Well, I'm ummm... not always that careful. I've had a dangerous exposure to urethane casting resin once many years ago, and then a near miss with a similar product since then. I'm fine now, but I'm not allowed to use that product, or anything like it again. I don't think I've had any ill effects from the massive amount of styrofoam I carve, but I've been kind of forgetful lately, and... what was the question?

A Living?
 

I sell high end wines to high end buyers...most of the time. I also host wine tastings, tend bar at the odd wedding/event, and occasionally put on a cocktail dress to populate various industry events like conventions and car shows.

It's a living and every now and again I get to travel to interesting places.

I'm kind of a Jane of all trades. When I was younger, I managed a bead store, then moved on to apprentice with a jeweler.
After that, I managed an office supply store for several years.
Next I worked as a seamstress for a long time. I worked as a personal chef during that time, too, making meals for clients in their homes. (I'm totally a self-taught cook, so no formal training for that.)
After that, I taught art classes in an after school program in the public schools, and then moved into teaching pre-school. At that point, I got really sick and had to stop teaching. I went to school, and also worked from home as a personal assistant in a company that planned wedding proposals. Basically, whatever crazy thing the client wanted, I found. I booked showgirls, mariachi bands, and elephants, all for people's strange vision of their perfect proposal. During that time, I also worked as a personal assistant to the director of a math camp for girls.
After that, I stopped working to go to law school. Now I'm done with school, and trying to find a job in my field. I would like to do family law, elder law, landlord-tenant law, or trusts and estates (wills). Keep your fingers crossed I find something soon! I'm a bit nervous about being so much older than most of the people I'm competing with for jobs, so I hope that my age and experience count in my favor, rather than counting against me.

I was a land pilot for over 25 years and now I am lovingly called the ELD guru, or azz hat when drivers are mad i wont do what they want me to do

My official title is Safety Administrator for the parent company I worked for over 4 years. I get to work for home so some call me a slacker for my commute:pirate-steer:

++
No, I don't make little cliffs, but I did laugh at the idea, so thanks!
I collect gem stones, and I'd love to put some giant specimens in the long planters in front of my house, but I fear someone might make off with them. So I use Fimo, Sculpy, Kato, Primo and Pardo to replicate mostly opaque rocks, like turquoise, malachite, amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, tiger eye, fool's gold, hematite, copper, and snowflake obsidian.
Pardo makes nice translucent, mica and other clays that help with replicating quartz or filling veins with shiny stuff.
The rocks I use are either smooth, oval pond rocks, around 2-3 pounds each, or I use large, craggy rocks. First I base paint the craggy rock gold, silver or copper, then cover with clay, letting the metallics peak out. Then I seal them with clear acrylic so the garden soil and water don't mess them up.
On really hot days, I just bake my clay on the dashboard of my car, and park it in the sun. I swear, I could bake a turkey on that dashboard in the summer. Maybe a chicken in early fall.
Thank you for the tips on toxicity; I'll keep them in mind.
I don't use my oven much, but it's self cleaning and I blast it several times a year. So far so good.

People have done some interesting things. I am not working now. I am waiting to have my second knee replacement in two years. Oh well. I really can't work if I can't walk. Not in my opinion.

I am a high school Special Ed teacher. I usually teach Math as well. In California, I am credentialed in special ed and in autism. I am highly qualified in English and a few other things, but in CA, you can't teach General Ed unless you have a Gen Ed credential. That's weird because our Special Ed programs contain all the coursework gen ed programs do plus about a year more.

In Florida, I am credentialed in ESE (special Ed), autism, English, and Middle School math. So I could teach general ed English or math here as well as Special Ed. Different states, different laws.

The new federal law makes being highly qualified obsolete everywhere, I gather. I love how they force you to take classes and exams and then later, they don't matter. No refunds either.

I miss teaching, but I don't miss the bullshit from administration. I am so happy to see teachers walking out in the states where they have been treated the worst.

Anyway, I'll go back next year, in California. I need a few more years contributing to my pension before I retire. I am going to try to find an interesting job in an alternative setting located someplace sorta rural that is not the Central Valley. Those are my criteria. Should be doable.

Please send me a free sample case of Chassagne Montrachet, or Puligny Montrachet is fine, too. Let me know if you need money for shipping--cases are heavy. Thanks!

