Getting to know you. What do you do?

[Garufa]

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.

[gjohnsoniv]

12 minutes ago, Garufa said:

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.

Didn't realize you were from Memphis as well. 

[Erik88]

2 hours ago, Gotthegoods said:

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.

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+. 

[KahrMan]

27 minutes ago, Garufa said:

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.

But do you have shorn scrotum...

[Garufa]

1 minute ago, KahrMan said:

But do you have shorn scrotum...

WTF does that mean? 

[KahrMan]

1 minute ago, Garufa said:

WTF does that mean? 

The first phrase you used is the start of a Dr Evil soliloquy from Austin Powers.  Very funny. 

[KahrMan]

 

[Garufa]

9 minutes ago, KahrMan said:

The first phrase you used is the start of a Dr Evil soliloquy from Austin Powers.  Very funny. 

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

Edited July 14, 2017 by Garufa

[res308]

52 minutes ago, KahrMan said:

But do you have shorn scrotum...

 

50 minutes ago, Garufa said:

WTF does that mean? 

I really almost fell out of my truck. Still wiping tears!

[Randall53]

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.

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, Erik88 said:

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+. 

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.

[btq96r]

I grew up in the Boston area.  Despite my liberal tendencies, I'm no stranger to working an honest day.  Money was never abundant in the house, so the summer before I started high school, I literally hoped on my bike one day, went place to place asking if they needed help they were willing to pay me for and handing out my contact info handwritten on some slips of paper to leave behind.  The owner of a local glass company (home windows, windshields, mirrors, ect) hired me on the spot because he was impressed I was willing to do all that just to make a few bucks.  After that job, I stocked shelves at the local convenience store for the rest of high school, working after school hours about three days a week and on Sunday morning would come in at 7am to put the various sections of the Sunday papers together (news, lifestyle, sports, funnies/coupons). 

In the summer before my senior year of high school, I enlisted in the Army on the delayed entry program.  I knew I wanted to do the same as my father and serve the country for a bit after high school, and on the selfish side, I honestly wanted to branch out of the area I'd lived all my life and get some money for college someday.  In the Army, I spent 8.5 years in, all my post basic training and AIT time at Fort Campbell with deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.  Got out in April 2009, and took a contract job with an IT program supporting ground level units.  I lived in Kuwait for 2.5 years, did a year back at Fort Campbell, then deployed to Afghanistan as an embed with two of the 101st Brigades for a year, getting the opportunity to spend time with front line units to show them how to use our system in their mission.

Then, once the wars winded down, and my stop on the gravy train came up (I was on a sub-contract), I decided to take the Army up on its generous offer to pay for an undergrad degree.  Decided to stay in Tennessee, moved from Clarksville to Murfreesboro to make a break from the military and earned a BS in Political Science with a Public Admin focus in three years by going straight through with full time in the summers.  As the military was paying for the education and giving me a decent little stipend for housing, I didn't need a full time job, but found a great part-time one as an academic mentor for the MTSU athletic department.  I spent two of those three years in school primarily with freshman on the MTSU football team during their first year of college; helping them with study plans, teaching them how to allocate time, giving feedback and corrections on work they did, and running their study hall Mon-Thurs.  It was a very rewarding job, and seeing the gains some of them strived for and hit in their year with me was a great feeling. 

While I was at about the halfway point in college, another TGO'er took me under his wing, and helped me with finding a job when I graduated.  He rounded out the edges that came from working with the military and football players, teaching me what I needed to know for a full jump into the private sector.  On top of all that, he introduced me to the CEO of the company I work for now...talk about doing a guy a favor.

That leads to the "what do you do question."  For the last six months, I've worked for a medical management services company of a large radiology practice group.  My title is Clinical Operations Specialist, and it's as vague as it sounds because I was really hired with a wide open portfolio.  I do a little bit of everything- project management, data analysis, financial proformas, working with all other sections (revenue cycle, IT, HR) to ensure sectional efforts are being synchronized to align towards a shared goal.  My bosses and co-workers give me a wide latitude, and a lot of trust.  It's quite humbling to be allowed to contribute via such a method.  I like to think I add value proportional to how they treat me, but the company I work for did great things well before my arrival, and I wouldn't be successful as I am there now without those same people continuing to excel in their roles.

Many of my days end with my wondering how I've been so lucky to this point.

 

13 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

I know I am not the only IT guy with a cluttered office. It seems to come with the territory, especially if you deal with hardware.

I'm not IT, and even my office has IT clutter in it.  Now, we have that clutter organized, and as neatly stacked as can be, but if you walk in my office, you see it for sure.  We're in the middle of a multi-month systems swap for our doctors, so boxes with desktop systems comprised of big towers because they need the processing power, and large screen monitors in triple are around.   I told IT if you're running out of storage space, they can use my office because only three of the four work areas are in use. 

 

10 hours ago, Sam1 said:

@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.  

Unless that CEO has respectable values and personality to match his salary, he isn't worth emulating to me.  Some folks are rich because they screwed enough people along the way to make it happen.  I'd rather learn from those who earned their money by taking care of people, inspiring them to go out of their way for the company.

Edited July 15, 2017 by btq96r

[leroy]

Born in the hills of East Tennessee... Raised on the farm deeded from payment for service in the War of 1812... Started shootin a slide action 22 winchester with my dad... Worked thru UT, quarry, road construction, road building. brick layin... Got a BSCE from UT 1969... Enyoyed my job for about 40 years or so... Heavy construction and mods to powerplants... Retired curmudgeon now...

leroy

[DT INC.]

