mroped
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Post by mroped on Jun 8, 2015 19:28:43 GMT -5
Massachusetts is not that far! About 4-5 hrs drive. Did a job a few years back at about 3 hrs away from home. If it's worth or apeal's to my senses than is worth the travel.
Some of the best stone comes from NE- New Hampshire and Vermont. I have been up in NH once in a town that had a litle granite quarry, old stone buildings but no new ones. Nobody to do it anymore. Everybody that thinks of becoming a mason just wants to join the Union. I do not understand why.
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whispering17
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Life is short...eat dessert first!!
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Post by whispering17 on Jun 8, 2015 20:04:40 GMT -5
I retired 3 weeks ago. I have 2 pensions and SS and make $40k a year without touching my 401k or Roths. I live in So. Cal
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2015 20:18:53 GMT -5
Retired admin/personal assistant/bookkeeper type person who just agreed to type another $&##(** manuscript for my former boss who thinks he is writing the next great American novel, again! No pension, $10,000 annual SS. DH is retired civil engineer with $70,000/yr pension plus $15,000 SS. DH has to take about $10,000 a year in RMD from his IRA; other than that we don't touch investments. We live waaaaay below our means in SE Texas, really large metro area
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Jun 8, 2015 21:34:17 GMT -5
You don't have to feel bad! You work for it(I'm guessing ) so there is no need for that. I'm a mason in the real sens of the word. It annoys me when people claim that they are masons and all they can do is lay block or brick. I'm trained to do it all and have done it all over the years. My favorite however is natural stone work or building fireplaces and things of the past-water wells lining, baking ovens, masonry heaters( babushkas for those that know ), smoke houses, you name it. Love restoring old masonry structures brick or stone alike. Every time I do one, I learn something new and is always a chalenge fixing them. As far as money, I have no idea what I'm making. DW takes care of that just to make it easier for me and I'm thankful for that. We live in Central Pa. Yours are really valuable, rare skills these days. BIL would love to know you, but alas you are too far away. If you ever want to visit MA and have a free place to stay- we could discuss what it would cost to have my 130 year old stone basement rebuilt. Properly. I can get any number of yahoos who can "fix" it. We've been looking for someone for our old fieldstone and limestone mortar basement, too. Our local guys want to do something involving concrete. Just, NO! You'd think that with all the Cobblestone houses around here there'd be someone who knows about the older techniques, or even sources for materials.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2015 21:44:15 GMT -5
Half of my yard is full of old foundations from houses and barns.
Well, actually the other half is too, but those have been made into something else already
ETA: The not piled side...
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mroped
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Post by mroped on Jun 8, 2015 21:46:29 GMT -5
Yeah, there should be but finding that old cobble stone to match might require thinking! For concrete, you just call the plant,
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Jun 8, 2015 21:54:40 GMT -5
I stopped working in '99 at age 46. I was making $64K as an I.T. networking person.
My DH has been making about $95K/year including bonuses for the past few years. He's sales support in a megacorp.
We live in the Twin Cities, no children.
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Jun 8, 2015 22:10:40 GMT -5
Yeah, there should be but finding that old cobble stone to match might require thinking! For concrete, you just call the plant, Actually, as far as materials I meant for the limestone mortar. Our foundation is fieldstone (neighboring farmer has a pile he dumps on after plowing, so no problem finding stones), with a front facade of cut Medina red sandstone. Mostly we just need to put back in the stones that have fallen out, where the soft limestone mortar has weakened (after ~170 years). Those cobblestone houses are beautiful - there's one across the street from me. It's pretty unique, for a cobblestone. It's gothic, not the usual federal style. There are so many in the area because they could just go get a wagonload of cobblestones from the lake, 15 miles due north. Of course the sorting for size and color and shape - that's why they don't make them anymore, too labor intensive.
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irishpad
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Post by irishpad on Jun 8, 2015 22:40:27 GMT -5
According to this thread, Tennesseer is my boss. $26,000 / year, + room (not of my choosing) and board. NW Minn
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SVT
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Post by SVT on Jun 9, 2015 4:10:13 GMT -5
29, single, MD.
Govt contractor in Tech. $130k-150k (150k this year) plus 10% automatic contribution to 401k.
