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The details of my life are quite inconsequential...born and raised in Memphis, a place I still have deep fondness for so back off haters, lol. Went to UT Knoxville, fell in love with the mountains and pretty girls, graduated and stayed. Been a System Admistrator ever since. Garufa was the name of a 45' sailboat I had the pleasure of living on for two weeks in the Bahamas and sailing back to the mainland a long time ago. It was a true adventure and great fun.

Grew up an AF brat and then went in myself after HS. After 22 months I received an honorable discharge and spent the next year working for AOL in Ogden, UT. I then decided to move back to where the family lived here in W. TN and spent a couple of years bouncing around IT and construction jobs before landing in retail and quickly working my way into management. Spent a dozen years doing that with the occasional bonus of getting to beat up shoplifters. Then my employer decided to reorganize its store level management structure and I was offered a buyout. I was ecstatic to take it. These days I drive truck OTR and can finally afford the type of toys I've drooled over when I was eking by in retail. I'm getting ready to buy my truck and take it semi-local as I look for the balance between work and family.

Well said. And STACK that $ away for retirement. My wife and I are saving about 17% of our income so that we can retire at a decent age. I'm not going to be chained to a desk at 60+.

Within my wide variety, I've been trapped. Couldn't afford or wouldn't take a pay cut. Most importantly, I was unwilling to relocate. Bigger is not better and more stuff is just, more stuff. Low debt, not high income gives more freedom and choice.

Grew up in NW Ohio, went to school in NW Indiana, got recruited out of school to work in research at Xerox in Western NY. Spent 37 years there most were fun but not all. Xerox has been in a death spiral for about 20 years now. I took good advice when I was young and lived below my means, invested my money and was ready to jump ship from about the time I turned 55. Turned down the first 3 offers to retire early then jumped on the 4th at 57 with a year severance and bridged medical. My only big mistake was I hung around NY for almost 10 years in retirement before moving to TN. Fought the good fight with the state gun organization trying to make NY part of the US again, including a couple of marches on the Albany and lots of money, but decided I would rather enjoy life instead and just moved to the US instead. Been loving life here in NE TN for 2 years now. Went back to NY for a wedding and visit some friends and was reminded why I left over and over. Did get to shoot a round of sport clays with a friend. Use to shoot clays with this guy a couple of times a month and neither of us had shot sport clays since I left. My over and under 12g Biden special was the only gun I thought was safe to transport back to NY. When asked why TN I tell them - Less: Snow, Taxes, Government - More: BBQ, Bluegrass, Sunshine.

I wouldn't feel inadequate with the life-experiences you have had. There are foks who spend their entire adulthood trapped behind a desk and never experience anything else that the world has to offer. Chasing the hot rod car scene? I mean, seriously, that is a dream for a lot of office-dwellers! I have come to realize that any time a door closed unexpectedly on me, no matter how much I disliked it at the time, later on I realized that I was so glad that it had. God's always taken care of me just as it seems he has you. There's a lot to be thankful for right there.

I needed one handgun to make my collection complete. Walked into a LGS this morning. "Looking for anything in particular"? "I like 1911s and CZ75Bs". "We just got a CZ75B in on consignment". Another employee was taking a gun out of the counter a few steps down. There in his hands was the Grail. Brings my 75B tally to four, plus a compact.

I was an electrician for 38 years and an electrical planner for the last 5. Now retired and spend as much of my time fishing for crappie - bass - trout, hunting, riding my 4 wheeler on 2 hunting leases as I possibly can.

Not a whole lot to tell here. I grew up working on the farm. I complained about it then, but I sorely miss it now. Did some time in a prison called a factory. I have worked sales for the "cold drank" industry. I have worked construction. I have driven a tanker hauling sulfuric acid (yes, it hurts), as well as a little bit of flat bedding. I have been a police officer for the last 22 years, and sometimes I love it, sometimes I just hate it. The thing I enjoyed most was the time I spent on the tac team with another agency. These days I'm also TRYING to learn sheath making and holster making. Hopefully soon I can slow down enough to actually learn what I'm doing with this leather. But in this I have found something that I am very passionate about.

