What is your career &/or special talent?

[TrudieC]

I saw in another posting here someone mention how cool it is to learn more about people than just their kid issues.  Let's get to know each other better and post what you do for a career (outside or inside the home) and any special talents you might have.  You never know when one of us might need the expertise of another member.

[rdh1981]

Hey gals!!! Fun post Trudie, I learned so much about you guys and I thought I already knew it all!!!!

I am a first grade teacher at a Catholic School were I attended K-8!! It is super fun teaching at the school that brought me so much joy as a child!! Right now I am on a extended maternity leave....I go back in January (that makes me super sad) I love my job but I love spending time with Cruz more!!!

As for hobbies does watching trash tv count?????

I have two beautiful boys. Cooper who is now the best Baby Angel ever and his little bro Cruz, who just made two months! I love my guys so much!!!

I have been married for almost 6 years, but I have been with my hubby since I was 14!!!! We met in High School and I have been together ever since. We also have the same Birthday!!!!  

Although some parts of my life have left me with extreme sadness, I am now very thankful that I can be happy and love again!

Rachel

[Cheyenne_08]

I have a degree in Criminal Justice and currently attending school to obtain my Master's degree in forensic psychology. I worked as a legal advocate for a domestic violence shelter, but just moved to Columbus and started a new job this week. I am now a youth leader for at-risk youth (those that have had severe trauma, physical, and sexual abuse).

I have one son, Ashtyn, who is two years old! I want another baby, but keep debating law school (which i feel I was born to do)! I also have a stepdaughter that is 3....OH, and I am getting married on Halloween :-)

[2ndBaby]

I teach junior high choir and drama in Texas.  I am certified to teach music Pre-K through 12.  I have a very active choir program for my students which has a great reputation for excellence.  I am currently working on my masters in educational leadership (ie: principalship).  I'm not sure that's the career path I will take, but I'm not done learning yet :)

[mslkpage]

I'm Lisa and I've been a probation officer for 10 years. Most my work has been with drug offenders and sex offenders, and I currently supervise the sex offender caseload at my department. Do I love my job? No, but it's very interesting and I'm good at it. I'm also a certified peace officer, but currently I just keep my training hours up and do my firearms twice a year to keep my license active.

I have a two-year-old son, Dylan, a 16-year-old stepdaughter, Tayler (she lives with us) and a 20-year-stepson, Brandon, who's going to school to be a surgical technician. Oh, and I have 4 rescue mutts. =)

[mum2beagain]

I'm Jo, I live on beautiful Vancouver Island, it's paradise here! We moved here from the UK 4 years ago. After being a SAHM for about 3 years I now work part time in a childrens store which I love and am hoping to one day buy the business off the current owner. My background is in retail management and I worked as a manager for Marks and Spencers in the UK. I have 2 great kids James (5 1/2) and Sam (2 1/2). Many of you know that James had multiple special needs; CP, Hydrocephalus and Autism so I spend much of my time with him working on his various therapies. My husband works for a Canadian owned small aircraft company and is currently involved in a project to bring the old de Havilland Twin otter back into production.

[tatorbug40]

I am currently an in-house architect for Drury Hotels (as mentioned before).  I love my current job.  I have the very rewarding and sometimes frustrating blessing of working hand in hand with Bob Drury, the owner of our company (and Drury Hotels).  He is 77 and started his career on a farm with his father and brothers, and then plastering-  they got work plastering the first holiday inn's and decided they could make more money running a hotel,  so they bought a holiday inn franchise....  it is an amazing story, and we are still family owned to this day!

I have been working in my field for 13 years and have done things from school design, church design, theater design, and high end residential-  including Tony Parker and Eva Longoria Parker's home design.   (some of you already knew that).....  

As most of you know I am into baking cakes, and my husband and I also have started a side catering bbq company, but it has been moved to the back burner---  it is a little much with two small kids and a full time job!

I too love reading and cooking.

Great thread,  I love learning more about you all!

[Quinns momma]

Cool post. I love learning new things about each other.  Well, I have my degree in criminal justice and I work as a medical fraud investigator from my home based office. I get the joy of determining based on countless medical records which doctors/facilities/hospitals are commiting fraud and trying to scam the govt and ins companies out of millions of dollars. I am a credentialed CFE certified fraud examiner and CPC certified professional coder. I work alongside the SIU (special investigations unit) of major INS companies. I also used to work in the SIU however when I got preggers with Quinn and decided daycare was not the route I wanted to take I transitioned to a home based position.

