Over the years I’ve had numerous jobs. And when I say numerous … I mean like over 50. Really. I’m the female version of George Plimpton. (Only he was into sports. And a writer. And he made TONS of money … but you know… kinda like him.)
Anyway, I started working when I was 15 at the local Micky D’s. This was the beginning of drive-throughs and when we used to make shakes the old-fashioned way, with a mixer. A squirt of flavoring and ice cream, then blend. That stupid machine and I didn’t get along. I can’t tell you how many times it exploded all over me. But my most memorable moment was when a container of strawberry topping slipped from my hand to the floor. It hit the tiles flat on it’s bottom which caused the most interesting eruption of strawberry sauce, easily 5 feet in the air. How do I know this? When it was done, it was dripping off my face and the brim of my hat, and down the front of my uniform. And all of this happened in slow motion in front of a lobby filled with the lunch crowd. FULL! Oh, yeah, that was a fun job.
Let’s see, I’ve worked at a jean store, a mortgage company, an aquarium, a frame store, a processing plant, an overnight summer camp, and a daycare. I’ve been a waitress, a “gofer” for a game warden, a science teacher, a lab assistant, a janitor, an ed tech, a tutor, a resident assistant, a substitute teacher, and a secretary at a job recruiter and a real estate office.
Some of those jobs I didn’t really like. Being a janitor in a girls’ dormitory wasn’t really something I enjoyed. I’m not even going into the whole bathroom situation. Nor the job working second shift at a processing plant for computer components. I spent the summer straightening wire leads with plyers and boiling components in oil to watch for bubbles. *shudders* Those were long days. But the summer I worked on an island off the coast of Maine at an overnight camp was awesome. Working as a lab assistant, teaching physics labs in college was pretty cool as well. And I didn’t really suffer when I worked as a waitress. All those people to visit with … yeah, it was fun.
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To a scientist, being tagged means a little orange clip on one’s ear or a critter-cam on one’s back. Since I didn’t wake up with either of those this morning, I’m going with the child’s version of tag… and I guess now I’m IT! Which now means I have to dig deep into who I am and tell you seven little known facts about me. Okay, I don’t have to dig so deep, but perhaps there’s something new here you didn’t know …
I’m not going to point fingers at the person who tagged me, but you know who you are. And I know for a fact you giggled maniacally as you added me to your list of victims, errr … taggetts. (Yes, that’s a word, look it up in the official Nina dictionary.)
The rules are simple:
* List seven things about yourself
* Link to the blog of the person who tagged you (but I’m nice and I’m not going to “out” her).
* Tag seven new unsuspecting victims, um… friends and list their links on your blog. (And once again, I’m not going to tag anyone, but if you’d like to pick up the challenge … consider yourself tagged!)
**** (Oh, and no tag backs… I added that one myself… ’cause I’m clever that way! *g*)
So here goes:
1. I’ve been with my guy for 36 years. Stop laughing, I’m still a young sexy thing… we started dating when I was 2 and married when I was 10!
2. I’ve lived in Maine most of my life with short stints in Rhode Island and New York. And though my heart will always consider Maine home, I’m happy to be living out of its cold winters.
3. I graduated Summa Cum Laude as the valedictorian of my college class with a degree in Marine Biology.
4. I love water. Feel at home swimming in the ocean, canoeing a lake or rafting a mountain stream. Living away from it has been difficult for me and in the next phase of my life I’m going to live very near a body of water.
5. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis about 20 years ago. It’s an icky disease that seems to do what it wants, attack unnanounced and wreak havok on my body. Fortunately for me, though I did have to give up my teaching job, I am still somewhat mobile. And it moved me into the realm of writing… not a bad trade off!
6. I am a sun worshipper. I love all locations warm and sunny. I’ve visited the Virgin Islands and Hawaii as well as Florida of course. I still haven’t made it to the west coast and I do believe it’s God’s odd sense of humor that I lived most of my adult life in the artic north of Maine.
7. I’ve always wanted to be an actress. I was involved in drama when I was in high school and there was nothing more exciting for me than being on stage with all those people watching. (Hence the whole career in teaching… nothing better than 20 people held captive for an hour!) But my singing voice leaves a lot to be desired. I only sing solo… so low no one has to suffer through it! But I envy those children of actors who sort of just move into that profession.
Okay, I’ve beared my soul. How about sharing a couple of things about you too!
So it’s May. This is good. The snow is actually gone in Northern Maine and the flowers are pushing up through the warming soil. Yes, I’m happy. Yes, I’m pulling my hair out. I HAVE SOOOOO MUCH TO DO!
I am pleased that I managed to finish my shifter/menage manuscript and with a couple of revisions totally fell in love with it and sent it off to my editor. Now that’s a matter of waiting on that. With all the personal stuff going on in my life I’ve decided to cut myself some slack during May. If I manage to get some writing done … yay! If not, well, then I don’t. I’ve got a couple of stories I’m chipping away at, the next in my shifter/menage series, a firefighter story (because I totally fell in love with my vampire firefighter) and then there’s another new paranormal that has an opening scene. So I’ve got a couple things in the pipeline.
What I haven’t figured out is how to be a mom, wife, housekeeper, personal shopper AND a writer with writing and marketing responsibilities. Spending time at the computer means less time focused on laundry, dishes and cooking. Urrrr… sometimes I have to pull myself away and reconnect with the people living with me! LOL!
Added to the usual stuff going on … Beautiful Girl is graduating from college and Little Boy Blue from high school. Major milestones that require my attention. Having MS makes the planning even harder. I have only so much energy to give to cleaning and preparing. Which means I’m starting now to get the house ready for company in the beginning of June. DH is great, but let’s face it, men just don’t see messes the way women do. *sigh* I know my family won’t care if the house isn’t perfect, but I care. Of course me stressing about it is making it worse.
So, do you have any hints on how to juggle life and writing? I know this is something all writers struggle with.
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