Creative job search strategy!

Hey, anything goes in this economy, right?

Haha....gotta love "The Bowl!"

Where the nuts are off the shelf
The grocery shopping is madcap at the Berkeley Bowl, renowned for fine produce and quick fists. Sampling without buying? You're banned!


September 22, 2008|John M. Glionna, LA Times Staff Writer

BERKELEY — As most veteran customers know, it takes a pretty thick skin to successfully navigate the Berkeley Bowl, this strident city's most popular grocery store.

Outside, petitioners seeking signatures for ballot measures have come to blows with opinionated residents. In the tiny parking lot, nicknamed the Berkeley Brawl, frustrated motorists have been known to ram one another's cars. At the checkout, people have thrown punches and unripened avocados at suspected line-cutters.
When one shopper was told she couldn't return a bag of granola, she showily dumped its contents on the floor. Culyon Garrison, who works at the customer-service desk, recently had a loaf of bread thrown at him.

The produce emporium -- one of the nation's most renowned retailers of exotic fruits and vegetables -- creates its own bad behavior. Kamikaze shoppers crash down crowded aisles without eye contact or apology for fender-benders. So many customers weren't waiting to pay before digging in that management imposed the ultimate deterrent: Those caught sampling without buying will be banned for life -- no reprieves, no excuses. (Not even "I forgot to take my medication.")

Raphael Breines, who was ejected last year for eating on the premises, said he couldn't decide between two types of apricots, so he sampled both. Security stopped him in the parking lot.

"They treated me like a thief," said the 37-year-old park planner, who was photographed and required to sign a no-trespass agreement. "Technically I was stealing, but I wasn't trying to hide anything. I was just deciding which type of apricot to buy."

Breines, a longtime customer, sent an apology letter, asking to be reinstated. His request was denied.

Store manager Larry Evans says the policy is a fair response to doctors, lawyers and college professors who help themselves to bags of cookies, nuts and vitamins, stick their fingers in pies and guzzle from bottles of sake, assuming the rules don't apply to them.

"There's a sense of entitlement to this town," Evans said. "People think, 'If I want to do it, I'll do it, just try and stop me.' "

Seven years on the job, he said, has given him insight into the city's sometimes sharp social elbows.

"Berkeley residents are angry -- they're mad at the president, the economy, all kinds of stuff. And this is the place where it seems to get released, the local supermarket."

READ ON.... : )

Chef in-the-making

Best use for a rubber spatula....kitchen utensil or baby teething toy? : )

Saturday Brunch

Good friends, family, yummy food, laughter, great conversation, and relaxation.....there aren't many better ways to spend a Saturday. And even though the weather has been on the cool side, the sun was out this weekend and it definitely felt like Spring.

Holy Hail!

I have been fascinated by weather since I was a little girl, which is directly attributed to my father and HIS fascination (or obsession, really) with tracking, observing, and analyzing weather patterns. I remember vividly several occasions when he quickly packed up my sister and I in the VW bus and headed off to chase a thunderstorm...fun! Although he had a successful career as a firefighter, I believe he missed his true calling by not becoming a meteorologist. Maybe in your next life Dad.

: )

Anyhow, David showed me this video last night and I was speechless! Can you imagine being caught outside in a hailstorm like this?! Getting hit with a ball of hail that big could be deadly, don't you think?! Or at least hurt a hell of a lot! Baseball...or maybe even cantaloupe sized hail means, in my opinion, that Mother Nature is ANGRY!

Isn't this insane?!

My Loves...

I haven't been feeling that hot lately - stressed, overwhelmed, tired, lacking personal time, and feeling nervous about some impending big changes in life. But even after a long day at work, even when I'm depleted and running on empty, my hubby and my baby always make me smile and feel happy. My two loves!

Angel & Justin's Engagement Party

My dear friend Angel is getting married this July, and we celebrated the happy couple on Saturday night! It was so great to see some of our dearest friends who we haven't seen in quite awhile, and to have some baby-free social time (thanks Mom!). : ) This will be my first time being in a friend's wedding when I serve a bridesmaid for Angel this July...and I can't wait! I love you Angel....congrats to you and Justin. Cheers! : )

Mourning Doves -yes again!

