How Do You Afford This Addiction?

[chopsaw]

I make drugs.

DuPont, BMS, Bayer, Gilead, couple small companies no one has ever heard of

I make buildings where people make drugs .
Back in 2009 I did a pilot plant for Covidien . They made single dose pills . That press was 3 stories tall . 30 plus feet . Had to be lowered in before the roof went on , then closed up . 4 working levels around the press , and several clean room labs on the main floor . No square corners , all round so dust can be swept out .

 

[DRKsmoking]

Well this is a great post Rafter H BBQ Justin

Well it all began......

at 13 I had a morning paper rout with 125 customers, worked hard made money and that is what started it. Cash in a kids pocket means a lot.

I stated cooking at 15( also living on my own than also ) cooked for over 20 years, Pasta houses, fast food take out, cooked on the offshore oil rigs, yacht club for rich A--holes.
Quit cooking as it turned into more running the shops, staff instead of enjoying the cooking.
And restaurants are way too many hours for the pay if you divide the hours into the money.

Started doing carpentry, in 1987( transitioned into this with cooking part time nights and weekends to help pay the bills ) trained on the job in 1987 , went out on my own in 1997 and still working every day. more then I should be if you ask my body some days

So in looking back, good life , the path I took got me here , so happy with it now. And I cook to enjoy the fun and the food , and the smile on my wife's face, no she is not watching me type this, LOL

David

 

[WaterRat]

I make buildings where people make drugs .
Back in 2009 I did a pilot plant for Covidien . They made single dose pills . That press was 3 stories tall . 30 plus feet . Had to be lowered in before the roof went on , then closed up . 4 working levels around the press , and several clean room labs on the main floor . No square corners , all round so dust can be swept out .

Cool, I’ve never been in one of those. I’m on the discovery side, the cleanliness, or rather lack thereof, in our labs would horrify the production people

 

[chopsaw]

never been in one of those.

I've done all types of commercial buildings . Schools , hospitals , hotels , you name it . We had some in house agreements at Sigma chemical , and MEMC . Learned clean room work in that environment .
Funny how it all ties together and people don't really think about it .

 

[Colin1230]

I worked for the natural gas company for 40 years. It still amazes me that one company kept me around that long! Started as a Helper at a compressor station in SW Ks. Over the years I seized every opportunity that came my way and ended up in Gas Control where we monitored and controlled our intrastate pipeline and distribution systems. Retired in 2020 at age sixty. Nice pension, IRA and SS allow us to live comfortably. Now our lives are centered around grand children.

 

[Ishi]

I lived the factory life for 40 and while that I did taxidermy for 33 years nothing like burning the candle at both ends!
The factory life sucked but it did produce a great 401k and lots of vacation for the years of service. I couldn’t afford to quit but the taxidermy money was used for my addiction to bowhunting and maybe a few smoker during the years

 

[bigfurmn]

I have long held onto a sticker I saw as a child. I put it on my dresser mirror as a kid. It simply said "There is no knowledge that is not power. " it stuck with me. Someone wants to show me something, I wanna learn. Started as a driver of a freight truck. 17 years later I'm the dispatcher, still drive, run the warehouse, do billing and accounting and operations/quotes. I've tried to learn everything they wanna show me.

 

[zwiller]

I file deeds to the land where people make buildings and people make drugs.

 

[uncle eddie]

Part of my 25 years in Engineering was 8 years with a defense contractor.
We had a saying "We build ordinance, Civils build targets". Had that discussion a few years ago with @civilsmoker and He posted an overhead view of a roundabout he designed covering an overpass. It was a perfect target.

Fueling Around - I had a "yellow-badge" security clearance (visitor/contractor clearance) so I was mostly escorted by heavily armed guards a lot of places on military bases and nuclear power plants that I worked on.

Worked on several military bases in Missouri and Virginia - Norfolk Naval Base and Norfolk Naval Shipyard made me do an audible, "I am not in Missouri anymore!"

 

[chopsaw]

"I am not in Missouri anymore!"

Did you click your heels together 3 times ?

 

[ultralow787]

I was in the HVAC/R trade since 1981. Ended up trade teaching for 12 1/2 years full time to Apprentices. Retired June 2020 just shy of my 61st Birthday! Never looked back!

