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Thermal Engineering International
– Payroll Department. A subsidiary of Babcock Power Inc.,
Thermal Engineering International has been providing quality energy
solutions, products and services since 1916. Our Santa Fe Springs
location is our corporate office, with major facilities in Oklahoma,
Joplin, Missouri, Warren, and Pennsylvania (TEi-Struthers Wells).
Dog Walker /
Amateur Dog Training – Since the late 1990s, I’ve been
walking other people’s dogs, and in the process of doing so,
training them, including: Rambo & Fallyn (German Shepherds), Doogie
(Pit-mix), Buddy (Beagle-Shepherd) and Miss Dasha (Liver-spotted Dalmatian). Some have been
fairly well trained, needing only some fine tuning. Others, like
Buddy and Dasha, have been quite the challenge.
When I was
growing-up, my family had two dogs, Brandy
(Malamute-Shepherd-Sheltie mix) and Sunny (Black Labrador). Though
extremely intelligent, Brandy could be quite stubborn. He had the
natural instinct for herding and would herd us, nipping at our
heels, as well as pigs at Sunny Hills High School Farm. He was very
protective of the family’s puppies (us kids) and wouldn’t let my
parents spank us. Sunny was the most well-behaved dog I have ever
handled. She needed no improvements so I spent time teaching her new
tricks. Both dogs lived to be 15 years old. She had a knack for
charming the men! She was 100 lbs of chiseled muscle with a strong
tail. We weren’t used to tails – Brandy had only a bobtail.
When I worked as a
bookkeeper for a local dog-training and boarding facility, the
trainers brought lonely, frightened, and/or aggressive dogs into my
office for socialization and comfort. I was fairly successful in
becoming their friends and giving them a positive human experience
which helped to promote easier-handling by the trainers and kennel
staff.
Music
Ministry, St. Angela Merici Church, Brea, California – I
play guitar and sing in two choirs, the Singers and Voices of Joy.
Both are guitar groups with varying characteristics. I also publish
Musical Notes, a newsletter
catering to the musicians of the parish, providing articles on
music, liturgy, and ministry, as well as the current events of the
parish and diocese. I also accompany one of our cantors at the
children’s liturgy in a 3-week rotation with two other musicians.
Amateur
Journalist / Writer: I love to write –
poems,
editorials, stories, and other
publications. As mentioned above, I publish a newsletter for the
music ministry as well as a new publication called
Liturgical Seasoning for the
whole parish of St. Angela Merici Church. The latter is basically an
“Info-Sheet” that provides the themes of different liturgical
seasons and events, as explored, discussed and decided by the
Worship Council.
I am working on
another website called the H-Factor
which will host articles and information on health and social
issues.
Amateur
Photographer – I love taking pictures. I make slide
show presentations with my photos. I also print a select few to
showcase in our home, instead of purchasing pictorial art. I take
photographic stories of church retreats, family occasions, and our
travels throughout the world (okay, throughout the States). I also
like to take pictures of local parks, going where most people don’t.
When I show people these, they are shocked that the park they
frequent has such views. My other favorite subject is animals,
especially my lil’ Dasha.
However, she can be a pain to photograph. She does not like her
picture taken and many of the photos I have of her show her
displeasure. I have often just laid on the grass watching her and
snapping shots when she isn’t paying any attention to me. Go to our
vacation / photograph link to see our photos.
Arts & Crafts
– I love arts and crafts, especially scrapbooking, needlework,
paint-projects, and creating seasonal displays and gifts.
Interior/Exterior
Design – I have worked together with Brian to plan and
execute the interior and
exterior design of our house
throughout the years. We continually remodel as necessary, adding
and revamping our décor. I also create seasonal displays and décor
throughout the year.
We are unfortunate
to live in “Crack City” – no I don’t mean drugs. Our house one of
the many built in the 1950s when plaster walls were the norm.
Whenever the house settles, new cracks appear. We try to repair
them, but a carefully planned rustic look throughout the house helps
those unsightly cracks blend-in a little more.
Through trial and
error, we’ve learned what works in our yard and what doesn’t. Our
goal was to create a comfortable, somewhat casual landscape that is
easy to maintain and drought-resistant. We essentially live in an
area where the natural available water can be somewhat scarce. Of
course, most people take for granted our ability to contract with
other locations for this valuable resource. However, with growing
demands of the southwestern states for the same water sources, we
wanted limit what we use in our yard. To complicate matters, we have
a huge weed problem – nothing seems to stop ‘em. So, our landscape
is designed to minimize the amount of back-breaking weeding required
to make our yard look good.
Check out my
FACEBOOK page. |