So, what do you do for a living?

[monkeyb0y]

I work as a pathologist in a teaching hospital in Northeast Ohio. I do mostly surgical pathology with subspecialty interest in hematopathology ( diagnosis of leukemias and lymphomas). I also run the flow cytometry and hematology labs.

I'm married ( happily for 12 years) with a relatively new baby boy (9 months). He's a great joy but certainly makes mead making time--and free time in general-- more scarce. I'm new to mead making and only have two batches in bulk aging, a straight still mead and a cyser, both taste promising at about 6 months.

 

[zweitracht]

Me, I drive a truck. It's a terribly exciting job, what with people constantly finding new ways to try and kill me. My boss is getting tired of the business and wants to get out. Now I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to buy my way in. Tomorrow is the official first day of business for my wife's flower shop (shameless plug, http://thebloomcloset.com/ ) and we're excited about that. I have recently started researching hydrogen fuel cells and devised a way to make them a practical source of vehicular power. I plan to build a prototype as soon as we have the funds to buy the parts. Beyond that, I spend most of my time either asleep or online.

Funny you should mention the 'practical source of vehicular power' bit. I picked
up an electric-conversion 96 VW Rabbit and it's been serving me just fine for my daily commute. I'd love to be able to ditch the spare IC car but I sometimes have to make approx-100 mile trips. If you come up with a green, reliable solution to that problem, I'd be happy to test it. ;>

-- Zweitracht

 

[UncleBen]

Okay don't hate me for this, but I work for Verizon. I'm a system admin for one of their network operations centers. Yes, I sit all day in front of a computer, jumping into conference calls, or going to meetings. I'm not exagerating, I went to a meeting to discuss our earlier meeting, then they asked why I was behind on my projects. :

 

[Jmattioli]

Uncle Ben,
Can you hear me now? ;D

I read somewhere that the guy who works for Verizon traveling around the country doing that is suffering from brain cancer behind his right ear. Is that just a concoted story?
Joe

P.S. Thanks for the links on the cheese

 

[UncleBen]

Joe I haven't heard that one. Somehow, I don't think it's true.
Ben

 

[GntlKnght]

I am 40 years old and have been married to my best friend for 17 years. We have one 14-year-old boy and a cat.

So far, I have avoided answering this thread, because describing what I do is not simple! My official job title is Senior Product Support Engineer and I am part of Tech Support for this company too. I work for a subsidiary of Kodak. We support 13,000 one-hour photo machines and 50,000 kiosks in various drug, discount and grocery stores. I write documentation, create new procedures or modifications for the machines, test new software patches, test machine modifications, answer phone calls from field technicians and anything else my boss wants me to do. Every day is something different, so that keeps me sharp and keeps me paying attention.

 

[Jmattioli]

Keep up the good work Gntlknight! If Kodak continues to do better after all the last couple year acquisitions, I can stay retired. Otherwise , I may have to go back to work until I am 59 1/2.
Joe

 

[GntlKnght]

Keep up the good work Gntlknight! If Kodak continues to do better after all the last couple year acquisitions, I can stay retired.

Glad I could be of service to you! You've helped me out in my new hobby enough that I am happy to help! LOL

 

[Jon Foster]

I'm currently laid off. Actually I've been out of a real job for a year now. Normally I'm an I.T. Director which is really nothing more than a glorified computer tech. I work on networks, computers, printers, copiers, fax machines and anything else remotely computer related. I do servers, routers, wiring (cabling) for networks and even phone systems (big or small). I manage networks for people and do "turn key" business solutions (you start a business and I make it all work). I also take care of customers who are really pissed off. I'm the last person (or was) to get thrown to wolves when the customer was ready to dump our products or threatened to sue... I made them happy, bottom line. But for however that sounds (good or bad), the fact is, I can't find a decent job here in Michigan to save my a$$. There's simply no real work to be had. And now I can't afford to move out of state but will as soon as possible. Here's a link to my resume site if you know anyone who might be interested in me: JonFostersResume.com

This past summer I helped a guy out with his landscape business. He does mostly pavers but this year we did all sorts of custom walls, patios, ponds, fountains, stair cases and just about anything else nobody wanted or could do. It was fun but doesn't pay the bills, at all. Here's a link to the stuff I've been building this year (instead of finding a real job ): My summer projects

Jon.

