I will always remember where I was and what I was doing at 8:48am on September 11th and so will almost every American.  Our lives changed forever that day and as a country, and as Americans, we bonded together to mourn those that we lost.  Life does go on and supposedly time heals all wounds but somehow this wound is one that will never truly heal.  Whether we knew someone personally or not, everyone was impacted by the gruesome, horrific attacks that took place.  As a New Yorker, our skyline will never be the same.  Our children will not know it as we knew it but it is our job as parents to teach them the importance of remembrance on this day.  To all those that fought so bravely on that day and to those that fight for our freedom each and every day, thank you.  For those that perished, you are forever in our hearts.  Peace out.

First off, my apologies to all my readers for the lack of blog posts recently but It’s been really busy since we came home from vacation and then we were experiencing technical problems with Hermanweb but all is fixed now and we are back up and running.

The Herman clan is gearing up for the fall and in doing so we’ve had a lot happening. First off, Mom & Dad took me to their respective offices to show me off to their friends and colleagues.  Mom’s old office was thrilled to see me again since the last time I was there I was still a bit of a mush.  Now at a whopping 9+ months old I was able to ‘wow’ the crowd with my ability to sit, clap and “high-five”.  I chatted it up with everyone and had a blast.  Next we headed down to Dad’s office where I was equally as charming.  I met everyone that Daddy works with and really enjoyed myself.  After my city trip, it was back to the suburbs with play dates, pool time and fun with friends.  Mom has kept me busy so as not to be disappointed about no longer being on vacation.  She’s done an excellent job as I’m exhausted every night.

I’m starting to crawl backwards, move around in a circle and sometimes even try to pull myself up so Mom thought this would be the perfect time to get us enrolled in a gym class.  Starting this week, I will be tumbling, jumping and swinging with other babies just my age at Great Play in Scarsdale.  This should be a whole lot of fun.  The weather is going to be cooling down a bit so I will be back on the playground again once the pool closes.  I had the most amazing summer splashing around in the water and learning to swim but unfortunately the season is coming to end (much to Mom’s disappointment).
With one more week of ’summer’ to go, although not officially, I am going to make the most of it.  I have plans all week long and am very excited.  The upcoming long weekend will be filled with fun with friends and family at a barbecue and a bat-mitzvah.  It’s going to be great and I’m excited!

The first official Herman Family vacation came to end yesterday but it was a fabulous 10 days.  Our last couple of days in the Hamptons were terrific.  Despite some morning showers on Thursday we managed to venture out to Sag Harbor to walk along the pier, browse in the tiny shops and enjoy a late lunch at Blue Sky Cafe.  Friday the sun came out again and we spent the day swimming and relaxing.  Before we knew it, Saturday morning rolled around so we took one final dip in the pool and packed the car.   For our farewell lunch we dined at the Lobster Inn in Southampton and only wished we had eaten there sooner.  The waterfront dining on the inlet and the open air atmosphere were great.  We had a delicious lunch of fish and lobster.  The dinner menu look fantastic and extremely reasonable, especially the weekday specials.  We will definitely be back next time we head out east.

In typical Herman fashion, Darren and I hosted a bbq the night we got home.  We kicked off pre-wedding festivities for Darren’s good friend, Michael Woodrow by hosting our friends and having a great evening.  Sunday we witnessed Mike and Stacey tie the knot at Beckwith Pointe in New Rochelle.  What a beautiful evening for a wedding.  The ceremony was outside overlooking the water and the setting was just perfect.  The party was a blast and we all danced the night away.  A great time was had by all!

And now, today, Darren is back at work and David and I are back to our routine.  I feel the summer coming to an end and am getting sad.  I love the warm days, the sunshine and the carefree nature of long summer days.  Before we know it, the leaves will be changing and then it will David’s first birthday.  Time is flying….

After the mega-drama that ensued between Jason, Melissa, and Molly on The Bachelor, I swore that I would not be suckered into another season of manipulation by ABC.  And I almost made it.  That is until a few weeks ago when Darren was traveling and the baby was asleep.  Against my better judgement I tuned in and it was all downhill from there.  I liked Jillian from last season so I was curious to see the guys she had narrowed the group down to and who might potentially capture her heart.  Having not watched much of the drama amongst the men unfold I didn’t find myself particularly ‘rooting’ for one guy over the other.  By the time the finale came around I didn’t really think any of the guys were going to be picked.  I thought bringing back Reid was a ploy for ratings and I just didn’t find him all that believable on the After The Final Rose Ceremony.  I think he was over her and everything that went down during the finale but the producers wanted him to play it up for the sake of ratings.  In my opinion, his body language didn’t show a guy who was still madly in love and saddended by the loss of his true love.  I’m definitely going against the grain with that thought though.  I didn’t exactly think Ed was a fabulous choice either but then again having only watched a few episodes I didn’t have a complete picture of who he is.   Jillian & Ed did seem genuinely happy so hopefully they will follow in the footsteps of Trista & Ryan and actually make it down the aisle.  We shall see….

