Thinkin back...

[Hannibal Lecter, MD]

Started mowing grass for money around 13.  Tried picking blackberries for extra money a few summers; that's a tough job.

Worked for my uncle on the farm - feeding cattle, building/mending fences, etc for a few years.  Hardest job I ever had, and he paid me under minimum wage.

After I could drive I started cooking at a local restaurant.  I did that for about a year and a half, and then I went to a convenience store.

Some of the summers in college I worked at a pawn shop until I started the engineering co-op program.

Looking at this I'm wondering how I didn't end up with a better work ethic...

[Terrie1959]

My first real jobs were working in Tuscaloosa at the Bama theatre and  Sirloin Stockade.  After high school, I worked at Partlow as a Group Home Parent in a house with 10 mentally retarded women from Partlow. It was a rewarding (at times) job and frustrating (at times). My BEST job ever was in Nebraska working for an education research and development company. I was an Executive Administrative Assistant. LOVED the job.

worse job? picking strawberries one summer. NEVER again! LOL

[#1Tidefan]

Bet you folks didn't know I was a dairyman. I had a chance to go to Montezuma,Ga at that Mennonite restaurant last weekend, and it brought back some good memories. I was workin for my bro-in-law back in the early 80's in the Dairy equipment business (Boumatic systems out of Madison Wi). I learned the ropes, and eventually learned the art of milkin/takin care of those milk producin Holsteins...Guernseys...and Jerseys.

Good times...working with cattlemen as well! If your ever down Montezuma way, ck out that Mennonite (self owned) eatin establishment. The Yoders and Swarzentrubers used to run it. Everything is completely Organic, and you get TWICE the food/dessert you would anywhere! and the Scenic scenes are fantastic!...ck it out.

Now that I have rambled on...what was one of you're first jobs that you remember?...good or bad.

I have more EPIC tales comin soon...  ;)

Then you know something about hard work, it takes a special person to own a dairy.

Yes sir I do. Back then I was in my late 20's. There was no such thing as a 8/10/12 hour workday. The round-up started @ 0400, and went through 9...sometimes 11 at night, milkin 2x a day.

There was prep work in the milk barn...and clean-up afterwords, along with many other chores...I can't begin to list...7 days a week.

I didn't own the dairy btw. I was only a hired gun...

[2Stater]

My first job was at McDonald's on Fairview Avenue in Montgomery. I was 15 years old and my manager's name was Ralph Adams. He taught me more about life and business than anyone I ever worked with. He wanted me to go to "Hamburger University" (Yes, it was really called that) to train for a management position when I was a senior in high school. I told him I could never have self respect by attending a school with that name nor could I live down the crap my friends would give me for going there. It was a great experience to work for him, never the less.

[#1Tidefan]

My first job was at McDonald's on Fairview Avenue in Montgomery. I was 15 years old and my manager's name was Ralph Adams. He taught me more about life and business than anyone I ever worked with. He wanted me to go to "Hamburger University" (Yes, it was really called that) to train for a management position when I was a senior in high school. I told him I could never have self respect by attending a school with that name nor could I live down the crap my friends would give me for going there. It was a great experience to work for him, never the less.

I flipped burgers as a senior in school @ Hardees. I brought a ton of business in that place, but missed the camaraderie joining them on fri/sat nights...that hurt.

[2Stater]

My first job was at McDonald's on Fairview Avenue in Montgomery. I was 15 years old and my manager's name was Ralph Adams. He taught me more about life and business than anyone I ever worked with. He wanted me to go to "Hamburger University" (Yes, it was really called that) to train for a management position when I was a senior in high school. I told him I could never have self respect by attending a school with that name nor could I live down the crap my friends would give me for going there. It was a great experience to work for him, never the less.

I flipped burgers as a senior in school @ Hardees. I brought a ton of business in that place, but missed the camaraderie joining them on fri/sat nights...that hurt.

True dat!

[#1Tidefan]

Along the way...Alan Bryant (My boss) started up a Dairy Equip. sales and service Co. We started catering to other dairymen around the Pine Mountain Ga. area. Nothing was beyond that boys capabilities...

We would put in feed bins, completely renovate Herringbone milkin parlors...to include...vacuum lines...the pump...milkin lines with pump...
New stanchions (where the cows stand whilst bein milked) Bulk milk tanks from 500-2000 gallon capacities with new refrigeration equip.

It was rough in between milkings, but we did it. We even installed a new feed bin delivery system to each stanchion, and had a computerized delivery, where each cow had a certain portion delivered via a tag around the cows neck that came in contact with a sensor, that delivered that particular cow/heifer's history stored in memory to the computer. (yep they had'em back then)

Hows that for modernization in the 80's

[#1Tidefan]

My first job was at McDonald's on Fairview Avenue in Montgomery. I was 15 years old and my manager's name was Ralph Adams. He taught me more about life and business than anyone I ever worked with. He wanted me to go to "Hamburger University" (Yes, it was really called that) to train for a management position when I was a senior in high school. I told him I could never have self respect by attending a school with that name nor could I live down the crap my friends would give me for going there. It was a great experience to work for him, never the less.

I flipped burgers as a senior in school @ Hardees. I brought a ton of business in that place, but missed the camaraderie joining them on fri/sat nights...that hurt.