For those that have known me a long time on MedHelp my screen name used to be Harley-girl. So that should clue in my love of riding cycles. :) I also love tattoos and have 12 of them. Working on getting the hubby a full sleeve before I add to my collection.

Also love reading and going to craft fairs. :)

[tiredbuthappy]

i teach 4 year olds in a pre-k in a public school, although i'm on maternity leave. i am certified to teach preschool through 3rd grade, and am taking my final class to obtain my ESL certification which will allow me to teach ESL for Kindergarten through adults. both certifications were obtained through grad courses, so i am a couple classes short of a masters in early childhood and a couple away from my masters in ESL. i'll probably finish some day, but for now i'm looking forward to taking a break from school.

my strengths- i'm lucky in that i found my calling and i'm great at what i do. i can manage a class of 15, teach them life skills and academics, and manage challenging behaviors.I also have always been very strong in academics and find school to be easy. Ironically, i have a very short attention span, so I'm not sure how I survived school all these years. I also hate noise, so I'm not sure how i've survived being a teacher :)

[AnnieBrooke]

I have a law degree and work part-time as a legal editor for a consulting firm, something I can largely do from home by now (after many years of fulltime work there.  I don't miss the commute, but I used to be a lot more professional in the wardrobe department!).  

I also love to cook.  I have cooked professionally at an archaeology site (with no electricity), in a restaurant that made everything from scratch including the pie dough, and at a deli.  I made chili last night from my memory of the restaurant's old recipe, and it was great!  (They drop a piece of bittersweet cooking chocolate into it for color and flavor.)

My latest two large projects have had to do with construction, renovation and decoration -- updating my father's house for sale and updating our own house (a two-year rebuild).  

I love animals; we have dogs and cats.  

Have been married a long time and a mommy for 2+ years.  

[AndiJ78]

I am a SAHM/WAHM. I am currently working as a Medical Transcriptionist from home. I work at night when the kids are in bed and my primary client is an AIDS clinic in the midwest.

I am a baseball mom, a soccer mom, I love to cook and have been bitten by the gourmet bug in the last few years and have really begun experimenting more in the kitchen. I love to read. I love to volunteer. And as many know my latest big thing is the 3 Day, which I roped Peek into walking with me. Our event is next week and I will be trying to keep updating via Facebook mobile as we walk.

I just got home from a doubleheader an hour away and need to get my reports done for the night, but stopped by to see how the Pasture was coming along. Cool stuff!

[adgal]

Great idea for a post Trudie.  I work for a non profit organization that works with those living in poverty and the homeless.  My specific role is housing.  I try to help those living in shelter find affordable, sustainable and safe housing. Part of that is helping them utilize other resources such as job training, counselling, etc. depending on their individual needs.   I also work with landlords in "convincing" them to dedicate a small percentage of their rentals into low income. I absolutely love what I do and although I'll never get rich doing it, I find it incredibly rewarding.

[pertykitty]

so great to know! id love to see pics of your stained glass, i wanted to get into that at one time.

i was an RDA for 18 yrs.  loved working in the dental field, i do miss it sometimes.  even the nasty rotten infected mouths lol.  i also was a certified massage therapist for about 5 yrs and i do miss that occationally too, more the trading of massages with other therapists llol.

now im a sahm and dont plan on going back to work any time soon.  i might even use my dh's gi bill and go back to school in the future.  cant let that money go to waste!! i am in love with cooking as well, and like doing gardening.  my veggie box didnt do very well this year but i will try again next year!!! lol

[TrudieC]

I'll start.  I used to be an accountant (not certified) in public accounting and then a controller for a manufacturing firm.  I then left to join the software world and have been working in a variety of roles in the ERP (business) software industry.  I've project managed, implemented, demoed, sold, marketed and managed a number of software companies.  I specialize in start ups and can make a company grow and prosper.  Right now I am working for a small BC based Canadian company which sells across North America.  I run their marketing and sales and am taking them to the next step all while working from home.  Really helps me manage my Lupus symptoms having control of my calendar and my travel.

I also like to do stained glass work, scrapbooking, and am extremely passionate about cooking.