Introductions What do you do for work and for fun?

johnintx1 · March 07, 2005, 08:06:01 PM

I thought it would be fun to see what everyone does to make a living.
I am a USDA food inspector,I inspect live and slaughtered cattle in the Texas panhandle for large n small beef packers.10 1/2 years on the job. Before that, I was a meat market manager for several large grocery store chains in TX. and LA.
Iam married with 2 daughters from 2nd marriage.with 3 grand kids, 1 new born,1- 3 yo,1 -2yo. Iam white my wife is TexMex hispanic(latina)
I have 3 step sons with present wife , 1 -24 yo x-marine.
1-18 & 1-16 yo,who live with my wife and I in our home.
My wife cleans homes and offices as well as being a great housewife.
This is my 3rd marriage,LOL. And hopefully my last!

We really love riding Harley Davidson's(2002 Road King) and most everything that the lifestyle envolves,I am a national H.O.G.(Harley Owners Group)member and a local Amarillo Tx H.O.G. member we do many things for kids and others in need,donating moines & raising money. I also enjoy the cowboy lifestyle.(Iam kinda a harley cowboy,LOL.) I Also enjoy classic coke, classic cars, classic rock/country music,& love horses. And I have a new found hobby, the Bradley, and I really love cooking for and serving friends and family the finest of smoked meats from this new machine, the people here think Iam the greatest outdoor cook....and really its the Bradley, as you all know!!

How about you? What do you do,how long,and what did you do before that? Married? Kids? Hobbies?? and so on.

Smoke on!!

Kummok · March 07, 2005, 08:41:15 PM

Retired and consulting, inventing, remodeling, and fishing....NOT necessarily in that order!

Firefighter for 35 years prior to retiring as a Division Chief in 2002.

Other fun jobs: Longshored in Sitka, ranched and logged growing up in Northern California, cut Christmas trees, worked as USCG skipper w/ Secret Service on the Presidential Yacht 'Sequoia' (http://www.sequoiayacht.com/), served a year on Alaskan lighthouse, (http://sheldonmuseum.org/eldredrock.htm), and I STILL don't know what I want to be when I grow up[:D][;)][8D]

And if you think YOUR job is gross, try standing in the hold of a fishing boat, up to your waist in 4-5 day old herring, shoveling it into a brail that is lifted up over your head dripping herring, guts, and juices....I LOVED it!! My wife didn't think much of it at the time, and made me strip to shorts OUTSIDE the house and rinse down with garden hose (in Alaska, mind you!) before coming inside.....but it put food on the table and music in our house when we first returned to Alaska in 79.....

35 years of extinguishing smoking stuff and now I'm wondering WHY!
Kummok @ Homer, AK USA

simmy · March 07, 2005, 09:50:43 PM

I am a telecom engineer on an Avaya phone system. I have been dong telecom for about 7 years now. Before working at the call center I work at now I did phone work and computer work at a hospital. Before that I worked for another call center where I traveled to Bangalore India to setup a call center. What an experience. I also did computer tech support for the same company before getting into Telecom. Before that was high school. Interesting subject you have started here John!!!

Steve

Sacrifice · March 07, 2005, 10:07:17 PM

Work at a university playing with a database and statistical information all day. Just finishing up my second Masters in order to change careers. If I get through student teaching in Sept 05, I will become a high school teacher. Hope to teach computer subject (first Masters degree was computer science), and/or science, which was my emphasis for my Bachelors.

Before this - a few days short of 10 years in the Army, administrative work for the feds and State of AK, 21 years of raising kids [8D].

Kummok - Even in Juneau we don't need ice for our tap water - You must have had fun with that hose [:D].

oguard · March 07, 2005, 10:22:40 PM

I work as a maintinance Steamfitter at the University of British Columbia.Also a father of 4,2 boys and twin girls[:)][:)].I also coach minor football and like to fish for salmon when time allows[:D]

KEEP ON SMOKIN

Mike

nsxbill · March 08, 2005, 12:54:52 AM

Hello all,

Retired Army Nurse Corps Officer, retired State Employee, working briefly as the Communications Officer for the California Senior Legislature. Then on to the Department of Health Services, overseeing the collections of penalties against California Health facilities. I directed the legal action against health providers who were issued citations for unsafe care of residents, and represented the Department with attorneys from the Dept of Justice.. global settlements, prosecutions, et al. Retired, and got advanced degree in Nursing and worked my psych specialty for 8 years-got hurt at work, and now sitting on my butt talking with pts by phone.

