Starting Over Talk - Peer Coaching Support Site

While living in Texas I had various unusual jobs. Jobs that for sure I would not find around Port Huron, Michigan!

In the early 80's I made CANDY BARS! There were 7 employees, 1 being a friend of mine from Michigan also. The candy bar was made with no perservatives & used a chocolate machine from Sweden, one of a kind in the US. The boss was PROUD of his product, so PROUD he named it after himself!! Zaks...it was in a orange-yellow shiny wrapper, that also was "state of the art" or whatever he used to say! He was so PROUD of his shop...I believe the Dude & his Son were from NYork. But when he got mad, he was mad...whenever that cooler wasn't cooling the chocolate---which meant they couldn't be wrapped---and it would be wasted---he would freak right out! Then he'd turn around & buy us lunch!!! We got a box of 36 bars on every payday...I always sent my home to my Mom, she'd pass them out & tell everyone her daughter made them! They were sold in 7-11's throughout the South & Cali. & Tom Thumb Groc. stores. He put us on paid vacation to get something done to the BIG SWISS machine, or something and then told us he went BANKRUPT & closed up shop!!

In case you're wondering, YES, my friend & I did have a few LUCY & ETHEL moments... ...I can remember trying to shove those bars in our mouths cuz' we couldn't keep up!!! I'd have to say although it had a rough ending...the job gave me memories and I'll always remember LUCY & ETHEL for just that scene!

Glad I could share....

Yum, yum.....

For real, this is one of my Favorite Jobs to describe. I think Props go First to Lucy & Ethel, or it hadn't been so much FUN o retell!

What a wonderful memory to have
Did you ever get sick of the smell of the chocolate after four or five hours working?
He sounded like a hard but fair boss to work for.
Did he ever go back into business anywhere?

NO, never got sick of the smell of chocolate but got sick of eating all the soft chocolate covered bars that we couldn't put in the wrapper! We'd try to hide them from him so he wouldn't get mad...you know the conveyor blt would come out of the cooling part and we sat right there ready to grab them about four in each hand...put into the wrapper, quickly! We didn't like for him to see the ones that fell on the tray below the belt!!

Never did find out if he went back into business...it was a shock for me the way the job ended...I was in Mich at the time...went home to TX w/no job. p.s. the candy bars were like Snickers!!

Sounds good, I love 3 Musketeers too. There you go, tempting me with your chocolate candy bar story! I must be strong, will power.

I worked in a mall store that sold ice cream, flavored popcorn, balloons, and other things. Got fired because I talked to the customers too much! Now, can you believe that?

I was being friendly, making conversation with return customers, and never when it was busy. They asked about me after I left, I heard. Not long after, they went out of business, I wasn't sad....

Years before, I worked at a pizza shop that sold ice cream too. I had access to the ice cream, and I could eat the pizza too. I thought, okay, if I eat green olives, that will spoil the taste of ice cream for me. Well, I ended up liking olives, and later found out they are high in fat!!!!

Or is that good fat, 2 cents??