True dat!

 ...

[#1Tidefan]

Whilst I'm at it...My boss Alan's dad was named William Bryant. Put 2an2 together for that thought...

Into the business it grew like crazy! If you've never been a Farmer...or a Dairyman, there is a lot you need to do for yourself. You can't afford to call in a plumber...Electrician...or a Refrigeration tech. And a lot of times, I've seen those good folks do their OWN work...and MAKE it work, without spending countless $$$ that they could have saved...think about it people.

********************************************************

Alan got a call from Plains Ga....This hawg farmer, had a peculiar problem that involved those bacon/pork lovin critters runnin from one end on the pen to another, squealin like...well you know. Them hawgs would dip their snout into the water trough and thats what got it started..........

********************************************************

When we got there, we met up with this feller, that must of had 250...300 hawgs. He had tried to call other farmers...friends to figure out what the h*** was goin on.

They would run to the trough, and dip their snout into the water...then sqeal like crazy...runnin to the other end!...Crazy
He had a rough concrete pad about 100 x 50' and he kept it purty clean,so it did'nt smell all that bad...
I danged near died laughin soo hard, that my stomach actually ACHED whilist watchin these critters run from one end to another...

********************************************************

I actually found the problem. While noticing the water trough rigged up with a commode ball-cock filling valve...I received a 'mild shock'. Alan went and got his meter, and it was determined, that 20 something volts was un-acceptable.

We tracked the line back to a barn some 100' away, leadin up to a HW heater that wasn't bein used. It was then determined that the old 120 gallon behemoth, had one of the elements that had grounded. We just killed the circuit...and drove a 9' ground rod by the water trough using #4 copper to make sure there was no back-feed...

Results= less that a volt...

True story!

[XBAMA]

During summers in High School - cutting, baling and putting hay in the barn.

During  college summers - worked as a carpenters helper for a house builder...in the days before power saws and nail guns.

boy do I remember those days LeeWillie

bailing hay for my uncle for about zero dollars and looking like we had a heck of a ice pick fight afterward
picked up a bail one day to throw it up on the trailer and there was this rattlesnake under the strings
he was about 12 inches from my nose so it didn't take long to get that bail in the air 

then there was the cotton picking we got lucky on at my other uncles
he paid great though ... a penny a pound ! I'd fill up that long old white sack and I could make
about 20 cents for eight hours work .
we use to try to pick the cotton when the dew was still on it so it would weigh more , that was a joke .

always had a gallon mason jar of water at one end of the field that was cold in the morning so
we sat it in the shade . but you know , even with no ice or anything that water was always pretty
cold all day , or seemed like it on those hot Alabama summer days .

then one summer we hit the big time ! got a government job !
it was topping corn , we rode on a highboy tractor down through the corn field snatching the tops out
of the corn so it would pollinate , 7 idiots on a tractor , riding over the top of the corn , going about
10 miles per hour , snatching  and grabbing like it was cool , picture it ...
we thought we were movie stars , making the big money ! 50 cents an hour ! we had struck it RICH !

yep , that was my experience with our government , and I'm still getting screwed until this day 

[Jamos]

As I read some of the posts it brings back a lot of memories as I grew up in Reform, Ala located in Pickens County. The one job that I think I learned the most from was cutting pulp wood, I did this my Jr and Sr years. I learned there was a better way to may a living in life so I left Reform and moved to Davenport, Iowa and I never regretted it.

[pmull]

I washed dishes in the cafeteria in college. I was the guy behind the opening in the wall where you put your dirty tray and dishes. Not a glamorous job by any means but I got a few free meals and some spending money.

[ricky023]

As I read some of the posts it brings back a lot of memories as I grew up in Reform, Ala located in Pickens County. The one job that I think I learned the most from was cutting pulp wood, I did this my Jr and Sr years. I learned there was a better way to may a living in life so I left Reform and moved to Davenport, Iowa and I never regretted it.

You my fellow countryman did some hard work. Pulp wooding is so very hard, I have done it. RTR!

[Jamos]

As I read some of the posts it brings back a lot of memories as I grew up in Reform, Ala located in Pickens County. The one job that I think I learned the most from was cutting pulp wood, I did this my Jr and Sr years. I learned there was a better way to may a living in life so I left Reform and moved to Davenport, Iowa and I never regretted it.

You my fellow countryman did some hard work. Pulp wooding is so very hard, I have done it. RTR!

It was hard work even before I started cutting the pulp wood, but it taught me a lot at a very early age. My dad passed when I was 12 and I became the man of the house so I did anything to make a nickle to help out at home. The people in Reform knew our needs and they were always offering me ways to earn money, and I'll never forget them.

[Allie]

In HS I worked summers at the local library or in the school office.
Went to college for a while just cause I was supposed to but didn't have a clue what I wanted to be when I grew up.
Quit for a while and worked at McDonalds.
Then worked in the Radiology dept at DCH.
Went back to school.  (I only stayed out a quarter or two)

After graduation my first nursing job was in Labor and Delivery.  That was fun - I had no kids and had never been involved in the birthing process.
From there I went to ICU.

I got tired of nights, weekends and holidays so I went parttime when B was born.
From there I went to Doctor's office work.

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