Careers, Hobbies, Passions.

[Kipawa]

Great thread - thanks for starting it!

What similarities we have. I no longer work, but when I did I was also in the IT field as a Business Analyst/Test Analyst for a large company. I loved the work, but the deadlines were unrealistic and the atmosphere in the department I worked in was unbelievably stressful.

I now volunteer (when I can) with my husband at the British Columbia Paraplegic Association, the GF Strong Rehabilitation Center and at events put on by the BCPA. Spinal cord injuries are so devasting, and if we can bring a smile to the life of someone in the rehab hospital, our hearts are warmed. If you seek out work or volunteer in any area of compassion care, you'll find it incredibly rewarding. Our plans are for Kipawa to become a pet therapy dog, and he is well on his way, as he's a very social dude.

I also love gardening, and I've been into photography for many years. Of course, now I have a perfect subject - a basenji!

[Moth]

I am a part time lab tech…so there is lots of time to spend at home with the dogs

I volunteer at our local animal shelter with the dogs there.

My boyfriend and I do a lot of tabletop and video gaming. We also like to go hiking. I read a lot and draw/paint.

We actually spend quite a bit of time doing stuff with our dogs and going to dog type events that are around where we live. One of our most recent outings was to take Watson to the club picnic of the BCOSW, which is our basenji club

[eeeefarm]

I'm retired. We have a small farm with three old horses, who are also retired. At various times I have been a correctional officer, social worker, child care worker, worked with computers for awhile, written screenplays (had one low budget production actually made ) and dabbled in photography. I've lived in England and in the Arctic, but mostly in Ontario. Got my first Basenji in 1966, my second in 1975, third in 1982, forth in 1993, and current one in 2007. I've had horses it seems like forever. My oldest is 34 and I have had him since he was two. My others, 29 and 25, I raised from foals. Horse training is another hobby of mine. Once upon a time, when I was a bit younger and more foolish, I did low level eventing and a bit of schooling dressage. I'm also a ham radio operator, and ran CW traffic nets for many years. I could say I'm a "Jack (Jill?) of all trades", but I remember the next line…..master of none.

[LindaH]

My husband and I have been retired since 1995. Before retirement, I started out my working life as a math and English teacher (7th & 8th grade). I did that for three years and then was a pension plan administrator until my retirement.

After retirement, we became fulltime RVers and traveled the country, including a couple of trips to Alaska. We just came off the road last year when we bought a house, although we still RV for occasional short trips, and for a month going to and coming back from Arizona where we spend the winters.

We've lived all over the country, principally because of my husband's job: Washington, Alabama, Illinois, Arizona (where we retired to), and now back to Washington.

We got our first Basenji, Seymour, when we lived in Alabama; unfortunately, he developed a brain tumor, so we had to have him euthanized when he was only seven years old. Our second Basenji, Maxx, was with us for 15 years until his death last October.

Now we have our third Basenji, Blaze, currently seven months old. He's doing really great and is enjoying going to doggie day care for half a day three times a week (which we decided to do in order to get him socialized with other dogs and get him used to being away from us).

[Voodoo]

Started working with the Belgian Post Company, then a few years as a forester. But hard to make a living on that last job, although it is great fun to do. Dogs can keep me company all day, no real boss above you…
In 2 weeks I'm moving to Lapland (Sweden) to start a new job. Training and racing sleddogs and guiding tourist tours (in winter and spring with sleds, in summer hiking trips). Really looking forward to that.

Other passion, besides dogs, is reptiles. Been working for over 20 years now with Fiji iguana's, gold speckled tree monitors and green tree pythons.

[JakeHoffman]

Everything I've seen you say Voodoo leads me to believe we'd be awesome drinking buddies.

[sharronhurlbut]

I work at the post office, as a rural carrier. I also do basenji rescue for 3 different groups. All non profit. I mostly enjoy that, altho it can be a heartbreaker at times. For one of my goups, Seattle Purebred Dog rescue, we go to various dog events and educate folks about dogs and dog ownership. Doesn't seem I can talk too much about our beloved breed…

[vickilb]

I work in accounts payable for a General Contractor, Graham Contracting, in North Seattle. I've been her for over 11 years and joke that I am the boss's favorite. We have had to lay off over half our employees and we've shipped others off to other offices, where they have lots of work. Luckily, everyone involved is committed to keeping us right where we are and supporting us through this slow economic turn in construction.

I got my first basenji in 1994, the year I got married, from a puppy mill. My husband had a basenji growing up and told me all about them. I had mutts growing up. Congo was the best basenji in the world. He lived to 16. We got Bandit from a BYB in 2002. She's a ragamuffin who lives up to her name. Upon Congo's departure, I signed up with BRAT and in comes Hunter. He's currently 3 1/2 and as crazy & precious as can be. He & Bandit aren't best friends but they get along as well as I can ask them to. I told them that they are stuck with each other and to just deal with it!!!!

