I left Japan in November after graduation and landed in San Diego. My step-father had been transferred to Balboa. I started college the next semester (spring). I worked at Sharp Hospital while in school. Ended up at Hillside Hospital working in the Pathology Lab (before) and after College. I really enjoyed being a Lab Technician.
In March of 1967 I married Bob Lynch. He was stationed there in San Diego on a Destroyer. On December 19, 1967 my daughter, Kathleen, was born. And much to my surprise my son, Rob, came along sooner than expected on January 11, 1969. In September of 1969, Bob was discharged from the Navy and we moved back to my home state of Texas. Bob worked for Central Power and Light in Refugio, Texas until he went to work as a civilian government employee at Chase Field in Beeville.
I became a mother again on July 24, 1971 when my daughter. Alison, was born. I was fortunate enough to be a stay at home mom until Alison was in school. I went back to work as a lab technician at the hospital in Beeville in 1977. We bought a house in Beeville, which was closer to Chase Field. The town of Beeville had only a volunteer ambulance and fire service that served the entire county of Bee. I became an EMT and joined the Emergency Ambulance Service. Stories as an EMT is for another time! :) I worked as an EMT and as a Lab Tech while there in Beeville. I would have at least 2 rotations a week as an EMT. Many times I went on to work as a Lab Tech after being on duty and working all night with the Ambulance Service. Wouldn't trade a minute of that time.
In June of 1983 Bob was transferred to Kodiak Alaska. He was an electrician (high voltage and low voltage) at Chase Field in Texas and continued the same job at the Coast Guard Base in Alaska. Of course, I had to quit my job at Memorial Hospital (and the Emergency Service), uproot the kids, and moved from South Texas to Kodiak, Alaska. What a change!!!
I have found something special in every place I have lived. Texas was one of the best, but I really liked Alaska. No other state I have lived was as beautiful, or could be as dreary as Alaska.
While in Kodiak I worked as an assistant to the Housing Officer on the Coast Guard Base. The hospital on Kodiak was only a 25 bed facility and there was never an open position at the lab all the time living in Kodiak.
The civilian employee positions were contracted out there in Kodiak in 1987. Bob was then transferred to Denver, Colorado. My two oldest kids had graduated High School in Kodiak. Kathleen went on to college in Southern California. My son, Rob joined the Air Force after Graduation. He was stationed at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma Washington Unfortunately, Alison, my youngest, had to transfer to school in the Denver area for her senior year. Neither one of us was happy about that.
Trying to get back to work as a Lab Technician proved to be difficult, so I decided to go back to college in Colorado and got my degree in Health Information Management. Before graduation I secured a job worked as a Medical Coder at St. Luke's hospital in Denver. Then once again, in 1991, a house had to be put up for sale because Bob was again transferred back to Alaska. This time to Elmendorf in Anchorage. Alison was working for United Air Lines in Denver and stayed there. So, just Bob and I went back to Alaska. I then became of Civilian employee at the Hospital at Elmendorf working a Medical Coder.
I ended up filing for divorce in 1992. With the divorce I took back my birth first name of Theresa. That is why you see that my e-mail has the name Theresa Darleen. I had wanted it back for so long and the legal action of the divorce allowed me to take it back. I stayed in Anchorage until 1996, then I moved to Tacoma, Washington. Rob was the first one to make me a grandmother and he and his wife Joella lived in Tacoma. I had a job to do...it is called spoiling the grandkids rotten. Which I do very well. Corey is my joy, as his brother Kyle, and cousin, Adam. Corey is 23 now, and Kyle is 17.
Alison married in Colorado, but moved to my son-in-law Jeff's, home in up-state New York. She also gave me a grandson, Adam. Now age 11. Kathleen was married in California and lives in Azusa. She and her husband, Byron, have not had any children.
I worked at Puget Sound Hospital in Tacoma until it was sold and then closed. I ended up working at the University Of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. I enjoyed working as a Medical Coder, just as I had as a Medical Lab Technician. I would have never worked in any other field than Medical, if there had been any positions available to me in Kodiak.
Finally this past February 1, 2014 I retired. Then in March 2014, I bought a house here in Puyallup, Washington. I had lived only in an apartment since moving to Washington in 1996. Having my own place has been so much fun. I have a vegetable garden that has been producing like crazy. Everyone I know has had yellow squash and zucchini force on them. The tomatoes and peppers have been put up in the freezer. I have also planted rose bushes and other flowering plants. I had not had a real yard to work in since Beeville Texas. I do enjoy retirement, but can see the hand writing on the wall and will be looking for a part-time job soon. After working so much since the divorce, I am finding it hard to not have more to do. I can only do so much yard work. I do share my home with the love of my life now....Domino. He is a black and white cat that thinks my keyboard is a resting place. We have had many discussions about this. :)
I have had an eventful life so far with many moves. I do not plan on any more moves. I really like it here. at one time I was thinking about moving down to Southern California, but the heat and Santa Anas have made me think differently. The weather is a little better here in Washington. And not having to commute into Seattle anymore is a blessing. Beside two thirds of my grandchildren live here. One day I hope to have great-grands....just not anytime soon!! I will continue my job of spoiling!! It is so much fun to spoil the boys and give them back!!
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