 

[BigDave11]

we will be relocating by years end for my new career in semiconductor manufacturing. before that was ten years with a non profit managing construction projects and corporate donor relationships. but honestly my wife makes more now than i probably ever will doing enterprise-level IT services sales.

this hobby isnt very expensive for me. i buy all my meat on sale or try to and utilize our vacuum sealer and chest freezer. havent spent a ton on cookers other than a brand new bge but we will be building an outdoor kitchen at the new house with room for pellet smoker,, flat top and bge.

i'm a big pork and chicken guy so the meat is never too expensive. i probably only smoke once a month or so anyways.

 

[hoity toit]

Hey all, I am always curious on what we do to afford our hobbies. So, thought I’d start this if anyone would like to add what they do for work.

I will start. I worked for just shy of 19 years at the local cable company doing anything from installation, troubleshooting, trench and locate work.

In April of 2019 was hired on at the Naval Reactors Facility. We support the Navy in Spent Fuel processing from the Navy Aircraft Carriers and Submarines . I am currently a Maintenance Laborer… it’s a fun job and enjoy the variety of work day to day.

Any of you care to share what you do?

Retired Electrical Contractor in Texas - 40 yr run of it. - Now I wish I would have kept going.

HT

 

[Inscrutable]

Retired consulting engineer.
Had to retire earlier than I wanted due to health issues and pandemic hitting same time, but still pretty comfortable and supporting daughters family.

WRT your query of “afford” … I rarely buy anything not on sale, and buy larger quantities and stock either raw or pre-cooked in freezers.

Now if you’re feeding 3 teenagers, you’re in deep doodoo

 

[LazyK68]

I'm at 30 years in television production. I've been a freelance technical director & graphics operator focused on sports since 2008. I love what I do but it comes with sacrifices. I'm working this weekend on March Madness in Newark.

I don’t get to cook as much as I'd like, so I don't hold back when I'm home. Food Savers are clutch.

 

[Hijack73]

Exactly, lol . DuPont, BMS, Bayer, Gilead, couple small companies no one has ever heard of…

Lang Pharma is in NJ I think. Maybe RI. Once our biggest customer. Bion Pharma also NJ - another huge customer, now bigger than Lang for us - we have a lot of their OTC ibuprofen, aleve, and a few others, all of their magnesium citrate. Biocodex might be our biggest customer, we distribute all of their Florastor products I believe.

 

[Let's Smoke It]

I own a small automotive service facility. We repair and service mainly small commercial vehicles including trailers. I am not rich but I do make a comfortable living.

 

[Fueling Around]

Fueling Around - I had a "yellow-badge" security clearance (visitor/contractor clearance) so I was mostly escorted by heavily armed guards a lot of places on military bases and nuclear power plants that I worked on.

Worked on several military bases in Missouri and Virginia - Norfolk Naval Base and Norfolk Naval Shipyard made me do an audible, "I am not in Missouri anymore!"

I never visited any government facility. I held a DoD security clearance for almost 16 years even though I transferred after my 8 years in defense.

 

[bigfurmn]

I own a small automotive service facility. We repair and service mainly small commercial vehicles including trailers. I am not rich but I do make a comfortable living.

You sir are doing the good work of the working man. Guessing you maintain small business vehicles. Thank you!

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

I never visited any government facility. I held a DoD security clearance for almost 16 years even though I transferred after my 8 years in defense.

Haha I chuckled at that a bit. I had Top Secret clearances with some even higher than that. The down side was all the things I had to give up in life to keep those. I didn't really have a choice. Traveling outside the US was a PITA. I still did it but there was so much paperwork involved.

On the good side I was able to go to many government facilities all over the US. From Quantico, VA and Washington DC on the East to many military bases on the West coast. It was cool to see up close military equipment that the public would never get close to. Military guys are so cool when they know you have the clearances and are great at showing you around.

A few times I was able to get ride alongs when things were slow and take a few flights I would have never have the chance to do otherwise. I was also able to take a ride on one of those giant military hovercraft. That was so cool.

Another bonus was that training had me travel all over the states. About once a year I would spend a week or so in a new state to me. I guess by the time I retired I have been to about 1/4 of the states.

I have seen more on my own with my wife but that is another story.