 

[Brewbear]

Hi all,
Somehow I missed this thread, I was too busy looking for recipes and asking for advice :-\
I'm older than I ever thought I'd be, otherwise I'd have taken better care of myself. I've been a lab rat for all of my adult life, I was a phlebotomist, assisted in autopsies, emergency room tech (while going to school). Before that I was a dental technician, a jeweler, helped a friend deliver gold in the jewelry district. Finally got a BS in Biology/Biochemistry, continued school and completed a post grad program in human genetics ( my current job of 18 years is a cytogeneticist) and thought I was done. In 1999 I got bored and went back to school and completed the MCSE program - just beause I wanted to learn! Currently I'm looking at a masters program in either forensic genetics or molecular genetics and a brewer certification program from UC Davis.
Brewing is a new hobby, I started in May 2005, my other hobbies are hiking, fishing, camping, hunting and in my early years rock climbing. You might have guessed, I'm not married and have no children....but it's not too late :-\ My baby is my english mastiff Cheyenne and mom's 3 adopted cats.

Cheers,
Brewbear

 

[Mu]

Well im 20, so in terms of work <that pays> I do an array of things, but generally labor work. I have done part time work at a vineyard, doing gardening, building dry stone walls, moving things about, just general house keeping people don’t get round to. The outdoor work is fairly seasonal, and the vineyard work very much so, but I know how to grow vines now <for the most part>. We have 500 olive trees on this property, so I do some work there as well, so I know how to grow olive trees to.

Im doing a BA, with an augmented major in philosophy, a major in politics, and sub major in history.

When im done with that <this year if all goes well> I think ill do a diploma of education, and see if I can’t teach. Id love to teach high school kids philosophy, not sure how that will work out.

I took up brewing last year as a hobby, I live in a good area for perusing this hobby. Im in a good wine area, and I know a few wine makers, not to mention there is a fruit growing area a little up the road, and there’s a few beekeepers around locally as well. So it’s a matter of making contacts, and learning.

Mu.

 

[WRATHWILDE]

Just make them read Atlas Shrugged, it's all the philosophy a modern capitalist needs.

Wrathwilde

 

[Miriam]

I haven't added anything to this thread because I've been intimidated by all the brain energy crackling electrically as it streams past me. I'm 51 and no longer have to work for a living, thankee Lord. Worked most of my life as a secretary, eventually evolving into
jobs called "office administrator" and "personal assistant" - sigh. How I did dislike working for The Man, always feeling imprisoned in routines that supported other people's enterprises - and I did it for years. I'm living proof that you can dominate ADD .

In my thirties, I studied and certified in alternative fields: herbology, labor coaching, Shiatsu therapy. Worked with those on the side, to supplement the income - hard to maintain several jobs at once, but I had to support three little ones alone, after divorcing my first husband. That is, I made and sold herbal products and cosmetics and taught classes; gave childbirth education courses and accompanied women through birth; charged high prices for my Shiatsu and had a small but steady clientele (all women; I am an Orthodox Jew and did not treat men). Along the way, I have published essays and articles. A lot of the stuff I wrote for various sites is still floating around the Net. I sometimes do freebies, because I like to. Ahem - and if you buy a copy of St. Winston's Metheglin here, you'll be donating $10.00 to the Great Cause - GotMead. ;D

My present husband and I were blessed with a daughter in our middle years; not long after, I was able to open a workshop making handcrafted soap. It was what I wanted to do, and would still be doing it but for the international depression of three years ago, when many businesses closed, among them mine.

