Thanks, I'm really looking forward to it.
The bikes are made by Americas oldest bicycle maker, Worksman, out of New York.
They still make heavy duty , mostly working bicycles.
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Member occupations, or lack of....
- Thread starter Wingedwheel
- Start date
Thanks, I'm really looking forward to it.
The bikes are made by Americas oldest bicycle maker, Worksman, out of New York.
They still make heavy duty , mostly working bicycles.
Well it looks like I'm one of the least educated/trained people here!
Literally the day after I graduated from high school in 1968 I was on the job at the local stone quarry bolting together a tunnel and shoveling spillage under conveyors.
Did a few semesters at the local community college the last few was in what was called "Police Science" had given a bit of thought of becoming a New York State Trooper.
Then the quarry where I still worked at in the summers decided to open a shop to do repairs and maintenance for their equipment and other plants they had around the Northeast. Well that sounded like fun so I applied for a job there.
That shop lasted till somewhere in the late 1990's when new management decided to go back to the old way of letting others do the major work. I was the only person to stay on doing maintenance on just the local quarry's equipment till I finally retired in 2015 just short of 45 years with the company.
My training besides the on the job "read book and figure it out part" was a few classes provided by various manufacturers in the early days of the shop. Worked on everything from a small chain saw to 16 cylinder Cat GenSets that would fill a semi-trailer, lots of Detroit Diesels and Mack trucks.
Have always been interested in motorcycles, probably because of hearing my dad talk about the times he spent riding Harley's doing escort duty in the Army down south before getting shipped over to Europe during WW2, didn't ride over there. Well maybe a little influence from my mom talking about her sneaking out of the house to ride on the back of her brothers Indian motorcycle. In her latter years she did mention that was probably not the best idea as she finally figured out he was bar hopping while she was riding on the back! One place she thinks the soda fountain out front was really just a front for an illegal gambling joint, said they did have the biggest and cheapest ice cream Sundays in town!
Literally the day after I graduated from high school in 1968 I was on the job at the local stone quarry bolting together a tunnel and shoveling spillage under conveyors.
Did a few semesters at the local community college the last few was in what was called "Police Science" had given a bit of thought of becoming a New York State Trooper.
Then the quarry where I still worked at in the summers decided to open a shop to do repairs and maintenance for their equipment and other plants they had around the Northeast. Well that sounded like fun so I applied for a job there.
That shop lasted till somewhere in the late 1990's when new management decided to go back to the old way of letting others do the major work. I was the only person to stay on doing maintenance on just the local quarry's equipment till I finally retired in 2015 just short of 45 years with the company.
My training besides the on the job "read book and figure it out part" was a few classes provided by various manufacturers in the early days of the shop. Worked on everything from a small chain saw to 16 cylinder Cat GenSets that would fill a semi-trailer, lots of Detroit Diesels and Mack trucks.
Have always been interested in motorcycles, probably because of hearing my dad talk about the times he spent riding Harley's doing escort duty in the Army down south before getting shipped over to Europe during WW2, didn't ride over there. Well maybe a little influence from my mom talking about her sneaking out of the house to ride on the back of her brothers Indian motorcycle. In her latter years she did mention that was probably not the best idea as she finally figured out he was bar hopping while she was riding on the back! One place she thinks the soda fountain out front was really just a front for an illegal gambling joint, said they did have the biggest and cheapest ice cream Sundays in town!
I am a retirement consultant. I work on 401(k), Defined Benefit, and soon to be Executive benefits plans as a resource of what you can and cannot do. I usually work with either the CEO's of smaller companies or the head of HR with the larger companies. I got my start after I tried to be an athlete and was not successful. My sister worked in the retirement industry, they had good pay, great benefits and good people. My degree is in business administration.
I started on 12-26-99. Y2K for our industry was a tremendous concern. They wanted all hands on deck on 1-1-00 just in case. My thought, "I don't have any idea why you guys do, how would I even help?" Well, Y2k came and went with no issues on our platform.
