 1/2 years were at Corporate Headquarters in Crystal City VA (CCY). Did brief stints in between at PHL and DCA airports. My final position was with Corporate Security in CCY handling TSA and other Regulatory issues. They closed CCY and I would have had to relocate to Tempe AZ in 2006 to keep my position, so at that time I finally separated from the company in June 2006. I'm not exaggerating when I say I was the very last employee still working their normal job, to go out the door at CCY. The only ones remaining after me were those involved with the physical closing and moving of the corporate offices. I actually worked from home for about the final 3 months.

 

I then took what I though would be a temporary job with a lifelong friend at his small machine shop. I figured I would eventually get hired on with TSA or some other related field. Well, 9 years later I am still working as a machinist, operating and programming CNC lathes, mills and Wire EDM (electro discharge machine). It's dirty work and not glamorous. Things sometimes get tight (like right now) because we're so small. Pay is just enough to live on. But we always manage to survive. My work schedule is very flexible and our work environment is very laid-back. Makes it fairly easy to gig or jam at nights whenever I want.

[MissouriPicker]

So many things to remember. I was a truck driver for almost 30 years. Eighteen of the years were with Swift Transportation and I got to see the whole country, along with parts of Canada and Mexico. Fortunately, my last ten years with Swift was a "dedicated run" from Kansas City to Bartlesville, Ok., 3 times a week, then I was off 4 days. After Swift I drove locally for several years. Hauled gasoline for Groendyke in Kansas City for about a year, but there's a reason they call gasoline tanker drivers "suicide jockies." Pretty stressful job. Was an ice cream plant manager for a few years, then sold furniture for another two. Got tired of working so much so I started driving a school bus. Did that for just over six years, then retired in 2012. Been retired four years this May 18th. Having more fun than I've ever had. Life isn't so much about what you do or what you've done. It's more about what you make of it.

[flyingarmadillo]

I have my Masters in Geology. I've spent 20+ years in the oil business, 10 in environmental and alternative energy (nuke, wind), and 7 as a research scientist working for a university. Right now I'm "looking for new opportunities" since the last company I worked for laid off 45% of their staff due to low oil and natural gas prices. In between geology jobs I've owned a bike store, been a professional bicycle mechanic, a professional sports photographer (mostly American football, soccer and gymnastics), an on air radio personality, ran a 1 hour photo lab, and played soccer professionally for a season, then refereed for 20 years after that.

[StRanger7032]

I've been a park ranger for 18 years. It doesn't pay great, but the scenery is nice. I'm bored most of the time, but occasionally get to save someone or put out a fire. Its generally low stress, with moments of excitement. I recently took a voluntary step down in rank in order to move from Texas to Colorado. It was worth it for sure!

 

I've always lived fairly inexpensively, never had a family, and saved a lot of my mediocre income. I'm hoping to be able to retire at 50 and start a small guitar repair business. I already own the house I'll retire in, which I'm renting out until I can retire. Its in one of the hottest rental markets in the US, so I'm doing well with it. I would have gone into the real estate business if I could do it all over again, made a ton of money, and enjoyed the parks on my days off.

[rct]

I've been a park ranger for 18 years. It doesn't pay great, but the scenery is nice. I'm bored most of the time, but occasionally get to save someone or put out a fire. Its generally low stress, with moments of excitement. I recently took a voluntary step down in rank in order to move from Texas to Colorado. It was worth it for sure!

 

I've always lived fairly inexpensively, never had a family, and saved a lot of my mediocre income. I'm hoping to be able to retire at 50 and start a small guitar repair business. I already own the house I'll retire in, which I'm renting out until I can retire. Its in one of the hottest rental markets in the US, so I'm doing well with it. I would have gone into the real estate business if I could do it all over again, made a ton of money, and enjoyed the parks on my days off.

 

Mesa Verde? Great Sand Dunes maybe? 4 Corners? Been to all the National Parks in yer state. Gunnison is SW almost I guess.

 

If you saw the rings on my hands and the pictures we have you'd know why I'm jelly.

