[Jerry D]

Would it get depressing working in a funeral home Michelle?

During college, I worked for UPS, loading trucks at night.It was hard work but the money was really good. I also was in the United States Marine Corps Reserves during college. Fortunately, there were no wars going on during the time I was in, (1976 to 1982) so I got out and got my Honorable Discharge.

My first job after college was as a shipping clerk for a tool distributor and then I got an Inside Sales (Technical Sales) job at a valve manufacturer, and I've worked in that type of industry my whole career. For the last five years I've been working as an Application Engineer for a pump company. The job can be tedious and high pressure, but it pays the bills. My father was able to retire at 57 because he was in a union and he got a good pension but I have no pension other than what I have saved up in my 401K, so if I stay healthy I'll probably work until I'm 70.

[secretk]

Originally Posted by The Apt (View Post) Nope. It's amazing but we are close with the same cousins, distant with the same cousins.

What are the reasons to be distant with some cousins? Is it because of just personality differences or there is something to more to it.

This is so funny.

Yeah, weird dreams. Two nights ago I was going to groceries shop that looked like a gingerbread house. I am serious. It was all snowy and decorated. And I was with flip flops. Nevermind the snow . And then for some reason I lost my flip flops. I also never saw myself. I was there as presence, but not physically.

Oh okay, so we're back to the laziness with this group once again.

Yes. But then I said that I won't go if I don't have access so my company provided my with laptop and the technicians claim that with a device I will have access to my computer here.

Man, it appears as if that's what's going to happen. Would you be with someone the first week and alone the second or the other way around?

Unfortunately for me . I still contemplate of getting sick like really close to the trip . The first week with people, the second alone.

[secretk]

Originally Posted by The Apt (View Post)

Blame it on my Introverted Intuition. It thinks about like 10 things at once so it always wants to check something.

I actually worked throughout my Bachelors at a funeral home with a bunch of my cousins. We know the family who owns the funeral parlor. They are a very nice Italian family we've known for years. It was nice because they allowed us to work funerals (we would park cars or greet the people when they entered) and hours were adjusted to college school schedule or whatever else we needed off for. If we wanted extra hours they would always let us work too, even probably making room to pay for work when they didn't have to. Very nice situation I had back home in Cleveland.

Didn't your Empathy go in overdrive? Seeing so many dead people and so many mourning people?

For my Masters I immediately got hired in a research lab at the U of M. I basically worked under a Psychologist and helped getting research labs started then worked my way up to basically having the same position the psychologist has, plus a few other duties as well such as teaching/the business/grant side of it, lectures/speaking. Very early on in my Masters I also did some counseling in a clinical setting too.

Sounds awesome! How did you feel about the counseling you did?

That's really great.

Just like everything else in my life, my interest in Bioinformatics kicked me out of nowhere as well. I was watching TV series, I heard about the area and I immediately started reading about it. I was second year in my bachelor degree when I heard about it so naturally I would start finding materials to read and stuff like that.

I started working in the summer between my 3rd and 4th year in my bachelor's degree in the company where I work now. The first 6 months I worked on 6 hours working regime but after that I changed it to 8 hours/day.

[secretk]

Originally Posted by Jerry D (View Post) Would it get depressing working in a funeral home Michelle?

Yeah I was wondering the same thing .

During college, I worked for UPS, loading trucks at night.It was hard work but the money was really good. I also was in the United States Marine Corps Reserves during college. Fortunately, there were no wars going on during the time I was in, (1976 to 1982) so I got out and got my Honorable Discharge.

Definitely good that there were no wars while you were in the Marines! Where did you go to college and what was major?

My first job after college was as a shipping clerk for a tool distributor and then I got an Inside Sales (Technical Sales) job at a valve manufacturer, and I've worked in that type of industry my whole career. For the last five years I've been working as an Application Engineer for a pump company. The job can be tedious and high pressure, but it pays the bills. My father was able to retire at 57 because he was in a union and he got a good pension but I have no pension other than what I have saved up in my 401K, so if I stay healthy I'll probably work until I'm 70.

What is your job about actually? I mean what is the regular day to day business of such position?

[jediwands]

Originally Posted by Jerry D (View Post) Would it get depressing working in a funeral home Michelle?

