retired 1/2 my life, since the Feds effectively shut down my remote control energy management company(saved customers 35% of their energy costs). That's after I quit Stelco cause boss and me didn't see 'eye to eye',so no pension from there. With no paycheck coming in, still managed to pay off house and buy orange. No, I don't eat thick steaks at fancy restaurants every night, but seem to make ends meet.

Jay

 Always interesting to read these. 

The title of the OP is: What's everyone do? 

Well the wife will tell you I do what ever I want. Some days more of that gets done than other days!

Have been retired 4 1/2 years and just like a kid in a sandbox!  60 years of school and work just cut into my "playin" time!

Regards,

Chris

 Well,,,I graduated High School in 1965 and headed off to IBM school in Albuquerque,,,was havin a wonderful and great time,,,, til they asked me to leave,, I go back home and while on a nite on the town a bunch of us decided to join the Navy on the " Buddy-Buddy Plan",,,We gets a big send-off,,everybody cryin cause Vietnam was just gettin serious,,,, While goin thru physicals,,The base Commander calls me to his office and tells me I can't go as I flunked the hearing test,,!! WHAT,,?? I wount up takin the friggin hearing test 4 times before the commander finally tells me they sending me home. I gently informed the commander all 6 of us were on the Buddy-Buddy plan and if I couldn't go,,,,,none of the others would go either,,,he told me, "Son,,your "Buddies" flew out two hours ago,,,chit,,!!

 I go home and 3 months later another bunch of us head out to California to make us a million dollars,,,,met my future wife at a Beach Party at Point Fermin when I was with another girl,,,and,,,,and,,,the fight was on,,,,,Ya see,,I was with Donna at the Beach Party and my girl cousin introduced me  to my future wife, Joyce, when Donna had to go Pee and Joyce comes over to,,,,,"talk",,, bout that time Donna shows up at a very unfortunate time and starts cryin and then runs off ,,and threatening to jump  off the cliffs at the Point,,,,and,,,,and,,,there is Joyce yellin" Let the bit** jump,,let her jump",,,,,thas when I KNEW she was the one for me,,,,,

 Three months later we get married in Los Angeles and decide to move back to New Mexico because of all the drugs and crime,,,  We have our first of 5 boys the first year,,,,

 In 1969, I started working at the local refinery as a yard hand at,,,,$3.01/hour,,big money,, I started moving up as relief foreman during the annual Shutdowns and became permanent yard forman in 1974. In 1985 I was promoted to Maintenance Dept Co-Ordinator and was responsible for instituting a grass roots "process Safety Management" program working with Federal OSHA inspectors and our system became operational within two years.In 1990 I was promoted to Assistant Maintenance Superintendent over the whole maintenance dept,,,,,lots and lots of weekends working and many,many hours worrying about keeping the plant operating and people safe.

 After 31 years, the Company went thru a "reorganization" and an early retirement plan was offered to 51 employees. Even tho I KNEW, I was one of the ones going to stay,,,I decide I had had enough and with that many people leaving,,,things were just not gonna be what I wanted to fight,,so I decide to take the early retirement. I sometimes wonder of the possibilities but after listening to the old timers...I'm glad I left,,,

 Kinda of a boring life,,,huh,,,???? 

 I started my love affair with Allis Chalmers bout 10 years ago when I was lookin for a backhoe/loader and I found the D14 Industrial in a wrecking yard. Had no idea what I had but I bought it anyway. After looking for an engine,,I find a D15 Series II LPG over in West Texas and rebuilt it while the D14 sat. Sold the D15 to an older gentleman that would not take no for an answer,,I then had plenty of money to buy an engine for the D14 and I love it,,,,,Now,,I'm looking for a certain Chevy Allis for a Parade Tractor,,,,  

I retired from the IBEW in Feb. 2001. 

Still like fabricating and repairing things.

Dusty 

I agree some amazing guys here.

 But......but ...........the smart alec just had to say this.The history books do have a Golden Period of American Agriculture. But of course they don't all use the same years but from 1900 to 1918 when WW1 ended. Europe was out of food and paying really high price for anything they could get at the end of the war. So one bushel of wheat would buy the farmer more of everything than any other time.

Then I worked for Uncle Sam for four years in the US Navy.

I worked in a machine shop and then maintenance at the local hospital for a combined 10 years.

For the last 20 plus years I have been building roll dryers for a feed ingredient company.

