Topic: Occupation in the Real World?

[egar]

I'm a former journalist who switched to a state job in Florida dealing with water resource issues. I'm the PR guy, so now reporters are interviewing me. What comes around goes around.  There are some good days, though, taking media out on airboat tours in gator country or kayaking in the Indian River Lagoon (N. America's most biologically diverse estuary). Also been working on and off for years on the Great American Novel. Though this new addiction leads me to believe I might rather write a Zen book like Pirsig's.

[sixshooter]

soth western belll telephone,advance solutions inc.network center tech for dsl,and still cant use a pc but i am trying

[skamania19]

Former Army, former EMT, current law enforcement and whatever my wife tells me to do.   

[jurob]

police officer

[Bryan Boyle]

Computer network weenie for Lockheed full time.
Part time flight instructor and aircraft maintenance tech.
Do avionics work in my spare time
Civil War reenactor
Oh, yeah...wrench my bikes when I want to relax...

[jgary]

I do sales for a company that measures satisfaction with web sites (www.foreseeresults.com).  Two young kids, the oldest just started preschool.  Very tolerant wife.  Two CB750's that always need something done to them. 

John.

[clarkjh]

Former saw filer, former truck driver, now IT technical Support for the local school district.  7 building, 250 computers and 1500 abusers, I mean users.  Off work, hunting, fishing, woodworking, riding my 550, and enjoying my wife and 2 kids.

[Kurt]

Well, I just joined the site about 20 minutes ago and my first post is spilling my guts. I am the regional manager for computer systems security in a large global IT company. If I told you any more I would have to kill you. :-)

In my off hours I play with my newly aquired 73 CB500E, pick the 5 string banjo (bluegrass), teach adult sunday school at Tri City Baptist church, help raise 3 kids with my wonderful wife, and feed the chickens. Of course after working 15 hour days each one of those items get about 20 minutes of my attention.

This site has been a great help so far!

[SteveD CB500F]

Hey Kurt, post a picture of your 500 in the Gallery.  The "CB500E" refers to the engine number, the model number would be CB500K0 or K1, depending upon the frame number (on the headstock). If you post the two numbers here, we can work out which model you have.

Notwithstanding (?) all the above.  You have a "500 Four" - which is how we all refer to them!

[Kurt]

The headstock has CB500-2007272 stamped in the frame on one side and on a metal riveted tag on the other. I will post a picture as soon as I take one today sometime. The bike has been covered up in storage for about 15 years. I helped a friend of mine move recently and hinted around that I would like to have it so he GAVE it to me. It is in awesome shape, chrome is beautiful. I cleaned the tank and carbs, changed the oil, air filters, put a new starter button on it, plugs, etc. It does have a weird carb problem I have never seen before though. It appears gas builds up in the #1 cylinder carb, and flows out the overflow tube every 20 minutes or so. Is it possible I have the float in upside down? To be honest I did not pay too close attention to that aspect when I put it back together, but that's what it acts like to me. I really would rather not pull that carb bank off again! Those 4 air cleaner tubes are a such joy to work with. Thanks for the help!!

[SteveD CB500F]

You have a K1  www.100megsfree4.com/honda/h0500/four500.htm

Your fuel leakage sounds like a sticking float rather than upside down.  Give it a tap with a rubber mallet to see if you can free it or dislodge whatever is stuck in the valve.

Unscrew the drain plug and run some petrol into a jar to try and wash any debris through.

[Mark M]

This is an evolutionary story - much like some of my bikes.

Left school at 16 - went to colledge
2 years of Art foundation.
Then another 2 years higher diploma I qualified as .....a Paper Sculptor  (at the time I was proably the only one in the UK.)
As you can guess the world was not beating a path to my door.

So 2 years as a gardiner, I realy liked that job - just a shame the money was bad and the prospects worse. Still I had a good tan for 2 years.

Next move was back to colledge - Dont you just love the state education system - this time doing Teacher Training.

This was a four year course but during the first summer break I ran off with a very nice Science teacher. She was from the Isle of Man so how could I resist. She never did take me home to meet mum and dad.

Then a few months as a civil sevant - again the money was BAD.