No, not at all actually, because we are good friends with the Italian family and I always worked with relatives too. I also was never near anything related to the showing or anything. Meet and greet in the front (not that often either) but mostly parking cars. I was outside about 90% of the time. So it wasn't depressing. During a wake you just couldn't walk into the place laughing and joking, you had to understand where you were of course. But it was a piece of cake job, working any hours I wanted (usually with my sister or cousins) for a close friend of the family. Plus, the family had their home attached to the business too so we'd always hang at in their home, eat meals, etc. I have tons of good, happy memories working there, around family. It was an ideal job.

[jediwands]

Originally Posted by secretk (View Post) What are the reasons to be distant with some cousins? Is it because of just personality differences or there is something to more to it. Yeah, weird dreams. Two nights ago I was going to groceries shop that looked like a gingerbread house. I am serious. It was all snowy and decorated. And I was with flip flops. Nevermind the snow . And then for some reason I lost my flip flops. I also never saw myself. I was there as presence, but not physically. Yes. But then I said that I won't go if I don't have access so my company provided my with laptop and the technicians claim that with a device I will have access to my computer here. Unfortunately for me . I still contemplate of getting sick like really close to the trip . The first week with people, the second alone.

Personality differences, nothing more to it.

LOL Those are vivid dreams. Last dream I had I was purchasing another dog, a small dog, but when I went to pick him up he was the size of a horse. I remember questioning if it was really a dog.

Sucks you have to go alone for a week. Maybe by that second week it won't be so bad being alone. You will be in a groove, in a zone and you can just tie things up and if they get too close and annoying, tell them to go to hell. LOL

[jediwands]

Originally Posted by secretk (View Post) Blame it on my Introverted Intuition. It thinks about like 10 things at once so it always wants to check something. Didn't your Empathy go in overdrive? Seeing so many dead people and so many mourning people?

Nah, I never entered those rooms. I was outside the vast majority of the time parking cars, directing traffic and with a meet and great. I wasn't affected by the mourning either because I was with family and felt comfortable with the Italian family. I was just focused on working. Also, I probably picked up on the feelings but back then I was better able to block it out. Plus, I understood even back then the wake is merely a process you go through, that body is not the Spirit. It was a ritual and a necessity. My mindset was strong basically. It was the easiest job I could have had while getting my first college degree fresh out of high school. I even worked there in high school from time to time too. We always got authentic, outstanding Italian meals when we went to the house. LOL

Sounds awesome! How did you feel about the counseling you did?

It was good but I realized I preferred research.

Just like everything else in my life, my interest in Bioinformatics kicked me out of nowhere as well. I was watching TV series, I heard about the area and I immediately started reading about it. I was second year in my bachelor degree when I heard about it so naturally I would start finding materials to read and stuff like that. I started working in the summer between my 3rd and 4th year in my bachelor's degree in the company where I work now. The first 6 months I worked on 6 hours working regime but after that I changed it to 8 hours/day.

Interesting! Wow you were busy with work very early on in your college education. When you did go to school, was it before or after work?

[secretk]

Originally Posted by The Apt (View Post) Personality differences, nothing more to it.

It happens to everyone .

LOL Those are vivid dreams. Last dream I had I was purchasing another dog, a small dog, but when I went to pick him up he was the size of a horse. I remember questioning if it was really a dog.

When was this dream? Do you usually remember your dreams?

Sucks you have to go alone for a week. Maybe by that second week it won't be so bad being alone. You will be in a groove, in a zone and you can just tie things up and if they get too close and annoying, tell them to go to hell. LOL

Now it turned out that I might not be for the second week because the French guy that needed me will be in vacation.

[secretk]

Originally Posted by The Apt (View Post) Nah, I never entered those rooms. I was outside the vast majority of the time parking cars, directing traffic and with a meet and great. I wasn't affected by the mourning either because I was with family and felt comfortable with the Italian family. I was just focused on working. Also, I probably picked up on the feelings but back then I was better able to block it out. Plus, I understood even back then the wake is merely a process you go through, that body is not the Spirit. It was a ritual and a necessity. My mindset was strong basically. It was the easiest job I could have had while getting my first college degree fresh out of high school. I even worked there in high school from time to time too. We always got authentic, outstanding Italian meals when we went to the house. LOL

This is good that you did not struggle with side effects.

It was good but I realized I preferred research.

