Getting Back in the Saddle

It is a total whinge but I am feeling the need to put it in writing so that I feel less frustrated!!

For the first time in over 10 years I have had to put together a resume. I have forgotten how you have to talk yourself up, go over every little detail of every little part of every little job you have ever done and then send it to as many people as possible!!

My story... I have been self employed since being made redundant in April 2010 - and loving it - but for a variety of reasons (including the need for a steady, regular income & my husband losing his job!) I am applying for a full time job working for someone else. Redundancy after 8 1/2 years knocked the wind out of me (as with most people) and it has taken me 15 months to realise that I am actually good at what I do and to have the confidence to start to tell other people again.

So here I am churning out cover letters and resumes. What has shocked me the most in this process is the way potential employers treat potential employees. OK, I understand that in most cases they are dealing with a lot of applications (sometimes in the 100s) but there is no excuse for never getting back to the people sending in their resumes (who obviously think they might be able to do the job!). Even receiving the mass mail out saying thanks but no thanks is better than not hearing at all.

My husband said 'give them a call' but phoning is a waste of time as you are spoken to with annoyance by someone that doesn't give a damn and is finding the whole process an intrusion into their daily lives.

Now I should add here that I have been in the position to employ many people over my working life. I have always treated everyone applying for a job with the utmost respect - didn't think there was another way!! Isn't that what everyone does? Ahhh, but now I know that isn't so.

Blah, blah, blah...

Oops! Blog posts are supposed to be short so I will wind this up now (and maybe have another bleat another day!)...

29 July 2010 Post script: Had the shock of my life yesterday when I got a call back from a multi national company which obviously has a great local culture. The lady apologised for taking a day to return my call and then went on to tell me where my application was at (had been put forward as an option to the relevant department etc). By the end of the call I wasn't even worried if I made it to the next stage as I was so impressed that they had treated me like a human being and not just a number! Ok, so maybe I wouldn't mind getting to the next stage... :-)

Cashew Date & Cacao Balls - shared by Elizabeth Usher

Pulse 1 cup cashews in food processor until crumbly.
Add 1, 2 or 3 tablespoons cacao powder (to your taste preference) pulse again briefly. Add 1 cup of pitted & chopped medjool dates. Pulse until it all comes together in a lovely gooey consistency. Add some agave if you want them even sweeter. Roll into small tasty balls. Roll in cacao powder or coconut if desired.
Final step - EAT AND ENJOY! :)

Elizabeth is not sure where she found this recipe but thinks it's good enough to be shared! Me too!! Check out Elizabeth (MADforAnimals) on Twitter or MySpace.

Napata and the Chocolate Kisses - and my husband!

So what is this you ask?

I was happily at the end of a conference I had organised at the Four Seasons in San Francisco... it was heading towards midnight on the last night and the gala dinner was going off! We had had 5 of the top chefs in San Francisco sharing their wonderful food and everyone was on the dance floor trying to dance off all the food and fabulous wine that had been flowing all night.

The band was Napata and the Kisses - but more affectionately known as Napata and the Chocolate Kisses - tall beautiful Amazonian African American women backed by a fabulous seven piece band. Midnight came and the band were due to finish... it would have killed the night so they agreed to do another 40 minute set but asked for a 10 minute break... no problem!

Now in the meantime my husband and one of the conference speakers had been planning to get up on stage if they got the chance and this was it! Up they jumped - well, the speaker hobbled up as he had a leg in plaster from a soccer injury! The band organised mics for them both and then, much to their joy, the band and the backing singers (the Chocolate Kisses) said they would stay and back them! They broke into Mustang Sally and the 100 people left on the dance floor went off!

They were brilliant! Bit of background info... my husband was in a band at uni but that was 30+ years ago (their biggest claim to fame was as support band for 10CC in front of 10,000 10CC fans! Which was bizarre in itself for an alternative rock band!).

It was almost a shame when Napata finished her break (although she and the band were brilliant). My husband had just ticked something off his bucket list - to sing with a large band and have gorgeous, African American girls with fabulous voices backing him! He could almost die happy - if it wasn't for all of the other things left on his bucket list... but more of that another time...

The joy of a bucket list tick!

Chocolate Rain by Tay Zonday

OK, so it was 2007 and it was well and truly done to death (in fact it has had 53,719,056 views as of 10 July 2010 10.25pm Australian EST!!) but one of the most played songs with Chocolate in the title or as it's main subject has to be CHOCOLATE RAIN.

Written and performed by baritone Tay Zonday - It's more a song about deep racism than a song about chocolate, despite the name...

The song has been parodied many many times... as has the line "I move away from the mic to breath in" which pops up at the beginning of the video...

Click on the image below to hear the song in all it's glory!

For those of you that need lyrics...

