What do you do?

[fast1]

...Or have you done? Our work helps define who we are, part of our " persona" is what we do. I was obviously a bike/sled/atv mechanic for 20 years but there were lulls. Actually tried to get out of the industry a few times. while I was there I also learned parts and sales. When I worked at the motorcycle shop my boss also had a logging company. I ran an excavator (John Deere 790 LC) with a "clam" for loading trucks, small line skidder, big grapple skidder and a bucking saw. Before wrenching I worked as an automotive detailer/ lot manager. before that washing dishes, prep cooking and gas bar attendant at the Hart wheel inn. before that a paper route, mowing lawns and sweeping sidewalks. I made a list once of jobs I have done/ can do and it came out to 32--including male stripper. A story probably not for here. Let's hear your list!

[Hans]

I've worked for the same company for the last 24 years, my summer university job gone horribly horribly wrong.  Other than a stint on my uncles farm and a stint TA'ing at U, I've always worked in the forestry consulting.  Started out as a bush monkey, doing silviculture surveys, hanging ribbon, counting sticks and twigs.  Became a crew leader for our company as my tenure increased.  After 4 years of U led to no work, went back and was given the chance to start a drafting department in 1993.  Have been in charge of drafting and information systems ever since, became part owner in 2002.  Increased my shareholding a bit in 2008 when a group of us bought out the original owners just in time for the economy to tank.  Took on the safety and benefits duties around then.  Before working for this company I did a summer stint working for the Forest Service as a tree planting checker and the year before that I worked for a fly by night outfit doing silviculture surveys and fighting fires. 

[oldduc]

My grandfather worked all his life on the railway, my dad worked all his life on the railway, I have 32 years with the railway. My son works for wait for it........Amazon. Bet you never seen that one coming. I said since the day he was born he could work anywhere BUT the railway.

[Rusty Bucket]

  We always worked in the bush.  Brothers (and father, and uncles - even one sister) and I did that for the family business summers while in high school in Vancouver.  Then summers while at UBC.  Then full time afterwards when nothing I had learned in high school or university had any monetary value.  Skidders, loaders, dust, mud, snow and ice - same story as everyone in this town - got my logs to the mill, when there were mills to get them to, yadda yadda yadda.  Can't wait for Fritz's resume - pages and pages and pages...

[fj1200]

I have a rather simple work life. Worked at gas stations ( anyone remember Northway Esso on first ave ) during school. then the phone company. Retired 4 years ago. 

[Dennis]

I have been lawyering for the last 21 years.  Prior to lawyering I was mostly in university and just working in summers.  I worked in sawmills, peeled logs for a log home builder and went tree planting one season.   After my undergraduate degree (psychology) I worked as a counselor for 2 years at Camp Trapping which is a young offenders camp.  Lots of physical fitness and education stressed.  I then did a year at the Maples Adolescent Treatment Centre where I was a glorified jail guard.

From the time I was in grade 11, until 2005 when I lost my hearing, I always worked part time as a musician.  The most serious I ever got was for a four month period I toured with a country-rock  band playing in bars all over BC.  That was in 1983.  After that I was pretty determined to complete university and get a real job.   I always enjoyed professional music gigs because I was always paid in cash at the end of the night.  It was the only job where I could have a few beers and smoke a few reefers and still get paid.  And I met some hot chicks including my now wife.   Its probably better that I don't gig anymore.

[BRUMMIEBEEMER]

Been an Electrician all my working life, all 50 years of it. Worked all over England on construction till I found my dream job, Maintenance Electrician at Ansells Brewery, heaven. Best job I ever had.
When I came to Canuck Land I was in maintenance at Firestone Tire and Rubber in calgary. Who new tires were made like that. Chased the almighty dollar from Cow Town to Mackenzie and then to PG.
I have been retired since 2006 and some times I think I do more work now than I ever did at the mill.
Funny thing I am still working at the mills only now on Major Projects, no responsibility, no crews to run, no meetings to go to. Just do the job get paid and leave.

[copper line]

This appears to be about as appropriate place for an intro as any. I grew up on a farm raising cattle and horses (didn't pay great but the boss and his wife were pretty good to me), then worked construction in Alberta for a number of years. My wife who is a teacher got a job in BC where I started to work for Kal Tire, and then I became a cop (don't hold it against me) and was posted here to PG. Fritz will likely remember me (nothing embarassing and no really good story to tell)- i purchased his "dog bike" a couple of years ago.

[stevecrout]

You guys have caused me to lift the lid off what I thought were long closed chapters of my life.
 In chronological order I think it went like this:
15 (years old) - White Spot - Vancouver
17 - Copper Kettle - Victoria
18 - Lashman Gill's Pay n Save - Vancouver
19 - bought Gill's lumber trucks and contracts started new contracts for Mac Blo
22 - bought truck repair shop - Richmond
24 - sold trucks /bought dry cleaner shop, went back to school (got kicked out in grade 10 so had to start again)
27 - sold dry cleaners/truck repair shop, started with Feds in Employment and Immigration Enforcement unit - Vancouver
32 - switched over to Income Tax - Vancouver
39 - switched to GST investigations - Vancouver / Pr George
46 - switched over to Pr George Tax Office
49 - started overseas tax administration work
54 - retired from Feds (F'em)
59  to ??  still waking up in wierd countries

Now then,   reading through this mess would cause a guy to think old Steve can't hold a job and they'd be partly right.  Never found anything that gave the right amount of satisfaction until I hit the international work. I've had my eyes opened, brains stretched, guts tested to the limit and memory banks filled to overflowing over  the past 10 years.
All it cost me was one marriage, a daughter I wasn't there for when I should have been, some friendships that don't so long distance very well, the house and all the furniture. Got most of it back on track but some of it's gone for good.

