Mirror, Mirror

The sweet and lovely kalakly tagged me, so I thought this would be a nice break from my incessant kvetching.

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago, I was 27, almost 28. I was at a decent admin job at a reasonably good company with decent pay, good benefits and a great team. I worked for a consultant who respected me and gave me great assignments on top of my regular stuff. My colleagues (other admins) were fun, smart and I generally enjoyed coming in to work, even though I knew this wasn't my life's work.

I was writing a lot -- involved in at least 2 writing groups, workshops and finding great community that I hadn't really had before. Enjoying life and summer in Boston. Major dating dry spell. Wondering what my options were. This was about 5 or 6 months before I connected with C. A friend of mine left to go on a trip around the world in September, and before she left, she encouraged me to do things that scared me. To challenge myself. Good advice.

2. What 5 things are on your to-do list today?
Read at least 20 pages of Bourdieu. (this may be ambitious)
Set up meeting with prof/advis to talk about project/reading
Call shelter about sponsoring Doggie M
Make list of doctors and shrinks to call
Online banking

3. List snacks you enjoy.
Chips & (fake) queso
Chips & salsa
Ruffles
Grapes (and most summer fruits)
Veggies (crispy and raw)
Pretzels

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
Oh, the places I'd go... Well, I would really like to travel. I haven't been anywhere off this continent and I'd really like to see the world. I would like to build a house on each coast, and maybe somewhere in the middle. A house in the mountains, a house by the water, a house in the country.

I would like to set up a lobby for infertility, pregnancy loss and stillbirth funding, and making mandatory coverage for testing, diagnosis and treatment of obstacles to parenthood for every man and woman who would like to parent. Perhaps some sort of funding for IUI/IVF/Adoption so the costs are not so exorbitant. Set up programs in schools that ensure that health/sex ed curricula include information about infertility, to try to dispel some of the myths that problems conceiving are just about stress.

I would also like to pay off my debt and any debt of those closest to me, particularly school loans and mortgages. I would like to set up my dad so he could live exactly as he would like. I would like to pay back the total of the college loans and interest he incurred in supporting my education. Above and beyond the call, most certainly.

As long as I'm setting up funds, I would also like to set up some sort of research program looking into cures and raising awareness about ovarian cancer (which kills as many or more women as those killed by breast cancer). And re-fund Head Start.

I think I'd need at least a few billion.

5. List places you have lived.
Parsippany, NJ
New City, NY
Worcester, MA
Beverly, MA
Brookline, MA
Somerville, MA
Cambridge, MA
Waltham, MA
Arlington, MA
Small Town, OH

6. List jobs you have had.
Babysitter
Dry cleaner helper
Research assistant
Jewelry store salesperson
Pub server
Temp admin
Admin -- building management
Bookstore shift mgr
Admin -- marketing
Admin -- hr consulting
Content editor -- dot-com
Exec admin -- hr/comp consulting
Daycare teacher, toddler room
Teacher's Aide, Inclusion program (middle school)
Teachers Aide, Inclusion program (head start prog)
Academic Adviser -- regional campus of U
College Instructor -- socio-educational foundation in education to pre-service teachers

7. List those who you would like to answer the above questions.
I think just about everyone who I read has done this except CDE.