I grew up in Iowa at a time when you left the house in the morning, maybe stopped by at lunch to grab a sandwich, then went back outside to play until dark. There was no stranger danger and the worst that happened was skinning a knee on the concrete while playing kickball in the street. I grew up with black and white television (and only 3 channels), AM radio, party lines, one car and bathroom per household, having to wear dresses to school, and having milk delivered to your door in glass bottles.
I've published a book, and had some newspaper articles printed. Granted, the book is a quiz book, which doesn't have the cachet of a novel. And the subject of the articles was UFO's so my dad didn't have to write them. But they are accomplishments I am proud of.
I've been a carhop, folded clothes at K-Mart, did brazing at a General Electric assembly plant, and was one of the first three women hired to work as a nuclear equipment operator at the Cordova Nuclear Power Station. I spent several years co-driving a semi-truck, traveling to every one of the 48 contiguous states, while seeing very few of the notable landmarks.
I've clerked at a grain elevator in Illinois and at a small water company in Arizona. I did Customer Service at the City of Scottsdale Utility Billing department. I stumbled into my career in technology by first automating some of the processes at the City when they switched from dumb terminals to PCs. I started working in Quality Assurance for a software company and learned how to program. I've done software development for three different companies. Currently I am a database and C# programmer for a global CRM company. It's a great job working with friendly, intelligent, and dedicated people. I like the flexible hours, the casual dress, and the 4 weeks of vacation I have now earned.
In my non-work life, I read sci-fi and mystery books. Some of my favorites are the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, the Thursday Next series by Jasper Ffordes, the Mary Russell stories by Laurie R. King, and the Dresden stories by Jim Butcher. Currently, I am on a kick of reading themed mysteries where I learn about book selling, home remodeling, or anthropology while the mystery is solved. I watch television shows of the sci-fi and adventure genres, such as Chuck, Fringe, Supernatural, and NCIS. My choice in movies is the same, adventure over substance, comedy over tear-jerkers.
I love music, but find that except when I am working on glass, I generally do not turn on my music. I prefer to hear the birds chirping in the backyard, the windchimes pinging, and the semi-silence. When I do listen to music, my first choice is generally country. I am a big fan of Brad Paisley, The Band Perry, Sean Mullins, Taylor Swift, The Doors and many more.
I am a smitten dog owner with 2 spoiled dogs. Peanut is an 10-year-old, 40 pound shepherd mix who sheds magnificently and thinks she is both a princess and a gatekeeper. She has congestive heart disease and takes 4 pills twice a day. It would be lovely if I had shares in Greenies Pill Pockets.
Angel is a 4-year-old, 70 pound Great Dane mix who thinks she is a lap dog. She loves to run figure eights in the grass and blew her knee out last year. So she has had knee reconstruction surgery. She gets an injection once a month to help rebuild the cartilage. .
I am a backyard bird watcher and put out blocks of bird seed to feed the wild quail. I keep a hummingbird feeder on the patio for hummingbirds and flickers and I have hanging feeders for the sparrows, doves, and finches. Four shallow bird baths complete my suburban refuge. I would love to decrease the pigeon population that frequents my back yard, but when I took a break from putting out feed, my love birds didn't come back when I resumed.
I am not an early adopter of technology, but I generally get around to changing. I use a smart phone, have a Kindle, and connect everything wirelessly. I am an avid reader of FaceBook and Twitter, but am not a frequent poster. I see it as a great way to keep up with news and keep in touch with friends and family.
I am a stained glass artist. I prefer to create my own patters. I love to take a realistic picture and try to reproduce it in glass or turn it into something more fantastical. The play of the light on the glass, the textures, and the huge variety of colors appeals to me. A glass project will look different depending on the kind and amount of light reflecting on or behind it.
The past cannot be changed, unless and until time travel is invented. Likes, dislikes, jobs, and hobbies are subject to change at whim or circumstance.
| Main page |