[Stormieweather]

12 - baby sitting a neighbor's two children

13-14 - attended a private boarding academy which required 4 hrs per day work, mostly at the sanitarium (old folk's home) they ran. I started in the laundry room, washing dirty cloth diapers and running pillow cases through a hot iron press. I now know what a dungeon feels like! I moved to the floor after I obtained my CNA certificate. Loved taking care of the patients. Got kicked out of school for sneaking out to meet boys and smoke cigarettes.

15 - different private school, worked as a maid for one of the professors. Refused to go back after spring break, so attended public school the rest of that year.

17 - moved overseas with father - Saudi Arabia. First job there was as a lifeguard in one of the US housing compounds. I taught swimming to the kiddies in the morning and sat in the highchair in the afternoons. Promoted to receptionist/switchboard operator for the military headquarters for a small military project (training SA national guardsmen). Was responsible for patching field personnel to operations and homes. Used 3 different systems, including CB type radios.

18 - married a Saudi and got job in accounting dept of Saudi Military Hospital in Riyadh. Input data to computers, which in those days meant keypunch tapes that were then fed into the actual computer. Created bills (handwritten-totalling millions) for various branches of the military to obtain reimbursement for their personnel's use of the facilities. Husband became insanely jealous and forced me to quit (he was hospital administrator).

21 - door to door sales in Dallas, Tx. - total scam! Boss tried to rape me and then fired me because I fought him. Jackass. It was an extremely poor paying job anyway, and I spent a lot of time hungry.

21 - breakfast waitress at some hotel restaurant (i forget the name). Good money but pos car made me late once too many times.

22 - night security guard for Nuclear Medical Laboratories in Dallas. Very lonely and scary job, with all the warning signs and coolers, etc. kicking on and off all night.

22 - airline gate security for Delta Airlines at DFW. Fun job! Loved seeing all the weirdo's come through and trying to sneak illicit things past us.

23 - moved to Fla - office person for a junkyard. Had two doberman's as guards. Lots of drunks and street people came through selling can collections, staff were all prison parolee's and cons. Issues with owner, quit/fired depending on who you ask.

23 - Accounting for Fotomat Corp headquarters. Worked there 5 years, until they were bought by Konica Corp and moved to Ja Jolla, CA.

Accounting, Mad Hatter Mufflers - franchisor - co folded.

Self employed for 6 months - too iffy as a single mom.

Started career as Commercial Real Estate Mgt accountant -

4 years at first co. (The Sembler Co.), got recruited for 25% pay increase to another co in Tampa.

Worked for Faison for 5 years, promoted to supervisor and put in charge of large national client. Co. was sold to Trammel Crow and accounting consolidated in Orlando. Laid off.

Got job at another real estate firm, Prudential Florida Realty, closer to home and worked there 5 years, surviving one company sale (to Arvida Realty Services) but not the second one (to Coldwell Banker). Laid off.

Obtained contract to continue my services as contractor working from home and have been doing that for 4 years. Writing is on the wall however, they are having meetings and discussing bringing my work back in-house (probably due to control concerns). I'm quite worried about finances if/when this happens (likely very soon ie: year end?). These types of positions are few and far between and I've already worked for the major local players.

I love being self-employed and am very good at what I do. I am trying to figure out how to hang on to this for a while longer. I have a toddler and an elementary age child and thoroughly enjoy being a full time mom as well.

Is that like wayyyyy too much information? Lol.

Stormie