"Chocolate Rain"

Chocolate Rain
Some stay dry and others feel the pain
Chocolate Rain
A baby born will die before the sin

Chocolate Rain
The school books say it can't be here again
Chocolate Rain
The prisons make you wonder where it went

Chocolate Rain
Build a tent and say the world is dry
Chocolate Rain
Zoom the camera out and see the lie

Chocolate Rain
Forecast to be falling yesterday
Chocolate Rain
Only in the past is what they say

Chocolate Rain
Raised your neighborhood insurance rates
Chocolate Rain
Makes us happy 'livin in a gate

Chocolate Rain
Made me cross the street the other day
Chocolate Rain
Made you turn your head the other way

(Chorus)
Chocolate Rain
History quickly crashing through your veins
Chocolate Rain
Using you to fall back down again
[Repeat]

Chocolate Rain
Seldom mentioned on the radio
Chocolate Rain
Its the fear your leaders call control

Chocolate Rain
Worse than swearing worse than calling names
Chocolate Rain
Say it publicly and you're insane

Chocolate Rain
No one wants to hear about it now
Chocolate Rain
Wish real hard it goes away somehow

Chocolate Rain
Makes the best of friends begin to fight
Chocolate Rain
But did they know each other in the light?

Chocolate Rain
Every February washed away
Chocolate Rain
Stays behind as colors celebrate

Chocolate Rain
The same crime has a higher price to pay
chocolate Rain
The judge and jury swear it's not the face

(Chorus)

Chocolate Rain
Dirty secrets of economy
Chocolate Rain
Turns that body into GDP

Chocolate Rain
The bell curve blames the baby's DNA
Chocolate Rain
But test scores are how much the parents make

Chocolate Rain
'Flippin cars in France the other night
Chocolate Rain
Cleans the sewers out beneath Mumbai

Chocolate Rain
'Cross the world and back its all the same
Chocolate Rain
Angels cry and shake their heads in shame
Chocolate Rain
Lifts the ark of paradise in sin
Chocolate Rain
Which part do you think you're 'livin in?

Chocolate Rain
More than 'marchin more than passing law
Chocolate Rain
Remake how we got to where we are.

(Chorus)

For more info on Chocolate Rain and Tay Zonday checkout Wikipedia.

Chocolate George Formby Statue To Be Moved

Wigan residents will no longer have their just desserts.
Edited from an image by Brian at Wigan World.

This one comes under the 'strange but true' category or the 'you've got to be kidding' section or the 'it takes all sorts' train of thought!!

______________________

A public memorial of George Formby in his home town of Wigan (Northern England) has had to be moved to a safe location after hungry residents started munching on it. The statue commemorating the bonjolele master and Blackpool rock expert was originally placed in The Grand Arcade shopping centre, but will this week be moved next to the vegetable counter in Tescos.

We find it’s a much more suitable location as the only people that go there are vegetarian non-chocoholics. — Wigan Council representative

Credit Munch

The statue, commissioned in 2007, is the work of master chocolatier and sculptor Bob Thornton. It is not the first time the memorial has had to be repaired: in October 2008 curious but short-sighted residents caused damage to Old George attempting to recreate a popular Lynx advertisement.

My doctor always told me that too much George Formby would kill me. At least I think that’s what he said… — Local statue muncher

Health food

The incident will certainly be an annoyance to the late Formby’s relatives, who for the past ten years have been at the forefront of a campaign for healthier lifestyles!

The poor man will be spinning in his grave! Statue eaters indeed… On the plus side, sales of our George Formby grills have gone up 500%. Eee, turned out nice again! — George Formby’s daughter, head of the George Formby society.

Check out George singing to the soldiers...

Or on stage for the last time...

Gorgeous Shoes AND Chocolate!!

Talk about every girls dream! Gorgeous shoes and chocolate - what is a girl to do! Check out these divine chocolate shoes from Gayle’s Chocolates in Washington. Simply too pretty to eat, but divine when you do! Yum.

Chocolate - irresistible in any language!

chocolate
sakalada
shokolad
cokolada
chokolade
chocolade
sokolaad
suklaa
chocolat
schokolade
sokolata
kokoleka
csokolade
coklatla cioccolata
shokora
chokore-to
cikkolata
shocklaid
sjoko

Chocolate Cake in a Mug Recipe

Ready in Just 5 Minutes!

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tbsp Flour
4 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Baking Cocoa
1 Egg or (Egg Substitute)
3 Tbsp Milk
3 Tbsp Oil
3 Tbsp Chocolate Chips
A Small Splash of Vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add dry ingredients to a large coffee mug, mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil, mix well.
Add the chocolate chips and vanilla, mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave.
Cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug.
Allow to cool a little.
Tip out onto a plate if desired.
Enjoy!

P.S. I would love to take credit for this little recipe but as most of you will know this has been around for years...I seem to remember it was one for the first 'viral' things I got when email first got going...and over the years lots of people have sent it out saying that we should all try 'their' new recipe. At the end of the day it's a fun idea and I am sure everyone will tweak it to make it their own. So follow the last instruction and ENJOY!!

Food Groups

There are four basic food groups:

milk chocolate

dark chocolate

white chocolate

chocolate truffles

Chocolate Calculator

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold!)
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50 --- I'll wait while you get a calculator!
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1760 .....if you haven't, add 1759
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
7. You should have a three digit number.
8. The first digit of this was your original number (ie how many times you want to have chocolate each week)
9. The next two numbers are….YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)