My life after work involved owning and operating a stained glass studio for 10 years in late 1970's and then opened and operated 2 flower shops in Napa, and running a wholesale flower route to many of the wineries and restaurants in Napa Valley for another 10 years, as well as 5 years to Kirkwood Ski Resort...one of our corporate clients. Bailed out in 1990, sold the business, sold our house and moved to the El Dorado County Foothills.

I currently work giving medical advice for large HMO in California, part time. It pays for the toys like the Acura NSX I race a couple of times a year, and my Hummer H2, that actually has dents in it and has been off road. We do a couple of cruises a year. Love photography, cooking, but that love has led to the cusp of a Gastric Bypass scheduled hopefully in late May or early June.

Married 35 years, 4 kids..3 of ours, and one kinda picked up along the way who is one of the CHP's 13 SWAT officers. 5 Grandkids all in Florida. 1 Yorkshire Terrier that loves what I smoke...especially what I drop.

Started using BS in anticipation of making sure I have lots of good tasing protein that will be diet compliant post-bypass. Plan to take my BS, maybe one of the BBQGuru's Caldera Smokers, and my Procom4 Guru out on the road in a converted Prevost Motorhome when we pull up stakes here in California and look for a state that doesn't have state income tax.

Going to look for a nice 2 bedroom flat house that has a big covered driveway, or zoning laws that don't hinder parking bus on side of house or covered in driveway. Want to hit the national bbq events...sell a little jerkey, etc and write-off the bus for business expense while we see the country. Still working on the wife for approval of that plan![:D][:D]

Bill

There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.

Oldman · March 08, 2005, 02:07:51 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">And if you think YOUR job is gross, try standing in the hold of a fishing boat, up to your waist in 4-5 day old herring, shoveling it into a brail that is lifted up over your head dripping herring, guts, and juices....I LOVED it!! <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

One of my gaming buddies, who lives down-under, is a deep sea diver. The kind where you use a full suit and helmet. However, it is not the sea he dives in. He free lances by diving into municipalies sewer hold tanks and cleans the blades~~! Now that is a Yuck Job~~~!

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> when we pull up stakes here in California and look for a state that doesn't have state income tax. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> *Cough* *Cough* we don't!

As far as what I do I'm one of the owners of a carpet maintenance company--commercial only.

While we do clean carpets, we are not a traditional carpet cleaning company. We only offer service on a contract. We do not offer annual, or bi-annual contracts. The minimum with us is 4 times per year. Most of the facilities we have are in the 250,000 to 400,000 square foot range–many of them cleaning the transition (sink) areas 6 times per year. We only clean upper end goods. No cut pile, no 32 ounce or less broadloom, no olefin or polyester goods.

On Jan 1 of this year we had 87 open days. [V] The rest were booked.[^] Today I have 42 open days left.[:p] I do the marketing, and I'm the contact point for the facility and environmental managers we work for. I'm also the person who creates the maintenance program based on my break out of usage. This picture will give you an idea of what this is:

One of the items I also do is take a facilities' full maintenance staff out to lunch once or twice per year. [:D] And Man can those folks eat some steak~~!

EDIT: I better not forget the little lady of the house. She is a school teacher of 33 years in one school. If she goes past 35 I'm going to burn her books!

Olds

http://rminor.com

Chez Bubba · March 08, 2005, 02:13:21 AM

Jim & I both are management at a mid-size web & sheetfed printing company. Anne raises our "son" Buck and takes care of all of you.[;)]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

JJC · March 08, 2005, 02:35:45 AM

I'm a science geek--teach and do biomedical research (gene therapy on cardiovascular problems and uterine fibroids--now there's a match!) at a med school. Three kids: 23, 21, and 15. 3-5 cats at any given time. Love to fly-fish, and love sports.