Not very much to tell here. Graduated High School in may 2005, got a job with a industrial electrical company in June of 2005. Worked for them doing rehabs of electrical systems of sewer and water plants until I was let go in 2008 when they ran out of work. A couple of weeks after I was sent home,the CEO of agricultural company that I happened to meet a few months back hired me to do odd jobs for him that included picking up and delivering products, sweeeping floors and various other things. He must have saw more potential in me than I ever thought I had because he worked with me and taught me different things about the business and for the past 7 years I have been a sales rep for the company specializing in customer service. On nights and weekend I am a diesel mechanic for the trucking company that my brother and I started in 2012. 

[hipower]

On ‎7‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 9:25 AM, peejman said:

I've never sold Kirby vacuums, but I've got a really funny story from when a salesman came to my house. It ended with "Look, if I'm gonna pay that much for something that sucks, it's damn sure gonna suck more than my carpet."  

 

People seem shocked when I tell them I'm an engineer with a dead end job.  I've been doing exactly the same thing for 10 years.  I've laughed and said there's no opportunity to go anywhere unless someone quits or dies. Well, someone finally quit in the fall and it's only gotten worse. I seem to have a knack for finding dead end jobs, as every place I've worked has gone through difficult times.  Maybe its me, or maybe I'm just unlucky.  

 

My wife sent this to me a few days ago, and I keep thinking about it... 

... but I have no idea where I'd jump to. I'm too much of a planner and too risk averse, and I've got a family to think about (or that's my excuse anyway). I hope to instill in my kids a greater willingness to take that leap and follow their dreams.  

Wow...that was just...great.

[TGO David]

On 7/13/2017 at 8:17 PM, Pain103 said:

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

 

On 7/13/2017 at 8:19 PM, Dave Keenom said:

19 years lLEO  (16 SWAT) 

 

1

 

On 7/13/2017 at 9:30 PM, JohnC said:

I work in corrections. I supervise some bad mofos. 

 

1

 

I am not even positive I caught all of the posts in here where you folks work in some manner of law enforcement or another, but thank you.  You guys have a very necessary and often thankless job.  I cannot imagine pinning on a badge these days.  My grandfather was career law-enforcement and things were just so much different for them than what you guys have to deal with now.

Ya'll are definitely that "thin veneer" that keeps civilized folks separated from total chaos.

 

[Sidecarist]

Not sure how I missed this thread... I will echo Daves comments above about those that serve and have served. I have several friends that are in LE and the Military I am humbled by your commitment. 

I'm a transplant from far Northern NY, I lived in the other part of NY (Adirondack Mtns) where it's more like TN than the "City". As soon as the kids were out of the house and the wife could retire we were gone...

I'm a regional manager (Eastern US) selling industrial valve products. I got into the business by mistake 25 years ago and worked my way through  several jobs and companies to get to this point. I also held an FFL 01 and had my own gunsmithing shop for nearly 20 years, also owned a one hour photo shop before digital cameras. Sold that and answered the ad for a valve sales guy and here I am... 

I'm self taught in many things and have had very good fortune to work with some great people that mentored me over the years.

It's great to be part of thevery TGO community. I've met a few others here and look forward to meeting more of you.

[Moped]

Went to work at 16 for a local cleaning service at the Millers on Henley St, here in Knoxville. Made Foreman of the crew after three months. Later transfered to another part of the company, cleaning schools, where I was also a Foreman. Did that for several years, into college, until I went off to Basic Training with the U.S. Army Reserves. After getting my MOS as a Construction Surveyor, I went to work for a Civil Engineering firm as a surveyor. Later I went into the office as a Draftsman, then later back out into the field as a Survey Party Chief. Then back into the office where I learned CAD. I've been a Civil Designer for several firms, over a period of 27 years. But 5 years ago I changed fields and moved into Substation and Switchyard Electrical Design. I'm now a Senior Physical Designer.

 

While in the Army Reserve, I worked my way up to Construction Inspector, until I left that unit after Desert Storm. After that I went into a Marksmanship training unit. I shot competitively for the ARCOM and also trained marksmanship to units heading to Bosnia.

 

But the thing I've been most proud of is being married to a wonderful woman for 28 years and raising 3 awesome kids!

 

Sent from my SM-G860P using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[1fast4by]

Born in Huntsville AL, raised in Franklin TN. Father went from an FBI  agent, to a NASA employee, to an Engineer for Atmos energy.... So math and self preservation were pounded into me for decades.... Ive been an automotive technician for my entire adult life, Ive been ASE master certified since I was 21, I have been L1 Advanced certified since I was 22... Ive worked for Subaru, Chevrolet, Nissan (and they thought I was great so...), Nissan corporate, and currently manage a franchise of an automotive shop in Cool Springs....

[Grunt67]

Totally retired now. Previously worked in tool & die for 15 yrs, law enforcement 8 ys. Retirement is great, pay scale, not so much, LOL.

[raildog]

Jointed the Army right out of high school 13F 6 years active 6 years NG went to automotive tech school at UTI worked for MB USA left there went to work for MACK truck in Lavergne for almost 6 years left there for a job with CSX Transportation in 2011 as a roadway mechanic held a regional job out if Radnor Yard for 6 years then in June a guy with more seniority rolled me now I am the parts / lead  Roadway mechanic on a traveling System Production Team and live in a hotel 5 to 6 night's a week for all you guys who are Veterans thanks and all the LEO / CO thanks