Nominations are now being taken for the next Bachelor.  I am thinking about submitting my brother in-laws name.  He’d make a phenomenal bachelor!!!!!

As many of you know, I launched my own resume writing and editing business from home this year.  As a stay at home mom, I was looking to keep my hands in the professional world and utilize the skill set that I built over the years while working in Human Resources.  In the early spring, I quietly launched ResumeGal and over the last several months I have been building my client base thanks to family, friends and some online advertising.  This morning ResumeGal was linked to as part of a feature article entitled Top 100 Tips, Tools & Resources to Reinvent Your Career.  Click on #4 – Update your resume.  The article is great so I highly recommend reading it in its entirety but if you only have a few minutes, below are the top 10 tips:

Tips

These tips caution you to network, organize your job search, and set up a game plan before quitting your current job.

1. Evaluate your financial status: Find out if you’re in the position to go back to school, work part-time, or take a lesser paying job for the sake of starting over, or, if you need to save up a little first.
2. Consider moving: If the industry you want to break into isn’t strong in your part of the country, consider relocating to a location that has a healthier economy or more opportunities.
3. Focus on your transferrable skills: Just because you don’t have the exact job description of the new career you want, doesn’t mean you aren’t qualified.
4. Update your resume: Keep your resume continually updated and in perfect shape in case a sudden networking opportunity or interview comes along.
5. Talk to your supervisor: Sometimes, reinventing your career just means going after a promotion or switching departments within the company you’re already with.
6. Pursue what inspires you: Instead of switching to a job that you’re pretty sure will burn you out in a few years, pursue a cause that makes you passionate and inspires you to make a difference.
7. Apply the SWOT analysis method: Analyze your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and development, and the potential threats that might stand in your way.
8. Network before you quit: At the very least, have a game plan and a list of valuable contacts before you quit your old job.
9. Look for stepping-stone jobs: The Path 101 Career Guidance blog encourages job seekers to look for jobs that help them transition from one career to a totally different industry.
10. Talk to another professional in the field you want to enter: Don’t make any snap judgments on an industry by what you’ve read or seen on TV. Talk to someone who’s worked in that field for many years to get a realistic impressio

Yesterday, Aunt Judy & Uncle Bob graciously invited us with several of our friends for a small gathering at their summer house on Greenwood Lake.  We were so thrilled and appreciative that they opened up their home for us that we packed up virtually everything in our house except the kitchen sink and brought it with us.  I definitely took some ribbing for everything came along with us especially the extra rolls of toilet paper.  I am sure we will be hearing about that for years to come.

The day was a lot of fun and despite the weather being cloudy and cooler than expected the kids didn’t seem to mind at all.  In fact, they were in and out of the kiddie pool and wearing their bathing suits for most of the afternoon.  The girls took turns playing ‘captain’ on the pontun boat and really had a blast.  If only the sun shined for us we could have taken them out for a ride on the lake.  David loved being showered with attention by all the young ladies in attendance and was treated like a king for the entire day.  We all had a great time and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon away from it all.  We were incredibly lucky that the rain held off til we literally put the last few things in our trunks and were ready to say goodbye.  Thanks Judy & Bob for an amazing afternoon!

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything relating to work but Careerbuilder.com published the following article which I thought was great.  It reminded me of my HR days and all the ‘did he/she actually just say that’ moments during interviews.  Enjoy…it’s pretty funny.

“I’m not wanted in this state.”

“How many young women work here?”

“I didn’t steal it; I just borrowed it.”

“You touch somebody and they call it sexual harassment!”

“I’ve never heard such a stupid question.”
Believe it or not, the above statements weren’t overhead in bars or random conversations — they were said in job interviews.

Maybe you were nervous, you thought the employer would appreciate your honesty, or maybe you just have no boundaries. Whatever the reason, you can be certain that you shouldn’t tell an interviewer that it’s probably best if they don’t do a background check on you. (And yes, the hiring manager remembered you said that.)

We asked hiring managers to share the craziest things they’ve heard from applicants in an interview. Some are laugh-out-loud hysterical, others are jaw dropping — the majority are both. To be sure, they will relieve anyone who has ever said something unfortunate at a job interview — and simply amuse the rest of you.