So got a job at Stansted Airport, working for and airline handling agent. Did just about all jobs going with them over the next 12 years, ending up as duty manager (Ops Controler). Then got made redundant.
Now I work for an airline catering company, contract manager for one of THE low cost airlines, amongst other things.

Bikes - had loads.....got several, most in bits needing work. Always done as much of my own work as possable.
Wife - 2 Kids - 3 Cats. And a deep desire to spend more time tinkering. Perhaps If I hadn't spent so much time being educated then I might have learnt something.    

[Brunow]

@ First all i wanted to be was an electrician (houses).

mommy kickt my ass,

I went to high school got an industrial design & production degree (said real thank you to mommy for kicking my bud)  Drove with anything i could find on 2 wheels. (mopeds)

Now my first year working in a company who builds fire trucks (Junior Cad Engineer)

Still learning moto mechanics in evening lessons. (2 years)

Future:
Looking for some more evening lessons in CNC...
One day build my own perfect motorcycle. (from scratch)

Ow meantime loving my girlfrind, play enthertainer at the scouts and going out

ps: some real great job's you have

[crazypj]

I started as a motorcycle mechanic in Leslie Griffith's Motors, Bridgend South Wales in 1978. (Honda, original Triumph, MZ, Yamaha) Worked on a bunch of old stuff, Vellocette, Norton, BSA, Matchless.
Got into racing dirt bikes so worked on just about everything, Maico, Montessa, Ossa, Greeves,  Zundapp Rickman, Sprite, Cotton plus the early Japanese off road stuff
Had already worked on bikes for 10 yrs but mostly just my own stuff.
Moved between Suzuki, BMW, Yamaha and Honda dealers for several years (with MZ, Vespa, Ducati, Triumph,and Kawasaki in various shops)
Had first official mobile motorcycle service in UK in 1985 but got fed up with stupidly long hours and low pay. (building up a business is difficult!)
Got job as plant fitter, fixing construction equipment for UK Plant, lot heavier than bikes but real easy, hit it with a big hammer and weld it back together again 
Went back to bikes in 1995 but nothing had changed except title (mechanic, tech, foreman, service manager, etc. pay still crap)
 Money got slightly better but not good enough for amount of work so went back to UK Plant as site service engineer (diesels, hydraulics, pneumatics, water pumps, concreting equipment, etc)
Moved to USA in 1999 and got a job teaching in local motorcycle training school so I'm pretty much back where I started, with some of the same bikes from 1980's (Suzuki Bandit for instance is direct descendant of 1985 GSX-R 750)
New four stroke dirt bikes destroy crankshafts quicker than the old two stroke motors so I teach how to fix cranks etc. among other things.
Probably a bunch of stuff I've left out but I guess this is enough
PJ

[pae]

Mechanical Design Engineer by training, first on the drawing board (yep, back in the days before the paperless office was promised). Then on CAD , moved into manufacturing positions for a while, now self-employed consultant in supply-chain and process improvement. Love it too, working from home so do as I like most days - fit work around the weather and family wherever possible. Sunny day...? hmmm, how about making a coffee and pulling a bit more of the 650 apart? Nice if you've got the flexibility.

Outside work I've got a wife and two kids to keep me occupied and entertained. Kids are daughter aged 11 and son aged 14 (OK, so I'm a taxi driver too   ).

Otherwise I spend my time playing..... well, see avatar for a clue.

regards, Phil

[ProTeal55]

6 pages and I never posted - wow 

Worked for the darkside "Harley / V-twin world" since I was 14.
Different shops here and their - worked for Martin Bros. bikes for a short period of time, etc..
Dabbeled alittle in digital print and such (office jobs are not my thing)
Currently involved in Class 3-8 heavy duty truck sales and lease management for a large volume
Freightliner/Sterling/Western Star dealer just outside Chicago.

Single  - No kids (that I am aware of) - Always eager to meet the next miss's and ex ProTeal 

As you can tell from my post count per day, I don't do much 

[ieism]

I'm a gilder/restorer/woodcarver. I spend my days making and restoring antique frames, and applying goldleaf to stuff. 

