Who are you people

[MessickFarmEqu]

I am kinda curious as to what everyone around here does for a living. I reconize screen names but don't really know anything about anyone.

I'll start this off I guess.
Despite my last name being the same as that of my company. I am not the owner, the business is owned by my father and uncle. I myself am actualy a computer programmer. I got a degree in business information systems and worked for a consulting company doing contract work for the state for a few years. I hated the slow pace, looking at a screen all day, and there was some shady stuff going on at the place I was working. About 9 months ago I left to work for the family business. I now do sales of compact tractors and implements under 60HP, when I am not selling I maintain and develope the computer systems at the store. I grew up on this stuff so its been a really easy transition despite the radical job change. This industry is a totally different world than what I was used to and I would never choose to go back. In my free time I enjoy playing paintball, skiing and photography.

 

[Inspector507]

As my screen name suggests, I am an Inspector. Actually, the Chief Electrical Inspector for the 15th largest city in the US. I have been in the electrical industry for 32 years. I also have 16 Inspectors that work for me.
Lately I have been getting pretty good at computers, our IT guys are days behind. If it doesn't get fixed NOW, we're hurting.

 

[ManofMystery]

I'm a systems architect. Right now, I'm trying to fix the Marine Corps. Tomorrow--the world.

 

[Golfgar4]

Hi Neil! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

O.K. I'll get this rolling. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Although I should probably say first that this thread should probably be in the Related Topics forum, rather than Buying/Pricing. But I'll let one of the moderators move it if they want to. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I'm a 30 year employee for our local municipality. I came here right out of the Navy in 1974 and got hired as a part-time bus driver. Over the next 15 years, I worked my way up to the Assistant Transit Director. As I was recognizing that that was as far as I was going to go in that department, I started looking elsewhere for other opportunties. Well, our City Manager got wind of my looking around, and "talked me into" accepting the position of Risk Manager, a new position the City had created as part of joining an insurance pool. I became responsible for handling all of the safety and training programs, worker compensation program, liability claims administration, and other tasks to be determined.

I have two grown children, a daughter that is 31 and a son who is 24. The daughter lives in Columbus, Ohio and is a manager for Border's book stores and an aspiring novelist. She already has 2 childrens books published. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif My son is in the Navy and is stationed in Fallon, Nevada. He and his wife just had their first child (our first grandchild! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif).

I'm planning on retiring in just about a year from now, and will then finally be able to seriously plan on getting my tractor and having some fun!

Oh, yeah. My screen name, Golfgar4, I got from my son. Before he went off to the Navy, he was visiting about the time we got a new computer. During the transition from the old computer to the new computer, I couldn't remember the first username that I had used. This was pre-TBN, so I didn't do much on the computer other than type Word documents. So he registered me without telling me, and this is the name he gave me. Of course, it does apply to the fact that I love to play golf, and my first name is Garry. What's really amazing is that there are 3 other Gary's out there that think the same way! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Junkman]

I am retired. I am a kept man. My wife now supports me in all the projects that she finds for me to do. I have a "honeydo" list that could drive a hive of bees crazy! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif My wife is very supportive. I finish one and she says "very nice, when are you going to start _______?". You can fill in the blank.. I wouldn't know where to start....... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Work was easier than retirement! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[OrangeGuy]

Hey, I'll bite...

I grew up on a farm within a few miles of where I live now. First paying job was milking cows for my grandfather at $5.00 per week. Paid my way through engineering school at the University of Minnesota (Go Gophers!) by raising soybeans and hay on my other grandfather's farm. Due to the recession in 1973, I took a position selling farm and industrial/commercial equipment at a local Allis Chalmers/NH/Bobcat dealer. Spent 17 years there before deciding to get into the "corporate" world. I spent the next 14 years travelling the world (Japan more than 40 times, China 20, Europe 30, etc) as the group vice president of product development for a Fortune 1500 privately held company headquartered in Minneapolis. As my passion is farming, I visited farms every chance I got as I travelled. Two years ago the company was bought out by Bank of America and they systematically dismantled the management team. Ten months ago they provided a great separation package and paid me out on all my stock so consequently I am now semi-retired.

I now spend much time on my old Allis and new Kubota tractors. The farm has never looked better. I have a wife and four boys ranging in age from 18 (going to Marquette University this fall) to 31 (Electrical Design Engineer).

Life is good!

OrangeGuy

 

[DavidJ]

Well here's me. I worked 25 years for a fortune 500 company. I started out as a maintenance mechanic and the last job I held there was supervisor of process control and networking. They decided that they could get what we produced overseas and so they closed our plant. Those of us that had been there from the start were treated very well in the deal, so I'm technically retired /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif . I now work for a Science Museum as the manager of exhibits and information technology. My dad was a farmer for several years and that's where I got my experience with tractors and such. He was later a home builder and that's where I got my love for electrical things.

As a last note I'm now doing two things I said I'd never do /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I always said that when I retired I'd never go back to work, well I'm doing that. I also said that I'd never work downtown in a large city and while Mobile isn't all that large a city I work smack in the middle of downtown. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[BillyP]

Meat department manager for 25 years. Chicken farmer for the past 5.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I'm a suburban boy born and raised, always pretty much lived within 20 miles of downtown Chicago. Had an apartment in the city for a year. Lived in west central Indiana for 4 while attending college. Now a company exec for a distribution firm, 43 years old, married 19 years, 9 year old daughter. About 15 years ago we bought 6+ acres in the south end of the county, built a home there about 10 years ago. Bought my first tractor 11 years ago, been hooked ever since. We had been maintaining the 4+ acres next door and using it as our yard, with the permission of the owners who left the land vacant. A few years ago we bought that property giving us just under 12 total. Currently 4 tractors (3 at home, one at work), occasionaly that number grows if I find a toy to restore.

 

[Poppa]

Went to school for a zillion years to become a Geologist. Unfortunately the most common employment for a geologist these days is in the environmental field. Admirable work, but not what floats my boat. I got tired of tearing down the work of others, cleaning up the "Messes" and erasing the last few aspects of American manufacturing.

Sorry, that is a big soap box that I keep pushing into the closet and keeps falling back out into the hallway, tripping me up.

Seven years ago my wife got tired of hearing me whine and told me to quit. Didn't need to tell me twice, spent three years fixing up our house and building furniture for us and other people and the last four years being a stay-at-home father. Sometimes my wife and I miss the extra money but then we realize we would just be spending it on day care. Besides, I cook well, take good care of the kids and know how to separate the lights from the darks and what a "Delicate" is. Always knew I would make someone a good wife.

Best part is how my daughters can't understand why some poppa's go to work and some mommies stay at home. They will always know that barriers are made to be broken and to expect the unexpected.

Mike