Hiring managers shared these 43 memorable interview responses:

Why did you leave your last job?1. “I have a problem with authority.” – Carrie Rocha, COO of HousingLink

Tell us about a problem you had with a co-worker and how you resolved it
2. “The resolution was we were both fired.”- Jason Shindler, CEO, Curvine Web Solutions

What kind of computer software have you used?
3. “Computers? Are those the black boxes that sit on the floor next to the desks? My boss has one of those. He uses it. I don’t have one. He just gives me my schedule and I follow it.” – Greg Szymanski, director of human resources, Geonerco Management, Inc

What are your hobbies and interests?
4. [He said] ‘Well, as you can see, I’m a young, virile man and I’m single — if you ladies know what I’m saying.’ Then he looked at one of the fair-haired board members and said, ‘I particularly like blondes.‘” – Petri R.J. Darby, president, darbyDarnit Public Relations

Why should we hire you?
5. “I would be a great asset to the events team because I party all the time.” – Bill McGowan, founder, Clarity Media Group

Do you have any questions?
6. “Cross dressing isn’t a problem is it?” – Barry Maher, Barry Maher & Associates

7. “If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?” – Megan Garnett, Articulate Leadership Team, Articulate Communications Inc.

8. “What do you want me to do if I cannot walk to work if it’s raining? Can you pick me up?” – Christine Pechstein, career coach

9. “I was a Chamber of Commerce Executive once hiring a secretary. [The candidate asked] ‘What does a Chamber of Commerce do?’” – Mary Kurek, Mary Kurek, Inc. Visibility Consulting

10. “Can we wrap this up fairly quickly? I have someplace I have to go.” – Bruce Campbell, vice president of marketing, Clare Computer Solutions

11. “What is your company’s policy on Monday absences?” – Campbell

12. “If this doesn’t work out can I call you to go out sometime?” – Christine Bolzan, founder of Graduate Career Coaching

13. “How big do the bonuses really get once you make associate? I hear it’s some serious cash.” – Bolzan

14. “[The candidate asked,] ‘Can my dad call you to talk about the job and the training program? He is really upset I’m not going to medical school and wants someone to explain the Wall Street path to him.‘ The dad did call. Then that dad’s friends called and I ended up doing a conference call with a group of concerned parents … long story.” – Bolzan

15. “If I get an offer, how long do I have before I have to take the drug test?” – Bolzan

16. “When you do background checks on candidates, do things like public drunkenness arrests come up?” – Bolzan

17. “Can I get a tour of the breast pumping room? I heard you have a great one here and while I don’t plan on having children for at least 10 or 12 years, I will definitely breast feed and would want to use that room.”- Bolzan

18. “So, how much do they pay you for doing these interviews?” – Jodi R.R. Smith, Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting

Why are you leaving your current job?
19. “Because I (expletive) my pants every time I enter the building.” – Abbe Mortimore, Human Resources Manager, True Textiles, Inc.

20. “I was fired from my last job because they were forcing me to attend anger management classes.” – Smith

Why are you looking for a job?
21. “Cigarettes are getting more expensive, so I need another job.” – Pechstein

22. “My parents told me I need to get a job so that is why I’m here.” – McGowan

Why do you want to work for us?
23. “Just for the benefits.” – Jennifer Juergens, JJ Communications

24. “My old boss didn’t like me, so one day, I just left and never came back. And here I am!” – Matt Cowall, communications manager, Appia Communications

25. “I saw the job posted on Twitter and thought, why not?” – Rebecca Gertsmark Oren, Communications Director at The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

What are your assets? (as in strengths)
26. “Well, I do own a bike.” – Pam Venné, principal, The Venné Group

What are your weaknesses?
27. “I get angry easily and I went to jail for domestic violence. But I won’t get mad at you.” – Pechstein

28. “I had a job candidate tell me that she often oversleeps and has trouble getting out of bed in the morning.” – Linda Yaffe, certified executive coach

29. “I am an alcoholic and do not deserve this job.” - Deb Bailey, owner, Power Women Magazine & Radio Show

30. “I’m really not a big learner. You know … some people love learning and are always picking up new things, but that’s just not me. I’d much rather work at a place where the job is pretty stagnant and doesn’t change a lot.” – Michaele Charles, Voice Communications

When have you demonstrated leadership skills?
31. “Well my best example would be in the world of online video gaming. I pretty much run the show; it takes a lot to do that.” – Rachel Croce

Is there anything else I should know about you?
32. “You should probably know I mud wrestle on the weekends.” – Venne

When can you start?
33. “I need to check with my mom on that one.” – Bolzan

Use three adjectives to describe yourself
34. “I hate questions like this.”

Tell of a time you made a mistake and how you dealt with it
35. “I stole some equipment from my old job, and I had to pay for its replacement.”

