Who are you people

[johnday]

Spent 8 1/2 years in the U.S.Navy getting out in 1978. Am a Michigan licensed builder [favorite job] a fulltime Union Committeeman at DTE at the Monroe Power Plant, one of the largest in the world [an alright job], and no, I didn't cause the blackout last year. Building is my favorite thing to do. Building my retirement home on twentyone acres in Northern Lower. Have two daughters,32 and 22. My wife and I have at last count 14 cats and four dogs. We take in rescues of all nationalities. Born in Mich and have no intention of living anywhere else. Of Scottish/Irish descent and usually act like it. Have too many varied interests to list them, I'd probably bore all you guys anyway. Really like my time off to go "upnorth" and escape the ratrace.
Anybody heard from 5030? He and I share the same county, and thats a good thing! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Taylortractornut]

Neil Im a 24 year old Heavy equipment operator and truck driver. I started operating a backhoe when i was about 10 just piddling with dad. When I I was 14 I went inot Votech in shool in Metal Trades class. I bought my first welder and torch when I was 14 and started a part time after school shop. On the weekends and in the summer I ran a scraper and dozer for Dad at a mobile home plants land fill and built building lots for the company. After 4 years of metal shop and barely passing regular school I took 2 years of community college Machine Tool and Die Tech class, well actually just the machinist classes as I didnt want to take any of the required courses in psychology, or literature, English,music apreciation. I just got a certificate and missed the degree because of this but I did have a smarter more experienced teacher than the degreed students. I worked another summer for my brother's construction company then went back to finish up my second year of the certificate program in machining and CNC. I almost quit because they had changed program requirements and I was about to have to take the classes such as psychology. My teacher begged me to stay because i was the top in the class. I graduated and went to work for a Company running a CNC mill making Gear Tek hydraulic pumps and motors about 20 miles from home. i didnt want to run a CNC but the owners had agreed to hire me as a part time CNC and manual machinist. Then one month later I decided that they werent gonna let me work in the manual machine shop so I quit after six months of pay cuts, losing overtime pay to a dum rule and basically tired of being in a building. I went to work for myself welding and putting in septic tanks with my backhoe.
about 4 or 5 months after that i was driving by a construction site with a help wanted sign I told them I had a back hoe and did that kind of work and also ran loaders excavators and scrapers since I was 14. I hared in as a laborer and by the end of that week I had made operator and mechanic. By my 3rd week they had me setting beams and pouring concrete with a 5299 American 50 ton friction crane. Later that year I took over the landfill while dad was off with open heart surgery. I ran it a year and then the trailer plant closed and we reclaimed the landfill for the EPA now I work for Allegro coach running the lanfill and driving a rolloff container truck hauling their inert rubbish. I also operate a small excavation service on the side with a dump truck,backhoe, and excavator and do a little implement repair and fabrication. I havent yet been hungry enough to go back inside a building to work. i get alot of critsim here from some of the machinists that I used to work for off and on about not even opening my certificate from machine shop class or working for them. I dont see where I should make them the big money for nearly minimum wage when I can do a job I love and make 3 times as much with out having a person over my shoulder. The best part of my job is I can take my dog to work lol.

 

[5030]

John:

I am around, just "lurking" mostly. Between the hay business, truck driving, tending horses, running the machine shop and riding the new Bonneville, not much time left.

We will get to the breakfast engagement soon.

I read the thread and see the "Gatorboy" with his usual aplomb, leaves a cynical snip. Must be something about those Maryland yuppies. I really miss his old signature picture, the one when he first started posting, the one with the big 25 cent cigar stuffed in his yap. Probably smoking those "Kubans" now.

It's neat to air your bio in a thread. My bio is boring, lets just say that it's nearing retirement.

I guess I get tired of replying to the same threads over and over. It seems to me that people who log on here don't understand the search feature. I guess I am like CowBoyDoc in some respects. I reply to threads I know about, like hay making and then I (we) have people blow us off about what we do and tell us we are full of beans. Richard, being a moderator, has the option of deleting someone else's threads, I just stay silent though Richard and I do compare notes from time to time.

I'll just read and be amused.

I will be in contact with you John.

 

[polecat]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BORE ....US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


HIGHLY ILLOGICAL!!!!!!
YER LIDDL QUIRKS MAKE US SO MUCH CLOSER TO EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THAT'S what drew me to TBN!!!!!!....Is everyone had info on this that and the other topic!!!!!

It's the liddl differences of opinion that made me feel like I had a place that i could reside!!!And why a few months ago I bcame a full blown member!!!!!!.......................

That's y I wanna hear and meet pretty much everyone HERE........!!!!!!!!!!...................

SO don't by any means of the imagination think that u r boring!!!!!!!!!!what is boring is if the good ol man upstairs created us all the same....then we would not have anything to talk about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!........BUT INSTEAD HE MADE US NOT ONLY EQUAL ...BUT GAVE US OUR OWN MINDS AND FREE WILL!!!.........So i encourage all.....to participate in the sharing of the gift's that he has given us but to also FROW WITH EACH OTHER..IN ACCORD'SITH HIS DIVINE PURPOSE!!!!!!


To love and respect each other's belief's !!!!!!!thought's....and feeling's!!!!!! No matter where they may lie!!!!!!! I am so proud to call myself a member of this group..and love the way for the most part everyone care's and respect's each other's not only space's but feeling's!!!!!!!!


MAY GOD BLESS U ALL....WETHER THAT B MY GOD OR YER GOD ....MAY THEY BLESS US ALL!!!!!...ALL MY LOVE FROM THE NORTH EAST TIP OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!

