~This Is My World~

What jobs have you had?

I’ve had several jobs that I have really enjoyed. I started working at 16 at McDonalds. That’s like a typical teenager first job.

When I was 18 and graduated, I worked as a sales clerk in a Woman’s clothing store. I was there a year when the store closed. I met some amazing young women, and my boss, who knew all about fashion as she was once a model. I’m friends with her to this day, but she is extremely busy as a Pastor of a Church, I don’t see much of her, unless I check social media.

From this job, I went on to work at an answering service as a switchboard operator. I worked at this job twice. First time was from 1983 until about 1987. I worked myself up to become a supervisor. It was A LOT of fun! We answered calls for 800 accounts and had 2 or 3 two way radios.

I left this job to work for an ambulance company that we happened to answer for when I worked at the Answering Service. I started here in October 1987 until May 1993, when I went out on maternity leave. I didn’t go back after I had my daughter. The company sold to someone else, so there really was nothing to go back to. I started off as a dispatcher, then moved up to becoming a billing clerk and subbed in Dispatch when needed.

On to greener pastures in 1997. The next job was a dispatcher for a tow truck company. It was a decent job. A bit cutthroat amongst the drivers. Drama between the owner and his wife, but on the plus side, I met a few people who work for AAA who I am still friends with and on another plus side, I was able to bring my second baby to work with me! This job, not sure if the company just shut down or was bought out, but in a year, it was gone.

Between 1998 and 2003, I was the Before and After school Childcare provider at the school of the Church we were attending. It was great and very convenient because my daughter was now starting kindergarten and she attended school there.

In November 2006, year after my husband died, I started working for a school district. I started off as a sub employee, filling in for clerical, noon duty supervisor, and a Sr. Instructional Assistant in Special Ed. I subbed for 13 years, until I became permanent in 2019. I will work for the same district, and I absolutely love it! I’m still an SIA in Special Ed, but now I’m pushing in, working with high school students with IEP’s. This is by far, I believe, my favorite job. High schoolers are great! They make me laugh with all their shenanigans, and they keep me young!

I LOVE what I do!

Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.

One “simple thing” that brings me joy is the laughter of my granddaughter. It’s like listening to Cherubs play.

It hurts my soul when she cries, but oh when she laughs, even her fake laughs, crack me up! I love spending time with her, which is every day because she lives with me.

I work at a high school so a lot of times, I go home tired, I take a little time for myself, to decompress then I’m reenergized when I put on my grandma hat to hang with her.

She’s almost two years old, not quite 3 feet tall, and weighs 24 pounds. She’s petite, but so full of energy and personality.

She brings so much joy to our home, I just adore her.

You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

If I were going on a cross country trip, I would use a couple modes of transport- an airplane, train and car.

I think I would start off in a car, then a train and finally an airplane.

What tattoo do you want and where would you put it?

If I were to get a tattoo, I would get a beautifully done Calla Lily as it was both my mom’s and husband’s favorite flower, one of them at least. The other flower my husband loved was a sunflower, and the other for my mother was carnations. I also think of getting a calla lily and a sunflower, then maybe sprinkle carnation petals around it.

Decisions, decisions. 🙂

My mom passed away when I was 4 and my husband passed away 20 years ago in November 2025.

I am a type two diabetic and they don’t look fondly on tattoos, so I’m a little bit not sure still if I should get one.

What was the best compliment you’ve received?

It was a bit backhanded but I took it anyway. Since I was a young, I wanted to get into radio broadcasting, aka a DJ. I was a fan girl of several LA DJ’s and got autographed pictures of them. I didn’t have the support I wanted from my dad or stepmom, so I didn’t fulfill this dream, however, as an adult working at an answering service in my 20’s, a customer told me, “You give good phone, you should be on the radio.” I was embarrassed, but appreciated the compliment. 🙂

You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?

Growing up, on the outside seemed idyllic, you know, playing with neighborhood friends, riding our bikes all over, playing Kick the Can in the street, tag, kickball, dodgeball, the all American apple pie stuff, until the street lights came on, or we heard our Dad’s distinct whistle letting us know it was time to get our asses home.

You get to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What’s it like?

My perfect space would be like a little nook in my room, or add on to the house. I don’t really know what total silence is anymore, but to have a killer nook carved out, with a coffee pot close by would be just perfect to me!