Once upon a time... Where has time gone? Steve and I were born in the early '70s, raised in
child-sized bellbottoms and wacky prints. Steve lived primarily in California and Oklahoma. His father
worked for a pulp mill and then for the U.S. Navy. Steve's Mom was a housewife with five children (four
boys and one girl). They are a wonderful family! Steve is also in the Navy with nearly 7 years under his
belt. :-) He's getting out Feb 1997. (See updates at the end.. I know it's *way* past Feb 1997 :-) )
Then there's me. Daughter of a career Air Force father and dedicated Mom. Dad is now retired.. or trying
to retire. (The Air Force gets in your blood.) We lived all over the U.S. (Denver, CO; Ft. Sumter, SC;
Anchorage, AK; Spokane, WA; Washington D.C.; Grand Forks, ND) and one stint in Misawa, Japan. So if you don't mind...
At this point in life, we were living in Misawa, Japan, soaking in the culture and experiences.
In December 1991, my Mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a frightening time. She had a
radical mastectomy (right side) in Jan '91. Doctor's were indicating that she needed to begin chemo and possibly radiation as quickly as possible.
Despite the great pain she was still in, she was flown in early February to Kessler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS, one of the finest
Air Force hospitals. Dad left also to be with her.
At that time, I was a senior in high school (Department of Defense: Edgren High School). I would be graduating
June '91. My mother advised me to stay and finish with my classmates, the only classmates I'd had for more than
two years. I agreed. It was so hard talking to my Mom on the phone. She always assured me that she was
okay, but I could hear the pain and weariness in her voice. June 10, 1991, I graduated in the top 10% of my class. There
were only about 50 students. I was in line for saluditorian, but my grades dropped sharply with Mom so far
away.
I landed in the States on June 12, 1991. (I didn't want to waste any time.) I was met with a new person: Mom.
She had lost her hair. Her personality was even a little different. She had a new smile, not the same the Mom
I had pictured in my mind for six months. I also found out my Dad was having a difficult time dealing with
the chemo sessions and knowing the pain Mom was in (some of the injections sting sharply when they enter the
body). It was a lot to deal with. Despite being an American, I had a degree of culture shock seeing English
everywhere and not having to show my I.D. to enter Wal-mart and grocery stores. It took my Dad a few
months to adjust to driving on the right side of the road. No accidents, fortunately.
In late July I first met Steve. He was a new face at church. And he seemed to be looking at me a lot. :-)
When we were introduced, he thought I was my Dad's wife. I never thought I looked THAT old. A few
weeks later, I saw him leave the church parking lot with another woman. I remember thinking, "I wish that was
me!!" Let me tell you why.
At that time, Steve was ultra handsome! He had muscles as big as my calves! His blue eyes twinkled and his
hair always looked so nice. (He still looks great, by the way) He drove a fire engine red 1984 Ford Tempo, 2 door.
Okay, back on track... Much to my surprise, on August 14, 1991, Steve began making his way over to me after
the Wednesday evening services. He was stopped many times by others wanting to say Hi and chat. I was
talking to others also, but always knowing that he was watching me closely. Finally, he made it to me. He asked me
about my plans for Friday. We went out for dinner and a movie: Burger King for Whopper's with Cheese and "Hot Shots". :-)
I learned over the next three months that he had landed in the States from Saudi Arabia on June 14, 1991, days after my
arrival. He had been there from November 1990 to June 1991. I also found out he had intended to ask me to
lunch that afternoon in the parking lot but the other woman seemed to be glued to him, so he took her instead. He had no
major interest in her. He wanted to meet me! :-) YES!
August 14, 1992, we were married. Exactly one year since he first asked me out. Also note that February 14, Valentine's Day,
is the half-year mark from August 14. :) God meant for us to be together.
Anyway!...
09/14/96: Steve separated from the Navy yesterday. We are learning to adjust the loss of benefits (commissary, exhange, base access..).
11/02/96: He has a job through a temp service.. the position is guaranteed for a year and maybe longer. :-) We are doing great!
