Benia Zouras

Live blissfully with my true love, Don.
Make a positive impact on the world we live in.

1993-1994

Northeastern Illinois University
Studied General Business Administration

1994-2002

They say experience is the best teacher. I gave it a shot, but you can’t get a degree in “experience”, so back to school I am going.

2002-present

Northeastern Illinois University
Studying General Business Administration

1992-1994

Hallmark Celebrations, Niles, IL

My first official job was at a “concept store”, which just meant that all the cards and gift-wrap and other stuff in the store were all grouped by occasion and angled, rather than in long, boring rows. We also did balloons and gift-wrapping, which I was especially good at. Creativity worked well for me here.

1994-1996  

Complete Equity Markets, Inc.

My first office job was with this small, privately owned liability insurance company. It was definitely a fun place to work and I discovered my talent for organizing and trouble-shooting. I started out in their “Computer Department” and worked my way up to Policy Processor. Lucky me, I got to work on all those thick, nasty, super-complicated files that nobody else really wanted to touch.

1996-1998

Meetings Database Institute, Inc.

I settled for my position as the Executive Assistant/Consultant/ Office Manager/Receptionist at this startup company because of hard times. I learned just how capable I am of getting all sorts of things done and put my trouble-shooting talents to good use at this job. I have also never been so tired after a hard day’s work as when I worked for MDI. The website also did not exist while I worked there, though I remember urging the president to consider it.

1998-2001

Charles Industries, Ltd.

I was happy to be hired by this larger, though still private, company. I worked as the Product Development Assistant in the telecommunications division, and introduced efficiency and order to the department. Heck, I was so good that I was doing stuff for a lot of other departments as well. They were doing well then, but unfortunately, the tough economy has hit them hard – and I was among those laid off.

2002-present

Monitor Liability Managers, Inc.

Oddly enough, this liability insurance company is located just next door to my last employer, Charles Industries. I started out assisting in the Producer Development department, but thanks to my tendency to look at the big picture as well as the details that make it work, I've worked my way into the IT department and, as of 2006, I now serve as a Business Analyst.

 Mama & Tata

These are the nice folks who brought me into this world: my parents, Krystyna (Christine) and Mieczyslaw (Mitchell). They immigrated to the USA, from Poland, a few years before I was born. Lucky me, I got my American citizenship the easy way. Here’s what Mom and Dad looked like before I was around.

Bogusia

This is my oldest sister. She also goes by her Americanized name, Margaret. She’s got a family of her own: a husband Stanley, a son Stasiu, and a daughter Annette.

Jadzia

This is my other older sister - the middle child of our family. She also goes by her Americanized name, Harriet. She’s also got a family of her own: a husband Mike and two boys, Matthew and Christopher.

Other family

This is a photo of my sisters and some cousins of ours. I have plenty of other people in my extended family, as my parents each have about a half dozen siblings each, many of them with families of their own. But for sanity’s sake, however, I’m sticking with my sisters and parents here.

Don

Don is the wonderful person I get to call my husband. We found each other somewhat serendipitously via Yahoo! Personals. We lived about a mile apart at the time and when we finally met, things between us just clicked. Don is very kind and caring to me, he’s intelligent, and we share the same sense of humor. He created this website, too. If you’d like to know more about him, check out Don’s World.

Karaoke

As you may or may not know, Don and I like to find little bars on the weekend and sing karaoke. I have Don to thank for introducing me to the wonderful world of karaoke, as I’d never so much as seen it, much less done it, before I’d met him. My very first time was at his father’s out-of-the-way Wisconsin bar. I sang “Would I Lie to You?” by the Eurythmics…pretty badly, too, I’m afraid. Who knew singing took effort?

Anyway, karaoke is great for getting over shyness. (Look at me – I used to be shy.) I recommend karaoke-ing to everyone, regardless of perceived talent levels. The excuse most people give when I ask them if they’ll karaoke with me, “I can’t sing,” is usually baloney. I know you sing in the car, or the shower. And I just know you can sing at least one song well enough that you probably don’t even need the words on the screen. Come on, just do one song and see what fun you’re missing!

Pictionary

Don also introduced me to Pictionary.  Here are the rules if you’ve never played. It’s fun to play with friends, especially other couples. Alcohol also contributes to the enjoyment, if you ask me. By the way, in case you’re wondering, I was trying to guess the word “posse” in this picture. I couldn’t guess it for the life of me. Here’s another shot of way too many drunk people trying to play Pictionary at my 30th birthday party.

Calvin & Hobbes

I have lots of Calvin & Hobbes books in my collection. I even sketched a poster-sized version of one of my favorite scenes: Calvin & Hobbes dancing.

Salvador Dali

This infamous Spanish artist may be the quintessential outside-the-box thinker. He was a very unique person all-around, and his unique perspective is evident in his many, interesting, artistic creations. They may seem merely two-dimensional and somewhat abstract to the novice, but after learning more about this man, I have come to appreciate the many complex layers that comprised this quirky fellow. If you don't recognize his name, you will probably recognize one of his most famous paintings: The Persistence of Memory.

I have a book of many of his works, called Dali: The Salvador Dali Museum Collection, which I bought while visiting The Salvador Dali Museum in Florida, but he's created so much in his lifetime that I am still discovering his artistic works. I also bought a souvenir baseball hat from the same museum. It features a single ant on the front, and is pictured here. Ants are a recurring detail in many of his works (including the one I previously mentioned – look carefully). Their presence has commonly been attributed to symbolizing death and decay, but he also had a strange fascination with them as a child.  He had a complex childhood.

Learn more about Salvador Dali and view a gallery of his works at: The Salvadore Dali Gallery and at The Salvador Dali Art Gallery.