what do you do ...?

[Doctor Strange]

Since I see that this thread isn't being merged with the old one...

I've been a tech writer doing software documentation since 1982. Before that, I took a stab at breaking into filmmaking, worked in computer-typesetting for printing plants and timeshare outfits, briefly schlepped and drove for an import firm, and had long experience as a photographer (my parents were pros: I grew up working in a mom-and-pop commercial photo studio). I'm divorced with two grown kids, and live atop a mountain in the Hudson Highlands. I'm pretty retro - I don't have a smartphone, but still project 16mm film! - and a lifelong student of movies/TV/music/art/history.

I was always a hat guy - I collected hats as a kid/teen and still have most of that collection (though they're two sizes too small now). And while I always gravitated towards military jackets (e.g., I wore N3-Bs throughout high school and college), my real jacket fascination was a combination of honoring my parents (both were sergeants in WWII: Mom in the Marines, Dad in the Air Corps) and some kind of latent patriotism that emerged post-9/11. And I have been active on this site for a LONG time - I'm user #192.

 

[scotchdrinker]

I haven't been a member of this forum long, but I have loved hats my whole life. I hope this rambling serves as an introduction from me to the forun as well as answering the question of my profession. For the past 26 years I worked for our uncle, Uncle Sam. I am an agricultural engineer for the USDA/NRCS, and mostly design irrigation systems in the arid North Eastern part of Montana. Before that I have had about a hundred jobs that took me from working on chicken farms to the oil patch from high school and through college. I was a truck driver, worked in a honey house, was a manager for the second largest greenhouse in Montana when I was 21, started a bio-tech company after college in 1985 that manufactured and sold a biological control agent on a wheat bran based (natural occurring protozoan) bait for grasshoppers, worked in a sawmill, and contracted out to a couple of other government agencies for various jobs. My wife is a retired school teacher (7 years younger than me) , and we own and (she) manages a deli and quilt shop, and in three more years i'm going to retire... I hope. The last 45 years since high school has gone by like a ride in a race car.
I have never been required to wear a hat except a hard hat, but I have always worn a base ball cap mostly, at least in the field. The last couple of years I have started to wear vintage fedoras, in the office, field and off work. I can remember my dad and gramps wearing the Stetson Open Roads when ever they dressed up and that is what started me wearing old fedoras. I absolutely love them and think a man looks more professional and more dignified (and women just look damn good and with an aura of mystery) with one on. Just wish I would have caught on when I was 35 years younger, I would have looked so grand good looking the world would have been mine..ha..ha.
Anyway, I just want to say I love this forum and all the people on it. You are all such gentlemen and ladies, and I am so taken by your respectability, knowledge, attitudes and your suave profiles I can't help but be impressed and humbled. Thank you all.

Kevin.

 

[EstherWeis]

Welcome Kevin!

 

[Wesslyn]

I've worked many dead end fast food and dishwashing jobs. Currently wasting my time at a Goodwill.
In the meantime, I'm also a musician.

 

[T Jones]

My occupation is nothing that really stands out. I love physical challenges and trade skills. I worked in Roofing and Construction for better than 40 years until a couple of years ago. Now I work in a Warehouse where the physical demands are almost as challenging as Roofing. Needless to say, after 40+ years of hard labor, I'm burnt out. I want to kick back and chill now that I'm old enough to retire. I'll still be working part time, though. My interests include getting involved in local politics. A few years ago I organized and led a political action committee against the raising of our property taxes. It was a nasty campaign that lasted for nearly a year. We were successful in defeating the tax hike three out of four attempts. Because it was an operational tax for our local school system I became one of the most hated residents in my community. I received threats on a daily basis and even had to have police protection to escort me safely from school board meetings after I spoke. The campaign made national news when the school board took sports and other activities away from the kids and did away with bussing. Oddly, when the educational associations crowded and disrupted the school board meetings some months later during their contract talks the school administration called me and asked if I would come and speak on their behalf. Which, I was more than happy to do. I loved those boos and hisses everytime I spoke. Good times. Good times.

My last roofing job...

My current warehouse job...

"Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On!" The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis...

