1981 Julie Griffin Groeger

I met Ted at Denny’s, the dive not the diner, sophomore year. By ’81 I was leaving Pittsburgh for the suburbs of New Jersey. At least I could SEE Manhattan from here. Fifteen years in retail, Diamonds, Chicago Jeans, Benetton, NBO, Today’s Man, Casual Male. By 1995 my clock was ticking so loud I couldn’t think straight. Got pregnant, got married, gained the baby weight, had Grace, hated retail , lost the baby weight, (thank you Fen-Phen), got pregnant, had Teddy, quit retail, Banned Fen-Phen,(damn FDA) “stay at home mom”, got broke. Took a medical office course at the local community college. Got a job with a dentist, pre-k, elementary school, homeroom mom, soccer coach, middle school,Grace has a part in the “Willy Wonka” production, they won’t let me do lights, high school, band booster, college planning. I can still see Manhattan from my bedroom window. Pushing the children to go to school in Pittsburgh..