[DME]

Drove a logstacker (see pic) for 7 years at a sawmill.
Got tired of it and went to university and got myself a masters degree in speech-language pathology. Stayed in that business for a year.... no fun.
Now working as a computer technician in the field of communication aids, advanced computer control systems for disabled (gaze control etc.) and IR-control systems.
Whats next??!
/Daniel

[Bob Wessner]

Now working as a computer technician in the field of communication aids, advanced computer control systems for disabled (gaze control etc.) and IR-control systems.

Cool stuff. Always had an interest in this field, as an observer. Some of the tools and devices they are experimenting with are pretty far out, at least we think of it as far out today, tomorrow, who knows.

[spitfire]

In the real world I read books, build models, work on my Bike, repair and renovate my 3 daughters houses (and mine) and generally laze around, I'm retired.
Previously I worked for Shell for 37 years, working on the operational side of oil refining, worked at Shell Stanlow in the UK for 26 years, then moved to Rayong in Thailand as part of the start up team on the new refinery there, liked it so much I stayed 7 years, then could not face the English weather so moved to Shell Clyde refinery in Sydney for 3 years.
Eventually family pressure, 4 kids, 4 grandkids and an 87 year old father in law, brought us back to the UK, 10 years out of the country was a big chunk of their lives to miss, though if I could take them all with me I would go back to Oz in an eyeblink.
Did not fancy working in the UK anymore (too old fashioned) , so I took early retirement, now subject to she who must be obeyed (and money) I can work on my hobbies all day and every day.

Cheers

Den

[DME]

Now working as a computer technician in the field of communication aids, advanced computer control systems for disabled (gaze control etc.) and IR-control systems.

Cool stuff. Always had an interest in this field, as an observer. Some of the tools and devices they are experimenting with are pretty far out, at least we think of it as far out today, tomorrow, who knows.

I can truly say I love my job!
Kind of cool to see an 8-year old with a severe cerebral paralysis (very spastic and lots of unvoluntary movements) being able to chat with his friends on MSN by controlling his computer just by looking at it.
His also controlling his surrounding (TV, DVD, lamps, etc) though his gazecontrolled computer. He´s able to do schoolwork, surf the web and more, i.e. he will be able to get a job in the future!

Whats next?

Well, mind-control systems is just around the corner  

Cheers
Daniel

[Bowman]

Hmmm

How can I make my job sound less dull ....................................... I give up I can't so I will just say it


Game tester for Sony America

[Chris Schneiter]

I'm a commercial photographer. Started photographing 36 years ago, went to a huge photo technical school, graduating in Photo Illustration/Fine Arts....worked in Museums and art conservation, tried to be an artist....then almost 25 years ago, I decided that I had to start making a living...for 20 years, I worked in other peoples studios and Corporations photographing...then, when I turned 45, I decided that "if I didn't do it then, I wouldn't"...so I opened a studio (www.greenfrogphoto.com , and, www.leapinlizardsphoto.com) in the western part of what was about to become the state with the second highest unemployment rate in the country (Michigan)! We're pretty ok too!  I did always like to start businesses just as we're heading into a recession!
Hey, if any of you tycoons want to send your photography needs to a poverty stricken state, we can give you a good deal! I want to put an air horn on my bike this winter!
Oh, and lest I sound whiny, my "outside" interests are Skiing (I'm in the National Ski Patrol), sailing (Snipe Class...used to race all over the country, still have my boat, but haven't been able to afford to sail since "the troubles"), and I have a 16 year old daughter (with all that entails) and a really psychotic cat.

[eldar]

Gee lets see. I work at a private college as a pc and sometimes evil mac support. I also work for an ISP AND work with a local band in the area. Busy enough with all that plus I got 2 kids! It is no wonder my bike does not get all the attention I want to give it!

[Rhonda750F]

I take jobs from Americans and send them overseas, while providing a means to sustain my lavish lifestyle.
By lavish I mean I'm able to pay rent, own a car and bike, and have enough money left over for a few cold ones on the weekend.
I'm an engineer for a import firm dealing mostly in plastics, injection molded pieces and woven pp fabrics.
No kids or wifey, so I can pretty much do as I please. 
My life is truly some of that Horatio Alger #$%*.  I'm the American dream in action.