Dogs Do the Darndest Things

I’ve grown up with dogs all of my life.  We’ve had all kinds of dogs from Chows, Pugs, Dachsands, Hounds, Peekapoos, Boxers, Boston Terriers and a variety of mixes of different sizes.  Over the years I’ve noticed that almost all dogs share a few common habits.  I’ve always wondered why they do some of the things they do.  With a little research, I’m found the answers to my questions.

1.       Doing circles (usually 3 circles) before lying down.  The main reason why your lovable pooch has this habit comes from their genetics ingrained in them.  In the wild, their ancestors would do this to mat down their bedding to make it more comfortable.  Why three times?  We may never know.

2.       Rolling in nasty smelling things.  I hate this habit.  My hounds love this especially in dead animals and goose poop.  It is the White Diamonds of the dog world.  Instinctively, dogs use the smell to hide their own scent in order to be able to sneak up on their prey so they aren’t identified.

3.       I always find it funny to watch my dog chase her tail.  Anxiety and boredom can be the main causes similar to us humans fidgeting with a rubber band or paperclip.  Sometimes it can be just to get attention especially if you laugh and make fun when she does it.  Some attention is better than no attention.

4.       Most of my dogs love to be fully covered by a blanket while they sleep.  I often find when I come home from work find my made bed with a tunnel in it.  This is where she has burrowed into the blankets while I was gone for a nice nap.  They say this makes them feel warm and safe.  I can see that being the reason.  As a little kid, it was always comforting to be under the covers.  How they manage to breathe with their heads buried is still a mystery to me.

5.       My dogs always kick the dirt behind them after they do their business.  I found out that this is because they are trying to hide their scent.  To cover any trace from their prey.   This again is a trait passed down through their genes in the wild.

I hope this takes the mystery out of why many of our beloved pals behave the way they do.  I really enjoyed doing the research for this article.     

How to Write a Resume That Will Get You the Interview

There are several vital rules to follow to write a resume that will get noticed by hiring managers and recruiters.  These helpful tips include items that should and should not be included on your resume to grab the reader’s attention.  These tips are designed to help you land the interview. 

First of all, there are two basic resume formats, functional and chronological.  A functional resume outlines your applicable skills followed by a list of companies, titles held and dates worked for each company.   This is the lesser desirable format for recruiters and hiring managers alike.  The more widely used and accepted format is chronological.  This format lists each job you have had and the details you performed at each position. 

The basic chronological structure includes:

·         Your resume should contain your name, email address and the best phone number to reach you.  It is highly recommended that you do not include your address for security purposes.

·         Use an easy to read font face and font size.  Usually Arial or Times New Roman at 11 or 12 point font is recommended.   You should stick with black lettering on a white background. 

·         Use bold, italics and underlining sparingly.  Many resumes are entered into the company database and will not translate such additions.

·         Unless you are a PhD with a list of publications you have written, it is best to keep your resume to 1 – 2 pages, no more.

·         Additionally, your resume should have an objective that is short and to the point as to what type of position you are seeking

·         Make sure your resume is free from typos 

·         Your job history should begin with your most resent employer with the company name, your title and the date employed.  Bulleted description of your duties, listing the activities performed most frequently.  Be sure to include any duties that are listed in the job description you are applying to.

·         The older a position is the less detail should be given

·         Finally, include a section with your education and training.  This section should only be added after the objective section if you have just finished your degree.

·         Try not to duplicate activities if performed at several jobs unless it is critical to the position you are applying to.  An example is having been an Administrative Assistant at two different companies before advancing to a Marketing Coordinator.  At both Administrative Assistant positions, part of your job description included filing.  List ‘filing’ at both positions only if it is a requirement of the position you are applying for. 

Items that should NOT be included on your resume:

·         Full sentences.  They take up too much real estate and make your resume longer than necessary.  Most reviewers are glancing at your resume and not reading it word for word.

·         ‘References available upon request’.  This is a given

·         Listing hobbies or interests

·         Personal information such as marital status, age, religion, number of children

·         Do not put your picture on your resume

The key to getting your resume read is your use of key words from the job description.  Recruiters and hiring managers receive literally hundreds of resumes for an opening.  In order to have your resume considered, you must use the words that are in the job description.  For instance, if the job description states you must have ‘3+ years of software product development’ be sure your resume has ‘software product development’ listed for each position you have that experience.  The more requirements you have listed on your resume that matches the job description, the better your chances are to gain an interview.

One last tip, if you have large gaps in your resume where you were out of work for whatever the reason, add a sentence to your resume where the gap is with a brief explanation such as ‘from 12/07 – 12/09 I cared for my ailing mother’ to assist the reader with any questions they may have about the gap.

