tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64875300261662761302011-10-30T09:04:30.276-04:00Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.comBlogger221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-46317342750686760382011-05-11T09:50:00.006-04:002011-10-30T08:21:23.872-04:00

“Just another Hallmark Holiday,”Said the mother, disdaining her day.“Do I want a sappy card, or smelly flowers?To eat soggy brunch, on this crisp Sunday?”But we thought – oh, she’s jokingOf course she wants our canned thanksOur mandated praise – or maybe some Spanx!“I’m not that kind of mummy!My thighs are still slim!And so is my tummy…I’d rather be swimming laps at the gym!”“But love it she must

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-39125161125759615942011-04-10T10:32:00.005-04:002011-10-29T11:53:18.182-04:00

I have a friend. She's not a great friend, but I like her well enough and she brings me home-baked goods. She's a work friend.But my friend brings out the worst in me. Maybe it's her privileged rich girl background paired with her strongly idealistic streak, but she just gets under my skin. Sometimes it's tough to like a pampered, Vegan, politically correct person. Whatever the case, I say

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-46826721120935122652011-03-06T18:28:00.007-05:002011-10-29T11:44:12.030-04:00

Mardi Gras day in the Garden District. Doesn't look like you expected, does it? For locals, Mardi Gras isn't about excessive drinking, Bourbon Street, or even boobs.I dated a guy when I first lived in New Orleans who told me that Mardi Gras was his Christmas, New Year's and Fourth of July all rolled up into one. I thought that was ridiculous. Now, I realize he was understating the case.

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-71194999494188327092011-03-06T18:21:00.003-05:002011-03-06T18:25:51.862-05:00

It's never hard to write about food. Well except maybe in Washington, DC, where after you sum up the whole restaurant scene - trendy, overpriced, and lacking in substance just about covers it - you have nothing left for your next post.

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-44231806871133110172011-02-26T16:26:00.010-05:002011-10-29T12:23:42.162-04:00

Yes, of course you're right. There are too many dogs in shelters, and I probably should've adopted one of them. Instead, I got a perfect purebred golden retriever puppy. The dog I dreamed of since I was a little girl, only more beautiful and sweet than I ever imagined.But you went to the shelter and adopted a mutt. It wasn't that long ago that adopted dogs were called "shelter dogs" or even (

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-23113861667327505272010-12-14T07:15:00.002-05:002010-12-14T07:18:09.695-05:00

As the photo editor of a nature magazine, I received my first hate mail! Addressed to me, personally! Hubby says that I should frame it.

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-91850398005093627592010-12-11T09:03:00.004-05:002010-12-11T09:47:03.142-05:00

So it turns out that Anne Arundel County has a really impressive parks department, with a great selection of winter programming for both children and adults. Since I don't have kids...here are the best of the adult highlights:Pottery, sewing and quilting classes - at the South County Recreation Center in Harwood, MarylandIce skating in Glen Burnie Town Center and Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis.

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-68190144577685272682010-08-08T09:21:00.015-04:002011-10-29T11:21:36.502-04:00

Skipper's Pier's outside patio and dockbar. Photo: Flickr/Oblivious DudeAs far as restaurants in Deale go: if you're crazy about fried seafood, you're in luck. If you're looking for something else...be prepared to drive to Annapolis.Happy Harbor: This cheap beer mecca is a popular with the fishing boat captains. It sits right on the water at Rockhold Creek and if you sit on the dockside patio,

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-29289429299209362492010-05-01T12:07:00.008-04:002011-10-25T13:34:30.061-04:00

I sold cars for a living one summer. Or, to be more accurate, I sold a car for a living one summer. One whole car. To say that I didn't excel at car sales is an understatement on the measure of "Sarah Palin isn't a policy wonk."This is another job I got because of my gender, but it's probably not what you're thinking. I actually showed up in response to an ad for a receptionist, and somehow

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-22832594725677646472010-04-25T11:49:00.004-04:002010-04-26T07:42:37.687-04:00

When you're working towards 101 jobs (or more)...it helps if you have a few quickies.My best friend and I moved to a new state and had to find new jobs, so we applied for every cocktail waitressing job we saw in the paper. After all, the money was great in New Orleans.We quickly interviewed and got positions with a big function hall/nightclub, bought our required tuxedo shirts and bowties (I'm

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-69413175118320602482010-04-18T19:09:00.004-04:002010-04-18T19:16:30.447-04:00

Yet another way to take advantage of job seekers' desperation: offer to send their resume to the top of employer searches for a fee (with the darkly implied corollary of sending resumes to the bottom if job seekers don't pay the extortion...uh, fee). Saw this kind of thing on a bunch of career posting sites:Upgrade Your Resume Having trouble getting noticed? Wish you had some way to

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-23091247283630377052010-04-14T10:34:00.013-04:002011-10-30T08:27:17.991-04:00