My wife and I also live on a small farm where we farrow out a few sows, raise chickens and custom raise heifer for my neighbor. 

Income to eat and generally have insurance. 1965 to 1984 New Idea Farm Equipment except 2 years in Army 1966-1968 MP. Metal stamping plant 6+ years, bread route driver 6+ years. Conagra Eckrich route driver 1 year, real estate appraisal for county taxes traveling Ohio and Indiana 6+ years and a bunch of other jobs that filled layoff times, etc.

Things I did to get ahead. Torch, truck and trailer scrapping junk, carpet sales out of my car trunk, sold real estate, bought, repaired, sold and rented apartments, houses, mobile home parks, storage units and farm land. Selling off residential stuff one by one and buying land when I can find it now.

Had heart surgury November 2017 and able to do about 50% of what I used to.

Grew up on 350 acre farms 19 miles apart with 2 row equipment, helping milk 35 cows for room and board.

Guess I just had a meal and a place to stay all this time when you get down to it.

Oh yeah, had 45, wd, wc at home and now 9 5015's, 5 runners 2 parts, and 2 that will run or may need for parts.

The only planters I have ever used were Kinze's pulled by AC's(7080, 8050, and 8070"s and the only combines I have ever used were Gleaners. (N6's, R62, R75, R76, S77, and now S78. Still have my first car, 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, my original wife of 24 years, and one daughter who is wicked smart. She brings home 4.0's like I bring home pop and chocolate.

GREAT QUESTION!!!!! 5 STARS!!!!!

Shameless...... No, engine mounts for Ford and Chrysler, TV frames for back when they had tubes, and other stuff.

I was a supervisor and asst. plant manager there. My boss the plant manager did go to prison while I was there. Got thirty months and served 15 I heard.

Play farmer when I can with my brothers.

Somewhere in there tecky kid said I needed to have "the net" and a confuser and that is how I landed here. Even though back in college I were teached to program 2+2=4

and had the stack of punch cards to prove it to my kids. Proper English,writing anything down,except billing citydots for farming sends me running away.

I don't think I need to worry since I have my aluminum foil hat on right, but to put too much information out kinda scares me. But I consider most of you good people,well there could be 1 or 2 questionables hiding here. I enjoyed reading what others put out so decided I needed to contribute.

Farmer in heart, Dentist by trade

Grew up in the middle of KC KS. My dad was adopted and grew up in a tar paper shack (he took me there when I was 14) in the southern Missouri hills. He was adopted more as a farm hand than a son. Miserable life from what he said and others that verified that. Graduated the 8th grade and went to work as a homestead farm hand. Bailed on that as soon as he was old enough to join the Army and never went back. 7 years in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, before and after.

Dad and Mom moved to KC for work and Dad never wanted to have anything to do with farming, growing a garden.....nothing. Just fishing and keeping the yard mowed. Didn't really do much hunting because he was sick of that too. Just showed me the basics but he could sure fish.

I graduated in 76 and did worked odd jobs here and there. Oldest brother had an auto shop and worked for him some. Been around that as far as I can remember. Got a job at an independent auto shop and worked for him for 27 years. In the meantime got married to a farm girl. After a few years and a few kids we bought a house and 25 acres about 45 miles south. Around her home town. Never looked back and had no idea what I was doing.

Father in law is/was a full time farmer. He came over as said 'get off your butt we are going to get you a tractor....free'. He found a 49WD NF that had been sitting out for years and froze up. Pulled it 10 miles home. Got that wore out old dog running and all prettied up and used it for several years. I used it for everything. Found a 6' beat up backhoe bucket and made it into a 3-point trip bucket. That was a life saver.

Found another WD for $1000 and sold the first one for $1400.

Been using this one for the last 20 plus years modified to my liking.

During all these years I have had 2 bouts with cancer, got over both of those and a few more bouts of other BS in between. Back issues lately but doing much better. Still wrenching but not nearly as intense cause the SOB's will try to kill you if you let em.

30 year old stamina just ain't there anymore but I'm making it work.

The WD don't do much anymore. Keep it in the shed because it will never sit outside.

Saved my butt more times than I can count.

Got some different machines to make it easier but still have the WD to do what they can't. Not very often but it's there when I need it. Funny thing is, my FIL got me into Allis with his WD45 that he bought new and showed me the workings of it. Now he calls me when he has a problem with his.

been reading your posts for years.     probably met you out there in west O and didn't know it           have to buy you a drink some time

Paul