The "Good Ol' Days"—Then versus Now

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Half the garage will be for the vacuum collection and the front half will be for one restored Audi and five of my six motorcycles along with car and motorcycle lifts and a workbench. It's a big garage, 1,200 square feet.
 
paul said:
You're most welcome, Jeff!

A career that becomes a hobby sounds awesome! (y)

My churches had United/Lifetouch pictorial directories made but only with the glossy heavier-weight paper covers; the leatherette covers would be great to have for anniversary editions! ⛪

Thanks for the photos of you at the Heidelberg press and of your C & P handled press—how cool! :cool:

And thank God for back doors—good for you! 🚪
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Thanks again for the compliments, Paul! Actually, I took up Printing as a hobby before it became a career. I had been laid off from the first Printing company I had worked at, and was working at Galion Iron Works, a company that built road graders, cranes, and rollers at the time I started the Printing hobby, thinking that I would be working there the rest of my life, and if I couldn't work in Printing I could pursue it as a hobby. Ended up being laid off from there after 6 years in 1981, on the day before Lena and I got married. It was about 5 years later that I got back into Printing and made a career out of it.
And yes, the leatherette covers were often ordered by the churches for Anniversary or other commemorative editions. I also ran the folder, so even if I didn't print the cover for your books I might have folded the inside pages. Also, for several years we offered pocket folder covers which were similar to the 4-color glossy covers except that they had a pocket flap inside. I also ran the die-cutting press that cut the flaps. It was also a Heidelberg and looked somewhat similar to the press I'm running in the picture, except that instead of having 3 cylinders, it had one cylinder that the bed that held the die went back & forth underneath.
Jeff
 
hygiene903 said:
Thanks again for the compliments, Paul! Actually, I took up Printing as a hobby before it became a career. I had been laid off from the first Printing company I had worked at, and was working at Galion Iron Works, a company that built road graders, cranes, and rollers at the time I started the Printing hobby, thinking that I would be working there the rest of my life, and if I couldn't work in Printing I could pursue it as a hobby. Ended up being laid off from there after 6 years in 1981, on the day before Lena and I got married. It was about 5 years later that I got back into Printing and made a career out of it.
And yes, the leatherette covers were often ordered by the churches for Anniversary or other commemorative editions. I also ran the folder, so even if I didn't print the cover for your books I might have folded the inside pages. Also, for several years we offered pocket folder covers which were similar to the 4-color glossy covers except that they had a pocket flap inside. I also ran the die-cutting press that cut the flaps. It was also a Heidelberg and looked somewhat similar to the press I'm running in the picture, except that instead of having 3 cylinders, it had one cylinder that the bed that held the die went back & forth underneath.
Jeff
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You have had an interesting working life. I still picture you pushing refrigerator and washing machine parts around and my mind still has a hard time getting used to the idea of a five story factory.
 
hygiene903 said:
Thanks again for the compliments, Paul! Actually, I took up Printing as a hobby before it became a career. I had been laid off from the first Printing company I had worked at, and was working at Galion Iron Works, a company that built road graders, cranes, and rollers at the time I started the Printing hobby, thinking that I would be working there the rest of my life, and if I couldn't work in Printing I could pursue it as a hobby. Ended up being laid off from there after 6 years in 1981, on the day before Lena and I got married. It was about 5 years later that I got back into Printing and made a career out of it.
And yes, the leatherette covers were often ordered by the churches for Anniversary or other commemorative editions. I also ran the folder, so even if I didn't print the cover for your books I might have folded the inside pages. Also, for several years we offered pocket folder covers which were similar to the 4-color glossy covers except that they had a pocket flap inside. I also ran the die-cutting press that cut the flaps. It was also a Heidelberg and looked somewhat similar to the press I'm running in the picture, except that instead of having 3 cylinders, it had one cylinder that the bed that held the die went back & forth underneath.
Jeff
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You're welcome, Jeff!

Sounds like you have had a wonderful life (like the Christmas movie starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed) ; with things like your marriage to Lena and your printing career and hobby. Congratulations, my friend!!!
 