SHALLOM!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

TODD HALL!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[TresCrows]

"Went to school for a zillion years to become a Geologist"

Well, Poppa, I thought I was the only one around here that went to school for a zillion years to be a Geologist and was one and then a Teacher and was one and then Aviation and is one and now----hmmm--what is next /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif? J

 

[Skitch]

After reading some of the posts, I feel like I may be one of the youngsters of the board at only 28. I'd love to say that I am close to retirement too, but that ain't happening for a good long while.

I was born and raised in the western part of North Carolina. My family has a long history of farming in this area. On my dad's side, it was always apples. On my mom's side, it was a multigenerational dairy farm, and then raising beef up until just a few years ago. Our family lived on the farm. Not right by the barns, but about a 1/4 mile away on the same piece of property. (My uncle ran the farm). I loved working on the farm as a kid, but never saw it as a way to make a living. So, I trotted off to college and was the first in my family to graduate w/ a college degree.

After college, I worked with and organization called Campus Crusade for Christ, a missionary organization based out of Orlando, FL. I spent two years traveling all over the world working as a producer for international versions of The Jesus Film. We would translate the film, record the new audio, and then turn the finished product over to different local missionaries for use and distribution. Didn't really see stateside too often, but did get to see some pretty cool stuff.

I returned to NC after two years of almost non stop travel. Shortly thereafter, I began dating my future wife. We were living in Raleigh when got married two years ago, but decided to move back to my hometown to raise a family. Since that time, we have built our "dream" house, and just celebrated the birth of a healthy baby girl. We were in the house a week when the baby decided to come. I hadn't even had time to set up the nursery, and we still had boxes all over the place!

As for what I do, I work as a manager for a small construction company. Though my official title is manager, I also do the accounting, inside sales, and project management. I love the work that I do and enjoy going to work each day. However, there are things that I am more passionate about, and if I can just figure out a way to get paid to do them, I won't have to work another day in my life.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Congradulations. "Messick" is my daughter's last name now. And my newest grandchild is one too. I almost feel like you're family.

I'm probably the best known tbn'r because I post so much and pour out my guts all the time.

I'm a father and grandfather. I'm a husband. And I make things.

And I seem to have more fun doing all that than the law allows or most folks can understand.

I can live with that.

My work pleasure involves doing the ordinary in extraordinary ways. Or doing the extraordinary in as ordinary way as possible. In other words, I like to make mountains out of molehills and molehills out of mountains. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I hope to never retire. Right now I'm looking at turning fifty six tomorrow and working about ten--twelve hours just because I can.

I've observed that if you want to know what you'll be like when you grow up check out your grandparents. And if you want to know what you'd been like under different circumstances, check out your grandkids.

When I try to figure out why I'm the pecan in the walnut bag I look at my mother's father and can see the lineage. And now I have a genetic link to a grandson via a daughter. There's a part of me that hopes the string isn't broken. But then I'm not sure I'd wish that off on anyone. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JimR]

I was born in 1953. I have lived in Ma. all my life. Spent 9 years as a mechanic working on cars and trucks. I spent the next 20 as a machinist. I then went to school for computers and that industry here fell apart. I wasted a lot of money on that one. Then I moved on to being a sales rep for a local firearms distributor. Presently looking to move on one more time. I also have a sideline business of making rifle bolt handles for military rifles. Hobbies include motorcycles, shooting, hiking, biking and fixing things. I love taking on bigger projects than I can handle. I do all my own repair work and work around the house, except when the wife decides to pay someone to do something I don't have time to do. Presently rebuilding an early 1735 farmhouse and 1840's barn that use to belong to the deceased in-laws. Played contractor on my second story house addition back in 1993. Quite capable of doing all my own carpentry, electrical wiring, welding, plumbing, heating, mechanical repairs. I'm always willing to help out a neighbor when they need a hand and expect the same when in need of help. I've been married for 28 years to the sweetest woman that I have ever met. We have a son 20 and a daughter 18. Both of them are in college and doing well. We also have 2 dogs, 2 cats and 11 chickens. My wife is an insurance broker and has her own company. She sets up insurance and retirement plans for individuals as well as small businesses. All in all we have it pretty good so far and have lived a very happy life together. Here is a picture of my biggest project. This fell in a few years ago. We hope to have it back up this year. We did have to hire someone to do this one for us. It is not a one man job by any means. I have been making most of the beams so far to replace the old ones. More pictures will follow as we proceed with it.

 

[Poppa]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ..I thought I was the only one around here that went to school for a zillion years to be a Geologist and was one and then a Teacher and was one and then Aviation and is one and now----hmmm--what is next /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif? J )</font>

TresCrows

I've always considered myself a rockhound in a soil-centered world. The rocks call to me but everyone wants to know what needs to be done to clean up the soil. Like I said, for the most part their's is admirable work, I just get tired of worrying about dirt.

You're right about it making you jump around. Definitely lends itself to making me a jack of all trades. That being said, my current employment should keep my busy for the next twenty years or so. THAT I can live with. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Mike

 

[Boondox]

I'm Pete. Born and raised on the beaches of San Diego. Joined the navy after high school and saw action as a corpsman with the Marines...which resulted in a major disconnect between me and my school chums who were still flipping burgers and getting drunk. Stayed in the service 13 years and saw much of the world. Was accepted into the navy's physician assistant program at the same time as my grad school app was accepted...tough choice!

Chose grad school and after getting my doc in behavioral epidemiology started teaching while doing research in HIV risk behaviors among recently divorced men. Then met and fell in love with a fascinating woman from Vermont. We eloped. She hated the big city, so I gave it all up and moved back to Vermont with her.

No kids of the human kind, but we have five goldens, three cats, seven Icelandic sheep, a flock of chickens, and 155 acres of hardwood paradise here in the Green Mountains of northern VT. Love my life, and the woman, friends and creatures I share it with.