I've blogged about Mourning Doves a couple times before, but they actually came to visit us on our balcony this Saturday! I just love these birds...they make me smile and feel so peaceful inside : )

Alameda Beach on a Windy Day

My first official Mother's Day

I've never really been a fan of "Hallmark Holidays", but at the very least Mother's Day is a nice time to stop and thank, appreciate, and celebrate all the hard working, loving, amazing mothers out there in this world. We didn't do anything big for the holiday on Sunday, but I did get a sweet card from David, and we got to spend the day with my parents out in Manteca....relaxing and spending quality time with family. I am so very thankful to have such an amazing mother - a mom who has always loved me unconditionally from day one, who encouraged me to be "me", who supported me every step of the way in my life, who sacrificed for me and taught me so many important life lessons, and who made my childhood as fun-filled and special as a childhood can be. A woman who I love with all my heart, and who now in my adulthood is not only my mom, but my dear friend. I am very much like my mother, very different in some ways too, but what I strive for most now that I'm a mother myself is to be just as loving, giving, supportive and FUN as my mom. I would love for Zoey and I to be as close as my mom and I are....that is my dream...for this role to come full circle as I give to my own daughter and lay the foundation for her life. I love you mom!

Also, Zoey turned 7 months old today - wow! Seriously, what "they" say about babies growing up so fast is really true! I am doing my best to savor everyday, to cherish each and every stage (for better or worse), and to take as many mental (and digital!) pictures as I can so that I will always remember these days of Zoey's baby-hood. And here are two pics to share with you - one of Zoey and I the very first time I got to hold her after she was born, and another from when she was just 4 weeks old. Being a mother is the best thing I have ever done! And the journey is just beginning.... : )

One Smitten Kitten!

Thanks again, Cute Overload.

Zoey aka "Boo Boo"

I'm sorry, I just can't help myself. I am just so in love with this little girl....she captivates me in more ways than I could ever have imagined. My Zoey is the light of my life, the sparkle in my eye, the source of my deepest love, biggest smiles, and most intense belly laughter. So when I'm with her, I just can't help but snap away on my digital camera, doing my best to capture every moment of baby cuteness and mommy-bliss. But seriously though...can you blame me?! : )

Einstein!

Sticking to your goals....

While I do consider myself to be a goal-oriented person, I admit to periodic laziness and the inability to follow-through on my personal goals. Especially as a new mom, it is hard to find the time for my own projects and plans. The following article spoke to me, so I wanted to share. Taken from the website of Career Coach, Steve Piazzale.
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Making a Plan and Sticking to it!

One of the biggest challenges we all face is making a plan and sticking to it. I came across a fascinating study conducted at Brigham Young University that shows the specific steps to take to greatly increase the likely hood that you'll follow through on your plans.

The study results were as follows:

CHANCES OF A BEHAVIOR HAPPENING
o Says, "That's a good idea." - 10%
o Commits, "I'll do it." - 25%
o Says when they'll do it. - 40%
o Plans how to do it. - 50%
o Commits to someone else. - 60%
o Sets a specific future time to share progress with person they committed to. - 95%

This is amazing isn't it?

If you just think to yourself "hmm, that's a good idea" there's only a 10% chance you'll follow through, but if you add in the personal commitment to do it and then add in when and how you'll do it, you have jumped 5 fold up to a 50% likelihood of taking action. Add in a commitment to someone else and setting a specific time to share your progress and you're up to 95%. Wow!

So, act now, get out a piece of paper or open a file and make a list of folks you'll commit your action to, what their contact information is, and when you plan to speak with them.

For the individual, the steps are:

1) Think of some action you are committed to taking.
2) Write down what you intend to do.
3) Tell a co-worker, family member or friend what you plan to do and say they can share it with others.
4) As time goes on, observe what happens when you hear someone else talk about your intentions and plans.

Each step generates more and more commitment.

Great stuff!

Until next time, take care.
Steve

Steve Piazzale, Ph.D.
Get the work you want and deserve!
http://www.BayAreaCareerCoach.com