Short story:
- Middle age. Divorced. Plus size/petite (in other words: short and fat)
- Work experience: Programmer, Programmer/Business Analyst, Photographer, Technical Support including Management, Foster Mom, Project Manager.
- Education: Bachelors in Computer Information Systems from Bentley University. Associates in Photography at McIntosh College. Certificate in Coaching. Attended more leadership/management courses than I can count.
- Current job: trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up before my severance package runs out.
- Hobbies: travel, photography, art classes, glass fusing, helping my friends and family.
- I rarely drink and I’m not an athlete.
- Sassy. Stubborn. Fiercely Independent. Mom to all. Willing to fight tooth and nail for the people I love.
Really long story:
I am the youngest of 2 girls. My sister is exactly 1 year, 1 month and 1 day older than me. (Yup…I calculated that at some point when we were kids). We were pretty spoiled. We spent our summers in a 2 bedroom cottage right on the water in the bay near Nantasket beach. I could write a book about the times there. (I’m sure I will eventually post some stories!)
My dad is 100%Italian. My mom is 100% English. (DNA tests tell that tale a bit differently but that’s another story). Dad is an only child and Mom is the oldest of4.
Dad was in construction. Mom was a stay at home mom and managed his business out of the house.
I was born a lefty but I didnt know that until I was in my mid-twenties because I was raised a righty.
My zodiac sign is cancer. I am the typical ‘crab’. If you don’t know much about this sign, thispage describes me to a T.
I was blessed with smart genes and cursed with the slow metabolism. My sister got the fast metabolism / skinny genes. She worked her butt off at schoolto make mediocre grades. I just listened in class and excelled. Although we were raised together by the same parents in the same loving environment with the same rules, only a year different in age, we couldn’t be more different. (Enough about her…I’m talking about me today. Wink!)
I knew in middle school that I wanted to be a programmer. I wanted to work with computers in a business environment. All of the tests said that I should be a Programmer Analyst or a researcher in a library. I was a math geek in school.
During my junior year of high school my parents bought a new house in a small town about 45 minutes away. Their regional school system including all grades had less kids than my graduating class. I was always an agreeable kid, other than typical sister battles. I did what I was told and kept the peace. I was not moving schools for my senior year. I told my parents they could go but I would move in with one of my friends. Looking back, I am still shocked that I was so bold. Luckily, it took my Dad an entire year to move his business so I was able to stay put for school. This was probably one of the first signs of the extremely independent person that I am today.
Anyway, I graduated 4th in my class of 450 (remember..this was just genes!) tied with my best friend. BTW, there was no way that I was going to be on stage and make a speech so I was relieved not to be 1 or 2.
When it came time for college, it was a rule by my folks that I had to live at home if I wanted college paid by them. I could have moved out and paid myself. At the time I didn’t feel it was a choice but looking back now, it clearly was.
I wanted a school bigger than my high school (450 in my graduating class) but not too big. I wanted to always be able to walk across campus and at least recognize a face so I didn’t feel lost in a strange land. Bentley College not only was the perfect size, but it had a contained campus. They offered a computer degree with a business core. They were the first college to include a computer as part of their tuition package. Every student had one. (I won’t talk about the details of the computer but let’s just say…I’m old and it was an awkward clunker but still..ahead of its time!)
I only applied toBentley. I did submit the initial application to University of Lowell which I had absolutely no intention of attending. I was told that I needed a backup plan. Another example of my stubborn independence. If I didn’t get into Bentley then I wasn’t going to college.
Well…it all worked out. I was first to graduate college in my family. Lots of stories in there but I will skip all of that for now.
My folks wouldn’t let me work while I was in school, so the Monday after I graduated, I started working part-time at Bentley.
While I was in college, in addition to working at school, I also worked a part time job doing mail order at a small company in the boonies that was growing. I was able to grab a Programmer Trainee position during the summer before my senior year of college. I was ahead a semester in college because of credit from AP exams and a summer class so I switched to part-time nights for my senior year and worked full time during the day. It had its challenges but it was the beginning of a long time with this company.
I was there 16 years before there was a big layoff. Oh and I got married in there somewhere. I also caught the travel bug at some point. I had been to Italy, Bahamas, Mexico, Bermuda, Spain, etc.
While the layoffs were being discussed and everyone was speculating, I totally didn’t think I would be hit and neither did my coworkers. I was cocky and said I was going to go back to school for Photography. So…when I did get laid off…I felt that I had to follow through. It was pretty weird being in my mid 30s going to school with teens and kids in their very early 20s. I swear it made me 10 years younger!
After I got my degree, I decided that I didn’t want to ruin my love of photography by doing it full time. Nevermind the instability of owning your own business so I had to get a full time job. I ended up working in retail management for a full year. Good thing was that I was able to survive on that crap pay and got some unique experience and met some great people. Bad thing…I lost a few of those years that I gained in college by standing 40hrs/week.
One of my customers who knew me through his wife from my previous job recruited me into a position in technical support at a software company that was just getting on its feet inthe US. I was making way less than I was making when I was laid off but more than retail and great benefits. So…12 years later…I was part of the company growing from a handful of people to 200+. Many different positions. A layoff where I was rescued by moving to a different department. Our offices were upgraded in size 4 or 5times.
I got a divorce somewhere in there and moved back into my childhood home. I became a foster parent to a teen mom on my 40th birthday. I am so proud of her and my foster granddaughter and how far they have come. I also worked at a craft store part-time and got an itch to learn all kinds of art, particularly intrigued by painting and mixed media. I recently have found a love of glass fusing.
We are more or less up to date on my life story. Current situation, after 12 years with my company, due to restructuring, I was recently laid off. So..I am taking some time for a new start.
Enough rambling about me…I hope that you will find the things that are in my heart and on my mind as either educational or at least entertaining! Welcome to my world!