12/02/96: I just heard from my best high school friend, George Trombley... :-) Steve is working at K-mart, a sort of dream come true for him. Now we're waiting for a possible position with the school district driving delivery trucks... big bucks!
04/11/97: Steve is working for an established excavating and grating company. The company wants to put him in a foreman position because of his great personality and honesty. That's my guy!! The owner also wants to hire me to run his office. Eeeek!!! A pay raise plus med benefits. We are really happy.
06/27/97: Well, God never promised a bed of roses. Steve's job is a little sporatic. He's considering other companies and possibly even moving to the valley (near Fresno) where there is a lot of contruction and expansion. Through it all, I know God will provide. :-)
11/16/97: He continues to provide. Steve has a temp job at Titan Corporation. It's looking like it'll be permanent in about three months or so. Eeek! We are so happy and thankful to God!
03/11/98: And now that temp job *is* going to be permanent very soon. (Paper work has begun to weave it's trail) And despite a nasty car accident to our two week old Tracer (Sob, sob.. the other woman ran a red light), we're in good Spirit. :-)
06/22/98: God has something else in mind... and we are happy to accept. Steve was rehired by Cliff Montgomery (same as referenced in 04/11/97) as a foreman! Ack! A nice pay raise, too. This Friday we're going to Las Vegas for the Misawa High School (all years) reunion!! I am so excited! :-) God is awesome! (Psst... we're thinking, just thinking about having children!!!)
01/15/99: I know God works, and He does work wonders. Steve wound up leaving Cliff because Cliff didn't pay him for several (five!) weeks of work. He insisted he would reimburse us for the lost pay, but never did. In the end, Cliff had to sell/liquidate his business. We have seen some of the money he owes, but doubt we'll see the whole $5,000+. But, God, whom we totally trust, just about handed Steve a great union job as a grade checker (setting up the stakes for construction projects, requires mathematical skill and lots of leg work). The union pays quite nicely and grade checkers are in high demand in the San Diego county. Score another for God. :-)
09/07/99: We've been through our lowest low... and God continues to provide. Steve has applied at the San Diego Unified School district to be a janitor. Don't knock it. The pay is good, benefits, and retirement plan. Just today, Steve was found to be clear in his background check. :-) I am second-job hunting. Grueling. Steve has been to a Labor Board hearing. We'll know soon how much of the $5000 we may see.
05/02/00: :-) We bought a 19' travel trailer in March of 1999, and moved into it April 18th, 1999. On April 8, 2000, we moved into a two bedroom apartment, eager to leave the confining space. We'll fondly remember Francis (sweet and annoying cockatiel). Steve is thrilled with the school district and is looking at the long term. Meanwhile, I was offered a new job and benefits by the company that bought and moved into the building my former employer still occupies. The benefits with the new job were the greatest pull. The Labor Board has been favorable so far, but we've not yet received any payments. I continue to marvel and praise God for His never ending support and guidance. Folks, you're missing out on something mighty grand if you don't invest your time and faith in God.
08/27/00: I was released from Alcala Co. I was told that I was unprofessional. I prefer to think God was letting me out of a company with decidedly bad management (though the best and largest waterproofing company in San Diego (the laborers are the best!!). I work now for License-To-Kill, a pest control company. Good company. And Steve passed the test to be available for full-time work and on the list at #22, awaiting a position to become available. With school starting this week, he's been told that many positions will come available and he'll move up the list quickly. The Labor Board will be going after Cliff a little more aggresively over the next months. We do not want to milk him, just to be paid for the money he owes Steve. And if we never see it, oh well. God is providing, and better than we can do ourselves. :-)
11/08/00: What a time! Steve was hired into a full time position at Montgomery High School (Linda Vista area). We're so thankful to God for this job!! And today (!) I found my bestest friend from years ago (Kimi, this means you!). What a joy! We had lost track of each other after our marriages, but amazing how the internet works.. check this out: I have been searching for her for the better part of six years. Two days ago I was going through a box of our things and found the invitation she had sent to us announcing her wedding, and with her last name at hand, I did just a simple search and found a post she had made to an author. I emailed the author yesterday, and viola!, today Kimberly emailed!! How exciting!!