That sounds like a interesting job. Do you have any favies? Or is it like working at an ice cream shop and after a while it's all a lil … meh! :p

I had to give up wine years ago... sulfates/nitrates … led to some wicked headaches. Recently I tried a few "organic" wines … those were a lil … meh.

Software developer here ... love coding but the past couple years this boys club at work has become extremely toxic for me ... it is the people, their lies and getting away with unreasonable lies that has me bummed out.

I am certain I would not be able to tolerate the taste of ass in my mouth but watching others suck-up, lie to look good can be entertaining.

I tell the truth. I am mouthy. You can imagine where this places me. I accept my consequences and will not change.

Once I took off all the blinders and dismissed my denial, all the joy left but I can stand it four more years until retirement.

All good here.
:)

As I posted previously, my perfectionism for positive outcomes of our patients was rewarded with becoming the Quality and Assurance Coordinator for Patient Care.

Mental health care is at the forefront for many of us who serve this population. Some of us as I am: are in need of the services I provide. I can relate to and attempt to provide services to all seeking quality with compassion and positive outcomes.

Sometimes we are the bug...sometimes we are the windshield.

Ks-

I am finishing up my last class currently to get my Associates in Administrative Assistance, and am looking at a certificate in Human Resources.

I am a Front Desk Coordinator at a public accounting firm in SF. General tasks are handling phone calls, greeting guests, ordering and stocking kitchen and office supplies, distributing mail. We're a small firm - 80 employees - so I also assist with a lot of other tasks... Mostly being right-hand to our HR Manager and collaborating on office tasks with our Office Coordinator.

Always learning new skills, expanding current ones and helping anyone who asks - I love my job :) I am well compensated and often joke I am a glorified envelope stuffer come end-of-month billing.

I manage a women's housing program for my city primarily serving to house women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness due to domestic violence, addiction, mental health, or prison release. I'm also my agency go-to for walk-in emergencies and conduct all intakes for our housing programs. The hopeful expansion I'm working on right now includes a massive grant for rapid rehousing for individuals homeless due to domestic violence and acquiring a unit to house at least 8 individuals with children who are homeless due to domestic violence. Right now I only have one case manager in the program and we divide and conquer. I will need at least two more if I get the expansions.

I work in the Training and Development industry. I build courses on the internet and manage roughly a million electronic files created in Adobe Creative Suite by Product Developers.

My core skills are as a Production Artist and my forte is designing covers and inside pages of books. Though, it’s been years since I’ve been PA. Those are the skill that brought me into this company. Currently, I’m editing XML files to adjust hundreds of fields on the courses I build.

Some of my days are spent building courses, or I may have to change hundreds of trademarks (TM) to registration marks (®), or I may need to convert PMS colors to CMYK or RGB colors, or I may need to do a press check, or set up a document listing the specs for a die cut job, or recreate the live files when I only have a PDF.

One of the best things about my job is that it’s varied and I usually have short deadlines. Most of my teammates have deadlines that last 6 months to 2 years. My deadlines are usually from 2 hours to 3 months.

I have a lot of freedom and am given a lot of rope to either hang myself or to use it to get ahead. Seldom do I hang myself unless I allow my emotions to get the best of me. I see my manager once a week, if that, but often hear from her in email. We have a good working relationship.

I’m going to retire within the next 6 years. Sometimes I’m ready to retire tomorrow and other times I can see myself here for another 6 years. I’ve been here for almost 20 years, so what’s another 6?

:bow:

I could see myself going back to contract software (I am government now) after I retire but not full-time, say four hours a day ... and it would have to be a working from home arrangement. That could be a sweet deal plus calling my own shots (as opposed to answering to selfish self-seeking dicks who find many ways to goof off while pretending busy) would bring the joy back to the discipline.

I am a freelance writer - I mostly write articles and business pages for websites.

I sell used books and other items on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc.

My latest venture is Shy (and one of her sons and daughter-in-law) and I are opening a thrift store - should be open in about a week. We are looking forward to running our business and helping out the local community at the same time. I can't wait!

That's exciting! I hope your opening is a grand success and that the long term success of your store is strong!

Thanks so much Easygoingfemme & Clay! We are very excited. Shy and I had been talking about opening up a thrift store for a while but it seemed more like a dream. Then she found the perfect spot that was for rent and I said let's go for it!

If anyone is ever in the area we would love for you to visit. We are in New Hampshire about an hour from Boston.