Hey, Patrice~A little late replying to you, but…I started in 1982 in Burbank, with a very small studio working mostly on animated commercials. Then the director there, Frank Terry (who was a great teacher) moved on to Filmfair in Studio City, where I spent a number of years until the whole thing shut down—never knew why, exactly. I freelanced a lot, as one does, but mostly worked in Santa Monica at Duck Soup, and sometimes for Rhythm & Hues, Acme Filmworks in Hollywood, etc. I never worked on features, except when they were winding down and panicking for more bodies to finish up production. I liked commercials, ‘cause one got to change styles and techniques often. What I liked most was doing special effects (before computers)—fairy dust, sparkles, shadows, bee swarms…Did you transition into computers when they arrived on the scene? I was old-school cel animation. I knew my days were numbered when I’d go into the studio and there would be more and more 20-something bleached-blonde Japanese kids taking over the technology. But I was winding down anyway and getting to be a geezer, I suppose, and didn’t seem to fit in anymore. But I miss the days of the big messy rooms with everybody drawing, paper and eraser dust everywhere, and everyone pitching in (including the director) painting cels at midnight to get the job done on deadline.

Good questions Phyllis. First off the easiest one to answer. As I have said on other posts on other similar topics, I have trusted men my entire life. While other women around me would bemoan their relationships and the deceit they faced in their relationships, I was always the one that cautioned them about painting all men with the same brush. Because at the time I “believed” (I will never know for sure) none of the men I dated had cheated on me. But all that changed 5 years ago when the man I was dating cheated, repeatedly. I moved back to Wisconsin and immediately landed the job I have managing a high end divorce law firm. So the conversations I have with many of the male clients over the years are about the emotional problems their wives have, or the economics, health issues or their kids as being the reason for their divorces. Yet in each instance the real reason is they are cheating with a neighbor, co worker, etc. etc. etc. So that is where my distrust is repeatedly reinforced. Phyllis we’re talking about men in positions that you or others would label as professionals, accomplished in their field. Men who would look me straight in the eye and lie without the slighest hint of deceit, and yet all they had to say were indeed lies. These are the men who ask me out (in terms of appearance and professions). Why would I trust a guy that ask me out and think he wouldn’t lie to me? There in lies the quandry for me now that my trust was violated. As for why I am working here? Why are any of us working in jobs that aren’t our passion? Partly because we simply choose to in order to make a living, the salary or position was right at the time. That was the case for me. Spiritually and religiously I believe that marriage is for life. I believe very much like actor Will Smith. People walk away from marriage too quickly and enter into marriages with the belief that if it doesn’t work out, they always have the option of a divorce. I disagree. If you walk into a marriage thinking it truly is a lifetime bond, something that no matter what comes along you are going to have to make it work (in keeping with your vow to our Lord and Savior to do so) then that is what you should do. So working in an environment where I see a steady stream of people giving up on their solemn vows simply because they found a sexier version of their wife or husband, or because of money problems or because they can’t handle having kids or because they simply want to be single again, are not legitimate reasons from my spiritual and Christian background to walk away. As for my true passion, I want to work in politics in some capacity. I want to live in D.C. All of what most of us (Americans) find repugnant about Washington D.C. I love and want in my life. So we’ll see if this is all wishful thinking or if I’ll finally pursue my dreams. Who knows?