My first career was as a business equipment repairman for Olivetti, from 66 through 72. Ended up a decade later managing the service department for a business equipment dealer, and eventually dragged them kicking and screaming into the computer age.
Meanwhile, I'd been augmenting my income writing for several outdoor magazines, and as that became busier and more lucrative for me, I expanded into writing about other subjects I was well versed in as well. By the time the kids were grown and the mortgage was paid, we had what seemed a decent nest egg tucked away, so I retired from that occupation in 1989 and wrote full time, until my health attacked me again. We ended up uninsured and hospitals and doctors took our nest egg away. Went to work for a friend who runs a fishing lure company as the IT department, Export Manager and molding equipment repairman. I modernized his computer system (the software he was using when I went to work there had originally been written for the Wang.) Wrote him an entirely home grown system based on Lotus 123 with a front end from Lotus Approach. I was there from after my AAA surgery in '98 until 2012, when I retired for good for vascular surgery. Since then, I've been a professional patient, and have gone very few years without some kind major surgery or malady.
