What did you want to be when you grew up?

[Glenn]

My dad had an excavating business when I was growing up, and due to my energy level my mom constantly sent me out on jobs with him. I grew up being a daddy's girl and got to run a lot of equipment. Later I married one of my dad's friendly competitors son's and still run their family business. You should have seen the look on the truck driver's face(s) when they'd pull into the gravel pit and see a 100 lb girl in a tank top, shorts and work boots running the loader.(I don't weigh 100 lbs anymore)
It wasn't long before they bought me a pink hard hat(FYI Pink is NOT my color) and nick named me Construction Barbie.
What's funnier yet is when I pull up to a house to pump someone's septic tank.
I really do enjoy getting out of the office to run the gravel pit(s) from time to time.

That's a cool story! It must have been really neat to grow up in the business...then grow right into it.

For the time being, I'll have to suffice operating my walkbehind commercial mower, assorted leaf blowers and other power equipment. Someday, I'd love to have a ton of land...so I could justify buying a kick arse tractor with a loader. Or better yet, a used front end loader/backhoe. I friggin love those things.

 

[billski]

That's a cool story! It must have been really neat to grow up in the business...then grow right into it.

For the time being, I'll have to suffice operating my walkbehind commercial mower, assorted leaf blowers and other power equipment. Someday, I'd love to have a ton of land...so I could justify buying a kick arse tractor with a loader. Or better yet, a used front end loader/backhoe. I friggin love those things.

Yeah, Trek has had some career - a female in a traditionally macho field - she has to be very thick-skinned. And unfortunately she had to work harder to prove herself. Hats off to her.

Now, about closet-construction-workers. I worked with a fellow who was one of those guys. He rents a Bobcat about every couple of years and re-landscapes his lot. No fooling. He spends the entire weekend moving piles of dirt around. At the end, he's got what he started with for a lawn, but he's happy for another couple of years. I don't know how his family puts up with it though.:-?

 

[severine]

Yeah, Trek has had some career - a female in a traditionally macho field - she has to be very thick-skinned. And unfortunately she had to work harder to prove herself. Hats off to her.

Now, about closet-construction-workers. I worked with a fellow who was one of those guys. He rents a Bobcat about every couple of years and re-landscapes his lot. No fooling. He spends the entire weekend moving piles of dirt around. At the end, he's got what he started with for a lawn, but he's happy for another couple of years. I don't know how his family puts up with it though.:-?

Makes me think of the "Malcolm in the Middle" episode when the dad rented the steam roller and skipped work to run over stuff all day in a parking lot. :lol:

 

[Madroch]

Wanted to an architect as a kid, but my math skills failed me.. now I want to be a carpenter/plummer/electrician to fix all the stuff that breaks in the house without having to pay someone or call one of my extended family members (many of which are skilled tradesmen). Until then I will continue doing what I am doing.

 

[Warp Daddy]

When i grow up someday i want to be Zorro - i effin luv to go around carving Z's in various crap

PS that's what one of my grandkids call me the others call me Dude

I had thoughts about being a dentist ( go ahead doc laff yer ass off ) but the Dean convinced me that perhaps my strength was else where . So being a natural born smart ass i figured hell i want YOUR job !!

I grew up hanging AROUND a college campus ( my dad;s ) so i gravitated toward being a professor cuz i liked the lifestyle , degrees of freedom and the general environment of Higher Education

 

[Glenn]

Now, about closet-construction-workers. I worked with a fellow who was one of those guys. He rents a Bobcat about every couple of years and re-landscapes his lot. No fooling. He spends the entire weekend moving piles of dirt around. At the end, he's got what he started with for a lawn, but he's happy for another couple of years. I don't know how his family puts up with it though.:-?

I dunno...kinda seems like a logical thing to do. You get to play with a Bobcat all day. 8)

 

[Trekchick]

That's a cool story! It must have been really neat to grow up in the business...then grow right into it.

For the time being, I'll have to suffice operating my walkbehind commercial mower, assorted leaf blowers and other power equipment. Someday, I'd love to have a ton of land...so I could justify buying a kick arse tractor with a loader. Or better yet, a used front end loader/backhoe. I friggin love those things.

I'll keep you in mind the next time we upgrade our JCB714

Yeah, Trek has had some career - a female in a traditionally macho field - she has to be very thick-skinned. And unfortunately she had to work harder to prove herself. Hats off to her.

Now, about closet-construction-workers. I worked with a fellow who was one of those guys. He rents a Bobcat about every couple of years and re-landscapes his lot. No fooling. He spends the entire weekend moving piles of dirt around. At the end, he's got what he started with for a lawn, but he's happy for another couple of years. I don't know how his family puts up with it though.:-?

Funny thing is that I never got the feeling that I had to prove myself. I'm sure there were some men who questioned my ability when they drove into the pit, but from my perspective, I just did what needed to be done to keep the business moving.
It's always been "who I am" more than "what I do".