Currently I am fortunate to work for Remington Firearms in Huntsville and I am a Technical CSR. Before that I ran couple Gun Shops, joined Marine Corps, Got my College Degree, and wouldn't change a thing. Got married and she is the better half of course. Finally I have an OCD kind of fascination with the AR15/AR10 platform and have done over 300 personal build and got range time on each one to record the data. Lived in Nashville and did shows for a while but now I am settled in Huntsville, AL.

I couldn't decide between 9mm and .45 so I got both.

Right. I've always tried to emulate and learn from people I consider my superiors. This has served me well thus far. Many of them, when they see a genuine interest, take this interest as a compliment and are happy to help point you in the right direction.

I would agree with @Sam1 on those points. If the CEO is bothered enough to comment on it and make your raise contingent upon it, then it is a big enough deal to get it done. CEOs don't normally worry about such things. So either the CEO has nothing better going on, or this is really a sore issue with him, and as a result it's something you need to get fixed. Always keep the C-People happy.

What a thread resurrection!

Amen to that. Some of my low level factory jobs, I was fired from (never on bad terms, typically temp job terminated) and got depressed and scared from no job but still have bills. Only to find a better job within a couple weeks. My last job I took a pay cut due to policy changes and started looking for a new job. Found one and now I make 1.5x what I did at the old job before the changes. I would have never tried looking without the pay cut. Seems like God has to knock me down a rung on the ladder to get me to start climbing again. Always works out for the better though.

You just admitted you work for Remington because you are too far away for all of us to start showing up at your house and being your best friend. Jokes on you....I am going to be in Huntsville in a couple weeks.

I work in corrections. I supervise some bad mofos. I've worked all the maximum security units where the baddest of the bad are housed. Right now, my post is Death Row. I call it the country club for killers for a reason. We have levels, A, B and C. A levels are able to walk around me free as a bird, no cuffs, shackles, nothing. We qualify with and carry weapons only outside on patrol, medical runs, transport to court, etc. But inside, we have nothing. Not a baton, mace, I mean nothing. If it goes down, all you have is a red panic button on your radio that sets off a body alarm in central control, and your hands, fists and feet. Well, I do wear a shank vest (looks like a bullet proof vest) and a face shield. Face shields worn on units 1 and 3. If you piss them off, they'll try to spit on you or sling ####/piss on you. knock on wood, I've not pissed an inmate off enough to get "#### out" as they call it. Shanks are found often. They have them, we don't. lol LEO's catch them, we CO's have to live with them. I just wanted to try something different. I actually like it. But I'll probably move in to some other branch of law enforcement before it's over.

You've no idea how wise you are! We live on my wife's paycheck, and haven't spent mine in years. I'd like retirement to be an option at 50. I'm not sure I'll want to, but it'll be nice to know I can.

I was thinking about posting the whole vid of his autobiography and just leaving it at that but felt like I had to share.

I encourage everyone to actually read the texts of the two bills under consideration, HR 38 and S 446. It has nothing to do with the Full Faith and Credit Clause or the 2nd Amendment. It uses the Commerce Clause to override state laws. Once you leave your state of residence, you engage in interstate commerce and your possessions and activities using those possessions can now be regulated by the federal government. At least, that's the argument these two bills make. It is the same argument many other federal gun control laws make, by the way, including the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and the Gun Control Act of 1968.

My first thought when I saw this was Officer Tackleberry from Police Academy getting ready to get the cat out of the tree

Just because it starts there, doesn't mean it ends there. Think about the changes made to your TNDL in the last few years to bring it in line with federal RealID standards.

I think kids back when many of us were growing up just had a lot more common sense than most young people or kids have today but it was only because our parents in stowed it in us because they cared about us being a useful part of the community and concerned about our future. It seems today parents want to allow the teachers and educators to raise their children and we can see almost every day on any news network how that is working out. Most children today almost cannot think for them selves because the teachers/educators never use common sense in their teaching anymore. Even back when I was kid going to school the teachers taught common sense in their classes..................JMHO

Well the Trace has been in the news a lot lately with the Volvo a-hole running over the biker.