I have worked for 3 companies in my 17 years. Lost my job in 08 due to a shift in the company focus and I was the odd man out. I was lucky to have two of my hockey buddies that had their own businesses. I did construction on apartment buildings and also worked for a water purification company. That was a neat job, we'd go to pharmaceutical companies and clean their piping systems so they could continue to make Water for Injection, which is bug free and can go into the human body. I spent a fair amount of time in Albany, NY for that job. That was a day trip for us; in the office by 5 and in Albany by 9. Sometimes we'd spend a week or so there. That job made me learn how to take things apart and put them back together again. I am a lot more willing to get my hands dirty now than before that job. However, that job was like being a roadie. Go in, set up, run the chemicals, test the system, break it down and leave. If you have a need to roll a 50 ft 1 1/2 inch hose, I'm ur guy. When I first started, as with all the noobs, until you figure it out, you get ur ass kicked by a hose...
Mackels is what they guy who owned the water company used to call my brother. Oddly, it transferred to me. Probably wouldn't have if my brother still played hockey. My last name is McInerney and that is just too long of name to call for a pass on the ice.
I got into bikes because my dad has one. He's got a 73 Yamaha CT-3 175. My neighbor had a kawasaki KX 80 that is what I learned to ride on. I've always had a fascination with bikes. Finally got to own one in 2002 and that is my XS650.
I started on 12-26-99. Y2K for our industry was a tremendous concern. They wanted all hands on deck on 1-1-00 just in case. My thought, "I don't have any idea why you guys do, how would I even help?" Well, Y2k came and went with no issues on our platform.
I have worked for 3 companies in my 17 years. Lost my job in 08 due to a shift in the company focus and I was the odd man out. I was lucky to have two of my hockey buddies that had their own businesses. I did construction on apartment buildings and also worked for a water purification company. That was a neat job, we'd go to pharmaceutical companies and clean their piping systems so they could continue to make Water for Injection, which is bug free and can go into the human body. I spent a fair amount of time in Albany, NY for that job. That was a day trip for us; in the office by 5 and in Albany by 9. Sometimes we'd spend a week or so there. That job made me learn how to take things apart and put them back together again. I am a lot more willing to get my hands dirty now than before that job. However, that job was like being a roadie. Go in, set up, run the chemicals, test the system, break it down and leave. If you have a need to roll a 50 ft 1 1/2 inch hose, I'm ur guy. When I first started, as with all the noobs, until you figure it out, you get ur ass kicked by a hose...
Mackels is what they guy who owned the water company used to call my brother. Oddly, it transferred to me. Probably wouldn't have if my brother still played hockey. My last name is McInerney and that is just too long of name to call for a pass on the ice.
I got into bikes because my dad has one. He's got a 73 Yamaha CT-3 175. My neighbor had a kawasaki KX 80 that is what I learned to ride on. I've always had a fascination with bikes. Finally got to own one in 2002 and that is my XS650.
Ken,
University education is generally over-rated, in my opinion. Most of what I have learned that turned out to be valuable for my existence came after the coursework, and found outside of books.
Many of the people that I most admire and respect didn't have a "formal" education. Henry Ford, Harlan Ellison, and my neighbor who is an auto mechanic ....
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MaxPete;
quote" The CSUs were controlled by duplicated PDP-11 mini computers that weighed about 40 lb each and were rack-mounted - so you had to take the term "mini" with a grain of salt."
The PDP computers reference, takes be back to my work in a nuclear power plant. From 1986 to 2001 I worked as an operator on a robotic system that fueled and defueled four 880 megawatt Candu reactors. Unlike american nuclear reactors, the Candu reactor needs to be fueled every day, 365 days of the year. Fueling is done with the reactor at full power, which is 10.5 MPa pressure and
305 C temperature. It was a very interesting job, and I enjoyed it a lot. Our first computers were the DEC PDP 11-34, which were used during the commissioning period, but they soon proved to be too slow to do the job. Within a couple of years, they were replaced with
DEC PDP 11-70 computers, which proved to be powerful and quite capable. Our robotic systems required ten PDP 11-70s.
