What do you do for a living?

[Joneslab]

I work for the Legislative Research Commission in Frankfort. I commute 50 minutes from Louisville which is tough, but it's a good job. I'm a technical writer and draft 90% of the resolutions the Kentucky House/Senate call to the floor every legislative session.

I also write mystery novels and have been working on my third book for three years. I have a two-book contract still but the novel was originally turned back by the publisher for improvements in the Anthony Davis era. Two more rewrites couldn't quite get it, but I got some decent news recently so hopefully (hopefully!) a book will be coming out in 2016. My first book did fairly well, the second one sort of tanked after the publisher put some money behind it, so I think they got gunshy and kind of backed away from me. Such is the life of a midlist author.

[Marooncat79]

Been an automotive engineer for 15 yrs-currently in Greenville SC. Before that I was an Environmental Project Mgr- mostly doing groundwater investigations on DOD and DOE sites

Best job I ever had was working at Grand Canyon. I was stupid to leave

[Matt Dillon]

I aspire to be like Matt Dillon

Play golf as much as I can. Used the be a HUGE fisherman but had to move away from it. I miss it dearly and would love to start back, but alas....

Thanks for the compliment.

[luukfan]

I am 47 and own a local paving company. I married into the business 18 years ago. Before that, I was a biologist for a local Environmental Consulting firm. I was only smart enough to get a masters and in the Environmental Consulting field that will get you nothing more than a field tech position so I took the leap when my FIL offered a position.

[Spiritof96]

If I told you, I would have to kill you....

[CATHYnKY]

I retired from the public housing agency here after 32 years. Before that worked for a bank for about 2 years and the old South Central Bell for ten. So love being out of the rat race of working. Had a great boss and we still have lunch and I visit my buddies that are still there. He didn't replace me. It is amazing that everything is right as I left it. When I visit I put my purse and coat (when needed) where they always went, I change my calendar so I know the last time i visited. My pencils are exactly as I left them when last there. Wonder if I should have someone order me a 2016 desk calendar????

[Matt Dillon]

I retired from the public housing agency here after 32 years. Before that worked for a bank for about 2 years and the old South Central Bell for ten. So love being out of the rat race of working. Had a great boss and we still have lunch and I visit my buddies that are still there. He didn't replace me. It is amazing that everything is right as I left it. When I visit I put my purse and coat (when needed) where they always went, I change my calendar so I know the last time i visited. My pencils are exactly as I left them when last there. Wonder if I should have someone order me a 2016 desk calendar????

Perhaps they're expecting you back, Cathy?

[KevinHall]

If I told you, I would have to kill you....

Hey! I used to work for them when I was a Fed.

[Spiritof96]

Hey! I used to work for them when I was a Fed.

..... .....

[CATHYnKY]

Perhaps they're expecting you back, Cathy?

Doubt it !!!!!!

[Dwight Schrute]

I cut my teeth in the corporate world, but the last 8-9 years I've had a position in procurement with a division of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce(no I don't make 180k a year and have 3 BMWs in my driveway). Just this year, I've begun selling surplus out of my garden to a couple of nice restaraunts close to my home. I'm a total food freak and I've got it really bad. I'm also exploring the opportunity to add various sauces(roasted tomato, pesto, etc.) and I also make extra good sausages such as Chorizo, Sweet Italian, breakfast, etc. I got a degree in Agriculture from UK in 1981, so I might as well make good use of it as I approach retirement.

I think I wanna be your friend.

[Brother_Vol]

Looks like I'm one of the young ones too (27). And yeah, a lot of people my age are still trying to figure out this whole life thing. I think there's probably umpteen hundred different reasons for it but that's for another day lol.

I was lucky enough to get a job through a neighbor the summer before my freshman year in high school. It was at a small civil engineering firm. I was originally only supposed to help them move their office and build out their archive room. But, after the move they asked if I could stay on and come by after school and do some of the grunt work around the office. It started with taking out trash, washing windows, printing and binding plans, or whatever needed to be done that engineers get paid too much to spend time on. That year I decided to take a drafting class in school, as an elective. So they started giving me small drafting assignments at the firm as well. By the time I was done with high school I wasn't taking out trash anymore. I was just one of the CAD Operators and working whenever I wasn't in school. I stayed on full time after I graduated for a year until I decided it was time I give college a shot.

I quickly realized that the math needed to become an engineer was more advanced than I thought and it scared me a little. So I changed course and started working toward an English education degree. Two years later and a couple of hard patches in my life and I finally decided that school was not for me (at least not then). I got a job at a liquor store until I could find something else. I ended up settling on a job pulling cable for a low voltage/communications infrastructure company. I worked my way through as a tech for a year and a half or so and one day I get a call from my boss asking about my drafting experience! (Hell yeah!) A position had opened up in the CAD department and he either remembered from my interview or had heard from someone else that I had experience. So I interviewed and got the job. And that's where I am now. Still building up experience despite not having that piece of paper that opens up so many doors.

I consider myself very lucky in this sense, but I also have worked really hard to get here. So a bit of each I guess. I still think that school might not be for me but I do want to get as many drafting certs as I can get in as many design programs as I can. Because even with 8 or 9 years experience now, not having anything with my name on it still worries me. That said, I'm feeling better about where I am now than I ever have before. And I guess that should be the end goal anyway.

Good thread, Dwide Schrude