O/T - What do you do for a living?

[Archer Ontario]

Union Tradesman
Local 95
Heat and Frost Insulators
i work for a local Insulation firm have been there for 20 yrs

[dot on]

Originally went to college hoping to become a game warden. Ended up training and eventually working as a commercial helicopter pilot in Prince Rupert B.C. for a timber firm. I'm now employed as a paramedic.

[onebigskittle]

Worked in tobacco when i was so young i had to reach up to pull the tops..at 14 started in a super market till age 17 then worked construction for 5 years and at 22years old i joined the national guard and pulled 12 years there while working in my fathers cabinet shop for 8 years then went to the department of corrections and worked till i came home fell out and woke up in the hospital in 2000 from a massive heart attack and was placed on a transplant list ...since then i been doing anything and everything to keep busy. I now own my fathers cabinet shop and a rental thats on the property and i cut grass to finance my trips to the doctors and my hunting toys.

[agingcrossbower]

Born and am living in the same house. I was born to a strict german Dad and a mother that was a soft spoken hollander. My Dad was co'-founder of Riesterer and Schnell implement which was a small John Deere implement dealership. With my Dad as the then Blacksmith or worker and his Brother John the Salesmen (non-worker) it flourished. It also had a tavern attached so if the deal was not going well they stepped into the tavern and had a shot and beer or to and made it work. My Dad was a hard working , hard drinking strict father who never touched me but just with a look tore me a new one. Can honestly say I never had a conversation with him. I really did'nt take to the dealership because I could hear people say, Its the owners son he's got it made, or he does'nt work he's the owner son, which I hated. I had one older brother by ten years and an older sister. I cut my teeth on a Black and Decker jigsaw when I was 11. Loved that thing and with some friends bullt a raft and floated in down a creek nearby. That was the start of a lifelong love. Managed to bring that jigsaw around while it was running and touch my waist. That of my first on site construction accident. Next Dad found a second hand mini-lathe and I made mostly a mess, but sure had fun. Made little mouse lures complete with shoe string tails. Put triple hooks on them and had a few large mouth bass scarce the be Jesus out of me when they'd hit right next to the shore. My Dad died when I was 17. It was hard and I had a chance at buying his shares in the business but I felt I did'nt need anybody, and that I would work with wood. That was the most costly mistake of my life. Riesterer and Schnell went on to be a multi million dollar company and needless to say my brother is rich. BUT, I followed what I loved and that was wood. Finished high school and that summer I helped the industrial arts teacher build his house. The Vietnam war was in full swing and we had a number system for a draft. I got called but was rejected because of my ankle which I broke but good as a kid. Worked first for Laun Lumber co. as a Carpenter for two years and then Meyer Builders for 5 years and all the free time I was doing carpentry moonlighting for extra mnney. In 1976 I started Mike's siding and Remodeling and was that for 28 years. Always worked alone even sort of kept to myself when there were crews. For my busines I would sub out the other trades if I was building a house or if it was a large addition I would cash out a friend for a helping hand. ALL through those years I always loved what I did and loved wood. Its a part of me. I can show you the slivers. My beloved mom passed in 1998. Think of her most every day.She was a senitive thoughtful women and strong willed. Loved her dearly. In 2001 we had the mother of all storms and I had work work work. I think it took a toll on me because in the summer of it was either 2002 or 03 I got sick, real sick. And then my wife also got sick. I spent what I had to pay the hospital bills. Lost my business and my retirement hunting land to pay the bills and to keep the house. These were the toughest decisions so far in my life until I had to call social secruity and ask for disabiliy benifits. I lost part of being a man that day.
The best thing by far that I did was finding my now wife Jen. We married in 1996 and are going strong together today. She is a strong women and beautifull woman who puts up with ME. Thats saying a lot. I would be nothing without her. And of course there is ROCCO oor cocker spaniel who is my very best friend. He stayed by my side even in the darkest days.
And now I still can not let go of wood my first love. I hope it shows in what I do in my stocks for uncovering the bueaty in the wood that God made is so much fun and I feel so lucky to get a chance to do it. As long as I'm on a roll here, please people try to get along here on the forum, there is so much talent here and so much to discover and learn, life is to short to waste it with petty jealousy. Get along and enjoy each others gifts and faults. NOBODY is perfect. As I have always said I am truly blessed to be part of this forum. YES, I am done typing.