Yes, in those days computers were not small. The PDP 11-70 was about the size of 2 refrigerators, and the dual hard drive discs were about the diameter of a pizza. Weight.......................maybe 150 to 200 lbs.
I was trained as a radio technician while in the RCAF, when I was 17 to 19. The training I received there has helped me tremendously
over my entire working life. I then spent the next 6.5 years installing and testing telephone central office equipment, and microwave radio transmitters, as well as multiplex communication equipment. This involved a lot of travel all over Canada. I never unpacked my suitcase for those 6.5 years. Air miles................................too large to even count up.
By age 25, with a growing family, it was time to settle down. I became an operator with the provincial large utility (Ontario Hydro). Worked in coal fired and oil fired stations, and then transferred to the nuclear division. I spent a total of 29 years in the
"making electricity" business. I ended a very rewarding career, as a junior manager.
I finally found what I do best.......................retirement
quote" The CSUs were controlled by duplicated PDP-11 mini computers that weighed about 40 lb each and were rack-mounted - so you had to take the term "mini" with a grain of salt."
The PDP computers reference, takes be back to my work in a nuclear power plant. From 1986 to 2001 I worked as an operator on a robotic system that fueled and defueled four 880 megawatt Candu reactors. Unlike american nuclear reactors, the Candu reactor needs to be fueled every day, 365 days of the year. Fueling is done with the reactor at full power, which is 10.5 MPa pressure and
305 C temperature. It was a very interesting job, and I enjoyed it a lot. Our first computers were the DEC PDP 11-34, which were used during the commissioning period, but they soon proved to be too slow to do the job. Within a couple of years, they were replaced with
DEC PDP 11-70 computers, which proved to be powerful and quite capable. Our robotic systems required ten PDP 11-70s.
Yes, in those days computers were not small. The PDP 11-70 was about the size of 2 refrigerators, and the dual hard drive discs were about the diameter of a pizza. Weight.......................maybe 150 to 200 lbs.
I was trained as a radio technician while in the RCAF, when I was 17 to 19. The training I received there has helped me tremendously
over my entire working life. I then spent the next 6.5 years installing and testing telephone central office equipment, and microwave radio transmitters, as well as multiplex communication equipment. This involved a lot of travel all over Canada. I never unpacked my suitcase for those 6.5 years. Air miles................................too large to even count up.
By age 25, with a growing family, it was time to settle down. I became an operator with the provincial large utility (Ontario Hydro). Worked in coal fired and oil fired stations, and then transferred to the nuclear division. I spent a total of 29 years in the
"making electricity" business. I ended a very rewarding career, as a junior manager.
I finally found what I do best.......................retirement
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Yeah.........................here's a few people that never finished a degree, but somehow they have done very well, you may have heard about some of them:
Bill Gates
Michael Dell
Steve Jobs
Mark Zuckerberg
Oprah Winfield
Walt Disney
Retired 5 years now, spent over 38 years in telecom. Started out in residential/business phone installation/repair, moved up to PBX, then to data, and circuit board repair. Last dozen years before retirement dedicated to IP telephony, routing, switching, firewalls, and commercial wifi. Fun times, but not as much fun as retirement.
Agreed - the best education I got was as a mechanics helper on the afternoon shift in a blow-molding shop in Richmond Hill, ON.
I don't sleep very much and so I would leave school at 3:30 PM, ride my bicycle to the plant, punch-in at 4:00 PM and work till midnight and then ride home and do my homework. I got rich (comparatively) and learned a lot about machinery - and made enough dough to go to Europe with my bicycle in 1976.
The university stuff is all just a means to an end (plus it can help get me a good table in restaurants)
I don't sleep very much and so I would leave school at 3:30 PM, ride my bicycle to the plant, punch-in at 4:00 PM and work till midnight and then ride home and do my homework. I got rich (comparatively) and learned a lot about machinery - and made enough dough to go to Europe with my bicycle in 1976.
