An Introduction

Let's get to know each other, actually I'll share something about myself with you. I think it's important as you follow this blog. Judge me, don't judge me, love me, hate me, cheer me on, boo me....none of it matters. This is my journey and my diary about struggling in America today...unemployed and wondering what will happen next.

Okay, so about me....I'm over 50, single white female. Grew up in Wisconsin, moved to the Southwest not much out of high school and spent most of my time between Arizona and California. My folks did the best they could. Dad was a pharmacist, Mom stayed at home until we got somewhat older....while my folks had probably alot of the same problems and dealt with many of the same issues we all do now, they did WELL by us for the most part. Mom was great...she is now 82 and my best friend and one of the most amazing and intelligent women I know.

Dad....well Dad was tough, he didn't really show his love, he put us down alot...we never knew how to take Dad. As I look back as an adult, I see that Dad did what he thought was right...even though it often wasn't. He was a proud man, highly educated, decorated WWII vet...there were three of us kids. Myself, my older sister (Betti) and my brother (John). My sister Betti passed away 3 1/2 years ago and I've never quite gotten over it...Betti and I lived far apart all our adult life and I don't spend one day now not regretting this. She was a beautiful soul, intelligent to a fault...not only IQ wise, but street/common sense wise. I will write more about her later, just because I know I must. My brother John has little to do with what is left of our family...he is extremely successful from a financial viewpoint, highly (IQ) intelligent, but I wonder sometimes how he can like himself.

As we all do, I've made mistakes through life...learned from them for the most part. I often now wish for a period of ten years that I seem to have lost in my life because of some of these mistakes and poor choices.

I moved to southern Oregon a few months back...had no money left in savings after being unemployed in southern California for a year. Let's back up, I had left California in '08 and gone to the midwest, had a job that was sort of unstable and not quite full-time, but didn't much mind and the living was cheaper...then the allure of an old client in San Diego ENTICING me with words such as; "we need to you to fill in for 4 months for a maternity leave" and "after that we have trials throughout '09 & '10 and you can do all our trial prep" and then "don't worry, you'll have job security"...made me pack up, use the rest of the money I'd saved and move on back to California! Can you say OUCH?!?!?!

.....more later.