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Dec 17, 2019
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I read several threads on the net of people's comments asking the guy who's filling his shiny corvette at the gas station "what do you do for a living"? It got me thinking what do you guys actually do for a living or those who are retired now what kind of career did you have?

So I'll start : I was plumber/pipe fitter/gas pipe fitter as an employee for over 20 years working for dozens and dozens of companies one job site after another on new construction like schools, grocery stores, Industrial papermills, mines, oil refineries, pipelines, high rise condos etc. Then the government of Quebec royally screwed up the labor force on how employers hired their workers. It had gotten so bad and we were all broke I was looking for another career but I found a way to stay in the trade. I studied to earn a contractor licence and finally I opened my one man shop with practically no money left in my bank account and now I operate as a master plumber doing residential service.
 
I read several threads on the net of people's comments asking the guy who's filling his shiny corvette at the gas station "what do you do for a living"? It got me thinking what do you guys actually do for a living or those who are retired now what kind of career did you have?

So I'll start : I was plumber/pipe fitter/gas pipe fitter as an employee for over 20 years working for dozens and dozens of companies one job site after another on new construction like schools, grocery stores, Industrial papermills, mines, oil refineries, pipelines, high rise condos etc. Then the government of Quebec royally screwed up the labor force on how employers hired their workers. It had gotten so bad and we were all broke I was looking for another career but I found a way to stay in the trade. I studied to earn a contractor licence and finally I opened my one man shop with practically no money left in my bank account and now I operate as a master plumber doing residential service.

I retired in 2013 but had a diverse 47 year career starting out as a Heavy Duty Mechanic trained by the worlds largest Caterpillar dealer, Finning. The last 3 years that I worked for Finning I lived out of a suitcase due to the many resource development and mega projects going on in the province during a lengthy boom period and a shortage of skilled qualified workers. I would only come home long enough to disrupt the life that my wife made for herself in my absence and was eventually handed an ultimatum as my wife informed me that she didn't marry me to spend her life alone. With that ultimatum delivered I quit my job and we moved so that she could be closer to her family. I then went through a period of "what do I want to do when I grow up?" and had several career changes having tried the position of service advisor, shop foreman and a service manager.

I also worked in Motor Transport and held a CVSA inspectors license but left that industry in disgust because I could see the writing on the wall with what was happening to the trucking industry wondering when I would see my observations and suspicions come to fruition. What I feared finally took place at the tragic expense of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team.

During an economic slump that hit my industry hard I worked as a mechanic at a major Ford dealership as an Automotive mechanic then exited that as soon as another opening came up since I hated working flat rate. If a car mechanic takes pride in their work, wants to do the job right and do it honestly they will be unpopular with their employer and also have trouble making a decent living.

I ended up finishing the last 15 years of my career having gone back to where I began working on machinery as a mobile Heavy Duty Mechanic working out of my own service truck and was also flown into remote areas by helicopter or bush planes as per the attached picture taken when I was flown into the Klondike area of the Yukon to replace the engine in that D10 at a gold mine. The last 15 years that I worked were my best and my favourite since I had come to realize that I loved the outdoors and hated being couped up in a shop and the inevitable personality clashes and politics one can encounter in a shop environment. Now happily retired I still enjoy hobby wrenching keeping most of my families fleet of vehicles running and doing things with my grand kids. Still married to the same woman, my wife and I celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2018 have 2 grand children with a 3rd expected next month. Retired life is good and made all that much sweeter when we're out cruising in our Corvette.
 

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Worked 35 years in the Abrasive business. Took early retirement in 2013. My wife is younger than me and worked in the justice system. When I retired I told her to retire from her stressful job too. Didn't get rich from working hard. But did extremely well in the markets. LOL.
 
