school and work

I never could deal with structured education (I think they call that "school").  Although an honors student, it was something I never enjoyed.

After a stint at SUNY Stony Brook, I went off to have a taste of the working world.

I worked as a camp counselor in my early to mid teens ... the best job in the world, collecting a paycheck to play all day. When I was seventeen, I entered the world of telemarketing ... selling everything from newspapers to food. Soon after, I became a telephone switchboard operator - working at an answering service (usually during the overnight shift ... too much fun)

I soon was hired (at the same company) to be head of Inventory Control. After several years of hard work and still earning under five dollars per hour, I decided that maybe the boss really was a tight wad jerk, and moved onto a job in sales for an alarm company. Soon thereafter, I was President of my own electronics company. Although alarms were the main focus, we also did home automation, telephones, and closed circuit television. The first cell phone I sold cost $1,895.00. After about a decade, I wanted to toss the beeper along with the 24-hour-a-day responsibility of owning a local service company. I sold the business and took almost two years off. It was the biggest mistake and best time of my life. In retrospect, I should have had half the fun and spent half the money in half the time. The bundle I blew set me back to a financial square one.

I started doing all types of work, and set up my own consulting business. After a year or so, the business started to boom working in the field of computer video emulation. Basically, that entails taking images on regular computer monitors and putting them on larger monitors. The work was done in data centers for Fortune 500 companies across the country and around the world.

Although the money was great, after a time it got to be too much, never knowing if I was going to be home or 3000 miles away.

Throughout the years, I forged a relationship with a human rights/housing organization, also know as a Fair Housing Agency. In 1999, I received a telephone call from my former supervisor, now acting as Executive Director, asking me to return to them in the capacity of Comptroller. Since that date, I have been submerged in the not-for-profit, overworked, underpaid, wonderfully satisfying world of charity.   

Although a great cause, the agency couldn't pay me a wage that allowed me to afford my cost of living ... ironic as their mission statement is "promotion of decent and affordable housing".  With no retirement plan contributions and a wage that wouldn't cover my rent, utilities, and standard bills (like food and car payments), I decided to leave the agency after almost eight years of service.  I am now providing non-profits my expertise with my own consulting business.

My love for animals, people, and Jeannie (owner of Shirley Pets & Aquarium in Shirley) keep me helping out at her pet store for a few hours here and there.  Her store is so unique and funky!  Customers who walk in usually find about 6-8 birds hanging outside their cages, all kinds of crazy reptiles, great little furry things like degus, chinchilla, ferret, rabbit, dwarf hampster, hedgehog, as well as the standard variety of gerbil, mouse, rat, and hampster.  There are fish galore, both fresh and salt.  And Mr. Bee is alway there to greet you ... a bumble bee grouper - a fish that's about two feet long with a zillion tiny teeth in his huge mouth.  Mr. Bee has been in the pet store about 25 years now, and has grown to love watching and interacting with people at his tank.  I have no problem cleaning the inside of his tank, with him sliding up against my are and wriggling around with excitement (the fish, not me).

Working at the store is most meditative and helps ease the high pressure of my full time work.  Unfortunately, time/body/mind does not allow me to work there as much as I would like.

Oh, I may as well plug the store as I highly recommend a visit ... it's truly a fun experience:

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