Wouldn't change too much of it except maybe the order. Would have been nice to get the White Spot discount in my twilight years! 

I often wonder how nice it would have been to stay in one place for a while 

Looking forward to catching  up with the club in person in late July and early August.

Steve  -  currently in Ramallah, Palestine where I've counted exactly 7 bikes since my arrival 2 weeks ago.  Gotta do something about that!

[MaximX]

I took a drafting course at CNC just after highschool.  Near the end of the course the usual companies were hiring.  Who wants to go to BC Tel was the question, I and one other put up our hands.  We went there had the job.  That is what it was like back then in the early 70's.
After 5 years I had enough (when you are young thinking of working at one place all your life can be scarey, now a 30 year pension is attractive, haha) and as a new Christian took 3 years off to go to bible school.  Something I will never regret as I do not have the disapline to study well on my own.  I would have covered all the aspects I was given there.
After that I flundered for a while (this is where someone with good advice would have helped a bit)  During this time I moped floors for a while, tried selling vaccums, etc.   Then figured out getting back on with the phone company was a good thing to do.  I had 15 more years with them before they ditched the drafting department.  I worked for Andritz Automation for 4 years and that allowed me to get a good handle on AutoCad and how mills work to some extent.
I now am semi-employed, but mostly unemployed at the moment.  I am starting to get connected with some firms who have overflow drafting work.  I keep an eye out for local jobs and apply for many that look to be a fit.  That is about it for work, it does tend to define who you are...I am not immune to that, but it should not really define a person.  Things can look fabulous if we have lots of toys, but I believe 'success' is not measured just by what we own......

[Ironman]

Used to be in the Air Force as an Electro Technician, have been involved in the steel industry for a while now as a fabricator/welder hence the "Ironman" monicker.  Also worked as an Elevator Mechanic etc...

[Kaw-meister]

grew up spending time in my dads auto-wrecking business. quit school in grade 10(i already knew it all by then). worked at an autoshop then as gas jockey, dish washer, roofer, contrstruction labourer. that was the first year. then onto the Drill-rigs for 10+ during which i had lots of off time which i spent wrenching on old cars, apprenticed heavy equipment Mech, sheet metal mechanic assistant, plumber assistant, became self-employed bought street sweeper, dumptruck and line painter(which earned me a divorce). operated laydown machine, drove tow-truck installed and serviced computor systems on Drill-rigs. drove Tow-truck(more than once) Drove grocery semi-truck PG-Rupert(stopping at every town inbetween). bought tow trucks with a partner(lost my shirt). bought folding-boom crane truck. went to work for real crane company where( through a long story) i finally became a certified operator. now travelling BC and Alberta to operate cranes(when i feel like it). All of which took me from FSJ,GP,Sexsmith,Calgary,Ft Nelson to Prince George. and i have worked in every corner of bc and alberta with the excecption of SE alta. I missed a whole bunch, mostly bad memories.

[danielg]

 
I lived on streets involved in gangs of one sort or another from age 13-26.
I had framed houses for few years in summer
Drove water and vac truck and supplied water to rigs through irrrigation lines in winter months.

I then switched gears from driving truck and school bus to working in group homes.

I then started managing group homes and doing research while in university.

I then began doing some mid level media consultation on topics of hate crimes.

Further on I became a counselor for men leaving gangs and prison with addiction issues.

Now I work at the university as teachers assistant and driving a delivery truck while doing my masters degree.

I also do sideline of leather work and now EXPLORING motorcycle mechanics by the grace of this club who has some solid mechanics and fabricators who are willing to teach a lad like myself!

[fast1]

  Hey Daniel, have a couple leather jackets that need zippers- can you help? Maybe a labor or parts trade? Cheers.

[drbike]

Its kinda funny how we all took different paths to end up here!

Started as a kid working on bicycles (read between the lines here it was the east end of Vancouver, sort of like a robin hood thing).  Delivered papers, worked construction, became a boss type construction worker, hated the crappy weather in Vancouver during the winter, did a few small renos at VGH, learned to sew to pull my ass out of nasty fiscal loss a Dr's  office where I had to make a custom chesterfield, had a small design company for bicycle gear.  Paid for university sewing mostly became a dentist but kept working on bicycles.  Did dental work for 20 years or so kept working on bicycles, and kept doing construction.  Retired, and somehow sometime along the way someone slid a moto into the workshop. 

Its funny one little KLR changed my shop and now I am hooked but I still work on bicycles too but now its mostly things with motors.  I am an equal opportunity  junk collector but BMW  like it here.

Now I fill my day fixing stuff, teeth in various parts of the world, bikes and motos from various parts of the world as well as trying to use up a bunch of tires for things with two or three wheels. 

My wife of many many many years is kinda ill and lives in Prince but I sorta like the 700 km weekly commute to visit and whos to know if the odd motorbike part shows up in the kitchen at times.

Wow that was sort of cathartic  .