Affordable Accommodations Near San Francisco Airport

San Francisco is no doubt one of the United States most attractive and popular cities, given its rich mix of varied cultures and people. With its proximity to Los Angeles and other major cities on the American west coast, San Francisco is also home to a large number of global businesses.Traveling in San Francisco may seem intimidating to many given the steep climbs of its streets, but the trade-off is that you get to experience the beauty of a vast number of world-famous tourist spots and multi-cultural attractions combined with amazing weather and amazing natural beauty.Places like Union Square are bordered by high fashion stores, all the major retailers, as well as up-market hotels, affordable lodging and the occasional cheap deal. One of the biggest attractions in this area is one of the city’s biggest shopping areas, offering delights from various cultures from across the globe. For the business traveler or for family vacations, this place has something for everyone.While staying in such airport hotels, you not only get the advantage of proximity to the airport and affordability, but you also get to be a short distance from the very best shops, restaurants, art galleries, theaters and museums. With so much to do, San Francisco may be called a lot of things, but boring would not be one of them. With a whole gamut of indoor and outdoor activities, a visit to San Francisco has all the potential to be the journey of a lifetime.San Francisco also provides its visitors with a wide variety of accommodation to suit all aesthetic or financial requirements. Hotels near the airport offer incredible convenience primarily because of their proximity to the airport and friendly rates. Arranging your own transportation while staying in airport hotels can yield up to 60% the cost of the expenses made on hotels, which are located in other areas of the city.Hotels near San Francisco attractions like Fisherman’s Wharf might cost you more than a couple of hundred dollars per night. Hotels located in the financial districts would also have similar pricing. To avail lower prices, you can opt for staying in the hotels close to the airport. It may not boast of the proximity to famous landmarks and other attractions, but you can still avail same basic amenities.Many hotels are also competing, which should drive down prices in the near future, allowing you to get the best deal for your hard-earned money. Staying in an airport hotel, especially if you are traveling by air, brings a host of benefits which are vital to your journey like saving on time and not missing flights due to traffic. Such hotels also give their patrons a shuttle service to make sure they catch their flights and their journey starts and ends on the best possible note.

What Are The Greatest Changes In Shopping In Your Lifetime

What are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime? So asked my 9 year old grandson.

As I thought of the question the local Green Grocer came to mind. Because that is what the greatest change in shopping in my lifetime is.

That was the first place to start with the question of what are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime.

Our local green grocer was the most important change in shopping in my lifetime. Beside him was our butcher, a hairdresser and a chemist.

Looking back, we were well catered for as we had quite a few in our suburb. And yes, the greatest changes in shopping in my lifetime were with the small family owned businesses.

Entertainment While Shopping Has Changed
Buying butter was an entertainment in itself.
My sister and I often had to go to a favourite family grocer close by. We were always polite as we asked for a pound or two of butter and other small items.

Out came a big block of wet butter wrapped in grease-proof paper. Brought from the back of the shop, placed on a huge counter top and included two grooved pates.

That was a big change in our shopping in my lifetime… you don’t come across butter bashing nowadays.

Our old friendly Mr. Mahon with the moustache, would cut a square of butter. Lift it to another piece of greaseproof paper with his pates. On it went to the weighing scales, a bit sliced off or added here and there.

Our old grocer would then bash it with gusto, turning it over and over. Upside down and sideways it went, so that it had grooves from the pates, splashes going everywhere, including our faces.

My sister and I thought this was great fun and it always cracked us up. We loved it, as we loved Mahon’s, on the corner, our very favourite grocery shop.

Grocery Shopping
Further afield, we often had to go to another of my mother’s favourite, not so local, green grocer’s. Mr. McKessie, ( spelt phonetically) would take our list, gather the groceries and put them all in a big cardboard box.

And because we were good customers he always delivered them to our house free of charge. But he wasn’t nearly as much fun as old Mr. Mahon. Even so, he was a nice man.

All Things Fresh
So there were very many common services such as home deliveries like:

• Farm eggs

• Fresh vegetables

• Cow’s milk

• Freshly baked bread

• Coal for our open fires

Delivery Services
A man used to come to our house a couple of times a week with farm fresh eggs.

Another used to come every day with fresh vegetables, although my father loved growing his own.

Our milk, topped with beautiful cream, was delivered to our doorstep every single morning.

Unbelievably, come think of it now, our bread came to us in a huge van driven by our “bread-man” named Jerry who became a family friend.

