I'm an at-home mom of three currently spending the majority of my free time car pooling my middle child to dance 6 days a week. Ever heard that saying, "My kids drive me crazy. I drive them everywhere else?" That's me! Before relocating to the PNW 8 years ago, I spent 10 years in Annapolis working for the General Assembly (State Legislature).

I am presently working my way through a Nursing degree as a barista (just one more semester and I will be taking my boards). Did the same as I worked towards my BA in English Literature. Can you tell I love to learn new things? Worked many different jobs, but the ones relating to coffee were the ones I always enjoy the most. I think of my time posting on this and other forums about coffee as a different university, one I hope to never graduate from!

Senior Principal Software Engineer at Oracle Corporation (oh man, another software person!)

For those who it might mean something to I work on Oracle's JDeveloper product, mainly on visualisation (read: diagramming) framework and UML tools

And I'm a full-time home-worker

Jon

Currently, I'm an Information Security Architect for a large, multi-national company. I've worked in Development Engineering (both hardware and software), Field Service (worked on automated material handling equipment AND diagnostic X-Ray equipment). Been an auto mechanic, disc jockey, fork truck operator, etc... I first discovered espresso in '67 @ Expo '67 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (small open-air coffee shop outside the Italian Pavilion) and spent years trying to find out just WHAT I'd gotten there!

I work as a clinical pharmacist in an ICU in a teaching hospital (lots of medical and pharmacy residents/students) and precept residents during their post-graduate training year(s). I started my Folgers coffee habit while in college (like I'm sure most of you did), and later on discovered that fresh roasted coffee can have some interesting flavors once you get past the need to use it as a study aid. I'm always on the lookout for literature about the effects of coffee- both good and bad, and am pleasantly surprised by the abundance of the former and relative lack of the latter.. thankfully!

Ray

Network Engineer contractor for the Army at the Pentagon. Yes, I was here on 9/11 and, yes, it was scary!

I am a chemical engineer by degree only these days.

In school, I participated in a co-operative learning program and worked for 5 semesters (full-time) for a pharmaceutical company in an organic chemistry research lab, and also an additional 3 semesters (part-time) for a professor in a biochemistry lab where we grew high temperature microbes (although I was mostly chief bottle washer and grunt in that environment).

After school, I worked a brief stint in environmental emissions stack testing; then for two years as an "engineer" (glorified shift supervisor or foreman) for a large Fortune 100 in a production environment where we compounded and re-extruded nylon and polyester with various additives for the injection molding industry; two years as an environmental engineer in air quality compliance and permitting for a state agency; and now for 8 years in IT for the same agency where I am the network and telecommunications administrator and provide (nearly) all network and computer support for a regional office of about 115 people.

A software consultant (SAP mainly). And, Dan, I was at that IBM facility doing a SAP prototype back in 2001. And, of course, I'm very familiar with Eclipse.

Retired after 40+ years of new product development from both sides of the drawing board ( dates me don't it. ) Shake and bake, Computers, medical products( with patents.) plumbing fixtures, weapons, machines, and much so forth. Machinist, Design model maker, Model shop supervisor. I'm a returning, after 40 years, student in Art Metals and work part time for the University fixing equipment and help supervise the student use shops/studios..
Now I have a tiny home machine/wood shop, gadget factory, and espresso machine rebuild area for my own use.
Collected pretty coffee makers and then Timmo got me interested in the LaPeppina and I've been a coffee crank since. I began simple bean roasting starting a couple months ago.
Thats an overview.
I really am enjoying this thread!
Thanks
richard / espressme