So I have complained about my work in the past and really it is a hard job. Not only because I do a lot of physical labor when the budget drops but because of the type of work I do. I am working at college and I work in a nursing home. A lot of the people I have you can write off as annoying, horrible drug addicts. All they do is complain and want pain medication, these people mind you are only in their 40's-50's. However there is still a large population of elderly there. I wonder why this is, we get a new president and all the sudden I go from taking care of the elderly to getting drug addicts on Medicaid??? Either way it can be an interesting job. I took care of Waylon Jennings bass player before he died (you figure it out I can't release names.) and I also took care of one of the inventors of Theraflu. Both wonderful people. Out of the less famous list I took care of a woman from Wyoming that was a very successful rancher and knew anything you wanted to know about a horse, I still take care of a woman that helped her husband with a successful farm in Kansas and still owns the land to this day. Out of all the jobs I have done be it roofing, freight, loading, welding, automotive repair, etc...this seriously is the hardest job I have done. Not so much because the labor, but because you meet such interesting people that you know you will have to say good bye to shortly. Oh btw, I am working at an engineering degree and I cook for these folks however I take the time to try to make their lives more enjoyable. Enough about me though, I know there are others on here with interesting lifestyles? Whats everyones profession?

Well... I got to admit you got a heck of a job there!I'm one of the lucky few. I'm self-employeed. So basically anything I want do for a job I do it. I pick the days and times I work. I current work as a Computer Tech (Cloud 10 Computers), Automotive Mech (Mopar1973Man), Ranch Hand, Fire Fighter, and Firewood Hauler... Like today I'm heading out this morning to go work on my friends ranch then need a few poles dug andsetup up fo hunting season. Kind of a screw up day. But like 2 days ago I was installing a VP44 pump for a local gent that live a few miles away. Then yesterday I had to deal with a DNS server (Cloud 10) issues for a real estate web site we are trying to transfer. Then in the mean time I pack around a Idaho county radio listening for fire calls. Also on top of that I maintain 20 fire vehicles for Salmon River Rural FD. I never have a dull moment I just switch gears and hope back and forth. Like as you can see the forum has gotten so much needed clean up. But I look at it this way I also am pushing to learn more about the world I live in. Like when I'm up on the Ranch I ask so many question about cattle ranching and such. Then also learning more of the old way of falling trees too... Friend is a older gent that is a 3rd Gen cattle rancher. With the computer relm I push there too. I will take on any job and study up on makes and models of parts and understand the limitations. As for the automtoive work that has been in me for years... I been know to tinker with vehicles since I was like 15 years old. It's just in my blood...I think this is what gives me the edge on today poor economy is the fact I don't rely on 1 job to pay the bills but I rely on all the many talents I've got. So don't get me wrong I'm still feeling the pinch like you do... But I got smart and use all my talents and enjoy more...

i sell cable and cable accessories. no i don't work for stricklin propane. i'm independent contractor. i install satellite tv and home entertainment at homes and businesses. i also splice mainline coax for COX cable. i prefer working for the cable company because the network is only so big. you can have satellite anywhere and there is alot of driving(on average 250+ miles all over the state and beyond). plus the direction to people's house in BFE are horrible! DON"T tell me to be watching for the pasture with brown cows in it and turn left at the next mile! i like my job because it is all ways different. no 2 house's are the exact same. not every streets cable is the same. nodes, amps, taps, line extenders. the only thing i don't like is when your general contractor tries to screw you, but (knock on wood) only satellite jerks do that around here. COX pays the lowest of every cable company but they always pay!

Like today I wish I had a camera with me... I was out in the middle of nowhere helping my friend with the ranch build trails in the forest. He's been renewing old forestry road and skid trails for use with his ATV so he can manage his cows. Quite fun and interresting work! Seem tomorrow it back to the grind with either diesel work or computer work I just don't know which... LOL :thud

I started in my dad's shop, he usually had 10-15 mechanics around - most rented the stalls. Summers were split with grampa who often had as many as 30 cowboys around and my uncle who did dryland wheat.A couple of years of college - thought that I might be an engineer. Earth first, we can mine the other planets laterThe Navy thought that I should repair radars.Pulled wrenches for Coors Cont setting up the 16 oz mech can line that the rest of the industry said could not be done, it is normal now.Built instructional jigs for a tech schoolRan the shop for an AC/Gleaner dealer.I drove truck for awhile and did locksmith work on the side and the locksmith took over.Things are so slow now that I am back to taking mechanic work and an occasional trip - mostly recovery or relocation. Move 5-10 trailers for loading, tire repair- whatever so the OTR drivers don't lose time waiting.keydl

Hmm, well right now I am in tech school to be a generator technician for the electrical half of it, though I wish they would have combined diesels with it too.I have had many jobs, started as a laborer at a steel shop racking steel, sweeping the whole place, went and screwed off in the machine shop which was well worth the ---chewings I got for being in there. Nothing compares to being able to run a mill and a lathe. After me and that boss walked on each other for a while I finally found another job at a construction site. I had never seen such procrastinative (is that a word?) people. Plus I had to be up at 4 to get to the headquarters by 5 to get to the job site by 7.. After doing nothing for 2 weeks I said the hell with it. Went back to steel shop. Got a job after the 10 hours at steel shop cleaning porta pots. That wasn't too bad other than the smell of that blue crap 8| I helped a guy out at a car wash that was so old you had to run the automatic by pressing buttons and turning knobs, and he prewashed the cars by hand so he had to prewash and run back and forth to the switches to turn wax, spot free, etc. on and off for the car that was in the bay. It was one hell of a hastle for one person. I ended up running that for 2 weeks while he was in the hospital. I worked for a guy welding the 53' trailers that hauled off scrap steel, basically migging for 10 hours without ever letting off the trigger. Think thats it. I want to move to colorado around the utah border or something when I get done with college, you can only see "new" things in Missouri for so long LOL