01/02/01: I love a new year. :-) We setup our 401k and a money market account back in December. We're getting on track. We hope to set up a cushy retirement for travel and some leisure, or a very nice retirement community. :-) God is leading the way. Steve is still very happy with the San Diego School District and I'm still with License-To-Kill. :-)
10/28/01: Wow... has it been that long since the last update? Steve is still with the school district, but out with a back injury (from July 30th). He has an MRI upcoming, hoping to reveal the trouble. I can only let God handle this, since as a human I'm overwhelmed with the frustration and knowing Steve is not feeling up to par. License-To-Kill is growing (watch out Dewey and Terminix...). There are more applicants coming through the door than we have room for. :-)
09/09/02: Dude... I am getting way behind in updating. :-) Steve is on workman's comp and doing some better, but still lots of pain. He has degenerative disks. He had an IDET done in February (email me if you are looking for info about this procedure) and has been on physical therapy and chiropractic work since. His back is tolerable, and he takes meds only when he really needs them. Within the past two weeks or so, his neck has begun to hurt, much the same pain as his back. Sigh. Working the kinks out, I guess. :-) I'm doing pretty okay. We are the sole proprietors of Matlock's Attic!! Yep, it's a business. Check us out: Ebay!. We don't have an official website just yet. I'm working for License-To-Kill, and things are doing pretty good. Thank you for stopping by. If you think of us next year, hopefully I'll have updated by then. :-) In memory of Grandpa Walt, died 09/10/01.
08/24/03: A year already??.... Wow. Life has been interesting. Steve's back is doing better and is more manageable now. He's on Darvoset occasionally and Aleve the rest of the time. And presto chango: He's a licensed property manager and also a licensed real estate agent. Watch out San Diego!... Here he comes! :-) Sigh. My mom is at Stage 4 with breat cancer that has formed on vertabrae in her back and also on her sternum in front. We just went to Michigan for a week to visit (and then Idaho to see Steve's brother). If it were remotely possible for a human to be an angel, my Mom would fit the bill. (I know that angels are God's messengers, and we are not angels). She can be stubborn sometimes, but overall one of the best humans you'd ever meet. I love her so much. Me? I'm okay. Work at License-To-Kill continues to be a challenge. God is watching over us. We gave up on Cliff and the Labor Board. Steve's settlement hearing (back injury/San Diego Unified) was on Thursday, but since his attorney was on vacation (and didn't notify anyone), now the hearing is scheduled for November. But that's okay. Steve will be job hunting in the coming weeks. December is our deadline, of sorts, because without more income, we'll be in a hard place. Again, God is working it out and we are happy to be patient. And Matlock's Attic is gone. :-) Between the sales tax and effort to do it, it just wasn't a viable business for us/Steve. Surprisingly, we still live in the same apartment (since 2000). And both of our cars are paid off (and it's the same Tracer mentioned aforehand.. wow!!) ... I suppose that's it until next year. :-P
01/05/2004: It's been a few months... Steve is doing very well and hopes to return to work in a few weeks (!!). God is seeing us through financially. I'm doing fine. Mom is okay, but doctors are watching her closely for increases in T-cell count. The treatments could become ineffective in a matter of days, so staying on top of her counts is critical. She's in fairly good health, though arthritis is her next biggest health problem. School classmate update: Shannon F. found me, and I found Dennis Mills. Let's see... that's four or five down, and about 45 to go. :-) This could take awhile. If you know of the whereabouts of Berton Abanathie, please let me know. (I've been looking for you for years!!) ... We are considering a move to Eureka, CA. Steve is expecting the settlement to arrive soon, but with the holidays, offices have been closed. It's a new year!! God is leading the way!
10/07/2004: Amazing what can happen. So check this out. We have moved to Eureka, CA!!!! Why? Suspension of License-To-Kill due to one improperly performed fumigation by a previous employee; I totally know the company had nothing to do with the employee's actions, but the way the whole suspension was handled is what brought my employment to an abrupt end. And Steve has been wanting to get to Eureka for years. He's been talking about it for at least three years. He finally twisted my arm hard enough. (Please read my email to everyone to get more of a scoop on this.
