The Dirty "U" Word

What? You've never heard of the dirty "U" word? It's unemployed. If you are between jobs right now ― as so many Americans are ― stop hurting yourself with the dirty "U" label. It has too many connotations and frankly it isn't even correct. You aren't unemployed. You are employed in the business of finding a new job. More than that, you are a business of one seeking clientèle: employers.

One of the best things you can do for yourself in 2012 is to join Career HMO, an online career coaching program with personalized advice from career experts that's guaranteed to cut time off your job search, run by CAREEREALISM Founder and Career Guru J.T. O'Donnell. No, this post is not sponsored by anyone. I joined this revolutionary program myself when I was between jobs and became an Ambassador for new members. Though this program is excellent for those between jobs, it is equally extraordinary for anyone seeking a satisfying career. Get a promotion, find a job, choose a career... get expert help on all of it.

This cutting edge program taught me more than I could ever fit into a single blog post. But as so many Americans will be resolving to find a better job in 2012, I thought I'd share a few of the top lessons I've learned from Career HMO:

Reframe Negative Self Talk
It's easy to feel ashamed of your employment status when it isn't all that you'd hoped. I was between jobs myself for an extended period; I know. Have courage. But most importantly, learn to rewrite your Negative Self Talk (NST). Start with a journal and write down all of your negative thoughts, your doubts, all of your NST. And REWRITE it. That's right. Stop and ask yourself: Where did I learn this? Is it really true or not? Rewrite it as truth. Write objectively and challenge your assumptions. That becomes your new mantra. Only then can you release those NST emotions and make peace with yourself. It's about being proactive and positive. Reframe the story as a learning experience. Stick to the facts. Keep it clean, simple and objective. What did you learn?
Recommended Reading: "Be The Hero" by Noah Blumenthal

Get Your Ducks in a Row
Be prepared with your Carer Toolkit: your Personal Brand Statement, Resume, Career Story, LinkedIn Profile, Interview Prep and so much more. Career HMO members can download the full checklist as well as read about each piece in the CAREEREALISM Guidebook. Best of all, you can hear straight from J.T. about the creation of each of these components in the program. Members can get step-by-step help from experts and receive a personal assessment of their career toolkit.


Don't Waste the Interviewer's Time
Prepare. Do your homework. Be able to give examples demonstrating you are ready to work for them and why. Define how they've impressed you and what value you would bring to their team. Give specific examples. Understand the value of telling a story that connects with them.


Interview the Interviewer (Nicely, of course!)
Once they're done interviewing you, then comes your turn to interview your potential employer. Ask the right questions when you're interviewing. I've learned that the work can be learned, but developing relationships with others is key. When it's my turn to ask questions of the interview, I now ask: What kind of person thrives here? What do you think this companies flaws are? How did you get your job? What's been your greatest challenge?

Recognize that every job is temporary
Americans are now predicted to change careers seven times in a lifetime. Changing careers might seems like a huge step. How does one decide on which career next? Talking to people who are in those careers might provide insight. Complete the Career Matrix in the Guidebook. Do some research and find two people per career with whom to have an informational interview. People love to talk about themselves. Ask the person if you can bring them a coffee and hear their story of how they chose this path. Explain that you're trying to determine which of a few careers will best utilize your unique skill set.

A Community of Support
One of the most important and intangible things I gleaned from Career HMO was the community of support. During live sessions, the members supported each other as professionals, friends and cheerleaders. Members participate in a private, live chat with each other, J.T. and other career experts. Celebrating successful interviews, creating inspirational playlists, networking with each other, admitting difficult days and the desire to hide, brainstorming new side businesses, learning new techniques to improve every aspect of your career, discussing the latest TED Talk or industry news, making friends and having a laugh... all happening inside Career HMO.

Apple Cupcake Tree Shows Teachers the ♥

More than 130 local teachers turned out for the End of Year Celebration last May, filling the garden patio at Jalisco’s Restaurant in Watsonville for a record turnout. This year's celebration had a few extra special perks to show teachers the ♥, including the DIY Easy & Inexpensive Cupcake Stand I created loaded down with cupcakes resembling apples.


“The party was a HIT!” said Mamiche Young, a kindergarten teacher. “We teachers from Freedom had a ball!”

Highlights of the evening also included exciting new menu items like mini ceviche, scintillating refreshments, retired teacher appearances, a beautiful Mariachi dance performance, and a Teacher Appreciation Raffle with more than 50 generous prizes donated by local businesses supporting unionized teachers.

“The prizes were great because they showed a real connection with the community,” said Rhea DeHart, retired PVUSD educator and former PVFT President. “It was the best party we’ve ever had!”

Filled with sand from local beach

Warm summer temperatures and a Mexican beach theme helped everyone relax and celebrate the close of another school year.

Decor (mostly donated or crafted) included exquisite shells in painted turquoise bowls of sand adorning each table while colorful, delicately cut papel-picado (paper cutout) streamers flitted gently in the wind.

The homemade chocolate volcano bottom cupcakes were especially popular and luckily we had just enough! The trick behind these yummy creations was easy ― just adding a few basic ingredients to a mix to spice it up. I like to try out different substitutions. This time I added vanilla extract and quality chocolate chips. I also substituted part of the oil for melted butter.

Completed tree ready for cupcakes!

For the lifts between the levels, I got thick plastic piping cut into pieces and wrapped it with chocolate brown satin ribbon secured with hot glue. The final pieces were then hot-glued into place.

A huge thank you those who helped frost and decorate the cupcakes with me on that Friday long ago last May. Please accept my apologies for the delay in posting the final product.

