I think I’m the best wife ever.

Not really, but I love to make my husband happy, and I want him to get things that he wants.

We live like we’re broke 99% of the time.   We don’t eat out, we don’t go and buy whatever we want, and we don’t have super nice things.  We’re the only couple of all of the people that we know that don’t have an awesome home-theater system, haven’t just bought a new house or made any other big purchases of that sort.   But we’re happy with what we have, and we’re also the only couple that has gotten married and had a baby all within the same year.

We live like we’re broke, and it has allowed us to survive while paying off our debts...

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Paying jobs:

1. Babysitting.  I was a really good babysitter.  I think I got 10 bucks per job regardless of the length, but I really didn't do it for the money, I just really liked kids.

2. Singer/Entertainer.  I don't really know if this one counts.  My mom used to be a lounge singer, and sometimes she would take me to work with her.  I would sing, and get paid in "Shirley Temple" drinks.  Some of my earliest and best memories.

3.  Shoveling horse manure.  I honestly got paid for this!  5 dollars for every wheelbarrow.  My "aunt" put all of the money that I'd earned into a bank account for me, and I used it to pay all of my entry fees for all of the horse shows we entered.  Somewhere, my mom still has the box of all of the ribbons I've earned.

4.  Nanny.  I lived with a family with two young children for several months.  I absolutely loved it.  They were a delight, and some of my fondest memories are of time spent with their mother.  I should probably look her up on facebook right now.

5.  Beer Cart Girl.  I worked at a golf course, and drove the beer cart.  I could make 50 bucks in tips in an hour.  All I had to do was laugh at their jokes, and smile pretty.  Oh yeah, and they were always right.

6.  Club house worker.  This was also at the golf course, but it was a different sort of job.  We ran the kitchen, cooked and prepared food, but also did all of the big conventions that used the golf course.  It was a LOT of work - probably the hardest job I've ever really had.

7.  Liquor store clerk.  It was as this point in my working career that I realized all jobs, no matter how menial seeming, have elements to them that you didn't expect that are really a pain in the arse.  I HATED dusting alcohol bottles, and "inventory" was a pain in the butt.  I also hated that, after my first scheduled shift on a shipment day where I had everything placed and inventoried, I was subsequently scheduled on EVERY shipment day.  My dad told me afterward that I shouldn't have done such a good job.

8.  Lounge bartender.  I couldn't mix many drinks... but it didn't matter.  My regulars only wanted their beers or straight up liquor.  I got off every night at 2am, and my mom and dad would walk down to meet me, help me close up, and walk home with me.  They didn't want their 18 year old daughter walking through town by herself.  And I love them for this more than they could possibly imagine.

9.  Waitress at the hotel restaurant.  Yet another job where there was so much more to do than it seemed at first glance.  Waiting tables is a horrendously difficult job, and I have a lot of respect for really great waiters/waitresses.  I also always clean up after myself and my child at a restaurant.  I think EVERY person should have to work in the food service industry for at least a month.

10.  Data Entry.  This was what I considered my first "real" job.  I worked at Target National Bank, which is the Target credit card distribution company.  We did a TON of data entry, but the real purpose of the job was "instant credit".  So when you're standing in the store, and you decide to apply for a card, and you fill all of the crap out, your application is sent to someone who looks over your credit report and decides whether or not to approve you.  It was a pretty good job.  Worked there for 2 years before I went stir crazy and quit.  Honestly, I quit.  No notice, nothing.  I just walked out one night. 

11.  "Model" at Abercrombie and Fitch.  Hahahaha.  I folded clothes.  I worked there for the discount, and the ego boost it gave me to get hired there.  I made some good friends, but the job was pretty shallow.

12.  Claire's.  This was actually one of my favorite jobs.  I got really good at getting out merch, handling busy times, opening and closing... but the best part was convincing little girls that they really WEREN'T too scared to get their ears pierced, and seeing how excited they were when it was all over.  It's also the reason I have 7 earring holes in my ears.

13.  Medical Records Clerk.  I worked at one of the clinics that I was interning at during my Ultrasound clinicals.  I sat in the office for a few hours a week (usually about 4) and scanned paperwork into the digital filing system.  It was MIND NUMBING.  I probably should have started listening to audio books.

14.  Waitress.  This time, it was at Firebirds, a REAL restaurant.  I made it through 2 weeks of training, just long enough to find out that I was going to be a great waitress, and then I was hired by my first hospital as an official Ultrasonographer.

15.  Wait, back to Abercrombie.  I got another job there when I first moved to Charlotte to make some money and get clothes for cheap.  I spent every paycheck I got there... there.   Oops.

16.  Sonographer.  I worked at CMC - Union as the weekender tech.  I absolutely loved my weekend peeps, and I still miss them very much.  Sally, Bill, Trina, Calvin, Hayley, Meagan, and everyone else.  I worked here for a year, but four months before my contract was up, I got a job at...

17.  Sonographer at Huntersville OB/GYN.  My door to the world of OB - and the beginning of my passion.  I worked here 5 days a week while I was working my weekend job at CMC-U.  The longest, hardest 4 months of my life.  Money is truly not worth it, people.  Having a life means something too.

18.  Sonographer.  Maternal and Fetal Medicine.  This is it.  The pinnacle of my career.  I was hired at my dream job, as a sonographer in a high-risk obstetric clinic.  I worked at this office for a total of 8 months - the length of my pregnancy - and decided not to go back to working full time, staying home with my son instead.  I do NOT regret this decision, even though I miss working there more than words can describe.  I miss my people, my friends, my patients, my doctors... but most of all, I miss having passion for my work, and finding joy in every day.  My ultimate goal is to return to this field of work.

19.  Sonographer!  Ha.  I currently work at Gaston Memorial Hospital as an Ultrasound Technologist.  I work the weekend overnight shift, and a random 12 hour Wednesday DAY shift every few weeks.  I don't love this job, I work it because we need the money.  I love the midnight crazies.  They make me laugh so hard I get stupid.  Even though I was stuck on Phase 4 for half the night.  The money is great, the hours mean I can stay home with my boy, and... that's all I've got on that one.


Wooooooo hoo!  19 jobs.  I really think Brock needs to do this, I think he could make it past the 20 mark.  This was fun... thanks Beff & Hat!

No post yesterday.  I didn’t feel up to it.

Today, however, is pretty great.  I had this huge outpouring of support from my “unattainable dreams” post, it that has made the biggest difference.  I can’t even begin to say.  I want to reply to every single comment, and that would be silly to do in comments (I don’t even know if people have noticed that I always reply – does it notify you?) so I’m going to do it here in my post.

Also, I installed a captcha plug-in to stop SPAM messages, but it stops people from being able to comment.  If you can’t comment, email me at mandy at tempestbeauty dot com and let me know.  I will try to get it fixed, perhaps try a new captcha thingy.

In other news, this is how yesterday went...

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