[mchurch]

I'm a Pharmacist.

[GaryM]

I started out working in local factories and ended up in the machining dept. at York Borg Warner. Liked running machines a lot but that job ended. I then worked for several trucking companies driving semis. Made some money but those jobs ended as well. Needed to find something different so went to school in Italy and learned how to engrave guns. I did that for 10 yrs. full time when a job opened up at a local machine shop. I jumped on it and had a blast running automatic screw machines for many years. That job ended with a plant buyout and plant closing. I then went to the machine shop at Blaw Knox until they closed the doors there and I retired. I think every place I've ever worked has either gone under or been bought out. Now I do whatever I want...or nothing. Gary

[muskyman454]

i have done it all.cop,jail gard,musky guide,carpender,blocklayer,plumber,animal damage controll,the last was a coal miner,bolted top.i loved it and that did me in.i would go back in right know if i could.i loved it.i could not make it as a spelling teacher!

[j.krug]

A year or so out of high school I got a job as a Correctional Officer. Did that for about 14 years. Had to leave that for a kinder, gentler job because working with scumbags and seeing the massive failure of our revolving door justice system was turning me into an angry mean person. That is not who I wanted to become so I moved on.

I decided to get a trade ticket so I went through to be a Mold Maker. Been doing that ever since. Still with the same company I origionally started with. Started as an aprentice. Went to school and got my papers. About 8 or so years ago I moved into a new CNC department that was opened. A couple years later the boss left and they asked me to take over the department. Been doing that for several years now. I really like the work I do but being an automotive related job it's touch and go sometimes with the industry being the way it is right now.

[Pydpiper]

I hunt.
I own a wildlife control business, have for almost 15 years. I do nuisance wildlife control for two cities as well as being a licenced term agent for the MNR. On call to dispatch predators encroaching private and public places.
Came out of high school and got my mechanics licence, ended up specializing in automotive electronics, moved to Florida and started a company that installed A/V in yachts.
Moved back to Canada and bought 2 pawn shops, and for reasons I have never understood I started down the road to my current job, which I would not change for the world.
Father of three who is home every day to see my kids off to school and home on time to greet them as they get home. I wake up every day appreciating the fact that my job is also my hobby, and I love every second of it.
To be honest, I don't even feel like I have a job.

[DanO]

I grew up in the Ottawa Valley, in the more remote end. Worked on farms in the summers, bakery in high school and then faught forest fires/planted trees. Went to university for biology and worked for the MNR every summer in lake surveys. Eventually got on with Environment Canada as they did research to find a replacement for DDT. Spent all of my summers in the bush working for either the MNR or Env Canada. No jobs for biologists when I graduated.

Off to teacher's college! What could be easier.... two months off, two weeks at Christmas etc. etc. I've hear it all!! I taught environmental science and biology for 32 years. It was a great job because I could mesh my love for the outdoors with teaching. I had two massive greenhouses and I taught horticulture. Two large brown trout hatcheries and we adopted a local cold water stream to rehabilitate. Coached hockey every year for the past 20 years at every level imaginable. Finally settled on high school hockey because it's not stupid hockey! ie. no fighting.

Loved my job. Working with young people everyday (especially outside) keeps you young. I love retirement just as much.

Dan O.

[the elf]

On the 25th. of November 2011---I will have been retired for 12 years and I am enjoying it more and more every day.

[Retired05]

Meat cutter for 45 years. Retired in 05 and still cutting meat for family around deer hunting time. All things considered life has been good. Russ

[frisky]

I started to work in the auto parts business in 1957. Other than being hand picked (drafted) in the US Army (2 years) this is the only job I ever had. Semi-retired in 2007, I still work for the same company. Work 4 1/2 hours a day, every other week driving truck. Any one got a calculator to see how many years this is??

[Yarak]

Management Consultant , specializing in productivity improvement, for over 30 years.

[blackjack]

g'day, l'm an open cut minor, digging iron ore, l was in transport for many years but l'm well over it now. l work on a 2 & 1 roster 12 hours a day which is 7 day shifts 7 night shifts & 7 days off & l fly to work every two weeks & live at a mine camp. my work is 1200 klm's north of Perth western Australia at a mine called Christmas creek just north of a town called Newman owned by FMG