[miked56]

Many things. I've been in the IT industry for many years in Europe and the US. When the Wall came down I bought 5 companies in the old E. Germany and later sold them to a French company. I then started a SW company specializing in DoD financial systems. After selling that I took several years off and screwed around doing nothing until my wife got bored of me being home. I then started a small RE development firm specializing in high energy efficient homes for the average owner ($150 to 220K) cause anyone can be Green spending a 1/2 mill or more and $50 to 75 a month savings is a lot to that audience. Unfortunately even that area of RE got slammed recently so I'm now trying to get back into IT.
If I can convince the wife to start sailing around the world I'd liked to take-up sailing and split for 5+ years doing that. Unfortunately, her feeling is if the boat doesn't have an elevator and stabilizers she's not getting on it. Wonder if a canvas chair on a pulley system qualifies???

 

[tork'd]

I forecast the weather here for NOAA. I work rotating shift with a five-week cycle, six days, two off; seven mids/swings, three off; five days, three off; seven mids/swings, two off; six days, etc. I get two weekends out of five.

I have 24 years service and plan to go in another two, market cooperating. If so, a nice pension awaits me. I've been trying to accumulate some savings in anticipation but the Benz has put an end to that.

do all of those forecasts that are a mile off happen when you are on your time off??

 

[RadioTek]

Microwave radio tech for a large telecommunications company. Since these things are usually at the top of a mountain on the end of a bad road, I tend to need the ability to be "creative" when trying to get something working. I have 31+ years in the Telecomm field, so Ive seen and done a lot weird things and places.

The SL was a project for my son and I, but he got bored with having to work on it. (Work makes him break out in hives, he says) So I keep it running and he gets to drive it occasionally.

 

[rowdie]

I retired in 1996 (at the age of 46) after 25 years with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. I was a Detective, specializing in Auto Theft. Trouble was the department treated auto theft as a victimless/insurance problem so I didn't make many friends in the command staff. Spent the last two years working a Task Force with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Moved to Oklahoma in 1997 when my wife's father passed away and left her 100 acres and cattle. Quite a shock for this city boy but I learned the business and liked it till she got sick. I sold out in 2006 and she died in 2007. Have worked on cars since I was a kid. That was what we did where I grew up. I had ignored my '72 450SL since moving to OK. I was in the process of rebuilding it when we moved here. It sat in the old barn and became a home for many types of critters which after 10 year had eaten almost every piece of rubber and most of the wiring. Bought the '73 to keep me sane and last week went to Kentucky and bought a wrecked '81 280SL. It is next in line to get parts from the old '72.

 

[ScottinSoCal]

I was a Detective, specializing in Auto Theft.

And Internal Affairs never caught up with you?

 

[daryn]

You need to teach us the secret hand shake to get out of a traffic ticket.

 

[roncallo]

I'm an engineer in aerospace, mostly the space part, and mostly imaging systems, although we build other things, too. We built the imaging sensors for Hubble (not the mirror, thankfully) and we're building the imaging sensors for James Webb Space Telescope, which will go up to replace Hubble. One of my programs recently wound up in the ocean off Antarctica, when the rocket failed. We spent three years building those parts, and it's a little frustrating.

In a previous life, I spent 10 years as Manager of IT for a couple of software development companies, but computers are strictly a hobby these days. I left the field after the IT market melted down, and my company was bought by Computer Associates. I don't like working for large companies.

Ha Ha

My old boss built the mirror for the Hubble. In the end the Hubble was a great success. I am a Test Engineering Manager for an Aerospace Company.

John Roncallo

 

[ussun]

I have had a lot of jobs in the past Chef at Bear Mt Inn, making spiral stairs, retail, but now I work with my Brother making driveway gates, railing, pool railing and of course interior railing that's beyond belief for castles and houses. We have after 4 years finished making all the railing at West Point. For all the new townhouses and some around the football stadium. Just recently we made the railing for a movie being filmed The Sorcerer's Apprentice with Nicolas Cage. It's going to be in some kind of chase scene.
I also make custom table bases and sculptures. But all that money goes right into my SLC.