If you had ever sold Kirby vacuum cleaners door-to-door, you might think differently. Though, I understand because my current position is a dead end on promotions and I am not where I should be on pay. I understand people being afraid of change and the unknown when they have a job already. I have been caught up in 2 lay-offs and a business closure in my work history. I worry if I jump to an unknown job, that it might not be as rosy as they sell it to be or they might close up shop 6 months later. With a family and mortgage, that would be rough. If it were just me, I can live in my car and be just fine. The family, not so much. I do keep my eyes peeled though awaiting that dream job to come along.

Same, except larger scale (and only work on virtualization) and I'm one of those engineers, not management (which is better than being responsible for subordinates imho lol). Oh, and working on my PhD... not sure what that will do for me other than a sense of self-accomplishment.

I often drifted off into YouTube land. It has been a HUGE distraction for me when I am laid up. YouTube convinced me I can do a lot of things I normally wouldn't have tried. Some people may not agree but the internet has advanced humankind more than anything else. It teaches millions of people something new every single day and things such as ideas are shared instantly.

Patch the parts you don't like the coat it using bed liner from the store. It dries to a pretty impervious shell and is pretty good a hiding minor imperfections.

Worked my way up through the ranks in the automobile industry. Purchased the Ford Dealership I had worked at for 10 years. Sold it 10 years later and semi retired. Started a photography company as a hobby. Built it into a thriving youth league sports and school photography business over the next 5 years. We were taking over 60,000 kids pictures a year. Sold that business and opened my own insurance, financial planning, business coaching agency. Been doing that the last 6 years.

Hmmm. 8 years active army most with 101st 19 years lLEO (16 SWAT) Got into the NG after an 8 year break in service. (Almost 20 years total service now) Shoot competitively for military and teach LR shooting and Sniper for a couple of companies. Have really been blessed getting paid to work in areas that go along with what I do for enjoyment. 6 years until I retire from police. Plan on staying in military until forced out or stop having fun.

I am adding the above to my resume...

Not surprised and am actually kind of happy about it. National Reciprocity sounds good in theory but in fact 1) takes away the right of States, and 2) would lead to federal control of licensing and permitting. Does anyone seriously want that?

http://www.postimg.io You don't even have to log in to post images/share them.

Weak stomach affected a number of potential career choices for me...

@Ronald_55 if the boss is making seven figures, it sounds like he may be doing something right. Not many people pull down that kind of dough, I would be talking to the guy asking him what he sees I need to do to start down the path that got him there.

I slapped this one together with stuff laying around. I didn't glue it and so far it's been pretty sturdy. The wood can take more hits than pvc. It's small enough to throw in a trunk or back of the Polaris easily

Invite me to shoot with you. I am guaranteed to hit the stand and destroy it.

Why do you have dual A/F gauges? One for each bank? I need to pick up a wideband. I am still fabricating my intake and exhaust. I need to make some calls to figure out which turbo I need for my build. Going to run a PIMPxs, sequential fuel injection as well as probably going with LS coil on plug coils.

Mags. I buy them every chance I get. Hey, I grew up in the Clinton Era Assault Weapons Ban.

No great story here. I worked corrections for about 4 years. Have been a police officer for 12 years.

Born in CA, worked as a jobsite foreman for 13yrs, I was going through a divorce and my ex-brother in-law convinced me TN was the place to be, so I move to TN and he hires me for his manufacturing business, I move into his house and during the first month of my new life make over his wife's best friend sets me up on a blind date, I make the call and we spend hours just talking, ask her out, do the dinner/movie combo after the movie she invites me back to her place and introduces me to her 3yr old daughter, 1 month later I move in, 8 months later we marry, 11 months later my son is born and in 6wks my son moves out and becomes a FT college student. Dam time flies I'm defiantly not ready to be a empty nester.. Back to the job, I loved my construction job and all my friends I left behind in Ca!! I've been doing my current job for 20yrs, my buddy sold his business 4yrs ago to a corporation and it hasn't been the same since!! Wait it just sucks.... We all make sacrifices for our family..

No reason to feel inadequate. You seem to have tried and experienced a lot of different things and that's commendable in my book.

