Employment Part 1 - Edmonton

I like to work. I have had a job since I was 15, so I really don't know what my life would be like without one. Even though it is hard to balance work and family, I manage to do what it takes so that I can be the best possible mom and wife and still have time to put in 40 hours or so in a week. Right now, I have the perfect job to do just that. I have a wonderful amount of flexibility to attend school day functions with my kids and I have all the holidays (and then some) and my summers off to spend with my family. I truly do have the best of both worlds...

Nanny
I moved out of my parent's house when I was 15 and went to live with a lady named Estelle. She had a couple of kids, Shelly (7) and Tyler (3), that I watched for her while she worked at night. She usually left for work around 6 pm and returned home well after 2 am. I was responsible to watch her kids in the evening (feed, help with homework, bathe) and then get up before I went to school/work and get them ready for and off to daycare and school themselves. Estelle was under the impression that I had my driver's license, so I was given the car (when she wasn't at work), a room downstairs, food and a monthly "salary" in trade for raising her kids. I thought it was a pretty sweet deal. I did this for year or so. During this time, I also worked at The Bay, Dapper Dan and George E. Failing. I was pretty busy but I don't remember being very stressed out. I guess you just handle things better when you are a teenager...

Sears Optical, Optician (3 yrs)

I don't have any idea what got me in the optical field. I don't remember interviewing or anything or why they would hire someone that didn't have any training or experience in this field. Either they were desperate or I interviewed well. This job would be the start of a 6 year career in the eye-wear industry. I remember being very nervous when I fit my first pair of glasses and how kind and patient my first customer was. Isn't it funny that I can remember what the frames looked like and that the customer was wearing a suit and tie and had a briefcase? I had many great experiences and met many great people at Sears Optical. Thanks to Facebook, I still keep in touch with many of them. Where are you now, Bob Kowalchuck & Sam Woyawoda?

AOCO (American Optical), Office Manager/Optician (1 yr)

American Optical was actually the company that owned Sears Optical. They closed the Sears store at the mall I worked at and transferred me to the place where they stocked frames and actually made the lenses. While I did most of the secretarial things, like inventory and shipping and receiving orders, I was also trained on how to fill the orders. This was so interesting. Did you know that your lenses actually look like clear, plastic, hockey pucks before they are grinded down and shaped to fit your frame? This was back in the day when coloring your lenses was popular. Do you remember gradient shading in pinks and blues? I loved that part of the process!

Viscon Contact Lens Company, Secretary/Optician (2 yrs)
I don't recall why I left AOCO but I ended up at a place that manufactured contact lenses. This was also an interesting process that I had the opportunity to learn how to do. They only used me when we had a large number of orders or if one of the lab techs was unable to come to work. This place was owned by Rikke or Cora Dootjes. They HATED each other and working with them was always entertaining! All but one of the lab techs were Vietnamese who spoke little or no English. The other lab tech, David, and I spent a lot of time together trying to "survive" our hostile working conditions! He still works there to this day...