Wow. Some folks with a good amount of time in the workforce!......and some in the same situation as I am in. I started my career with the City of Regina in the Solid Waste Department as a spare employee trying to work my way to full time. I really really enjoyed that job, even if it was just throwing peoples trash into a truck. But I liked cars so went to school to start my career as a mechanic. As I was in school over a year, the city stripped all my hours (which I had no idea they could do as I didn't quit and was approved for the leave) so I couldn't transfer to the mechanics shop, and as I didn't want to sit at home waiting to get called into work when someone was sick or on vacation, I went to school to become an Engineer. Started this forum in 2009 with some other Corvette nuts as a means to make it rich, but then found out I am not fond of forums full of ads, so I have not been motivated to find sponsorship. Then Nik approached me as the forum layout was outdated and he has basically volunteered all his time to create one of the best forums on the internet! Thanks Nik!!!!! He is definitely the brains of this place.
Currently working for SaskEnergy in their Engineering department. I've been here for 6 years (5 as a contract engineer). I only have about 30 years left until I can retire and get my C8. :rofl:
 
Engineer. After leaving NS in 1980, worked for and then managed a busy Civil Engineering firm until 2017 when I retired. We stayed away from the oil and gas and the land developers and concentrated on developing a relationship with municipalities. Smartest thing we ever did. Avoided the highs and lows of a volatile economy in Alberta. Still work off and on for the company mostly in an advice support capacity and also run (with my fishing and hunting buddy partner), a small part time antique buyer and seller business that is a ton of fun. Still waiting for someone to approach us for our picker travels television rights.... LMAO.... that was definitely a joke...No interest in a starring role... hahahaha... Very low key. We bought two seacans and put them on my farm and that's where we store our goods. We rent a hall and run only two 3 day sales per year. Profits pay for our fishing and hunting trips.
 
Have worked in the offshore oil and gas exploration industry since 1984 through all of the ups and downs, feels like mostly downs though. Started as a trainee and eventually ran my own crews. For the past 13 or 14 years have been a professional criticizer on the the crews (better known as a the client rep). Retirement?? LOL, how does one retire when you are basically a contractor most of your working life?
 
Grew up a farm boy in NE Alberta. Went to NAIT and got my Civil Engineering Technology. Started with Alberta Transportation until the downsizing in early mintiest but got our before the big layoffs hit and went into the consulting world. Been here ever since working for municipalities and Alberta Transportation ever since. It’s 30+ years now and a few more to go.
The non work things that have kept me busy is raising a family and two wonderful children but the marriage didn’t last. That being said I tried again and got it right the next time around and happily married now 4 years. I DJ’d from high school to 2001 when I sold off the business so I could actually spend time on weekends camping and quadding with the family. Once kids were growing up sold off those toys and bought the corvette. This is the main hobby now with a bit of woodworking to keep the tool collection current.
 
Even though I'm a contractor and work hard I feel like I'm retired. I don't have to wake up at 4:30 and make a bunch of cold brew coffees for lunch and still being sleepy all afternoon, I don't need to go to bed before 9pm anymore. Today is quiet no calls so I do other stuff. I don't have to deal with employers anymore who tried to screw their employees out of their paycheck and not providing tools to work with. Now on my own I have all the best tools on the market to make my job more enjoyable. Working construction was like working on a pirate ship. The drama, the bad work condition and back stabbing were unreal. I remember several times bosses would drive up on the job with their brand new Harleys or would show up fully loaded chromed up pick up trucks but not providing tools, safety equipment or paying us overtime like the convention stated . My last employer came to my house demanding I falsify my time sheets! No hell no!
Now oftentimes I get crazy customers but the trade off is way better.

Seriously when I can start driving the Corvette for the first time it's going to be my stress relief therapy. No need to go see a shrink.:D:D
 
Great topic! I've been in the car business for 30 years, almost all Ford (insert Corvette/Mustang jokes here). Started in the washbay and went on to sales then management and finally ownership of a small Ford store in Golden. Been a car nut all my life and when someone asks me why a Corvette I tell them, "When Ford builds an equivalent I will buy it" Being a Ford dealer is not who I am, it is what I do. I still enjoy the business 90% of the time and am thankful for all it has allowed me to do. Prior to the Corvette I owned several differrent classic muscle cars and while I still love a nice restomod nothing can replace cruising in the Corvette. Most of the classics I had were highly modified and needed to be trailered if I was going long disances. My wife and I are partners in the business, she is the controller/accountant. I don't get much grief when buying mods, usually just the standard eyeroll. She doesn't often admit it, but I know she likes the Corvette, especially when she takes it on her own. I do see a C8 on the horizon but am still in lust with the C7. Funny story is I got the Corvette bug mostly from our former business partner, 40 year Ford dealer who has and continues to own Corvettes for 35 years. Still has a 67 427 435 hp Goodwood Green car in his garage and a C8 on the way as well as 20 other collector cars. Thinking of selling the store in a few years but no idea what the heck I would do to keep busy. Looking at a waterfront condo in Osoyoos for possible retirement shack. I really enjoy being part of this group that are passionate about their Corvettes!
 