I recently got divorced, just a couple of weeks ago. My husband finally moved out in May. After 23 years of living together. My basenjis have done remarkably well. I haven't had any adjustment issues at all. In fact, it's been the opposite. They have been calmer and more at peace.

My dream is to one day work with dogs. In rescue, or own my own shelter, or something. For now I am content to be owned by my 2 awesome fur-babies!!!!

[MacPack]

I'm a recovery room nurse, and have had basenjis (up to 5 at one time) since the early 70s. What more hobby does anyone need? Our lives revolve around the dogs, dog park every evening, and twice on Sunday, vacations with the dogs. Do we go to movies? No, we're at dog park! Both husband and I have done pottery, he is a photographer, I love to read, curl up with basenjis and relax. We used to have a small plane and liked to fly, but it got too expensive, he used to do SCCA racing, lots we 'used to do' but now we find quiet life with 3 basenjis very fulfilling!

[Basenjimamma]

I love this thread..so nice to finally "meet" y'all.

I am swedish gal that came over to Texas in 199I to be an Au-Pair for a year…. I never left (much to my mother's heartbreak).
After that I worked promotional for several companies that lead me to a job as a manager at a Texas Honky Tonk..loved it there...after that I got into interior design and worked in the commercial design sector for a few years...

Now I am a stay-at-home mom with no more children at home...hehe, I spend a lot of time at school though as I am very involved in the PTO...I also have 4 dogs to tend to, as well as my Pecker Palace, full of egglaying machines.
One day I will find "real" job again, something that allows for me to be home when the kids get out of school and for us to have those long summer breaks together...that is usually when we travel back home to Sweden...until then I am enjoying myself to the fullest...and I know my dogs are too...nothing beats having your human at home with you almost all day, most days of your life=)

[lvoss]

I am a high school science teacher and dog trainer. I was a chemistry major and comparative literature minor. I love reading. I also enjoy anime. The registered names of all my keepers are Terry Pratchett titles and the call names to all my girls have been anime characters. L'Ox probably would have had a anime name but we needed something to call him instead of puppy when he was born at the vet and Little Ox, just stuck.

I got my first basenji in 1998 from Robyn Dubbert of Sherwood basenjis. He introduced to me to coursing, conformation, rally, and racing. We went back for a second basenji from Robyn so Nicky would have company. Rally did everything Nicky did and has always had fun doing it. My basenjis are the reason I am a dog trainer. I learned so much from them, both what to do and what not to do.

[krunzer]

I am a Parts Technician for a large oilfield company. I love reading, camping, and sledding. We love the mountains and try to head down to the parks a couple times a year to go hiking as well. Before I became a Parts Technician I was a beekeepers assistant and I owned a computer company.
I got my first Basenji, Becca, about 4.5 years ago and have fallen in love with the breed. Right now I am trying to get into a Foster Program in Alberta, that fosters dogs until they find their "furever" home. They are strict about their spay/neuter rules though so it may not work out. I believe that every dog/cat/animal deserves to be in a place where they are respected, cared and loved. If this falls through I will be disappointed, but I will have tried.

[curlytails]

lvoss, I wouldn't have had you pegged as an anime otaku! And so interesting how many folks we have working with the post/shipping and mail services. My mother worked for the USPS and I've grown up with a healthy love and respect for the postal system, especially during the 90's when I was a zine girl and swapping letters and packages at the rate of a couple dozen pieces a week.

Many moons ago in college, I worked at an anime and Japanese import toy store. I thought it was a fun supplement to my Asian Studies (and Communications) major, but then I gravitated away from Japanese cultural studies to Chinese. I'm currently in the umpteenth year of my endless PhD program, where I work broadly on Chinese-language film, music, and modern literature. I expect to teach at the university level after this is all over, and will basically have to go where the jobs are.

I'm also a volunteer DJ at my university radio station. Freeform radio programming has long been another of my great passions, since undergraduate days.

And the dogs, of course, are a huge part of my life. My help with rescues is currently limited to online stuff and transports when the opportunity arises, but my goal one day is to help provide a foster home to a favorite rescue organization (or two?). I think that would be very rewarding.

[crystalncody]

I've been a restaurant cook on and off since I was 16, and for the last few summers I've worked as the head chef of a small restaurant on the NC coast. I'm currently working on my MA in cultural anthropology. My undergrad was in classical archaeology, mainly Greek and Minoan, and cultural anthropology, but living people finally won the battle over ancient trash and bones, so now I work on disaster responses of fishing cultures.

I also volunteer for a refugee resettlement organization where I teach ESL and prepare authentic meals (or as close to authentic as possible) for newly arriving refugee families.

I guess you could say people are my passion.

When I have time, I like to go watch people sing karaoke… and join in if I've imbibed a bit :). I also like to sculpt, go to concerts, and travel when I have time off.

Cody came to live with me on May 2, 2009. He was around 2 years old. I always say that Cody and I rescued each other.