Thank you, Paul, Cheesewonton, and Eliot, for the compliments! It definitely has been an interesting life. Wonderful or terrific might be pushing it a bit, as it has definitely had its ups & downs. For example, when I worked at Westinghouse, I hired in during my first layoff from Galion Iron Works but was laid off from Westinghouse 6 months later. Fortunately, about 2 weeks after Westinghouse laid me off, I got called back to the Iron Works. But when I got laid off from the Iron Works again the day before our Wedding, it wasn't exactly the ideal way to start a marriage, but in almost 45 years we've definitely seen all of the better & worse, richer & poorer, in sickness & health aspects, and we're still together!
Later, when I got laid off at age 53 from United Church Directories/Lifetouch along with 25 co-workers due to the Printshop being shut down after working there for 22 years (they moved our jobs to another plant out of state), it was an enlightening experience to say the least. First, I realized that being middle aged meant too young to retire and too old to start over. And when I updated, or actually, rewrote my resume, it was a real eye opener! Most of my former employers were out of business, the college where I earned my degrees no longer existed, and most of my personal references had passed away.
So yes, although life has had its ups & downs, it has mostly been good.
Jeff
 
hygiene903 said:
Thank you, Paul, Cheesewonton, and Eliot, for the compliments! It definitely has been an interesting life. Wonderful or terrific might be pushing it a bit, as it has definitely had its ups & downs. For example, when I worked at Westinghouse, I hired in during my first layoff from Galion Iron Works but was laid off from Westinghouse 6 months later. Fortunately, about 2 weeks after Westinghouse laid me off, I got called back to the Iron Works. But when I got laid off from the Iron Works again the day before our Wedding, it wasn't exactly the ideal way to start a marriage, but in almost 45 years we've definitely seen all of the better & worse, richer & poorer, in sickness & health aspects, and we're still together!
Later, when I got laid off at age 53 from United Church Directories/Lifetouch along with 25 co-workers due to the Printshop being shut down after working there for 22 years (they moved our jobs to another plant out of state), it was an enlightening experience to say the least. First, I realized that being middle aged meant too young to retire and too old to start over. And when I updated, or actually, rewrote my resume, it was a real eye opener! Most of my former employers were out of business, the college where I earned my degrees no longer existed, and most of my personal references had passed away.
So yes, although life has had its ups & downs, it has mostly been good.
Jeff
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Being out of a job at age 53 is tough. HR weenies only want to hire young and pretty. They don't even consider us old gray beards. Even being in your 40s age is working against you. "Oh, you're over qualified". In my case looking for a new career in my 40s I only had a Masters degree and most of the places I applied for had scores of out of work PhDs applying. I eventually ended up working for the Navy at one of their big weapons labs. That was mostly a good job and I had the opportunity to have a front row seat on the development of some really out there weapons but there is a lot of nepotism and bigotry in the civilian side of the Navy along with some outright dishonesty that can be frustrating to deal with.
 
centralsweeper63 said:
Good to hear you got a job, bad to hear it had some bad aspects. Every good has a bad though.
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I retired on January 31st, the same week the first of Elon Musk's "fork in the road" emails came out. I started the retirement process after the election. I knew chaos was coming and wanted no part of what I knew would be a complete sh_t show. I still talk for my former team mates and they are all hating life. I wanted to stay a couple of more years until I turned 70 but I know I made the right decision to leave when I did.

My wife also worked there as an electrical engineer but the Navy is going after her accusing her of being a Chinese spy, which would be laughable were the possible consequences not so serious. Mao and the Red Guards abused her and her family terribly. She left in part because her family is considered an enemy of the CCP. But to the bigots in, cough cough, "leadership" positions on base anyone and everyone of Chinese descent is suspect and not to be trusted. The FBI seized all of her electronics and papers while interrogating her asking who her contacts are with the Chinese. She has none. They will go through all her stuff and find nothing. No classified anything, no emails to Chinese intelligence, nothing to hide. Accused her of unreported travel to China. I have emails showing we reported the trip in question and went through the pre and post trip security briefs, did all the necessary paperwork, etc ( when you have a clearance you can't even make a day trip to Mexico or Canada without going through a formal process to gain permission ). Said she has "unreported affluence". WTH? Everything is on our taxes. I inherited some money and invested in residential real estate. I have a good income this way so we live nice. Nothing to hide. Just idiots in the Navy who are blinded by their hatred of China. My wife will tell you that "Mao took everything". She busted her butt to earn her degree here in the US ( couldn't do it in China ) and get a good career. Now the US Navy is taking what she worked so hard to achieve. You could say my loyalties are being tested. I am not real happy with my country.
 
centralsweeper63 said:
Ooh, that is a sad story. It will get better though. Unless, oh, wait, Trump.
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I have no doubt she will regain her clearance. We hired one of the top law firms in that area of law and we can disprove every claim the Navy made. But it will take time and money. We have another process going on with their EEO office. We know that will get us nowhere because we are demanding back wages, attorneys fees and damages which we assume the Navy will deny, but failing out of the EEO process allows us to sue in Federal court.

Meanwhile my wife already has some possible jobs in the commercial world as an electrical engineer she is pursuing that don't require a clearance. Double E's are in high demand in industry.
 

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