This is Who I Am, I Think

Ok since everybody has felt compelled to describe what they do for employment I should probably try to explain what I do and how I got there. For most people it won't seem to exciting but for me I enjoy it.

Even though I never graduated from Michigan Tech the education I did receive helped me tremendously to get started in my current profession. After Tech I ended up at Mid Michigan Community College where I graduated number one in my class. I was actually trained for heating and air conditioning service but I ended up getting a job with a architectural/engineering firm in Midland. I was hired as a draftsmen but my boss must have seen something in me because he took the time to teach me how to design heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing systems and fire protection systems in commercial buildings. I also took some initiative to learn all I could from him so I wouldn't have to be a draftsman all my life. Now I don't mind drawing and still do some today but if I wanted to make better money I needed to learn the engineering end of the business. Before I left there I was designing complete buildings systems by myself, life was good other than money.

Sometimes the best way to get ahead in life is to change jobs so thats what I did. I went to work for a contractor and I did all the engineering, heating and air conditioning and plumbing systems, for the buildings we were building. While I worked there I did several notable building (at least to some of you out there). Some buildings I did in Dow were 827 Bldg, Patent/Law Office Bldg, 1803 Bldg, 1776 Bldg, Larkin Lab Office Bldg, and many others I can't remember. Outside of Dow I did Mancino's restaurants (Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Big Rapids, Cadillac, etc), Visiting Nurse Association at the Midland Hospital, Data Room at the Midland Hospital, an operating room at Midland Hospital, a vacuum cleaner plant in Cadillac, Great Lakes Junior College in Midland, plus numerous other buildings and plants around the area.

From here I went into business for myself for about 7 years. When the economy went south in Michigan and stayed there it was time for me to move on. The headaches and stress of owning your own business just isn't worth it when you can make more money working for somebody else than for yourself. I had thought about taking another job for a while but I didn't really know how employable I was since I had been out of the loop for so long. I also knew I would have to leave Michigan which I didn't mind I was just hoping to hold out long enough to see all my kids graduate. By midway through 2006 I knew I would have to leave sooner than I wanted. I finally decided to test the waters for jobs in the fall of 2006 so I posted my resume on Monster.com. I thought this would be a good test to see if anybody would actually hire me. Two days after I posted my resume I pulled it because I couldn't keep up with all the calls. I couldn't believe it I was actually wanted. I still get calls every other month or so and I get emails almost daily. I found out I had just about the perfect experience for what people were looking for out there. Little did I know.

My biggest decision was what part of the country do we want to live in? If it had not been for kids I probably would have went west but because of kids we decided we wanted to stay with a days drive of Michigan. That is how we ended up in Virgina. I had a great job in Virgina. I was doing everything I loved to do designing heating and air conditioning systems for commercial buildings. I was doing buildings by myself with very little interference from anybody. I was doing the type of buildings I like and also the type of systems I like to do. I didn't have any employees to worry about and I didn't have to collect money. Oh I did have a draftsman that did most of my drawing for me but I wasn't responsible for him. Besides he was the presidents brother-in-law so if figured he was his problem. I worked directly for the president and vice president of the company, it truly was a great job and great pay. I did a Max and Erma's restaurant out in Dulles airport, did a million dollar conference room for AARP in downtown DC, worked on a 250,000 square foot office building for the Army Corps of Engineers, plus numerous office buildings all around the area. I also did a new Day Care Center for AOL.

After the wife was laid off from her job because of economic reasons she made one trip to Virgina and found a job. She too loved her job but there was one problem, the city life was hard for us to deal with (so we thought).

When that call came from Green Bay Wisconsin it was hard to ignore. Soon a job offer and a chance to move back to the mid west. It was with another contractor. I was going to do their engineering and a little project managing too. The job hours are from 7:00am to 4:30pm except Tuesdays when I start at 6:30am (and Shay thought 8:00am was early)and I am free to come and go as I please. The engineering I do now is more along the lines of industrial engineering, mostly for food plants like Johnsonville, Grande, and plants like Kohler where they make engines, generators and toilets. I still design heating and air conditioning systems and some plumbing systems it is just a little different type now. This part of the job I enjoy and I would be happy if that is all I did. But, like I said I also do some project managing. I am currently in charge of a 350,000 square foot manufacturing complex with a 70,000 square foot office building attached to it. I have to make sure we have enough employees there to do the work, I have to make sure we have all the material there to do the work, I have to do billings, and I am expected to take care of all the employee problems that crop up. I am having flashback nightmares. This is what I left behind in Michigan hoping to never have to worry about again. Have I mentioned I hate it. The construction of the building is going along nicely, we will be done ahead of schedule and the company will probably make more money (net profit) on this project than any other job they have ever done. I still hate it, the stress levels are high and I can feel it. All I want to do is what I am good at, design buildings.

I still so "side" work which I truly enjoy. Some recent buildings I have done some of you might recognize are the Coleman Library, the new Wendel's store in Mt Pleasant, numerous township offices, Midland Christian School, Lux Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant, Rosebush Manor, and Burnout Motor Sports in front of Jay's.

So who am I? I am not sure, I think I am still finding out. In the last year and a half I have gone from living in the country to the city (and a big one a that, DC) and back to the country. If you would have asked me before I ever lived in a city if I thought I could live in a city I would have said NO! A funny thing has happened since I left the DC area 8 months ago, I found out I miss it. I can't explain it other than there was always something to do or someplace to go. Bored on a Sunday, hop on the Metro and go watch a ball game. Just want to get out, go for a walk in the cemetery or in the Washington National Mall. Take a trip to the Smithsonian's or one of the many other museums in the area, most are free. And if you are into people watching there is no better place than DC to do it. Then why did we leave? I think it was what we were living in. It was a small apartment, 500 square feet at the most. We could never get away from each other and it caused us to go stir crazy.

So now what? I believe we will be moving back to DC in the near future. I wouldn't be surprised if the wife goes back there early in the fall because her former employer has offered her a substantial raise to come back. I will follow by the first of the year after the elections are over. I have been talking to my former employer and he wants to wait until after the elections because of the uncertainty of the economy. He says they are swamped with work buy wants to wait as a precaution. Other than that I am welcome to come back.

I guess I turned out to be a country boy who is a mechanical engineer/project manager that wants to be a city slicker who is a mechanical engineer.