I dunno...kinda seems like a logical thing to do. You get to play with a Bobcat all day. 8)

I'm sure you can imagine that we have many large pieces of equipment from 8yd front end loaders to stuff as small as the JCB I mentioned

Two years ago we bought a small komatsu backhoe on rubber trax as well as a small skid steer to give us some manuverability inside buildings and in tight spots.
We're finding that those small pieces are as valuable as the big pieces.

*RE: 8 cu yd loader has a bucket large enough that you could pick up an SUV in the bucket.

RAWR!!!

 

[billski]

Funny thing is that I never got the feeling that I had to prove myself. I'm sure there were some men who questioned my ability when they drove into the pit, but from my perspective, I just did what needed to be done to keep the business moving.
It's always been "who I am" more than "what I do".


Everything changes when you're the one signing the paychecks!

 

[Paul]

A Pimp.

 

[Glenn]

I'll keep you in mind the next time we upgrade our JCB714


Funny thing is that I never got the feeling that I had to prove myself. I'm sure there were some men who questioned my ability when they drove into the pit, but from my perspective, I just did what needed to be done to keep the business moving.
It's always been "who I am" more than "what I do".

I'm sure you can imagine that we have many large pieces of equipment from 8yd front end loaders to stuff as small as the JCB I mentioned

Two years ago we bought a small komatsu backhoe on rubber trax as well as a small skid steer to give us some manuverability inside buildings and in tight spots.
We're finding that those small pieces are as valuable as the big pieces.

*RE: 8 cu yd loader has a bucket large enough that you could pick up an SUV in the bucket.

RAWR!!!

Saweet! Now I just need to score more land!

 

[bvibert]

Makes me think of the "Malcolm in the Middle" episode when the dad rented the steam roller and skipped work to run over stuff all day in a parking lot. :lol:

That was good, and right up my alley!

 

[jarrodski]

I dunno...kinda seems like a logical thing to do. You get to play with a Bobcat all day. 8)

thats what i was thinking...

to a certain extent, i am doing what i wanted to be when i grew up. now my next goal is to figure out a way to keep doing it.

building ski jumps is hands down the coolest job i'll ever have. there's no other feeling of having it built by the time the sun comes up. that before sun rise feeling is awesome. i cant imagine i'll get that feeling anyway else as it pertains to working.

the other aspect of my job is even better. testing! nerve racking and immensly rewarding when things go well... and there's no better way to earn a pay check than to do with with skis on your feet.

if i weren't in this position i'd probably end up just doing this...

 

[bvibert]

if i weren't in this position i'd probably end up just doing this...

I thought that's what you did in the summer?

 

[jarrodski]

i aspire to have that much money at my feet

 

[billski]

i aspire to have that much money at my feet

Was that you?

I loved the Archie comics when I was about 7-8.

 

[bvibert]

I dunno...kinda seems like a logical thing to do. You get to play with a Bobcat all day. 8)

Like most guys I wouldn't mind playing around with heavy equipment all day, but it's never been a really big dream of mine. Except for a snowcat, I'd jump all over the chance to drive one of those around! Ever since the first time I saw one I've wanted to drive it!

 

[billski]

When I was about 10 (1965), I wanted to be an astronaut. We built a spaceship out of wood, with lots of plumbing fixtures for controls, and pictures from electronics magazine. Watched a lot of Mercury launches too. Looked like a toasted astronaut on a bottle rocket....

 

[Beetlenut]

Employed!
Or independently wealthy!

Wanted to be an Architect or Marine Biologist or Pilot. Sorta did all those in some fashion. Still not sure what I want to be when I grow up. Not sure I WILL actually grow up! Most of my friends my age are adults now! I feel bad for them! I'm a bigger kid than my kids! Don't really want a career, just a job for the money to do the things I want!

Q: What is Beethoven doing now?
A: Decomposing.

 

[Glenn]

Like most guys I wouldn't mind playing around with heavy equipment all day, but it's never been a really big dream of mine. Except for a snowcat, I'd jump all over the chance to drive one of those around! Ever since the first time I saw one I've wanted to drive it!

I want one! I just need enough land first...I think it would be sweet go to out in the middle of a huge snow storm and just drive around. I'd love to buy an older one and tinker.

"Hmmm, this thing runs an older carb'd Ford straight 6...I wonder if I could throw in a Jeep 4.0.......?"

 

[bvibert]

I want one! I just need enough land first...I think it would be sweet go to out in the middle of a huge snow storm and just drive around. I'd love to buy an older one and tinker.

"Hmmm, this thing runs an older carb'd Ford straight 6...I wonder if I could throw in a Jeep 4.0.......?"

You mean like this:

Currently being worked on at Sundown. :beer:

If the facebook link doesn't work then just imagine a partially dismantled 1964 Tucker Snowcat. 8)