 

October this year our 8th drive across the country and back, still not done adding parks to Yellowstone and Tetons.

 

Thank You for your service.

 

rct

 

EDIT: I think we will go to Florrisant Fossils this trip, a Monument we haven't been to in CO.

[StRanger7032]

Mesa Verde? Great Sand Dunes maybe? 4 Corners? Been to all the National Parks in yer state. Gunnison is SW almost I guess.

 

If you saw the rings on my hands and the pictures we have you'd know why I'm jelly.

 

October this year our 8th drive across the country and back, still not done adding parks to Yellowstone and Tetons.

 

Thank You for your service.

 

rct

 

EDIT: I think we will go to Florrisant Fossils this trip, a Monument we haven't been to in CO.

 

Mesa Verde. I've also worked full time on the Rio Grande in Texas and Lake Roosevelt in Washington. Before that I worked temporary seasonal jobs at Yellowstone, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Joshua Tree, and Flathead Lake (state park) in Montana.

[pappy]

In high school and two years after played in a band and surfed. Had a full scholarship to Woods Hole Institute of Oceanography, but decided to take the time off and enjoy the time.

Uncle Sam sent me an invite and that forced me to join the Air Force,was a loadmaster on a C-130 and final tour was Vietnam for 13 months. Married during that time and started cutting meat to put myself through college and support my family. I was able to take a full year off and attend a school for prosthetic technician training. Upon graduating I ended up going to Ga. And became a partner in a small O&P office. Continued my schooling and earned my certifications in both prosthetic and orthotics.Did that for 22 years and we sold the company ,I stayed on for another two years until the time the company asked me to open an office in another state, I politely told them to T T J& S I. Wife got tired of me hanging around so I went into auto sales and actually talked the dealer into getting involved in selling cars on Ebay, one of the very first auto companies to get involved with that venue. the owner of the company sold it 7 years later and I became a consultant with Ebay and traveled around the country training dealer employees how to make eBay work for them. Retired again in 2012, and did some free work with a friend of mine in his antique shop, until he closed it. Now after a short stint at home I work three days a week in the parts department of a large GMC Chevy dealership, and enjoy it immensely as it is a very laid back atmosphere.

And along the way my wife and I raised 6 children and now have 14 grandchildren.We have been married 44 years.

[rct]

Mesa Verde. I've also worked full time on the Rio Grande in Texas and Lake Roosevelt in Washington. Before that I worked temporary seasonal jobs at Yellowstone, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Joshua Tree, and Flathead Lake (state park) in Montana.

 

Cliff House one of our favorite places we've ever been, and believe it or not, the restaurant there at the lodge is really a good one!

 

Mrs and I grinding our teeth and calling you a lucky bad name or two. Mesa Verde, Gunnison, and Sand Dunes are a few that we've only been to once. I think this conversation is going to have us down the bottom of CO this October. Four Corners was closed when we were in that beautiful area last.

 

MAN, this country has some of the most beautiful drives there could ever be.

 

Thank You!

 

rct

[GibsonKramer]

Was military, weapons guidance systems, which led to computers, which led to satellites.

 

A very ugly incident in that industry, led to a career shift, in my 40s... to driving big trucks (petroleum tankers). The stress from that, and some existing issues from the military, retired me at age 42.

 

Should have killed me, as every doctor I've met since has said, but... eh. Whatever. Life goes on.

[StRanger7032]

Cliff House one of our favorite places we've ever been, and believe it or not, the restaurant there at the lodge is really a good one!

 

Mrs and I grinding our teeth and calling you a lucky bad name or two. Mesa Verde, Gunnison, and Sand Dunes are a few that we've only been to once. I think this conversation is going to have us down the bottom of CO this October. Four Corners was closed when we were in that beautiful area last.

 

MAN, this country has some of the most beautiful drives there could ever be.

 

Thank You!

 

rct

 

Send me a message next time you're out here. I live in the park.

['Scales]

 

.. driving big trucks (petroleum tankers). The stress from that..

 

I can scarcely imagine. You see photos of some we have here with 3 full length tanks trailered on the back out west. Any bad day would be a very bad day.