My parents always invited Jerry and his wife to their parties, and there were many during the summer months. Kids and adults all thoroughly enjoyed these times. Alcohol was never included, my parents were teetotallers. Lemonade was a treat, with home made sandwiches and cakes.

The coal-man was another who delivered bags of coal for our open fires. I can still see his sooty face under his tweed cap but I can’t remember his name. We knew them all by name but most of them escape me now.

Mr. Higgins, a service man from the Hoover Company always came to our house to replace our old vacuum cleaner with an updated model.

Our insurance company even sent a man to collect the weekly premium.

People then only paid for their shopping with cash. This in itself has been a huge change in shopping in my lifetime.

In some department stores there was a system whereby the money from the cash registers was transported in a small cylinder on a moving wire track to the central office.

Some Of The Bigger Changes
Some of the bigger changes in shopping were the opening of supermarkets.

• Supermarkets replaced many individual smaller grocery shops. Cash and bank cheques have given way to credit and key cards.

• Internet shopping… the latest trend, but in many minds, doing more harm, to book shops.

• Not many written shopping lists, because mobile phones have taken over.

On a more optimistic note, I hear that book shops are popular again after a decline.

Personal Service Has Most Definitely Changed
So, no one really has to leave home, to purchase almost anything, technology makes it so easy to do online.
And we have a much bigger range of products now, to choose from, and credit cards have given us the greatest ease of payment.

We have longer shopping hours, and weekend shopping. But we have lost the personal service that we oldies had taken for granted and also appreciated.

Because of their frenetic lifestyles, I have heard people say they find shopping very stressful, that is grocery shopping. I’m sure it is when you have to dash home and cook dinner after a days work. I often think there has to be a better, less stressful way.

My mother had the best of both worlds, in the services she had at her disposal. With a full time job looking after 9 people, 7 children plus her and my dad, she was very lucky. Lucky too that she did not have 2 jobs.

How to Become a Successful Pharmacy Technician

If you want to opt for a vocation where you can serve patients, tend to their ailments and, at the same time, get involved in the drug industry, what can be more fitting than being a pharmacy technician? Around the country, pharmacies provide medication to people in need. The major role is played by the pharmacists or health professionals who take care of the patient’s diseases and their medications. The technicians are generally appointed to lend a helping hand and assist the pharmacists. They provide pharmaceutical care in some cases.To know how to become a pharmacy tech you should be well aware of the prospects and kind of training required.Career ProspectsThe pharmaceutical industry is a fast growing profession and is expected to grow 32% from the year 2006 to 2016. Pharmacy technicians passing out from genuine institutions are employed in dispensaries or pharmacies. According to surveys, two third of the trainees work in retail pharmacies and drug stores. They work independently or under a retail chain and, sometimes, also in biomedical laboratories. A section of the remaining technicians are appointed in hospitals where they carry out clinical roles and provide medication. Technicians also get involved with the internet pharmacies where they offer counsel and work by mail order. They also serve the Federal Government and tend to warfare patients.Basic Training ProgramsAt many healthcare units, pharmacy technicians are employed without any formal training. However certain facilities prefer their employees to undergo training and certificate courses before they join work. There are some institutions where such trainings are provided, but those certificates are voluntary. Certificate renewal has to be done in every 2 years through 20 hours additional education program. The Institute for The Certification of Pharmacy Technician offers national certificates for the aspiring. Many pharmacies run internship curriculum where the students are given hands on experience. Other than that, diploma or degree programs are offered by many hospitals, technical colleges, armed forces and proprietary schools.Educational RequirementsFor suitable employment, you should be well acquainted with the various jobs performed by a pharmacy tech. The Pharmacy Technician degree and diploma programs provide students with appropriate knowledge and experience. As basics, they teach you preparing and dispensing medications, proper maintenance of medical records, stocking of drugs and labeling of prescribed medications. You are also taught customer service skills and demonstration abilities.Remuneration Your earnings can vary with your work place. Your know-how also counts and as you grow to be an experienced professional, your pharmacy technician salary also sees the high. For a beginner, the offered pharmacy tech salary is around $27,384 to $33,933. However for those at a higher rank, the salary goes up to $37,097. For others, the salary falls in between. With increasing job prospects and demand, pharmacy technicians are gradually making more money.Many aspiring students want to know how to become a pharmacy technician. For them, it is required to gather information about healthcare schools and enroll their names accordingly.