John
Newton MA

manxman · March 08, 2005, 10:04:41 AM

I am another science geek, Biomedical Scientist in a Haematology Laboratory. I now manage the department and spend less time doing the actual work and more on paperwork..... blasted bureaucracy!!! [:(][:(][:(]

Haematology covers a range of specific disorders such as leukaemia and haemophilia together with a myriad of non haematological disorders that have a secondary affect on the blood like infections, trauma and disease.

I have two boys aged 7 and 4 who are my life. My hobbies incluce sea fishing (I'm lucky enough to have a boat), sport and hill walking,plus of course my B.S. I am 45 years young!

Manxman.

3rensho · March 08, 2005, 11:45:54 AM

I'm yet another science geek. Have an MS in organic chemistry and when living in the US worked for many of the major AG Chem research labs mostly in the area of insect endocrinology. Moved to Switzerland (not to be confused with Swaziland [:D]) in '92 and joined an American company doing IT consulting in Cheminformatics and general IT and network admin. The company outsourced my job and many others [:(!] to Russia last year and I have been unemployed since. That leaves lots of time for learning about smoking. Am married to second wife, no kids and two cats. We live in a rural village in north west Switzerland.

Tom

Tom - Smokin' in Switzerland

ChefBill · March 08, 2005, 12:00:32 PM

Retired Communication Tech & Aircraft Machinist. Divorced at 64 with Mentally handicapped daughter that stayed with me. Physically Handicapped my BUT what the hell. Still enjoy life and do anything I still can. "Life's a Rose Garden, Just got Thorns Too"
Bench Rest rifle shooting is my past time, (When not Smoking) hold a state record and working on the guy with the world record. Shoot anything from .17cal to 45-70 Sharps.
Taking a smoked Brisket to the shooting range this morning for fellow shooters to enjoy for lunch.[:p] Bill

If you can eat it, you can smoke it.

MallardWacker · March 08, 2005, 02:32:06 PM

I deal with the human gene pool issues, the self correcting type. I work in a small engineering firm dealing accident reconstruction, mainly truck-tractor, train wrecks(site obstruction and braking), and car vs. anything. We do very little plaitiff work, mainly for insurance and construction companies and their lawyers.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...

St. Helens Smoker · March 08, 2005, 03:39:54 PM

Currently employed as a Commmercial Property Manager (sounds better than gofer[:D]) Basically responsible for repairs and refurbishments as needed if it can be done by a solo act (me), or as the go-between for my employers and the contractors.

In the past have worked at a lot of things, quite often at the same time. Sporting Goods..primarily fishing and firearms, ran a salmon charter business with a buddy, Cop, 911 Dispatcher, Land Surveying, Carpenter, Corrections Work Crew Supervisor, plus whatever was likely to help pay the bills and put a lil extra $$ in the bank at the time[:D]

Other bad habits other than smoking....some occasional Mt.climbing, shooting and cartridge reloading, fishing, hunting, kayaking, mt. biking, wood-working, and hoping to start diving again soon. There are a few others, but as it is time for them all is the lacking ingredient, but I'm working on that[:D]

BigSmoker · March 08, 2005, 05:46:55 PM

President and CEO of Accurate Window and Awning(sounds good). Self started business of about 1 year. Not making any money personally but the job schedule keeps getting larger and larger. Have worked in the window and awning industry for over a decade but needed to be on my own for many reasons. Side lines include a small on-line Q store and I have a new coffee roasting business that I hope my oldest daughter(who will soon be 20)will basically run with my supervision. Previous lives include Senior Computer Operator(main frame computers) for a large financial data processor, U.S. Army Pershing Nuclear Missiles. Passions include all kinds of outdoor cooking, grilling and smoking, Competitive mens softball, weight lifting. Been married to the same woman for over 20 years. 3 kids total. 2 girls and 1 boy who is the youngest at 10.

Jeff

Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.