Research is definitely for you!

Interesting! Wow you were busy with work very early on in your college education. When you did go to school, was it before or after work?

It was either before work, after work or in the weekends. Sometimes we had classes Saturday. And I just skipped half of the classes anyway. I would go only for the labs.

[Jerry D]

Originally Posted by secretk (View Post) Definitely good that there were no wars while you were in the Marines! Where did you go to college and what was major?

I went to William Paterson University in Wayne New Jersey. My major was history because I originally wanted to be lawyer, but I ended up working after college and I got into technical sales. I still love history and I still love to write, and my boss often has me edit the technical documents that we use.

Originally Posted by secretk (View Post) What is your job about actually? I mean what is the regular day to day business of such position?

What I do in my job is provide formal quotations for the pumps that my company manufactures. It involves taking the customers' service conditions and sizing and selecting a pump based on those service conditions. Factors to select a pump include the flow rate, the specific gravity (density) of the liquid to be pumped, the temperature, and how many feet the liquid has to travel to get from one place to another place in the refinery or chemical plant that it's in. We have to read and comment on the specifications that the customer sends in and provide price and delivery for the pumps and the special testing or accessories that the pumps may need. Some of the bid packages we get involve quoting a lot of pumps, and we sometimes have to read through hundreds of pages of specifications, and you always have to get the bids out to the customers by the date that they're due, which can be difficult at times. Most of the pumps we sell are made out of stainless steel, but sometimes they may be made out of more exotic metals like titanium. If I get an order based on the quote that I did, I enter the order and coordinate getting the order placed on our factory in Japan and manage the order. I also provide technical support if the customer has problems with the pumps that they bought or if the people in the shop who work on the pumps need help. In addition to that I also provide calculations for the shop to modify pumps that we have in stock to meet the customer's service conditions. So my job combines an Inside Sales job with an Engineering job, because selling these pumps requires technical knowledge. I don't have a quota to meet like outside salespeople do, so I don't have that kind of pressure, but it's a high pressure job in that you're always having to meet deadlines and the amount of work that comes in can be overwhelming at times.

[Jerry D]

Originally Posted by The Apt (View Post) No, not at all actually, because we are good friends with the Italian family and I always worked with relatives too. I also was never near anything related to the showing or anything. Meet and greet in the front (not that often either) but mostly parking cars. I was outside about 90% of the time. So it wasn't depressing. During a wake you just couldn't walk into the place laughing and joking, you had to understand where you were of course. But it was a piece of cake job, working any hours I wanted (usually with my sister or cousins) for a close friend of the family. Plus, the family had their home attached to the business too so we'd always hang at in their home, eat meals, etc. I have tons of good, happy memories working there, around family. It was an ideal job.

That sounds really nice and it really does sound like an ideal job.

[everwoodfan52]

Originally Posted by Jerry D (View Post) I went to William Paterson University in Wayne New Jersey.

Sorry...but I have to cheer my little town and William Paterson University where I got my Masters degree.
Such a small world!

[Jerry D]

Originally Posted by everwoodfan52 (View Post) Sorry...but I have to cheer my little town and William Paterson University where I got my Masters degree. Such a small world!

That’s awesome Betty! It really is a small world!

[jediwands]

Proud Of My Nieces

I just got back from running a bunch of errands. Around town, there's multiple signs advertising for the Girls Varsity Soccer home game tonight. The city we live in is not a small city. However, it is a historical city. There's a lot of history. Way back in the day many Irish settled here. Thus, the team name being Irish. There is just this sense of togetherness which is rare because it's not a small town in the least. You can feel the culture and history.

So as I was running my errands every so often I would look up and see a sign reminding the people in the city that the Girls Varsity Soccer team is playing tonight in the Stadium at 7 PM. Just makes me feel good knowing my nieces made this team as a Freshman in their respective years. There were only 2 Freshman that made it each of their years and they were each one of two in an otherwise packed team. This team has depth and when the both of them tried out there were hardly any spots available so to make it as a Freshman and be only one of two to do so in each year is phenomenal. They followed in their aunts footsteps, which makes me more proud because like I said I get to brag about passing down the genes.

Anyway, huge rival game tonight for my nieces... and this city.

[Jerry D]

That's wonderful Michelle! They definitely take after their Aunt! I wish them luck in tonight's game.