I wasn’t tagged but here are 5 things about me

The game of “tag” has been going on in the genealogy blog-world for the past week or so and Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings has invited those of us that weren’t tagged to join in. For a list of those who have participated see http://randysmusings.blogspot.com/2007/01/theyve-been-tagged.html

Since I’m new at blogging (I've only been doing it for 2 weeks) no one knows anything about me and I don’t know if anyone is even reading this . . . so, anyway,

1. In November 1969 I enlisted in the US Navy and served for 9 1/2 years, through May 1979. The first year after boot camp was in the “Special Services” division at Norfolk, Virginia. Special Services was more or less the recreation department. I worked in the library for a while, then in an office. They sent me to Great Lakes Naval Station for two weeks of training to learn how to run a carbon-arc movie projector. Showed movies in the base theater for about 6 months. Learned how to pop popcorn too. Real exciting stuff. Then I finally got the school that I wanted – photography. The next eight years were spent in base photo labs in Maryland, Iceland, California and Japan.

2. Technically, I was the first female assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. This was in 1976 while stationed at Point Mugu in California. It was a temporary two week assignment to take pictures for a missile handling training manual. Of course, the Enterprise was not out to sea and I was not allowed to stay onboard ship overnight. I also had to have an escort with me at all times while onboard. Not sure if it was me or the sailors they didn’t trust! It was an interesting experience.

3. When I got out of the Navy I attended Indiana State University in Terre Haute and graduated three years later with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with an emphasis in photography. Returned to school in 1991 to learn computer programming. It took me about eight years to get my Associates degree taking 1 or 2 classes a semester while working full time.

4. I’ve photographed an active volcano in Iceland (1973) and climbed an extinct one, Mt Fuji in Japan (1978).

5. In 1986 I got fed up with my job and quit. I had been working 50-60 hours per week in the darkroom of a photolab, way too much time in the dark! Spent the following eight months traveling to ancestral homes in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Visited previously unknown relatives in Indiana, Iowa, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming. This resulted in publication of “The Phend Family” in 1991. Money eventually got to be an issue so I had to go back to work. Have been with this company for 20 years in a variety of positions from working production to office clerk and for the past six years as a systems analyst. Planning to retire this year to spend more time transcribing records and traveling to New England, among other places, to discover more about my ancestors.