Owning a Business has its perks (and drawbacks).
Commitment toward Personal & Productive Time is traded even though it appears to some people, similar to what I hear how some think of retirement; that one has all the time in the world.
It's mostly far from being true. However, Happiness is when the delicate management of time gets balanced and is transparent to what others see in you. (keeping complaints to myself)
Yes, whatever you do, do not let the Corvette get to your head. No need to go see a shrink. (YYSSW I twisted the context of your statement) LOL.
Sure, the Corvette gets attention. A good Corvette Owner/Driver may perhaps decide to embrace that they are not above anyone else except in the street-smarts of
not really needing to prove anything to the Hyundai, Toyota, Ford (;)) and whatnot that pulls up beside you. For those who believe they need to prove something,
hopefully it does not become much of the stupidity that is already available on youtube.

No worries, it won't go to my head and act like an idiot. I never drive more than 10km/hr over the speed limit. Might be a little different if I do a few pulls. Doing doughnuts or burnouts is silly to me, I just watch them on utube. Hmm about other cars pulling beside me and wanting to race I don't see the point, all I see are wheels spinning losing control and slamming the curb wrecking the car and asking myself WTF did I just do?! if I want to enjoy street races I watch the first movie Fast and Furious or again go see utube videos while my car stays in "Christine" condition (Pun intended).

For me it's an inward feeling of achievement and being to get out of the house and let the anxiety and emotions fly away. You wouldn't believe all the insulting comments I get working with the public or people who hire me and end up not paying for my services and filing official government complaints or black mailing me in the process! I try to stay calm and act professionally when customers throw tantrums through those episodes but somehow it has to vent at the end of the day. Many times I literally have my hands in $hit and sludge flying in my face when their drain pipes are broken all the while the customer is losing it behind me complaining about the costs. Hey I told you the rate before I started and you signed the work order. If you don't want to pay do it yourself or hire another plumber who won't show up or get a super bargain and hire the handy hack with duct tape.
 
Owning a Business has its perks (and drawbacks).
Commitment toward Personal & Productive Time is traded even though it appears to some people, similar to what I hear how some think of retirement; that one has all the time in the world.
It's mostly far from being true. However, Happiness is when the delicate management of time gets balanced and is transparent to what others see in you. (keeping complaints to myself)
Yes, whatever you do, do not let the Corvette get to your head. No need to go see a shrink. (YYSSW I twisted the context of your statement) LOL.
Sure, the Corvette gets attention. A good Corvette Owner/Driver may perhaps decide to embrace that they are not above anyone else except in the street-smarts of
not really needing to prove anything to the Hyundai, Toyota, Ford (;)) and whatnot that pulls up beside you. For those who believe they need to prove something,
hopefully it does not become much of the stupidity that is already available on youtube.
Watching the stupidity on Youtube should be mandatory so you always have that image in your head "What if?" Yes, stay humble and enjoy what you have and how you got there!
 
Great to see so much diversity in the jobs people do or have done. One thing stands out so far and that is we all seem to have worked hard for our toys and appreciate them. I myself have been retired now for 14 years after illness forced early retirement at 56. I started out from high school in auto parts (counterman) and then moved to a dealership where we all changed hats as needed. Did mostly parts and some service writing as well as the odd install of accessories. Stripe kits, aftermarket wheels, etc. For various reasons too many to mention I ended up moving on after about 12 years to a completely new career with Canada Trust. I did a few entry level jobs and ended up a data processing supervisor in charge of mechanized mail processing to clients, credit card production for high priority cards ( lost / stolen, vip etc). as well as property management and security for a 120,000 sq foot facility. Got caught in a downsizing/ reengineering effort after almost 20 years and took a buy out. Too old for a paper route and too young to retire I ended up as an RV technician for a major Airstream and other trailers dealer. Seven years later prostate cancer put an end to that and when I recovered from surgery I worked for a buddy at his repair shop as a service writer, phone answerer, parts orderer...., half days till I retired at 60. Things went full circle!! Had motorcycles, trailers and boats and finally discovered vettes in 2015 and ordered my 2016 long beach red stingray. Lovin every minute of it and enjoy the forum as well!
 
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