Remember, because of the high volume of resumes received, it’s easier to screen someone out that doesn’t appear to be a fit than to schedule an interview to get an explanation for anything questionable listed on your resume.    

The Top 5 Off The Beaten Path Places to Visit in Australia

Australia is a great place for a vacation.  With a land mass about the size of the continental United States, there are many great sites to see.   Although it’s a long flight, it’s well worth it.  Most visitors focus on the more popular tourist attractions such as Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, The Great Barrier Reef and Ayers Rock in the outback .  There are many sites to explore in this vast land.  Having visited several times and lived in Australia for 2 years, I was fortunate enough to be able to travel around to many of the lesser known locations.  If time permits, I highly recommend the top five off the beaten path towns.

1.       Byron Bay – is located about 480 miles north of Sydney.  It’s a picturesque beach town where many surfers and artists gather to enjoy the sun, sand and waves.  This relaxed town not only has great surf, but if you travel to Cape Byron Lighthouse, you can stand at the farthest east point of Australia’s continent.  This point has spectacular views.   Between June and November, thousands of humpback whales pass by.   

2.       Monkey Mia - located on the west coast of Australia roughly 500 miles north of Perth, offers great snorkeling and beautiful beaches.  The biggest attraction in this small beachside town is the large population of wild bottle nosed dolphins.  Although the park rangers have specific feeding times with the dolphins, they are known to come up to swimmers and boats at all hours to interact with the people.  They have become very comfortable with human interaction.   Dugongs are also seen regularly.  

3.       Kangaroo Island – this is Australia’s third largest island.  This is a must see destination for nature enthusiasts.  The cheapest way to get to this island is a 45 minute ferry ride from the mainland south of Adelaide.  A vast array of wild life can be seen on this island from sea lions in Seal Bay, koalas (which are not bears contrary to popular belief, but marsupials), echidnas searching for insects, kangaroos, wallabies, goannas, penguins and numerous species of birds.  On the other side of the island, there are fantastic rock landscapes.

4.       Daintree Rainforest – roughly 70 miles north of Cairns, this amazing tropical rainforest holds many great wonders.  The untouched beauty and isolated location allows the visitor to truly experience the sights and sounds of the rain forest.  It is home to the largest range of wildlife and plants in the world ranging from frogs, snakes, crocodiles, tropical birds, green ants, bats and butterflies.  On my visit, I attended an exotic fruit tasting.  An event not to be missed.

5.       Coober Pedy – a little over 500 miles north of Adelaide is the Opal capital of the world.   Exploring the opal mines is a must.  Because of the heat, many of the locals live underground.  There are some really nice bed and breakfasts underground.  Definitely a unique experience.   Beware, the landscape is sparse so much so that this location was used to film ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’ and ‘Red Planet’.

If time is not an issue, but money is, one of the best ways to get around Australia to see these sites is in a Wicked Van.  These fun whimsical camper vans offer transportation and accommodation all in one.   

Go on and step off the beaten path.  Explore some of the uniqueness that is Australia.

Unknown Movie Review

CAUTION SPOILERS!!!!

I just watched the movie Unknown starring Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger.  From the trailers, I expected this movie to be extremely suspenseful and full of plot twists.  The movie started slowly and had very little action until the middle of the movie.  Since the premise of this movie was to figure out who Martin is, played by Neeson, I watched the characters closely.  The first question I had, 'why would Martin leave his wife played by January Jones, without taking two minutes to run inside the hotel to let her know that he left his briefcase at the airport and needed take a taxi to go back to get it?'  Her response as she watched him jump into a cab and leave while she stood at the hotel desk unable to the get room they had booked was also curious.  She had very little reaction to seeing her husband suddenly leave her.

On the way to the airport, the taxi swerves to avoid hitting a refrigerator that falls off of the back of a truck causing the cab to go over a bridge and into river.  The driver, played by Diane Kruger, saves Martin, then flees the scene of the accident when the medics arrive.  This suggests that there is something suspicious going on.  When Martin awakes in the hospital and no one has been looking for him for the last four days, the plot thickens.  At this point, the storyline becomes a little bit interesting.

 

Martin remembers bits and pieces of his past, but seems to regain his memory quickly.  He remembers he is in Berlin for the conference being held that evening which is mentioned on the news and leaves the hospital to find his wife.  When he arrives at the conference, his wife claims she has no idea who he is.  Again, Jones reaction to the allegation is much to be desired.  At this point, I have hope that the script writer has some wild twist that will be presented.  If not, then the wife and her claimed to be husband played by Aidan Quinn are obviously in on the scam.   It is also clear that Jones is not being forced to be a part of this scam as we see by her reaction to Quinn when they are at the restaurant.  Jones lovingly reaches for Quinn's hand which is seen by Martin through the restaurant window.