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mroped
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Post by mroped on Jun 9, 2015 6:33:56 GMT -5
When a new house gets built , there is a General Contractor-GC. Masons of any kind fall under "Subcntractor" category. When you hire a GC to build you a house, he wants to make as much money as he can so he puts everything out for bids. Carpenters, tile setters, roofers, electrician, plumbers and so on are so many of them that he is bound to find a very cheap one for each so he can add on top as much as he wants to maximize his profits just by shuffling papers. Masons, especially stone masons, are in a close range on pricing based on the area. There isn't much room for a GC to add a hefty profit so they choose siding for thA matter.
Stone work of any kind is not just labor intensive is pricier too! So GCs at large try to steer clear of stone finishes because first they don't make much money on it and because it jumps the total prices for the building.
IE: in our area you can do vinil/wood siding on a house for $10-15/sf but you'd have to pay over $20 for natural stone. On a house that has on average 2000 sf of exterior that's $10k. On the $20/sf(is in fact about $25 on average) the GC doesn't have much of a margin.
I typicaly don't deal with GC but with the homeowners directly. Many details about what the Homeowner wants gets lost in translation.
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myrrh
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Post by myrrh on Jun 9, 2015 9:29:31 GMT -5
I'm an environmental scientist working for the state, making around 58k. DH is a computer security/IT guy making around 70k. We live in central NM. If I had been smart I would have been a civil engineer and then I would know how to read plans and specs, and be making a whole lot more.
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cael
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Post by cael on Jun 9, 2015 10:42:01 GMT -5
I'm an environmental scientist working for the state
That's what I hope to do eventually after grad school! I think in this area (Boston) salaries for that kind of thing with a masters are decent, so we'll see what happens. Openings are hard to find, and each position I apply to basically has someone already in the state system waiting to move into it. Someday I'll be able to break into it.
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murphath
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Post by murphath on Jun 9, 2015 11:48:39 GMT -5
Me: Retired test administrator; Northern California (Bay Area); $24,000 pension
DH: Retired restauranteur. Now working p/t for various catering companies as bartender and/or server. He hates being retired so is much happier when working these gigs. Says it's like "stealing money". Since he used to work 7 days/wk, 14-16 hrs day at the restaurant, I understand his thinking. Makes @ $31,000 year. Best part is he can take home the leftovers. I haven't had to cook very much at all and it saves us at least $200 month in food costs. Last night I dined on tri tip, asparagus, and red potatoes.
Our big discussion these days is about the best time to start taking Social Security. I'm 62 in August and would get @ $1400 month. TAke it and invest it? Or wait until 66 for full retirement age? Any thoughts from you experts out there?
We won't take anything from our retirement accounts until RMD kicks in.
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ken a.k.a OMK
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They killed Kenny, the bastards.
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Post by ken a.k.a OMK on Jun 9, 2015 12:08:13 GMT -5
The experts say don't take SS early unless you need it or have medical issues that may shorten your life, because you can't make up the 8% a year increase you get by waiting. In our case I disagree. We didn't need it but getting it each month helped us to leave our investments alone which have been growing at 10% or more a year average since retiring in 2010. We won't touch our money until RMD either.
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Regie
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Post by Regie on Jun 9, 2015 12:26:24 GMT -5
I'm a lab rat. $75K Live in Minnesota
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Ombud
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Post by Ombud on Jun 9, 2015 12:34:18 GMT -5
murphath, live over the bridge from you. Have you run the numbers on drawing 1/2 his at FRA letting yours grow until 70 and then drawing it taking some from investments until then of needed? Months ago you suggested DVC instead of state .... 1/2 his graduating class is doing that!
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Jun 9, 2015 12:51:14 GMT -5
Engineer $110k in Biotech. Target bonus for my position is $15k but I just started in Jan so hopefully next year I will get that.
I was making $110k in 2007 at a pharma company before layoff. I spent 6 years making $60-$80k since I couldn't relocate from GA due to personal reasons. Once I was open to moving I got my current job in AL.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Jun 9, 2015 16:16:39 GMT -5
I work in the travel industry making $41k. My DH is doing networking support for $51k, plus occasional OT, annual bonus, and Nat. Guard $4-8k? We are in the metro Phoenix area.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Jun 9, 2015 17:32:16 GMT -5
Health Physicist for the Federal Government. I'm a GS 12 step 4 on the pay scale, so 77k.
After I get fully trained at my current job, I'll go to GS 13.