It's mmmmm...Monday "Elegant Salmon Mignons"

Elegant Salmon Mignons

Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 15 minutes, Serves 2-3

Salmon is a favorite in our house. We love to test out new recipes to enhance the fresh salmon flavor. The uniform thickness of these pinwheels makes  broiling super easy and the pinwheel allows the seasoning to saturate the fish. Good balsamic (Bariani's Balsamic Vinegar is my local favorite) makes all the difference.


Ingredients

• Generous sprinkling (4-5 Tablespoons) good balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into six ¾-inch strips
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon slices
• Olive oil

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven's broiler to 500 degrees; set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. 
2. Combine the balsamic vinegar and the garlic in a small bowl; reserve. 
3. Sprinkle the salmon with kosher salt. Roll the salmon strips, beginning on the thickest side, into 6 pinwheels. Secure with wooden skewers.
4. Coat the pan in olive oil and drizzle oil over the fish and let it saturate. Drizzle the balsamic and garlic mixture generously over each pinwheel. Place fresh lemon slice on top of each pinwheel.
5. Place salmon under hot broiler and cook for 7 minutes. Turn pinwheels over and replace lemon slices; cook until edges are brown and fish is easily flaked with a fork, about an additional 7 minutes. 
6. Sprinkle with pepper before serving and enjoy! Reviews in our house? It was pronounced "delightful!"

Round out the meal: Serve with your choice of green vegetable steamed or stir fried. Zucchini pairs well with the salmon.


Wine recommendation: Serve with chilled white wine (Pinot Grigio makes an excellent pairing).


It's mmmmm...Monday is a new Nosy Parker Blog weekly feature where I'll share with you a favorite recipe or a new kitchen experiment!


Adapted from Broiled Salmon Mignon recipe by ZELDA3333 on allRecipes.com

We're Back!

After some technical difficulties, www.gabrianamarks.com is back!

Please accept my apologies if you've been looking for my site in the last weeks. It's back and I'll continue to update it with my portfolio, bucket list and more.

An Unsteady Upwardish Path

Perhaps you've wondered what happened to me. I know some of my friends have. I've been busy surviving.

I had a lot of plans. As did my mom. But in the first days of June, we got a shock. Doctors found a mass in her brain.

First there was the brain tumor and the surgery to remove it. Then the diagnosis: Anaplastic Hemangiopericytoma, an extremely rare brain cancer about which little is published. Recovery from the 7-hour brain surgery was not yet complete before six weeks of daily radiation therapy treatments began. It's been a rough 2011 in our house.

We have a great community of family friends and we use a LotsaHelpingHands site to communicate. Family is far,  the relationship complicated and the support minimal. A single mom and an only child, we've always made a great team. Mostly I miss my own friends, many of whom live in SF (~90 miles away) or LA (~350 miles). Few friends have made the trek to visit; communications are stalled. In truth, I've avoided the minefield. I don't really want to talk about the brain cancer battle rocking our house or my job outside of my passion. After all, if you don't have anything good to say, you should say nothing at all, right? I can't stand to hear any more advice on how I should be better taking care of myself, my mother, her house, my dog... you get the point. People mean well, I know, but we've got things under control in our own way.

My mom is focusing on her goal of moving to Venice, Italy (and establishing a Gertrude Stein-like salon for local and traveling reform Jews and artists) — a goal which keeps her motivated but stirs restless impatience. Though moving to Italy (ideally as a destination wedding planner or a writer) is a dream of mine as well, I'm focusing on the shorter term for now, sticking with my trice annual assessments and goals. Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year in September). New Year's Eve. And My Birthday.

Make plans, G-d laughs. Too true. Well I've made fewer plans this year, just taking each day one at a time (a phrase that's always bugged me... as if I could possibly take more than one at once). Perhaps the trick is to somehow worry less about the next one. In any case, life has been difficult enough without adding more responsibility. More days than not have been a struggle. Yet, I could not let the Jewish New Year go by without consideration.

Driven by a recognition that I needed to take better care of myself, I began a new exercise routine around Rosh Hashana. It's only 25 minutes long, but it's an intense workout. I can't say I quite enjoy exercise, but my body is finally craving it. The scale and I haven't been friends for a while so I can't tell you exactly how much I've lost, but I can tell you that none of the pants I'd been wearing fit anymore. I finally broke down and made the dreaded trip to buy new jeans. Armed with the knowledge of exactly what flatters my figure and the help of a savvy and fashionable store clerk, I found jeans I love that fit me perfectly — and they're 3 sizes smaller than my old ones! There's more to go, but I already feel stronger, leaner and more fit. I'm determined to make exercise a solid habit before turning 30 next April, in the hopes that it'll stick for life.

Sometimes taking care of oneself is in the little things... a playlist to pick you up in the mornings, a walk with the dog, a lovely relaxing bubble bath, a good laugh with a friend. It's funny how easy it is to forget to take care of yourself when you're busy being a caretaker (I'm sure this is a 'duh' for most moms, but I'm not a mom yet... rather a 20-something solo caretaker for a parent).

Fortunately my mom's latest scans showed the radiation significantly shrunk the remaining brain cancer cells and it has not regrown or spread yet. This, of course, is great news with a pause on the yet. The trick is to focus on the great news — not the yet.

As the New Year approaches and I strive to focus on the great in each day, I'm once again thinking of my goals. How shall I improve my 2012? I've missed writing (editing, too). It used to be a big part of my everyday work and since then... well, since then, life has been a minefield. I'm considering making daily writing my new goal, but it may prove too much to maintain. Ultimately, my new goal is to think happy and be happy, not be afraid. Once again seize life's opportunities and seek out happiness. This too is a solid habit I hope will stick for life.

I'm pleased to report that seeking out happiness is exactly what we did this weekend on a wonderful, impromptu trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea.