Get paid for nearly any kind of training; WWYD?

[Villanelle]

So spouse has the GI Bill, which either of us can use.  I've decided I would never use that masters in Library and Info Sciences that I'm about 1/3 done with, and he has no desire for another degree.

But in addition to paying for school or training, the GI  Bill pays a housing allowance while you are receiving that training.  This starts at about $1200 *per month* for online training and may be much more, depending on the zip code, for in-person courses.  So it seems silly not to use it. 

I think we've used about 12 months (of 36) for my 1/3 masters degree and a work certification DH did before he retired since he thought it would help with his job search.   

It does need to be a qualifying program, which is a bit vague, but you can't pay for golf lessons, for example, but could pay for lessons to get a scuba dive master certification. (Actually, if you could find a formal program that taught you how to be a golf instructor, or maybe a golf "ref" or even a caddy, that might qualify.)  I chatted with someone who used it to learn how to be a fly fishing instructor, which was basically getting paid to fish for a few hours a day for a week.  Plenty of people use it for flying lessons.

Dh and I have been brainstorming fun or interesting or useful things.  I considered dog grooming so I could better groom my own dogs and then donate a few grooms per month to a rescue group.  (It seems most groomers learn on the job so finding a formal training program was rough.)  We talked about cooking school for one or both of us since we are both uncomfortable, nervous cooks.  (Haven't ruled this out, but it seems most programs start at what would be Cooking 200, and we'd need the Remedial Cooking version, like "hey, this orange stick thing is a carrot.  Say it with me, 'CARE-ot'. ")  Or massage school so we could just give each other killer back rubs and work out some of the kinks and creeks that come with old age. 

I love the idea of a charitable component, like dog grooming for rescues or using my newfound cooking competence to do meal prep for a few seniors or housebound people.  But it's not strictly necessary. 

Also, many of these have potential barista FIRE, back up income type implications, like having a few massage clients each month or grooming a few dogs for pay.  That's nice to have as another layer in a back-up plan (though both of those examples are somewhat physically taxing and probably not what I'd want to take on in later years.) .  It's bonus points, but not necessary.

What would you do?  Any creative ideas to suggest? 

[Fru-Gal]

Arborist training
Marine search and rescue or other types of search and rescue training
Wilderness leadership training

[AuspiciousEight]

Personally - I would go back to school for neuroscience. That always seemed interesting to me.

I think - in your shoes - I would really ask myself if I want to go back to school for something that I want to turn into a career opportunity, or if I just want to go back to school for fun, then go from there.

If it's just for fun I would probably literally just go to school for whatever makes you feel the most excited when you think about it. Like...that would be my only criteria. Whatever makes you excited when you think about it.

If it's for future career then I would try and think of what sorts of part time work you would enjoy the most, then go from there.

Culinary arts sounds fun to me also. I tend to be attracted to things I have absolutely no experience in, as there is a certain novelty aspect there, and I have very little experience cooking.

[SunnyDays]

Cooking would have a good payoff in terms of health and money savings over time.  Even if you have to take a 101 course first at your own expense.

Or language classes. 

Or landscaping/horticulture.

[Dee]

That's a good idea about learning something that you can then use to help others in a charitable way.

Are you interested in cutting hair (i.e. humans instead of dogs)? Or cleaning teeth (dental hygienist)?

Or are you strictly looking at on-line learning rather than more hands-on things where I'd imagine you'd have to do in person training?

I mean, it's unlikely I'm going to come up with something you haven't already thought of, so I won't go on and on, but I will mention that I was thinking about asking if you, too, want to be an MMMer who wants to become a psychotherapist or financial advisor as a second career (but you must have thought of that already) when it occurred to me that I have a friend of friend who was a therapeutic clown in a children's hospital AND there was a formal training program for that. Perhaps *that* specifically is not something you had thought of. (Incidentally, therapeutic clowns apparently have a lot of career satisfaction.)

[Villanelle]

Personally - I would go back to school for neuroscience. That always seemed interesting to me.

I think - in your shoes - I would really ask myself if I want to go back to school for something that I want to turn into a career opportunity, or if I just want to go back to school for fun, then go from there.

If it's just for fun I would probably literally just go to school for whatever makes you feel the most excited when you think about it. Like...that would be my only criteria. Whatever makes you excited when you think about it.

If it's for future career then I would try and think of what sorts of part time work you would enjoy the most, then go from there.

Culinary arts sounds fun to me also. I tend to be attracted to things I have absolutely no experience in, as there is a certain novelty aspect there, and I have very little experience cooking.

Definitely just for fun or personal use, not career. 

[Villanelle]

That's a good idea about learning something that you can then use to help others in a charitable way.

Are you interested in cutting hair (i.e. humans instead of dogs)? Or cleaning teeth (dental hygienist)?

Or are you strictly looking at on-line learning rather than more hands-on things where I'd imagine you'd have to do in person training?

I mean, it's unlikely I'm going to come up with something you haven't already thought of, so I won't go on and on, but I will mention that I was thinking about asking if you, too, want to be an MMMer who wants to become a psychotherapist or financial advisor as a second career (but you must have thought of that already) when it occurred to me that I have a friend of friend who was a therapeutic clown in a children's hospital AND there was a formal training program for that. Perhaps *that* specifically is not something you had thought of. (Incidentally, therapeutic clowns apparently have a lot of career satisfaction.)

That actually sounds amazing, I didn't know there was formal training for it, and I certainly hadn't thought of it.  Thank you!
Dental hygienist has zero appeal and hair doesn't really interest me.  But clowning...  very interesting!

Something like a therapist is way more school and focus and work than I want to put it.  That's a year or more of real school.  I don't think I have that in me, especially not for something I don't plan to use very much, so I'm looking for shorter programs and something that seems really fun or interesting.  Definitely not set on online only. 

[Laura33]

Any particular skills intrigue you?  My local CC offers lots of skills training, from cooking to welding (I've always been sort of fascinated by the welding bit -- I enjoy stained glass as a hobby, and the idea of working with metal both entrances and terrifies me).  Might just want to check some CC course catalogs, or browse college programs online in areas of the country you'd be interested in moving to.  I'm always amazed at what's out there (like, did you know there are colleges that specialize in behind-the-scenes work in a theater, like set design?  One of my friend's kids just did that; she's likely never going to make millions, but she loves loves loves her work).

What do you enjoy doing most?  I guarantee you someone has figured out how to make money doing some version of that -- which also means someone else has figured out how to make money teaching others to do the money-making thing.

[Villanelle]

Any particular skills intrigue you?  My local CC offers lots of skills training, from cooking to welding (I've always been sort of fascinated by the welding bit -- I enjoy stained glass as a hobby, and the idea of working with metal both entrances and terrifies me).  Might just want to check some CC course catalogs, or browse college programs online in areas of the country you'd be interested in moving to.  I'm always amazed at what's out there (like, did you know there are colleges that specialize in behind-the-scenes work in a theater, like set design?  One of my friend's kids just did that; she's likely never going to make millions, but she loves loves loves her work).

What do you enjoy doing most?  I guarantee you someone has figured out how to make money doing some version of that -- which also means someone else has figured out how to make money teaching others to do the money-making thing.

I deeply enjoy writing.  (It's what I do for work, but writing ad copy for 200 only-slightly-different-from-each-other watches--my current project,--is not quite the kind I enjoy.  I've taken some novel writing course, but the've been 4-6 week things, and very specific like, "how to write better dialog" or "writing hotter sex scenes".  Because there is no specific career track, something like that woldn't qualify for the GI Bill, but a community college writing course might, though I think that would actually probably bore me.  But maybe not.

Arts stuff really interests me.  I feel I have a strong artistic side, but other than creative writing, I have no art skills.  Part of this is I frustrate easily and give up.  I love what you said (I think it was in another thread, recently) about forcing yourself to do an art course where you were bad.  I think I would greatly benefit from being bad at something but keeping at it long enough to get somewhat less-bad.  Even if my brushstrokes were still shaky at the end of the class or my stained glass joints entirely unstable, just the experience of being bad and staying with it would probably really benefit me--even if I never made another painting or piece of stained glass again after the class. 

I need to do some research and see if the GI Bill would cover a 6-week pottery throwing course, or a month-long needlepoint class, or things like that. 

[Laura33]

I need to do some research and see if the GI Bill would cover a 6-week pottery throwing course, or a month-long needlepoint class, or things like that.

IMO, a series of those classes sounds like an ideal retirement -- oh, now I feel like learning pottery, now I want to improve my cooking skills, maybe Drawing 101 since I'm completely terrible at it, etc.  Can you "change careers" one semester at a time?  ;-)

Writing has all kinds of options, from creative writing to journalism to poetry to being a critic of some sort to, as you know, technical writing.  It seems like as long as you put some sort of career title at the end ("I'm going to be a journalist!") you could justify a whole bunch of fun classes.

[Villanelle]

I need to do some research and see if the GI Bill would cover a 6-week pottery throwing course, or a month-long needlepoint class, or things like that.

IMO, a series of those classes sounds like an ideal retirement -- oh, now I feel like learning pottery, now I want to improve my cooking skills, maybe Drawing 101 since I'm completely terrible at it, etc.  Can you "change careers" one semester at a time?  ;-)

Writing has all kinds of options, from creative writing to journalism to poetry to being a critic of some sort to, as you know, technical writing.  It seems like as long as you put some sort of career title at the end ("I'm going to be a journalist!") you could justify a whole bunch of fun classes.

I think you can change career paths as many times as you like.  The key is finding a program that qualifies and while there are other requirements, to be covered by GI Bill it must be a career track.  I skeptical that a pottery course or even a painting class would qualify, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.  Off to do some more research.  Thanks for the insights!

[crocheted_stache]

If you like dogs and want a service-oriented thing to do, could you learn any version of "advanced" dog training and handling? Perhaps training service/therapy dogs or working with dogs who have been abused and neglected to restore their trust and get their behavior back on track for adoption.

[AMandM]

My son is going to farrier school in the fall--shoeing, blacksmithing, and diseases of the equine foot.

I personally would get training in something to improve my DIY skills that I find hard to learn on my own. My top two choices would be car mechanics and interior decorating.

[sonofsven]

I think learning a language would be valuable.
I barely speak English, but my DD is fluent in Japanese and is learning Mandarin.

[Villanelle]

I think learning a language would be valuable.
I barely speak English, but my DD is fluent in Japanese and is learning Mandarin.

I'm not sure why, but this hadn't occurred to me until now.  I wonder if I could find an accredited program for a language, that was still somewhat chill--like <5 hours a week of instruction.  Huh.  This doesn't have the practical applications that cooking, dog grooming, or car mechanics do, but I think I might enjoy it, which is probably the most important aspect of all this, since I'm looking to make some money while learning--get paid to do/learn something that's fun, basically.

Thanks.

[NotJen]

I think learning a language would be valuable.
I barely speak English, but my DD is fluent in Japanese and is learning Mandarin.

I'm not sure why, but this hadn't occurred to me until now.  I wonder if I could find an accredited program for a language, that was still somewhat chill--like <5 hours a week of instruction.  Huh.  This doesn't have the practical applications that cooking, dog grooming, or car mechanics do, but I think I might enjoy it, which is probably the most important aspect of all this, since I'm looking to make some money while learning--get paid to do/learn something that's fun, basically.

Thanks.

If I had this opportunity, I would totally learn Spanish.  I volunteer at a food bank where all the employees speak some amount of Spanish, and it would be helpful for me to not have to run and get one of the them when I'm faced with a language barrier.  I've got leche, heuvos, and carne down, but not much else!

[Nadia Edits]

I deeply enjoy writing.  (It's what I do for work, but writing ad copy for 200 only-slightly-different-from-each-other watches--my current project,--is not quite the kind I enjoy.  I've taken some novel writing course, but the've been 4-6 week things, and very specific like, "how to write better dialog" or "writing hotter sex scenes".  Because there is no specific career track, something like that woldn't qualify for the GI Bill, but a community college writing course might, though I think that would actually probably bore me.  But maybe not.

With your interest in fiction, have you considered/is it possible to take classes on editing fiction? This might qualify as "career track" when writing itself doesn't, and as an editor/writer, I find editing teaches me a lot about how the craft of fiction works. Editing could also be a nice occasional part-time career in retirement, especially if you have local writer friends.

[FlytilFIRE]

You might try going on line and seeing what your local adult education facility offers. Many are perhaps a bit more involved than you are looking for, but you never know....

[Smokystache]

My son is going to farrier school in the fall--shoeing, blacksmithing, and diseases of the equine foot.

Smart! Your son will always be able to make a living.

If it just needs to be a course offered by a college/university, then there would be all sorts of physical education/activities classes. Golf, Archery, rock climbing, scuba, and more depending on the location and size of the school. I've always wished that I could learn ASL well enough to converse with the deaf community. You might also look at courses offered during a "special" term. Some institutions have a January or May term that is 1-3 weeks and they offer more targeted experiences - including travel courses. Would a travel abroad "class" where you go to Greece or somewhere qualify? There would likely be some extra out of pocket expenses.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I need to do some research and see if the GI Bill would cover a 6-week pottery throwing course, or a month-long needlepoint class, or things like that.

IMO, a series of those classes sounds like an ideal retirement -- oh, now I feel like learning pottery, now I want to improve my cooking skills, maybe Drawing 101 since I'm completely terrible at it, etc.  Can you "change careers" one semester at a time?  ;-)

Writing has all kinds of options, from creative writing to journalism to poetry to being a critic of some sort to, as you know, technical writing.  It seems like as long as you put some sort of career title at the end ("I'm going to be a journalist!") you could justify a whole bunch of fun classes.

I think you can change career paths as many times as you like.  The key is finding a program that qualifies and while there are other requirements, to be covered by GI Bill it must be a career track.  I skeptical that a pottery course or even a painting class would qualify, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.  Off to do some more research.  Thanks for the insights!

What about finding an art track that positions you to become an art educator? That would likely 1) teach you art skills that you would personally enjoy and 2) set you up for art volunteering (teaching people to throw pots?) in the future for a charitable organization.

[Villanelle]

My son is going to farrier school in the fall--shoeing, blacksmithing, and diseases of the equine foot.

Smart! Your son will always be able to make a living.

If it just needs to be a course offered by a college/university, then there would be all sorts of physical education/activities classes. Golf, Archery, rock climbing, scuba, and more depending on the location and size of the school. I've always wished that I could learn ASL well enough to converse with the deaf community. You might also look at courses offered during a "special" term. Some institutions have a January or May term that is 1-3 weeks and they offer more targeted experiences - including travel courses. Would a travel abroad "class" where you go to Greece or somewhere qualify? There would likely be some extra out of pocket expenses.

It doesn't need to be through a university.  For example, the professional certification course DH took was just a private company that does a prep course for this test.  But one of the requirements for the GI Bill is that it be sort of career-track, because the intention of the GI Bill program is essentially job training.  Another non-university example would be working with a dive shop to get a dive master or instructor certification.  Similarly, a course where you learn to play tennis likely wouldn't qualify, even if it was through a university, but a course focused on getting a tennis instructor certification would. 

Going to Greece to study museum management or perhaps learn Greek might, but going to learn about Greek history likely wold not. 

[AMandM]

My son is going to farrier school in the fall--shoeing, blacksmithing, and diseases of the equine foot.

Smart! Your son will always be able to make a living.

Well, until his back and knees can't take the strain. He's already planning to FIRE.

[Highbeam]

I've always wanted to get my Commercial Driver's License. Could make you more valuable at the food bank. Could allow ultra part time work doing something like delivering propane to homes. School busses or others when somebody calls out sick.

[rosarugosa]

DH and I take pottery classes and it is so much fun! It's something we just kind of stumbled into, but now it's an important part of our lives. I don't consider myself artistic or particularly creative, so I had to give myself permission to be mediocre, and it's working out very well for me.  I am a very happy mediocre potter! I am retired, but I'd always worked in corporate roles, so the pottery studio is like another planet.  I frequently think that I can't believe we are so fortunate to be able to do this incredibly fun thing surrounded by really nice people!  I enjoy the community, the expanding of skills, the engagement of senses - textures, forms, colors.  There is so much to learn, and I'm sure it's good for our minds as we get older.  It's a major financial commitment for us, but we find it to be so good for our overall well-being and happiness that I treat the expense as an essential line item like groceries or property taxes.

[gatortator]

I think learning a language would be valuable.
I barely speak English, but my DD is fluent in Japanese and is learning Mandarin.

I'm not sure why, but this hadn't occurred to me until now.  I wonder if I could find an accredited program for a language, that was still somewhat chill--like <5 hours a week of instruction.  Huh.  This doesn't have the practical applications that cooking, dog grooming, or car mechanics do, but I think I might enjoy it, which is probably the most important aspect of all this, since I'm looking to make some money while learning--get paid to do/learn something that's fun, basically.

Thanks.

Middlebury language program would be my dream go back to school option. Definitely not the chill option you say want, but full immersion really is wonderful if you decide you are willing. (Signed a former exchange student)

https://www.middlebury.edu/language-schools/

 charitable giving by working as a interpreter is needed right now,

[lhamo]

MIddlebury's language programs are top-notch.  When I was working with Fulbright grantees in CHina I could always tell who had spent some time at MIddlebury because their skills were so much higher level than most others.

Since you enjoy both writing and the arts, what about something focused on scriptwriting? 

For me, most of my interests lie in the area of plants.  I want to take a permaculture design course at some point, and also learn more about traditional and contemporary uses of native plants. This being the Pacific Northwest, there are actually quite a few options for these kinds of courses and non-course learning experiences.

I also really would like to take a blacksmithing class and learn to forge my own tools/decorative fences and trellises, etc.  And I need to learn more practical house maintenance skills.

And I'd like to brush up my German (most of which has been pushed into the far corners of my brain since I haven't used it since 1990 and learned two other languages in the meantime).  Improve my Tibetan (not used hardly at all since I left my Tibet-focused job in 2007).  And learn a few new languages -- spanish, portugese, japanese, korean, maybe mongolian and a turkic language.

[crocheted_stache]

I've always wanted to get my Commercial Driver's License. Could make you more valuable at the food bank. Could allow ultra part time work doing something like delivering propane to homes. School busses or others when somebody calls out sick.

On a very similar note, get certified to drive a forklift. Personally, before I signed up for anything I couldn't change or refund, I'd make sure the seat and controls adjusted for someone my petite height.

[Zikoris]

I would totally blow it on something fun. Volcanoes. Medieval studies. Dance. Mushrooms. No actual use in life, just something interesting to learn about.

[Villanelle]

I would totally blow it on something fun. Volcanoes. Medieval studies. Dance. Mushrooms. No actual use in life, just something interesting to learn about.

I think that's what I'm looking for.  I suppose if it's something I could theoretically monetize (like the dog grooming), that's a bonus because it can't hurt to have that in my back pocket.  But really, I just want something cool and fun learn about.

But the program requires that it at least looks like it's working toward a job.  So I could study geology since that's a career path, even if I really just want to learn about volcanoes and never have any intention of being a geologist.

[engineerjourney]

Suggestion: I really want to take woodworking/carpentry at some point.  Getting good at detailed woodworking can definitely make you money.  I would love to be comfortable using lots of tools and be able to be my own handyman :)

[crocheted_stache]

A general, public-service suggestion (although you may be able to get this other ways): first aid/CPR.

[Telecaster]

For me, most of my interests lie in the area of plants.  I want to take a permaculture design course at some point, and also learn more about traditional and contemporary uses of native plants. This being the Pacific Northwest, there are actually quite a few options for these kinds of courses and non-course learning experiences.

I also really would like to take a blacksmithing class and learn to forge my own tools/decorative fences and trellises, etc.  And I need to learn more practical house maintenance skills.

I could have written this.   I signed up for the King County Master Gardner class list, but they never notified me.  Or it went to spam or something.  I'll try again next year.

And ditto on the welding.   Lots of ideas about metalcraft for gardening.   

[rosarugosa]

Suggestion: I really want to take woodworking/carpentry at some point.  Getting good at detailed woodworking can definitely make you money.  I would love to be comfortable using lots of tools and be able to be my own handyman :)

DH, Sis and I took carpentry classes a few years ago and we loved it.  It was a real rush for a lot of us females to be wielding power tools we had never used before! I learned some skills that have definitely come in handy since.  Unfortunately, covid brought an end to the classes (older instructor with some medical issues who didn't want the risk of continued teaching, and apparently not easy to get another instructor).  This was a night-time adult ed program at a local vocational school.  I have very fond memories!

[Morning Glory]

I would totally blow it on something fun. Volcanoes. Medieval studies. Dance. Mushrooms. No actual use in life, just something interesting to learn about.

I think that's what I'm looking for.  I suppose if it's something I could theoretically monetize (like the dog grooming), that's a bonus because it can't hurt to have that in my back pocket.  But really, I just want something cool and fun learn about.

But the program requires that it at least looks like it's working toward a job.  So I could study geology since that's a career path, even if I really just want to learn about volcanoes and never have any intention of being a geologist.

What about Arabic? I hear they are screaming for translators and you could probably squeeze in a bunch of history and literature classes if you are interested in those. I learned a few words at my previous job and would be interested to learn more.

[lhamo]

For me, most of my interests lie in the area of plants.  I want to take a permaculture design course at some point, and also learn more about traditional and contemporary uses of native plants. This being the Pacific Northwest, there are actually quite a few options for these kinds of courses and non-course learning experiences.

I also really would like to take a blacksmithing class and learn to forge my own tools/decorative fences and trellises, etc.  And I need to learn more practical house maintenance skills.

I could have written this.   I signed up for the King County Master Gardner class list, but they never notified me.  Or it went to spam or something.  I'll try again next year.

And ditto on the welding.   Lots of ideas about metalcraft for gardening.

We still need to get together for a beer or something!  Maybe we could sign up for the same classes?

I haven;t looked into the Master Gardener program much because my surface level observation is that it seems a bit too regimented/mainstream for my interests.  I lean more toward permacultury/very hippy granola type approaches, and Tilth has been a good resource for me.  The master composter training -- which is great -- is coming up if you might be interested in that.  You can also sign up to be a class assistant and get free access to their rich roster of classes.  I have assisted at ones on mushroom growing and beekeeping, among other options.

OSU's permaculture stuff on line is supposed to be pretty good.  A lot of their stuff is available on YOutube.

For blacksmithing, I've looked at Pratt Institute.  Seems high quality, but involves a significant drive down to S Seattle.

[crocheted_stache]

I haven;t looked into the Master Gardener program much because my surface level observation is that it seems a bit too regimented/mainstream for my interests.  I lean more toward permacultury/very hippy granola type approaches, and Tilth has been a good resource for me.  The master composter training -- which is great -- is coming up if you might be interested in that.  You can also sign up to be a class assistant and get free access to their rich roster of classes.  I have assisted at ones on mushroom growing and beekeeping, among other options.

OSU's permaculture stuff on line is supposed to be pretty good.  A lot of their stuff is available on YOutube.

For blacksmithing, I've looked at Pratt Institute.  Seems high quality, but involves a significant drive down to S Seattle.

At least here, Master Gardeners are an outgrowth of the university's agricultural extension. The agricultural extension was set up to support (conventional) farming and I guess they got tired of fielding questions from the backyard gardener with single-digit numbers of tomato plants, so they set up a program to train some of the backyard gardeners to field questions from the rest of them. So yeah, they're very by-the-book. Around here, they actually do some small-scale research, things like planting a plot with different spacings of the same crop, to decide what distance gives the best yield. Their planting calendar, specific to this county, is also based on experience. You might get results planting such-and-such in February, but it's probably better to wait until March.

I once chatted with someone staffing the garden books section of a very coastal-northern-California shop that also did a lot of small-scale home energy and other stuff. (Hippy much? Yes.) He introduced himself as a Master Gardener, or maybe his name tag did. I must have asked a question about permaculture or biodynamic gardening or some such. He prefaced his answer with, "I'm happy to talk about that, but I must take off my Master Gardener hat." The disclaimer seemed like a reasonable compromise.

Besides master gardeners and master composters, our chapter has a program for master food preservers. I may have to sign up and get official on that last one when I FIRE. If you'd like to plant by the phases of the moon based on say-so or superstition, be my guest. But the consequences of not cooking preserved food long or hot enough, or of missing something that failed to seal and stay airtight, could be botulism.

[Highbeam]

I've always wanted to get my Commercial Driver's License. Could make you more valuable at the food bank. Could allow ultra part time work doing something like delivering propane to homes. School busses or others when somebody calls out sick.

On a very similar note, get certified to drive a forklift. Personally, before I signed up for anything I couldn't change or refund, I'd make sure the seat and controls adjusted for someone my petite height.

Oddly enough, while volunteering at my food bank they certified me to be a forklift operator. It was sickeningly easy but yes fun to drive around. My 5' tall wife also got certified. No cost to us. The forklifts I prefer have a seat and steering wheel like a tractor. There are other kinds that area awful where you stand there and rotate this goofy lever and it's not very intuitive.