Jobs

Worked on the house this weekend after visiting Great Grandma with Karli.  Went to see her and wish her a Happy 92nd Birthday.  She is one strong lady.  She doesn't even look weak or frail.  But it is harder to walk and she loses strength quickly which is why after a few days in bed with a cold she is in rehab to see if they can get her walking again. 

The house-the downstairs bathroom is almost done!  Kaj and Tyler painted it this weekend, Rob is putting in the vanity as we speak and Skinner put in the lite mirror this weekend.  All that is left is the trim and a door.

I worked on sanding the entry way and living room wall and now those are ready for primer and paint.  Kaj worked on vacuuming up after me!

Recently the storyworth questions I can remember have to do with jobs and I saw one about a bike.

My first bike was a pink (schwin?) with a banana seat.  This was of course after the tricycle that was used as a wagon, bike, scooter, car whatever the imagination dreamed up.  I loved my pink bike then I had to learn to ride it.  I remember the old trick of the parents holding on then letting go but unfortunately I didn't know much about braking so I had head into the woods and ditch.  Definitely tears there.  Then we did the whole go to the school parking lot which left a good skid mark on my leg as well.  I did learn to ride thank goodness.

Jobs
Started out babysitting.  My mom said I could only charge 25 to 50 cents an hour.  That was low for that time.  I think I got a dollar or two an hour.

At 13 I started cleaning cabins at Gunflint Pines in the summer
At 14-Went to Alaska to teach Vacation Bible School for a couple of weeks with my friends Jesyka and Alina.  I always helped with VBS in GM as much as I could.  In later high school I also taught Sunday School
At 16 I started working in town in the summer.  The first job in town was at Beth's Fudge and Gifts and I also worked at the GM playhouse doing back stage stuff, stage managing, set building, selling tickets
17-Went to the Angry Trout and worked as a waitress for quite a few summers then also did cooking and dishwashing
Also in college at Gustavus my work study job was seamstress in the theatre department
21-I think I was a guide at Wilderness Canoe Base
Then in Duluth I worked at Sven and Oles Express and the Great Harvest Bread Company
22-Live in Nanny and had a small daycare
22-23-I went to Australia as a youth director missionary for a year
23-Came home to work as the Youth and Family director at church
24-worked at Lutsen Resort as a receptionist/front desk person
25-worked for Kent Anderson as a Skidder Operator, best job ever! Unfornately no money
25-Went to work for realty company as a receptionist.  All the agents left the company and started their own company called Gunflint Realty.  I went with them got my license, also was hired to be a salesman for a well drilling company(didn't really do anything with that) and I think there was something else I was because they wrote an article about me in the local paper as Jill of all Trades because I had 4 jobs.
28-I went to work at Grand Marais State Bank and I am still here.  I started as the receptionist then moved to loan processing and am now currently a loan officer/Security Officer/HR and I back up for the tellers.

I think that is all the jobs but maybe Dad remembers other jobs.  There is also volunteering with I included some of above but there are lots of other smaller volunteering that I have done.

The neighborhood I grew up in

I grew up at 31 Old Ski Hill Road and at Wilderness Canoe Base.  The Ski Hill Road house was close to town on a quiet road with 8 houses on it.  Already there are quite a few more houses.  There was the mean dog next door Brusier.  On the otherside there were a few different people that lived in that house over the years.  I can't say I really clicked with anyone there.  Next to that at the bottom of the road were the Pratts.  Mike was older than me by about 10 years but he was soooo cool.  Never wearing a winter jacket at the bus stop and only wearing tennis shoes.  Going the other way there were Burnett's w/Bruiser, Schwabs(moved away), Gallea's (our families were very good friends), Susanna and her parents then Bockoviches.

Dr. Gallea, wife Cindy, boys Jimmy and Brian were good friends with my parents and us kids played a lot together because our Mom's did WIC together and in general connected with each other.  Gallea's took up dogsledding so that was fun.  They moved away when I was just heading into Junior High I believe.

Wilderness was a whole other world that I will have to figure out how to organize my thoughts on growing up there and describing that neighborhood.  For starters though the name of our house was Ledge and I loved that house.