You are not alone in that feeling, buddy. I'm a college dropout. Bad habits, bad grades, and other things gave me the boot from school. Worked several kinds of jobs. Managing mini-markets(Will never do that again!), ware house work as stock puller, shipping and receiving for a small company. I worked for a cemetery operation for 4 years. I did sales and coordination of funerals. Did some line supervision and qc work for 9 years with a company making glass beads for reflective paint applications...road striping, signs, business cards, etc. Also during some of this did travels with craft shows and festivals. Found the Street Rod events and followed them for a while. Operated a seasonal craft and gift shop for 8 years. Some of this stuff ran concurrently, as some of these ran a season and went into another phase. When the economy slowed in the mid 90's, and the discretionary income slacked off, i.e. people got tighter with the dough, I interviewed with an auto parts company and did route delivery for a while. Was offered a sales job with them and did that for the next 10 years. Then my health issues jumped up and bit me in the tail feathers. After almost 3 years of treatments that I wouldn't wish on any of you guys, I was officially placed on SSD where I've been for the last 7 years. So now I'm in the ranks of the less than happily retired, read that as not enough money to be really comfortable. But as my wife is still working, we are ok. Not where I'd like to be, but that's where we've gotten to. I'm officially a house-husband until my wife retires and I get a break from it. I also attempt to help out my In-laws when they will let me. So I actually feel really, really inadequate as gregintenn says. Haven't done the things many here have, and don't have anywhere near the education and work experience. So I get a bit mopey now and then, sometimes maybe a wee bit jealous of some here. And as I've said before, I've had to slow down and stay on the porch as I can't run with the big dogs here, in spite of my efforts to do so. Not complaining, I'm very blessed to still be on this side of the dirt. We have done some of the things we've wanted to do; and hope to do more before the curtain falls.

I sure hope it doesn't! One of the things I really enjoy doing is watching people, especially people who are good at and passionate about their jobs - no matter what that job is. I've sat and chatted with CEOs, policemen, doctors, engineers, groundskeepers, nannies, custodians, boat captains and all manner of people in between, just because I could tell that they were very good at what they did and loved their job. Learning about why they loved their job and seeing how they poured themselves into doing it at the best of their abilities was and IS inspiring to me. There is no such thing as a job beneath any other. We all rely upon each other for various services, whether it is the kid who totes your groceries to your car at the store, the dad delivering pizzas to make ends meet, or the surgeon about to wheel you into the OR for a heart valve replacement. I love it when those people are inspired by the work they do, no matter what that work is.

Definitely get a LinkedIn profile started, I get 5-7 leads 1 - 2 x week for jobs in sales. Create a master resume, tweak it to "match" key trigger words / phrases. If you electronically submit and the hiring department uses a doc reader for screening, you might be perfect, but you did hit the key words. Don't lie, but consider how to rephrase your skill and experience in their "language" Good luck, easier to find a new gig when you already got one.

<insert tragic broken home/gutter trash/drugs and abuse raising with a dash of fostercare here> Left home at seventeen, never looked back. After a long series of bad decisions I pulled my act together and went to school for Computers and Electronics Engineering Technologies. Used that and a strong work ethic to buffalo my way into a job as a Dispatch and Logistics Manager role for about fifteen years. Now I am a plumber, and I have never been happier. Or making better money. I am married, with a child, two black labs and a cat. We have a nice home, in a nice neighborhood with nice things. We support one another and create a good home for our daughter. I have my cars and bikes and guns and guitars. Overall, I know it isn't a competition, but as a gamer (console and PC) I often times am overcome and sit back and think to myself, "I won."

I'll start... I am in Healthcare IT. I manage an operational support team that takes care of the final tier of support for approximately 10,000 Windows Servers and over 1,000 VMware hosts. We also do special projects and lifecycle work. Basically, if it comes to my team of 12 engineers, it has generally exhausted everyone else's abilities to fix it or get it done. My guys are the "special operations" of IT nerds and I have much respect and love for them. They work some ridiculously long hours and make miracles happen every single day to ensure that doctors, nurses and our patients have reliable infrastructure serving them. I used to be one of those engineers until the company decided that I could either do less damage or accomplish more as a member of management. Not sure which. Probably both.

Knives are done, I will ship them all when I get Stateside, delivery will be priority mail, expect delivery around the 10th of August EVERYONE who has a knife coming send the following header to my email, steve@badassblades.net Forum Name Real Name Knife number Shipping Address this will speed up the process for me to get them to you ASAP Thank you