Have you submitted your two weeks’ notice to your current employer?
36. “What is two weeks’ notice? I’ve never quit a job before, I’ve always been fired.”

Random responses
37. “One guy [said] ‘it would probably be best’ if I didn’t run a background check on him. Of course, I did, and learned all about his long, sordid past of law-breaking. Our client actually offered him a job as a staff accountant, but quickly retracted the offer when I had to tell them all about his recent arrest for a meth lab in his basement.” – Charles

38. “[A] guy said he did not have a mailing address, as he was living in a gypsy camp at the airport.” – Sandra L. Flippo, SPHR

39. “I went into the lobby to pick up a candidate. As he stood up, his trousers fell to the floor! [He said] ‘Oh, my gosh — they told me I needed a suit for the interview. I’ve got no money — so I borrowed this thing. It’s too big!‘” – Beth Ross, executive and career coach

40. “Wow — I’m not used to wearing dress shoes! My feet are killing me. Can I show you these bloody blisters?” – Bolzan

41. “May I have a cup of coffee? I think I may still be a little drunk from last night.” – Smith

42. (During a telephone call to schedule the interview) “Can we meet next month? I am currently incarcerated.” – Smith

43. “[A candidate] was asked whether he could advocate impartially on behalf of the various universities he would be representing since he had attended one of them. He responded, ‘Well, I don’t like to poop where I eat, but I thought my education sucked, so I certainly wouldn’t put that school above the others.’” – Darby

I just finished watching an interesting segment on Today about the changing role of dads and how many fathers have become ’stay at home dads’ while their wives returned to the workforce.  Profiling former high level executives from leading financial services firms, the segment showed how Dad’s have had to step it up and take responsibility for their children and their homes since losing their jobs as a result of the economic downturn.  There are now ‘Daddy & Me” meetups in parks and get togethers for ‘Stay at Home Dads”.  The segment quoted that membership in the ‘Stay at Home Dad’ meetup group on Meetup.com has more than doubled in the last six months.  With 75+ members in the NYC group these Dad’s admittedly are just trying to keep things afloat until they find a job.  They all acknowledge how hard it is to stay home and have a new appreciation for the wives who once were home juggling feeding schedules, diaper changes, music classes and other activities.  I have yet to stumble upon these men on the days I spend in Central Park but I’m sure they are there.  In fact, I am seeing many more mom’s strolling the city streets with their little ones than ever before.  Slowly but surely I think we are seeing more and more stay at home moms or dads.  It will be interesting to see when the economy picks up how many will choose to stay home indefinitely vs. those that choose to return to the workforce.

Last night we celebrated Darren’s grandparent’s 60th wedding anniversary at Equus in Tarrytown.  What a beautiful place!  Equus is located in the The Castle on the Hudson and was one of the nicest restaurants I’ve been to in Westchester thus far.  When we pulled up to the entrance we were warmly greeted by the valet and then escorted inside.  We gathered in the bar area for a few cocktails and to toast Grandma and Grandpa before moving into the Garden Room for dinner.  The old world charm is just oozing out of every corner in this historic landmark and makes for a very elegant and romantic atmosphere.  The restaurant has several dining rooms but the Garden Room was perfect for our celebration.  The menu has a variety of choices and offers ala carte selections as well as a three or six course tasting menu with wine pairings.   I had the onion soup au gratin to start and it was exceptional.  I love soup to begin with, especially onion soup, but the chef made an extremely tasty and flavorful broth with the vadallia onions and it tasted better than any other onion soup I’ve had.  For my entree I ordered the monkfish with butter lobster and it was outstanding.  The portion of fish was generous and came with 1/2 a small lobster tail and 1/2 of the meat of a claw; both of which were so sweet and juicy.  Sweet english peas accompanied the fish and they were delicious too.  Everyone else ordered either meat or fish and I didn’t see anything left on anyone’s plate when the meal was finished.

After dinner we were escorted to a different room for dessert and a cabaret show.  The Castle offers a cabaret show every Sunday evening and this summer they are featuring talented broadway singers performing a variety of music specials.  Last evening was a tribute to Johnny Mercer, lyricist and singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others.  He wrote the lyrics to more than a thousand songs, including compositions for movies and Broadway shows from the late 30’s to the mid 50’s.  While most of us did not know Mercer’s music, Grandma and Grandpa did and they were enjoying every minute of it.  It was so wonderful to see Grandma singing the words along with the performer.  She was in heavan and I loved watching her beaming smile as she listened.

It was a beautiful night all around and we enjoyed it from start to finish.  For a special occassion or a romantic night out, I highly recommend Equus.  Darren and I will be returning in August to celebrate our anniversary and are looking forward to it.