Storyworth

Auntie Doris, Auntie Bette, Auntie Karen and Grandpa Jim (Rebecca too but I haven't seen any stories from her yet) are doing Storyworth.  Storyworth sends them questions each week that they answer.  Some were interested in my responses and I thought here would be as good a place as any to answer those.

First car-My first car was a Volkswagon Jetta for $50 because it had a cracked head.  It worked fine you just needed to keep an eye on the oil.  I loved that car.  I bought it from Gina Todd and pretty much paid for it from all the change I collected off the floor of the car.  It had a moon roof and it own version of automatic seatbelts that connect to the door.

Famous people that  I have meet or people that really impacted my life-There are a lot.  I grew up at a camp so I got to meet a variety of people and some I can distinctly remember life lessons they taught me.
Linda Thoresen-How to cut with a sharp knife
Loise Feske-How to say hello before asking "What did you bring me"
A guy from one of the mens fishing retreats who taught me that it isn't nice to rub it in when you win a carribage game.  You can make the other person feel bad.
Les Miller-How not to swing and ax
Solveig, Kirsten and Yvonne-sex and drugs I will leave it at that
Kirsten and Toby-How two people can be in love but be ok with not being together
Matt Schmidt-Icky guys, not icky just players
Brian Weaver, Daryl Dugard, Brian Wright-Not a specific lesson but they were around a lot
Lowell-Some people just can't catch a break
Lynn Swanson-Living your faith unashamed
Debbie-I think that was here name.  She was in charge of the crafts for the first may retreat every year and they would always make little things for people that really seemed to brighten their days.
Tammy Gravining-Girls really can do anything
Sparky, Steph & Church, Jeanne Herr, Carl Feske, Pam Feske, Kristen Sebensfelt(Nelson?), that skinny white guy and black girl(Tracy?)(don't make fun of big boobs), Darin Blank, Jeff Packer, David Roon, Jed Miller, Zack Miller, Daniel Drews, Booker, Pen Lee, Jim Cherry, Les Fairbanks, Natalie Shaw, Sandy lived in snowshoe, Cindy the nurse, Cefelu, Rebecca and a million others that I can't remember right now.

Of course my Mom and Dad taught me a lot and I am most like them.  But I think all the other people caught me at that right moment I was willing to listen and reinforced what the parents said or people were willing to talk to me about those things that my parents didn't want to talk to me about or I didn't want to talk to them about!

Historian

Kaj came in the other night and he said that he is going to have to be the one to remember all the stuff about the house and Dad's trip to Montana to work.  So glad he is taking it upon himself to want to remember all the history of the family.

He also was finally trained to wire outlets so then I had him train me.  We wired his room and my room lickadee split.  To train me he had me watch him and he described the whole thing.  Then he said the next one you are doing by yourself big girl...So I went and did the next one myself and I had all the wires in and he had to come over to inspect me.  He took one look and told me I failed.  What! He said your ground is all the way over here.  I said I know it is because you have the screw driver and I couldn't screw it in yet. - Well you could have gone and gotten another one- I know but you were almost done so I was just waiting....that went on for awhile.  He is definitely at the age where he is copying his father as much as he possibly can. 

Wolf Ridge

Kaj finally got to take his 5th grade trip to Wolf Ridge.  It was as awesome as he was dreaming it would be for the past 3 years.  He did the ropes course with flying colors.  He didn't like the tight rope part but the rest was awesome.  The fish study he saw one white sucker and another little fish I don't remember but neither one of them went for the hook.  The winter survival the got their fire started and made hot cocoa and in the mean time discovered that they could make hot cocoa snow cones.  In bird study he had a chickadee land on him like three times.  Once it tried to take a piece of his hair(that will happen when you have good on your head!).  He got the top bunk, served the granola and cereal for KP duty and got to see an owl that they have there.  All in all a great time. 

A couple of weeks ago Brandi,  Kaj Nate (Brandi's boyfriend) and their hot tubbing friends went to Plant3 in Duluth.  It is a trampoline park.  What a wonderful time they had and a great memory.  Brandi and Kaj are so lucky to have each other and their connection is amazing.  Auntie Bette wants to go next time!