After graduation, I attended several colleges, including a year at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, graduating from the University of Nebraska with a degree in political science. Although my year in Scotland was one of the best times of my life, it ended very sadly when my parents came to visit in the spring and my father died of a heart attack in Edinburgh. I had planned to stay in Britain (his name was Alec!!) for graduate school but came home to finish at Nebraska instead (Alec became history!!). While pursueing my master's in political theory at Nebraska, I came to the realization there wasn't much future in political science (like a friend of mine said, you can always open a political science store!). So, based on my experience working summers at the USD Medical School, I decided to pursue a career in hospital administration. I moved to Minneapolis and completed my Master's in Healthcare Administration which included 9 months at a hospital, in my case, Swedish Medical Center in Denver. They hired me and I worked there for 9 years. I had wanted to work in Boulder since I moved to Denver and was lucky enough to be hired there 20 years ago. I am still there at Boulder Community Hospital and plan to end my career there. It is a great place--small, non-profit, community owned and, in my opinion, offers people the kind of health care we all deserve. I am currently the chief operating officer for Boulder Community Foothills Hospital which I helped to plan and then opened in 2003. We are currently building a parking garage in preparation to build a new cancer center there starting in March, 2006--probably the last hurrah in my health care career!

So that is my professional life. During this time, I have gone through a divorce (happily, I might add!), chose not to have children (actually someone may remember that I made the announcement in our sophmore speech class that I would never be a mother--not cut out for that calling!), underwent successful treatment for Stage 2 breast cancer and have been cancer free for 16 years, went through my mother's battle with the same disease and stayed with her in Florida as she died, discovered my love of nature and wildlife, have been very involved in the Humane Society in Boulder, having served on their Board for the last 7 years, have hiked and biked a lot in the Rocky Mountains which I love, became a total vegetarian because I like the thought of not eating living creatures, and have had the good fortune to travel both professionally and personally in some wonderful places (and not so wonderful--ask me about Tajikistan!) in the world. And a long time ago I ran into Kathy Kavanaugh in the local library and she and I have continued our friendship ever since.

We ran the Deadwood half-marathon 2 years ago (yes, of course I beat her--you have to ask????) and plan to do so again this June, although I have to walk it this time since the knees are not what they used to be! My most recent adventure was a safari to Tanzania last month and I have come back with a commitment to help save that wildlife and, more specifically, do something to help stop the poaching of these magnificant creatures. I don't know where that will lead me yet--maybe a new post-retirement adventure of some sort--but I know I must be a part of the solution to this horrible problem. So there you have it. I have had a great time since 1966 and am really looking forward to reuniting with old friends after all these years!! See you in August!