Martin returns to the hospital confused.  The attending nurse just happens to know of someone who can help him find his real identity and gives him the name and address of her friend.  What luck!  Martin is given an MRI.  When he is suddenly pulled out of the MRI machine, he witnesses that same nurse being killed.  Martin is who he believes he is and something sinister is taking place.  At this point, it became apparent to me that there wasn’t going to be any great plot twists, much to my disappointment. 

The next high point of this predictable movie is when Martin meets up with Gina, the taxi driver and invites himself to stay at her place.  When the bad guys break in while Martin is in the shower, he conveniently has time to get dressed and get out the window on to the roof to hide.   Predictably, he comes back into the apartment just in time to save Gina from being murdered and in turn kills the first bad guy.  A car chase ensues with the second bad guy.  Although this is an action packed scene, I thought either the writer gave Martin great driving skills for a botanist or this guy is a trained spy.  As we soon find out, he turns out to be a trained assassin, close enough guess in my book.

 

From this point on, the movie went downhill with no more suspense or twists to be had.  It became very predictable.  Martin is led astray by his believed to be wife, he is captured by the bad guys, Gina must save him and the two must work together to foil the evil assassination plot.  They of course succeed and become a predictable couple at the end of the movie.

I rate this movie D.  If you are hoping for unpredictable plot twists with great action scenes and great character development, save your time and your money.  This is not the film for you.       time and your money.  This is not the film for you.

Top Five Unique Eats in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is a huge sprawling city with many sites to see and places to dine.  Having lived in the Atlanta area for over twelve years, I have found some really unique dining destinations that I thought I’d share with you. 

1.       Ten Degrees South – I love this unique restaurant specializing in South African cuisine.  Although their menu rarely changes, its unusual menu is hard to pass up.  Located in Buckhead in a cozy house with a romantic wood burning fire, it’s a perfect romantic setting.  In the back of the restaurant there is a wonderful bar often with live music.  Their menu offers such common items like steak, lamb and beef curry, but be adventurous and try something different like ostrich, sosaties, peri-peri chicken, biltongs, boerewors, or Cape Kingklip all prepared in South African spices.   Try my favorite, bobotie.

2.       Café’ Intermezzo – Perimeter Mall area.  This is a very classy European style coffee-house.  I’d venture to say it has one of the largest coffee drink menus in town offering hundreds of drink choices.  It’s a great place for a romantic get together, a fun girl’s night out or for a nice lunch gathering.  Not only does the café offer a vast array of coffee beverages, teas, beers, wines, liquors, but they make their own deserts daily.  Since they are all on display around the bar, beware, it’s a major temptation.  They have a very nice, light fare menu.  One of my favorites is the chicken mango and avocado wrap.  By the way, there are two other locations, one downtown and one at the airport.  All offer different atmospheres that are unique unto themselves.  All worth a try. 

3.       Imperial Fez – Moroccan cuisine at its finest.  This is an experience you will not soon forget.  They offer many events throughout the month such as night of fire, cooking with chef Rafih and belly dance classes.  This is a fun way to spend an afternoon.    The five course dinner is the way to go.  It includes:  your choice of a main dish such as lamb, beef, Cornish hen or fish and Harrira soup served with Moroccan Bread, your choice of a variety of Moroccan salads, appetizer with Cornish game hen, roasted almonds, cinnamon and spicy eggs, a desert pastry, fresh fruit cocktail and Morrocan Hot Mint Tea.

4.       Tierra – this authentic Caribbean, Latin American bistro is located in Buckhead.  This husband and wife team opened the doors in 1999.  There menu includes fish, beef, pork, chicken, shrimp and even a veggie dish all prepared with a Caribbean flavor.  For desert, don’t miss the Tierra dulce de leche ice cream or cajeta crepes.  You won’t be sorry.

5.       Two Urban Licks – this is the place to take your out-of-town friends located in Virginia Highlands.  With its converted warehouse vibe, they offer live Blues music several times a week and a spectacular view.  The kitchen in the round is entertainment any night of the week.  There is an impressive wall of wine to please anyone’s palate.  Small plates are the menu with specialties like Lamb Lollipops with goat cheese and chile jam, Sea Scallops with smoked gouda grits and smoked salmon, chipotle cream cheese, red onion and capers.  It’s a great place to bring a bunch of friends and sample a little bit of everything.  I highly recommend the seafood gumbo.

If you live in the Atlanta area or are just visiting and are feeling adventurous, try these unique places to eat.

Bon Appetite!