Live in SE Virginia, no spouse or kids.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Jun 9, 2015 17:36:58 GMT -5
I'm an environmental scientist working for the state
That's what I hope to do eventually after grad school! I think in this area (Boston) salaries for that kind of thing with a masters are decent, so we'll see what happens. Openings are hard to find, and each position I apply to basically has someone already in the state system waiting to move into it. Someday I'll be able to break into it. Go with the feds, they pay more. You might have to move though.
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bookkeeper
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Post by bookkeeper on Jun 9, 2015 18:12:03 GMT -5
Retired last September and we are living on DH's deferred compensation account. That will pay around $93,000 for 2015. After that we plan to tap his 401k. When DH is age 59 1/2 there is another pot of money in an IRA.
When we were both working, DH made $138,000 as a utility manager and I made $20,000 working part time as a bookkeeper. We lived in Nebraska.
We have since moved to our home state which has no state income tax.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Jun 9, 2015 22:26:32 GMT -5
Half of my yard is full of old foundations from houses and barns.
Well, actually the other half is too, but those have been made into something else already
ETA: The not piled side...
Nice Oped. I hope you can fix it to your liking. Very thick outside walls?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2015 22:33:53 GMT -5
Lol. It is fixed. Does it look that bad? Husband put the stone on the house. Yes, very think, 6 inches of stone. It was T1-11 when we moved in. He dug to the foundation, built up the foundation at stone thickness and then put on the 6 inches of stone. It helps a lot with temperature regulation... Unless it's an exceptionally hot summer, then it becomes a little like a baking oven in here.
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cael
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Post by cael on Jun 10, 2015 7:45:52 GMT -5
I'm an environmental scientist working for the state
That's what I hope to do eventually after grad school! I think in this area (Boston) salaries for that kind of thing with a masters are decent, so we'll see what happens. Openings are hard to find, and each position I apply to basically has someone already in the state system waiting to move into it. Someday I'll be able to break into it. Go with the feds, they pay more. You might have to move though.
I would absolutely consider that. DH has always wanted to move west, we'd both be open to a move. I check usajobs pretty frequently! I feel before I'd even be considered for those jobs I'll need to finish the master's degree.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Jun 10, 2015 8:35:11 GMT -5
Go with the feds, they pay more. You might have to move though.
I would absolutely consider that. DH has always wanted to move west, we'd both be open to a move. I check usajobs pretty frequently! I feel before I'd even be considered for those jobs I'll need to finish the master's degree. Obviously a masters helps, but most federal jobs don't specifically require it. I've gotten 4 federal jobs. The best advice I can give for usajobs is match your resume as close as possible to the job description you're applying for. And I mean word for word. The government uses word searches in your resume to see how close they match the job description and KSA's. The closer your phrasing and wording matches theirs, the higher you'll be rated.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Jun 10, 2015 8:47:09 GMT -5
Maybe it's my series, 511 auditor, but when I applied for my 13, there were no KSAs. I thought agencies had been directed to scrap them to speed up the hiring process. All I had to do was give my resume, transcript, SF-50 and answer 15-20 questions about my experience. The answers were just selecting your level of experience with the described item, no writing involved. It was the same way when I applied for an auditor slot in a different division, same agency. Definitely match the resume to the description though.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Jun 10, 2015 9:29:56 GMT -5
Also, don't just consider the obvious agencies like the EPA. The DOD needs tons of people for all kinds of stuff. Any science based agency will also have envoinmental programs.
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myrrh
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Post by myrrh on Jun 10, 2015 9:40:34 GMT -5
Good info, thanks. DH keeps telling me we need to move because of the lack of jobs for him here.
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murphath
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Post by murphath on Jun 10, 2015 10:33:56 GMT -5
Ombud: Yes, we've discussed my taking 1/2 his SS at his FRA. Guess we'll wait to see how much longer he wants to do the catering stuff. If he quits that before FRA, the decision will be made for us.
RE DVC: very good CC so I'm not surprised 1/2 kids going there. It's also huge--a larger student body than most of the state universities. I think it's $46 unit now which is still a great deal (@ $1500 for 60 units as opposed to @ $3600 at the state unies and $9000 at the U of Calif). My kids went to Solano. They really enjoyed their time there. My niece transferred to SF State from Napa Valley CC. She liked it very much--never a dull moment in The City. I'm sure your grandson is excited about this new adventure!
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