So, we've been here for a few weeks now. And on Wednesday (10/06), The Sun Valley Group hired me full time, and gave me a two dollar raise. That's pretty cool. And their benefits are awesome.
I've been thanking God all the way up here. He got us in motion to move. He got us up here in one piece, with everything that we needed. (We left a lot of furniture behind because the truck was a little small.. but we saved a lot of money on it). He paved the way to getting the apartment, Steve's job, my job and so much more. God's blessings are amazing. If only I could spend eternity thanking God for everything. I'd be so happy.
05/27/2005: Wow.. It's still amazing to think we are in Eureka, CA. I'm still very happy to be working at Sun Valley. Oh oh!!! I was Team Member of the Period for the month of April!! Every period (like a month, but four literal weeks) an employee is selected (out of 500 people, on average) to be THE team member of the period (picture taken, get a Sun Valley jacket, certificate and a little money). There are 13 periods in a year... And I was chosen for April!! Oh, I was jazzed. There are tons of people in this company, and the list was narrowed down to me. I was trilled. And I have the Sun Valley jacket.. Very few people get those (IE, 13 people or so a year). Very cool.
In October, Lord willing, I'm flying home (Michigan) to see my parents and family. I'm excited about that.
Otherwise, we're just status quo.. Wait!! Steve!! He's been doing so well, physically. Although he's on his feet 9 hours a day, his back is doing well. Some pain here and there, but nothing like two years, or even a year ago. (Thank you, Lord!!). Work is good for the body. And it's the move that has helped him. He's so cool!!! And our 13th anniversary is this year!! 13 years!!! Wow. The only thing we haven't done is to have kids. But, we want to. And we know time is drawing short. We don't want to be 50-something with 5 year olds running around. :-)
Sigh. God is so good. Folks, I'm not just saying that. I believe and live it. :-)
11/23/2006: Woah!! It's been over a year since my last update. Sigh. Time flies. We've been in Eureka now for a little over two years. I'm still not feeling 100% settled. I miss so much about San Diego.. church family, shopping and restaurant options. But, I know that God moved us here.
Steve is now working for Sun Valley, too!! He was originally hired in December 2005 to be an equipment operator, but within a week of him being hired, he was switched to the cleanup crew, operating a mini street sweeper.. Funny thing is, he's still getting the heavy equipment wages. That was interesting. Now a year later, he will soon be promoted to Team Leader, which will be a wage increase and salary pay. And the level of work is perfect for him. Not too physical, and not too slow. We are very thankful for this.. And today is Thanksgiving Day... :-)
I'm in the Collections Department.. my official title is Credit Specialist. I have about 400 customers that I work with. Whew. It's challenging and rewarding. Never dreamed I'd be in collections, but then I never dreamed (or considered) living in Eureka. God makes everything work.. I'm always remembering that.
We are hopeful that next year we'll be able to buy a house or manufactured home. August 2007 will be the seven year mark since our bankruptcy (funny that I didn't mention that back in 2000.. I was pretty embarrassed that we did it, yet it's worked out. We've learned to use cash, and not rely on credit). Home prices in Eureka are a little high for us.. $350,000 averge, but manufactured homes are cheaper, around $180,000 for a newer model.
I'm glad you stopped by... Send us an email if you like! scmatlock@suddenlink.net.
Today (as of November 23rd, 2006 at 11:05am), we are happily married. We have survived a lot of problems and expierenced a lot of joy.
(No children yet!.. but continue to think about it. How's Andrew Ardon Matlock for a boy and Mary Pasha Matlock for a girl?? The middle names are combinations of our dad's names (Arvil and Don) and mom's names (Pat and Sharon). Pretty neat, huh?) ..I never thought they'd see it here, but Mom and Dad are impressed as well. Ooops! :-))
April 2007: You've made it this far.. please continue reading our history at our Blog...
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