The university stuff is all just a means to an end (plus it can help get me a good table in restaurants
)
Retired after 36 years of societal observation. I was "The Cable Guy." I'm the guy that visits your house and gets to see how you really live......... and I've seen it all.
I'll bet that your sociological, "fly-on-the -wall" outlook was at times fascinating. I dropped out of college as an undergrad for a year and delivered furniture, gaining me a similar perspective. It was interesting.
Yeah, interesting. I learned to read people pretty quickly. It was a good life experience and has served me well.
Tons of stories, tons of laughs. Sometimes while watching the news and a story comes up about a hoarder with forty cats and twenty dogs living in filth and squalor, I'll turn to the wife and say "I put cable in there." lol
Penthouses of Atlantic City on one call and then to the Projects five blocks away on the next.......quarter of a million dollar homes on the east side of Cincinnatti to trailers strewn with dirty diapers and beer cans on the west side. Crackheads to police chiefs.
Overall people are good no matter what their situation in life is, though there had been times that I'd send some a telepathic message of "I know where you live, asshole. You don't know where I do." lol, which would temper any situation for some strange reason. I think it gave me an edge.
Here's a tip for any that subscribe to DVR action cable boxes......delete your porn before you turn the boxes into the office, especially if you live in a small town. Oh, and if I stepped in dog shit out in your yard and it was from your dog and I tracked it into your house? Sorry, but we don't use hover boards and you did have an appointment and knew we were coming.......clean your crap up.
Hitndahedfred
Do I look like a people person to you?
A very long and winding path here. Big steel construction,,towers,,cell and tv. Got too old for that so I was a welder/layout in a structural shop. Then my son wanted to get a pc. Now this was back in the 8088/486 days. Together we learned them,,he went to RIT in New York,,finished his Masters in IT.
I owned 2 businesses with IT then when business went slow I went to work with a large pharmacy chain in IT IS Operations team we run 24-7-365 so I'm always pretty busy . Still there and have 3 years to retire.
I owned 2 businesses with IT then when business went slow I went to work with a large pharmacy chain in IT IS Operations team we run 24-7-365 so I'm always pretty busy . Still there and have 3 years to retire.
Glad to see everyone enjoying this thread! Quite the smorgasbord of fellers here and all with one main thing in common. Thanks for contributing guys.......
old boy
XS650 Enthusiast
Gorgeous place for man and beast.
Thanks, old boy and MaxPete. We enjoy it.
Did 20 in USAF. Fighter aircraft maintenance. Flightline, Hanger and backshop stuff. Wheel and tire. Phased maint. and crewcheif launch recover inspections. F-100, F-111(A and F models...what a pig they were), F-4D(dirtyest plane I ever worked on) F-16 A thru D models. Great jet. Last were the A-10A. Good old bird. A flying 30mm gun. 2 tours Europe. England and Germany. After that did some temp work in factories. Lot of injection plastic molding. Moving stuff like funiture, driving used cars to sale sites. Worked in a office furniture factory. Warehouse moving product around and taking inventory. Did some lawn mowing for seniors. Now I'm a househusband/bum.
Wow Azman - that is quite a span of technology from the 'Hun to the electric jet!
Q: what made the 101 a pig and why was the F4D the dirtiest?
Q: what made the 101 a pig and why was the F4D the dirtiest?
Azman .. I live just a few miles from the 122nd fighter wing here in Indiana. They fly the A10 warthogs here and I Routinely watch them flying training maneuvers over my house. Awesome machines. For those that don't know they actually build the plane around the gun. Awesome ground support plane.
Yea but my retirement check is a bit less than what those people get! But at least I'm not living under a bridge holding a sign asking of money, at least not yet!
The simulator is a hoot. When you pull the trigger, a jackhammer beats the bottom of your seat...