 

[rowdie]

And Internal Affairs never caught up with you?

Perhaps I should have specified "Investigation" Mostly "ChopShops and VIN changing. The old joke was .. How do you rebuild a salvage car? ........Put a jack under the salvage, VIN plate, roll the salvage out, roll the stolen under the VIN plate and attach with super glue or whatever is handy. Thank god most were stupid.

There is no handshake. I got a warning from OK HP for having an unsecured load when some twine from a hay bale blew off my truck at a stop light.

 

[ScottinSoCal]

In the end the Hubble was a great success.

Amazing pictures from it, and I can't wait to see what else JWST will find. I'm amazed at the difference a few years advance can make. I saw the technology behind the new mirrors for JWST, and it's incredible.

And, being the SF geek that I am, it's way cool to actually hold something that will be in space.

 

[ChuangTzu]

I do research for what is essentially a 30 year old startup company. Our technology is basically ion-thrusters but we're applying it to semiconductor processing these days. Before that I worked at a nanomedicine startup and before that I taught laser classes...

 

[Red_560SL_87]

I will be finishing up my PhD in Psychology at NYU at the end of May. Currently I am the director of a disability services office at an art college in NYC. I am also practicing psychotherapy and teaching at a college part-time.

 

[Whuffo]

I was the senior IT person at a major international transportation company for quite a few years. These days I'm "on sabbatical" or maybe "retired" or maybe "lazy". Money isn't a problem so I spend my days serving the whims of a needy housecat and restoring my classic Mercedes. There's no female in my life at the moment and I'm not looking for one; they're pleasant enough to have around but - well, once bitten, twice shy. Life is good.

 

[ConorD]

Some interesting lives, here. Keep 'em coming.

Video on the interweb is my thing. I design online video solutions for sports, media and broadcasting companies.

We used to be a small Irish internet company of 6, then we were about 120, then we were back to about 20... Then we got got bought by a US internet backbone company of about 3,000! I prefer small.

I also dig soccer, golf, Xbox, old cars, photography (except under cars) and fatherhood.
Though mostly it's the last one these days.

She'll appreciate it someday!

 

[bandit96]

Some interesting lives, here. Keep 'em coming.

Video on the interweb is my thing. I design online video solutions for sports, media and broadcasting companies.

We used to be a small Irish internet company of 6, then we were about 120, then we were back to about 20... Then we got got bought by a US internet backbone company of about 3,000! I prefer small.

I also dig soccer, golf, Xbox, old cars, photography (except under cars) and fatherhood.
Though mostly it's the last one these days.

She'll appreciate it someday!

I'm thinking "good lord, isn't that child a little young to be stunt driving (backwards) an SL"????
Then I remembered you blokes drive on the wrong side of the car/street.....:thumbsup:

 

[bereng]

Telecoms engineer and gemmologist here,

but ended up in the IT world. Left Barcelona and lived in Scotland, Ireland and now Switzerland. Mainly I do soft development and PM for big companies/banks/govs. I never liked the family gemstones business as a business.

I my free time I fix the car, hand facet gemstones, phography & mountanieering.

After my last job, ending next month, and being only 32 I want to do a 'stop' in my life and think what I WANT to do, not what should I do... Scary ;-)

Cheers

 

[bandit96]

^^BTW, Conor, She's a cutie!! How old?

 

[ussun]

She's to young for you. Jees

 

[bandit96]

She's to young for you. Jees

:big laugh:
Funny, Mark...
I was blessed to have two beautiful children. Of course to parents, they're biased but when my sister had my niece, she was NOT a pretty baby!!

 

[Buckeye 560SL]

I own and manage an internet software company in Cincinnati. Aside from raising two high schoolers (a sophomore and a senior) I'm on a board of education and golf in nice weather.