What Do Pipe Smokers Do For A Living?

[organizedmadman]

I'm the small engine mechanic/repair tech for the tool rental division of a large (orange) home improvement company.

I fix everything from wood chippers to jackhammers, and everything in between.

When I'm not at work, I'm in school working toward my doctorate in clinical psychology.

 

[wolfe64]

I have been an electrician since I got out of high school and have worked on everything from housing,prison upgrades, water pumping stations all over Ontario, underground mining and finally ended up in a steel mill in southern Ontario.

I got sick of that and now work for an insurance company as their risk inspector. So what I do is drive around inspecting all of our clients' properties and do cost replacement evaluations.

I do miss doing the electrical work but not the environment I was in.
Mark

 

[navypipe23]

I'm a Navy Vet who is a sheet metal mechanic at a Helicopter Company. I do, however, have a Bachelor's in History. That seems to fit pipe smoking right?

 

[checotah]

Retired 7 years ago after 45 years in manufacturing, the last 25 in corporate management as (variously) CFO, COO, Exec VP, & CEO. Used to smoke at work, but that changed about 20 years back.
Now that I'm retired, I spend my time volunteering as business counselor with the SBA, international spy, cat burgler and diamond thief, playboy, and general bon vivant. Except when with a client or on a midnight escapade, I smoke when/where I wish.

 

[zitotczito]

I work for the man and as a Technical Expert, I fix problems with disability and retirement claims that have processing problems.

 

[markus]

Retired from the US Army after 20+ years. I am currently a project manager for a defense contractor for the Navy.

 

[jimbo69]

It is really awesome to see the different vocations of pipe smokers. Glad to see so many fellow Vets too. When I did my 10 years in the Navy back in the 80's-90's I didn't know a single pipe smoker besides myself (family excluded).

 

[rhoadsie]

I'm a Professor of Animal Science but don't smoke at the university. I do enjoy a smoke in my '71 VW bus.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

Right now I'm a Cad Drafter for a telecommunications engineering firm. Been at it for a couple months now and I love it. Hope to be rolled over to an OSP Engineer soon. It's the best working environment I've ever been in.
Sadly I can't smoke while I work because of all the computers in the office. I could take a mini cob and have a short bowl outside as a break if I wanted to. Haven't done it yet though. New guy and all.

 

[hawke]

IBEW Local 1579 Journeyman Wireman Electrician,(and Welder) Retiring in 2 yrs. I take frequent smoke breaks at work but they are too rushed to enjoy it really. At home and driving I smoke a pipe exclusively and constantly. I set one down when it gets hot and light the second. Go back to the first one when it cools. I rotate tobaccos in each as well. Hey, I love tobacco.

 

[ebklodt]

I've taught guitar for the last 15yrs full time and have been part time pipe maker for the last 4 as well!

 

[atskywalker]

Thats a really fun thread! Good to get to know what everyone does . I was in IT Consulting working for others for about 10 years, then I started working for myself as an independent. 7 years ago I started a company (in the same field) with a couple of partners and we became very successful in our region then decided last year to hit pause on my life and take time to just be without work. Its been 10 months since I've done any work and its been the best time of my life!
During those 10 months I got to spend 2 months with my dad who was sick and lived overseas. A month later he passed away so I went back and supported my mother for a while. I will forever be grateful for having such unplanned/unforeseen opportunity. I also did ALOT of pipe smoking and tobacco discovery ::
I recently got an interesting offer from a huge company to help build a new consulting practice for them. I went to the interview 2 months ago with the aim of not getting the job by setting conditions I knew they wouldn't be able to accommodate. To my surprise they did accommodate and I should be starting again sometime next week!
I'm very sad that I won't smoke as much and will probably end up smoking more cigarettes during the day but hey! I made a multinational company bend over backwards to get me on their team so I'll run for a while on the fumes of my ego . I'm 39 soon to hit the big 4 oh!.

 

[captainprophesy]

Self employed wood worker... I make high end custom furniture. Really love it but unfortunately hard to make money competing with the Chinese!... Been doing commercial fixtures to pay the bills, I think I just picked up Boliva as a client as well as t Mobil ... Not my favorite type of work, but as I said it pays the bills.

 

[mso489]

Fascinating thread, not just for the variety of working lives represented, but also for the thumbnail clues as how lives develop in terms of career. In my own case, I think my working life was approximately thirty percent intentional, and the rest influences from family, friends, faculty, but most of all just historical and economic trends. By the time I was out of high school, college, the military and graduate school, my target jobs in journalism and academe were at least greatly reduced. My undergraduate concept of using journalism as a launching pad for a literary life was, if not impossible, pretty unattainable. Yet I kept chipping away, getting as close to I could, trying to do "my own" work along with my day jobs, and otherwise making a career of adapting to circumstances. Unfortunately, I think my life evolved in a way much more fascinating to me than to others, but that's not all bad!
One tidbit, only remotely related -- I like to remember that Jimmy Hendricks was a U.S. Air Force veteran. Remember that when you see him on stage at Woodstock. A short but well-remembered life.

 

[hakchuma]

I've been an IT guy for about 18 years now going on 10 years as a web developer. Not bad considering I was raised on a beef farm and raised by a step-father who's family was in the cattle business for generations. I've probably spent more time on the killing floor than most people have eaten hamburgers at McDonald's. I haven't spent a single dollar on college as I didn't have that opportunity. Books and ambition can do much more incredible things.

 

[petes03]

In high school if was a lot manager at a used car lot, and did landscaping on the side.

Went on to school for machining, then went to work as a millwright.

Worked as a sheet metal former for a while, then managed my parents restaurant for a while.

I'm now an industrial maintenance mechanic for a company that produces catalysts for coal, gas, and wood fired power plants, as well as marine and on-road diesel applications.

I work on a little of everything. Electrical, hydraulics, pneumatics, screw-type extruders, electric motors, furnaces (gas fired and electric), baghouses, hi-cap mixers, saws, robotics, some HVAC, PLCs, pumps, ect. I also do some machining and fabricating.
I don't currently get to smoke on the job, but when I was a millwright we could smoke in the shop and we were allowed 2 beers at lunch.

Of course the rules were a little different when we were out of town on job sites.

 

[johnnyreb]

One tidbit, only remotely related -- I like to remember that Jimmy Hendricks was a U.S. Air Force veteran. Remember that when you see him on stage at Woodstock. A short but well-remembered life.

Mso,
It was the Army & you might have missed it a few yrs ago when the documents supporting his undesirable discharge surfaced. Among his many infractions during the short time he served he was caught "spanking the monkey" by two other recruits.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/jimis-private-parts

 

[tarak]

Oh I've probably answered this but can't remember. I manage two clinics- family practice and pediatrics with a pretty recognizable health system. I'm a registered nurse by background.

 

[ray47]

I was a Crime Scene Investigator for 25 yrs and always smoked my pipe at crime scenes, it helped me think. Fellow officers always referred to me as "Sherlock". Of course when I got back to the lab there was no smoking, as would be expected. Now that I'm retired you'll always catch me with a pipe in my mouth.

 

[crpntr1]

I'm a project superintendent for the "18th largest general contractor in Texas"( I think that's a bit exaggerated though). Not allowed to smoke in the job trailer or inside the buildings, but I spend most of my days outside anyway...I try to make sure to smoke a cigar everyday close to the trailer..keeps the project manager away 8)