At this time, my role is to keep everyone around me on track; I'm the organizer and supervisor. Guess all that office administration eventually paid off... I have enough leisure to spend in writing, homebrewing, and homebrewing some more. I still make all the natural products and soap, but a modest private income allows me to just make them for me and friends and family and the occasional old client. I gave up labor coaching unless it's my own grandchildren being born. OH, and I have a terrible crush on Dr. Sigmund von Meader, but he ignores my fan letters. :'(

Miriam

 

[Brewboy]

I'm 42, and a Registered Nurse, currently working for a small health insurance company. I'm also a husband of 20 years, and have 2 sons (13 and 10).

I've also been a:
Life/ Long Term Care/ Disabilitiy Income/ Major Medical Insurance Underwriter. Critical Care Nurse. Nurse's Aide in a nursing home. Banquet Chef. Bartender. Carpet/Upholstery Cleaner. Substitute Day Care Teacher. Salesman (multiple products, including Vaccum Cleaners....yes, door-to-door!). Fast Food restaurant manager. Security Guard. Courier. Dairy bottling plant shipping/receiving manager.

Just a few things....
Trevor

 

[Dan McFeeley]

I'm 42, and a Registered Nurse, currently working for a small health insurance company. I'm also a husband of 20 years, and have 2 sons (13 and 10).

[....] stuff deleted

Just a few things? ;D ;D ;D

A male nurse -- cool! Check out this URL . . .

http://www.mcphee.com/items/11355.html

I'm sure you know that nursing was a man's world, way way before Florence Nightingale. ;D ;D ;D

 

[HomeBrew]

I am getting a bit of déjà vu here, but anyway…

I was born and raised in SD. My work history includes: farmhand, butcher shop lackey, body shop lackey, hired gun (varmint control, not people), KMart associate (stockboy, checker and thief catcher), bartender/ bouncer. Despite several near death experiences and many Dead shows, I eventually got a B.Sc. in Microbiology with Chemistry, History and English minors. For the past 13 years I have been working as a research scientist developing and optimizing microbial fermentations (bacteria, fungi, protozoa) for a veterinary vaccine company. Part of my work involves troubleshooting fermentations for manufacturing, so I get to travel overseas quite a bit. I have spent a lot of time working in Australia, Ireland and The Netherlands. Since I accumulate quite a few frequent flyer miles, I get to do plenty of overseas traveling on my own as well (mainly Central America and Europe).

Hobbywise, I like to hike, backpack, snowshoe, kayak, canoe, hunt deer with bow and blackpowder rifle, search for arrowheads/ artifacts and play the 5-string banjo (rather poorly). I currently live in IA, which is nowhere near where I thought I would end up. However, it has turned out to be an okay homebase for the time being (centrally located, cheap cost of living, etc.). I live in the country surrounded by plenty of woods for hiking/ hunting and enough space to fire off my trebuchet, potato cannon or any other semi-dangerous weekend projects that I can come up with. I haven’t been posting much lately because my wife and I have been really busy prepping for a baby that is due ANY day now (our first). However, I have been keeping up on my brewing. I have a morat that is bulk ageing now that continues to improve. Also, I am in the middle of a beaujolais that I am brewing to celebrate the new sprout.


Peace.

 

[buzzardwhiskey]

I've been a short order cook, high school teacher, computer programmer,
hang gliding instructor, masseuse, medical assistant, and now (almost) a nurse
heading toward nurse practioner.

 

[Brewboy]

and now (almost) a nurse heading toward nurse practioner.

Good luck on that career path...it's a good field, and nurse practitioners are always in demand!

Trevor

 

[buzzardwhiskey]

and now (almost) a nurse heading toward nurse practioner.

Good luck on that career path...it's a good field, and nurse practitioners are always in demand!

Trevor

I am also 42... great time to change careers. I've loved going back to school and being
the "old" guy who gets A's and sits in the back leering at the young women.

 

[David Baldwin]

At 34 I was the oldest guy in our Officers Candidate School (US Army Michigan National Guard). Held the highest PT score of all the men. Only a 19 year old woman could beat me in the points.


Oh to be able to turn back time to my first several (misguided) years in college and keep the maturity and study skills I gained over the 10 years it took to get my BA in business management... sigh...