 

[moontheloon]

i have nothing but an entire world of respect for a life of labor

my great grandfather did it ... my grandfather did it ... my father did it ... and I did for 15 years before getting into teaching for the past 10

my great grandfather built houses
my grandfather built houses and was a fire chief
my father built houses and later owned his own dump truck co. where only he and my brother were drivers and he was also a fireman.
I built houses for 15 years and became a part owner with my brother in a carting business with 30, 20, and 10 yd. commercial containers in 2009
I started teaching in 2006 and my body definitely misses the physical activity ... but the music teaching is not nearly as flexible as working with a builder ... back when I was touring a lot I would need months off at a time and that job allowed me that.
the teaching gig would never accommodate a tour schedule

props Terry to your life of labor ... my hat is off to you my friend

 

[Bob Roberts]

I haven't been a member of this forum long, but I have loved hats my whole life. I hope this rambling serves as an introduction from me to the forun as well as answering the question of my profession. For the past 26 years I worked for our uncle, Uncle Sam. I am an agricultural engineer for the USDA/NRCS, and mostly design irrigation systems in the arid North Eastern part of Montana. Before that I have had about a hundred jobs that took me from working on chicken farms to the oil patch from high school and through college. I was a truck driver, worked in a honey house, was a manager for the second largest greenhouse in Montana when I was 21, started a bio-tech company after college in 1985 that manufactured and sold a biological control agent on a wheat bran based (natural occurring protozoan) bait for grasshoppers, worked in a sawmill, and contracted out to a couple of other government agencies for various jobs. My wife is a retired school teacher (7 years younger than me) , and we own and (she) manages a deli and quilt shop, and in three more years i'm going to retire... I hope. The last 45 years since high school has gone by like a ride in a race car.
I have never been required to wear a hat except a hard hat, but I have always worn a base ball cap mostly, at least in the field. The last couple of years I have started to wear vintage fedoras, in the office, field and off work. I can remember my dad and gramps wearing the Stetson Open Roads when ever they dressed up and that is what started me wearing old fedoras. I absolutely love them and think a man looks more professional and more dignified (and women just look damn good and with an aura of mystery) with one on. Just wish I would have caught on when I was 35 years younger, I would have looked so grand good looking the world would have been mine..ha..ha.
Anyway, I just want to say I love this forum and all the people on it. You are all such gentlemen and ladies, and I am so taken by your respectability, knowledge, attitudes and your suave profiles I can't help but be impressed and humbled. Thank you all.

Kevin.

Nice intro. Welcome.

 

[Frunobulax]

Welcome, Kevin - pull up a chair. There's always some place to hang your hat here!

Terry, good on ya for getting involved in your community. We need more folks like that.

I agree about the labor, Anthony. I come from a family of laborers and small businessmen. Dad worked for NCR, Mom was an RN, one grandpa was a watchmaker, the other owned a grocery store, my sister tended bar. While not the first, I'm one of the first in my lineage to go to college. I produce reports, mostly, though these days I help keep the USAF flying, so I feel more accomplished now.

I always wanted a job where I "make something," though. I think about that scene at the end of Pretty Woman, when Richard Gere and Ralph Bellamy meet in private, and Bellamy says, "Mr. Lewis and I are going to build ships together, great big ships."

I think that's why I've taken to working on hats. It's a physical accomplishment - something I can see and touch with my own hands. I've been seeking something like that for a very long time. I've tried woodworking and carpentry, killed so many bonsai trees my wife won't let me even look at them at the nursery, and made beer (and good beer, if I say so myself). Cooking is the only other thing I've gotten good at and satisfies me. But if you're good at that, your product doesn't last long!

 

[Bob Roberts]

Welcome, Kevin - pull up a chair. There's always some place to hang your hat here!

Terry, good on ya for getting involved in your community. We need more folks like that.

I agree about the labor, Anthony. I come from a family of laborers and small businessmen. Dad worked for NCR, Mom was an RN, one grandpa was a watchmaker, the other owned a grocery store, my sister tended bar. While not the first, I'm one of the first in my lineage to go to college. I produce reports, mostly, though these days I help keep the USAF flying, so I feel more accomplished now.

I always wanted a job where I "make something," though. I think about that scene at the end of Pretty Woman, when Richard Gere and Ralph Bellamy meet in private, and Bellamy says, "Mr. Lewis and I are going to build ships together, great big ships."

I think that's why I've taken to working on hats. It's a physical accomplishment - something I can see and touch with my own hands. I've been seeking something like that for a very long time. I've tried woodworking and carpentry, killed so many bonsai trees my wife won't let me even look at them at the nursery, and made beer (and good beer, if I say so myself). Cooking is the only other thing I've gotten good at and satisfies me. But if you're good at that, your product doesn't last long!

I can relate to killing Bonsai. DEEEEEEEP pruning! Lol.

 

[T Jones]

Moon, Fruno, thanks a lot guys. I really appreciate the comments.

 

[fabiovenhorst]

Well... I'm a wedding photographer... https://fabiovenhorst.com/

 

[Frunobulax]

No fair! No wonder your photos look so good!

 

[Randburr]

I'm new here and it's interesting to see everybody's background. I have been retired for the last couple of years from the cooperative extension service where I spent 33 1/3 years as a county agricultural agent. No hats required, but you see a lot of resistol western hats with that bunch in Oklahoma.

