You'll see the pics above are my high school yearbook pic from 1974, and a pic taken on 09-26-2014.

What a difference only 40 years make.

It's way past 2014, but that's the best picture of me ever taken, so I'm not changing it, no matter what!!

LOL



The week before we graduated, I got a job at Amy Joy Donuts, down where East Market St. and Mogadore Road come together.

It's a dentist's office, now.

The Laundromat that was behind Amy Joy...is still there!

That job was so much fun!!
Or maybe I was just young and stupid... I enjoyed everything about it, even the cleaning!
But, eventually, I left there to work in MANY restaurants, almost always cooking.

Restaurant work is long hours and hard work, but I did it.

After a while, though, an opportunity to get out of food service presented itself and I took it.



I went to work for Fotomat.

Yes, I sat in one of those little glass booths, waiting for you to drive up and drop off your rolls of film.

I opened that store the first day it was in business, working the early shift.

Konica, who owned Fotomat by then, decided to close it, 13 years later.

I opened that particular store, and I closed it, too.

My store sat in a huge, almost empty lot, 10 miles South of here.

Exactly where?

It was on a lot that's now known as "Arlington Ridge", in Green.

Over the years, I'd watched AME'S come & go...Zayre's come & go...and Gold Circle come & go.

Then, everything went & I sat there, with Burger Chef my only companion in that huge lot.

Then, Burger Chef went.

When Konica closed my store, it wasn't a week before Arlington Ridge broke ground.



Anyway, I was promoted to the Mini-Lab in Hudson, to become Night Supervisor.

There, we did our own film developing and picture printing.

It was no longer a drive up booth, it was an actual store.

Why, I didn't know how to act, what with customers WALKING in, and not aiming their cars at me!!

I really enjoyed the work.
I was sent to Fort Lee, NJ to learn how to use the machines (& how to clean them...which wasn't as much fun as at Amy Joy).

I worked at that location, loving every minute of it, for about 18 months.

But, when an until-then unknown birth defect in my back let go, I became disabled overnight.

I was going to Akron U to earn a degree in Interpreting for the Deaf, but when my back broke, I had to quit, (with only two semesters left to go).



I have never felt the need to leave Akron except for more than a day or two.
I've always been happy here.

I have lived on all sides of town; currently, living in Akron's near-East side.



It's an odd story, but my health made me give up my crafting.

I still spend a great deal of time on the computer, working on various projects -- including trying to keep this website up-to-date -- and being in touch with Classmates.
The website is work, yes, but it is also fun to me, so I don't mind it a bit, really.

I love the time I have spent working...and, playing... with the website these last several years.
Thank you for all the positive feedback, and for your contributions.
I couldn't do ANY of this without you.

So, whatever we can put on the website, please send it along...