My first waitressing job was at Denny's in a suburb of New Orleans.Denny's waitresses are a hard-core group. They work grueling 8+ hour shifts that don't ease up for ten seconds. They manage coffee pots, condiments and heavy diner plates with machine-like precision. They make time to prepare complicated sundaes in the middle of juggling way more tables than you would think possible, in absurdly

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-41137004273523192422010-04-13T23:41:00.002-04:002010-04-18T19:23:46.019-04:00

Sometimes a temp assignment is a gift. Right now I’m working in the interactive online department of a top-tier political mar-com firm. In a really short time, I’ve learned a good deal about how to use, optimize and analyze Google AdWords, create sophisticated and useable metrics for online campaigns, a thing or two about Salsa Labs’ progressive online organizing platform…okay, I know I sound

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-22962946406509071062010-04-10T07:55:00.017-04:002011-10-30T08:51:15.438-04:00

Youth and BeautyI say "coffee shop girl" because the small chain I worked for only hired females of college age or younger. Little did I realize this would be the first in a long line of jobs that would exploit my youth and, well, fairly mild cuteness. Mostly my youth. I was so naive that I worked the whole summer and never noticed. It's pretty obvious now...the attendants now wear little pink

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-30682578654915016452010-04-07T07:44:00.009-04:002010-04-18T14:32:19.713-04:00

I'm NOT crazy: the recent preponderance of internships advertised that clearly should be paid jobs is a) getting worse and b) illegal. Thank you for always reading my mind, New York Times. And thank you, Obama Administration, for trying to turn back the labor abuses that have multiplied since the last guy took office and gutted enforcement.“If you’re a for-profit employer or you want to pursue an

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-32639503941573834712010-03-30T08:51:00.005-04:002010-04-21T10:07:53.278-04:00

"Team Member Loyalty Assistant"The name says it all. Actually, it really wasn't a bad job. Just an incredibly embarrassing title. I was later promoted to Team Member Loyalty Manager. No kidding.You won't find that job title on my resume...it would be too humiliating. Luckily, I don't have to since the powers-that-be wouldn't let my boss officially rename it (so I'm still coded as the more

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-41276023533347109472010-03-29T23:11:00.007-04:002010-04-18T19:26:34.558-04:00

As a pretty innocent and destitute twenty-ish girl, I took a part-time job at the video store a few blocks from my apartment in New Orleans, right on the beautiful St. Charles streetcar line. The store was a pretty impressive operation: good video selection, quite a few snacks, a large rent-to-own furniture section, pay by the minute cell phones, recording studio...and a thriving collection of

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-26563285740468465062010-03-29T23:01:00.003-04:002011-10-30T09:04:30.344-04:00

Highlights:Free movies, and I could bring my friendsSeeing the Fugitive twice with my dad during a really hot summer. Ahhh, air conditioning!Free popcornLowlights:A head-to-toe polyester uniform. Not the worst I've ever worn, but close. It included too-tight navy pants, a white/plaid shirt, red vest, and finally...a bowtie. Awesome.Waaay too much free popcornCleaning the "butter" machine.

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-67604813145214719872010-03-29T14:33:00.009-04:002010-03-29T22:46:51.832-04:00

I just met with a recruiter or three. Sadly, the one who liked me best was the temp recruiter. And why shouldn't she love me? I'm pretty sure I'm the best temp in all of Washington, DC. This isn't a boast; it's gotta be the world's most dubious honor. How can I be everyone's very favorite temp -- a magical contractor who not only handles high-level work way outside her pay grade, but

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-29159530136455030372010-03-26T10:40:00.006-04:002010-03-29T22:41:23.932-04:00

Writing the perfect cover letter is literally an impossible task.Here's a some well-accepted advice on how to construct the perfect letter. You must use ALL of it. Then guess why it's so hard for me to apply for more than one job a day.Write with the utmost confidenceDon't be arrogantDescribe your achievements, skills, and background......without using the words "I" or "me" (I dare you)Be

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-83433888544534742112010-03-23T08:52:00.011-04:002010-03-29T22:42:09.588-04:00

The economy sucks, and young college grads can hardly get work at Burger King. They're desperate to find work and will do just about anything that improves their chances. So if you have a need (or want) for free labor, why not take advantage of their desperation by repackaging any task, from data entry to feeding your cat, as an internship?Here's an recent egregious example from Craigslist (

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487530026166276130.post-59053114671614404212010-03-22T10:38:00.018-04:002010-03-29T22:45:01.112-04:00

My dad forgot my birthday, and I awoke to a loud singing voicemail from him the next morning.Happy birthday, Lisa DYou are no longer thirty-threeHere's a fact you can't ignore:You are now thirty-fourMy dad had it all wrong. This was my 33rd birthday. But my slightly fuzzy morning-after-birthday-at-a-brewpub-brain couldn't quite be sure. So I hopped on the Internet and Googled an age calculator,

Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868287542811893349noreply@blogger.com0