 

[scotchdrinker]

OK you guys, Frunobulax, Bob Roberts, Moontheloon, Zombie 61, DOGMAN, Hurricane Jack, Bamaboots and Ester Weis, thanks for making me feel welcome, I really do appreciate it. It is nice to be listed among the most knowledgeable and helpful fedora afficiatos to be found. And if I may say Ester, you do more for a hat than I thought possible...you really rock that fedora!
Thanks again guys, I look forward to poking my head in the Lounge from time to time (probably more often than that but it doesn't sound as good).

Kevin

 

[moehawk]

I spent nearly 30 years as a foodservice worker. Started as a dishwasher/prep cook at 15, worked as a line cook, ended up going to culinary school in my 20's and worked as sous chef in a few different restaurants until ongoing health issues caused me to become disabled a few years ago.
I also worked about a year in my early 20's as a brewer's assistant at a local award-winning microbrewery. That mainly consisted of scrubbing and sanitizing brewing equipment and hauling spent grain out in big steaming trash cans, but I also observed and paid attention to what the brewers were talking about. Learned how to home-brew from the experience, although I didn't do a lot of it. Found it way quicker to just buy the award-winning microbrews.

 

[Bob Roberts]

OK you guys, Frunobulax, Bob Roberts, Moontheloon, Zombie 61, DOGMAN, Hurricane Jack, Bamaboots and Ester Weis, thanks for making me feel welcome, I really do appreciate it. It is nice to be listed among the most knowledgeable and helpful fedora afficiatos to be found. And if I may say Ester, you do more for a hat than I thought possible...you really rock that fedora!
Thanks again guys, I look forward to poking my head in the Lounge from time to time (probably more often than that but it doesn't sound as good).

Kevin

You're very welcome. Glad to have you here.

 

[Frunobulax]

OK you guys, Frunobulax, Bob Roberts, Moontheloon, Zombie 61, DOGMAN, Hurricane Jack, Bamaboots and Ester Weis, thanks for making me feel welcome, I really do appreciate it. It is nice to be listed among the most knowledgeable and helpful fedora afficiatos to be found. And if I may say Ester, you do more for a hat than I thought possible...you really rock that fedora!
Thanks again guys, I look forward to poking my head in the Lounge from time to time (probably more often than that but it doesn't sound as good).

Kevin

You're welcome, as Bob said. And thanks for the compliments. There are certainly many knowledgeable sources of hat history and knowledge on here. I've only been active for a little over a year - certainly not an expert, but I've learned so much. You will too.

As far as poking your head in "from time-to-time," I think you'll find that in addition to feeding your hat addiction, the FL Members you will encounter are as much of a draw as the hats and attire. There are good people on here, and you'll find yourself coming back for the company and conversation as much as the hats and to scoop up knowledge.

 

[moontheloon]

OK you guys, Frunobulax, Bob Roberts, Moontheloon, Zombie 61, DOGMAN, Hurricane Jack, Bamaboots and Ester Weis, thanks for making me feel welcome, I really do appreciate it. It is nice to be listed among the most knowledgeable and helpful fedora afficiatos to be found. And if I may say Ester, you do more for a hat than I thought possible...you really rock that fedora!
Thanks again guys, I look forward to poking my head in the Lounge from time to time (probably more often than that but it doesn't sound as good).

Kevin

welcome home

 

[hatophile]

My occupation is nothing that really stands out. I love physical challenges and trade skills. I worked in Roofing and Construction for better than 40 years until a couple of years ago. Now I work in a Warehouse where the physical demands are almost as challenging as Roofing. Needless to say, after 40+ years of hard labor, I'm burnt out. I want to kick back and chill now that I'm old enough to retire. I'll still be working part time, though. My interests include getting involved in local politics. A few years ago I organized and led a political action committee against the raising of our property taxes. It was a nasty campaign that lasted for nearly a year. We were successful in defeating the tax hike three out of four attempts. Because it was an operational tax for our local school system I became one of the most hated residents in my community. I received threats on a daily basis and even had to have police protection to escort me safely from school board meetings after I spoke. The campaign made national news when the school board took sports and other activities away from the kids and did away with bussing. Oddly, when the educational associations crowded and disrupted the school board meetings some months later during their contract talks the school administration called me and asked if I would come and speak on their behalf. Which, I was more than happy to do. I loved those boos and hisses everytime I spoke. Good times. Good times.

My last roofing job...

My current warehouse job...

"Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On!" The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis...

I give you credit. Politics is a nasty business.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Creating artwork for countless applications. My daily thing is making replica patches for A-2 Flight Jackets, but I also take on just about any art related project that comes my way. I've painted motorcycles, airbrushed t-shirts, leather jackets, large murals, etc. Sculpt, and today just accepted a repro paint job for a WW1 German helmet. No matter what it is, I can usually manage prfessional results. I also buy and sell militaria and other mantiques.