WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!!


This is my first blog. I promise. It will get better as I learn more.

Here's where I live. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=33+Davis+Rd,+NJ+07871&sll=41.106448,-74.624618&sspn=0.000847,0.001719&ie=UTF8&ll=41.106778,-74.625492&spn=0.006774,0.013754&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A

The ones I love (outside my family of course)

Here are my dogs, Bosco and Gus. (I tortured these poor guys for a Christmas picture.

This is me and my little sister, Brianna, when we got my dogs tested to become certified therapy dogs.

Susan Long - All About Me

Hi. I'm Susan Long. This is my very first blog. This is me and my family.

My husband is Mike and my boys are Greg (left) and Michael (right).

We live in New Jersey. New Jersey has such a bad rep, but it's really a great place to live. We live in the country on 6 acres. Here's my backyard.

We're surrounded by wildlife, with deer, wild turkeys and bear. We have a bit of a bear problem. The bear comes by every day, and he's taken to stealing my bird feeders. My son surprised him one night, and he crashed through our fence, rather than climbing over it.

I am a graduate of Rutgers University, where I majored in Math and Economics.

I am an Employee Benefits Professional. I worked for Buck Consultant for 11 years, running and managing 401(k) plans. I worked for Affiliated Computer Services for 13 years, as a Strategic Business Unit Manager, managing all types of Employee Benefit and Human Resource programs. Currently, I am working at Unilever, on a temporary basis, in their pension department. I hope this temp job will lead to a good permanent position.

Finally, one thing that has recently shaped my life considerably is that I am a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago, had surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. It was a tough road, but I'm through it. (That's me on the left with the bald head.) Cancer really changes your perspective on life and helps you see events differently than you might have in the past. For instance, I lost my job in a layoff about 10 months ago. While it was pretty upsetting, I used the time to pursue some things I just never had time for previously. I finished the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist Program and received my CEBS designation. I volunteered for Big Brothers, Big Sisters. I got my dogs certified as therapy dogs. And I applied to Boston University's Master Program in Human Resource Management. ("Introduction it Ecommerce" is my first class!) Had I not lost my job, I would not have done quite a few things that have enriched my life, personally and professionally.