Month: November 2018

Late last week, we had our first snow of the season here in Chicago – and you know it won’t be the last.  So before we have deep, deep  snow, let’s review some driving tips for snowy days:

• SLOW DOWN!  You can’t see black ice on the roads that can be really dangerous.  So give yourself a few more minutes to get to your destination and make sure you’re always driving at a speed that allows you to keep control over your car.  Accelerating and braking slowly are key to keeping control of your car on ice or snow.
• Know your brakes and your tires.  You need to know how your car performs on ice and in snow – if you don’t, find yourself an empty parking lot and put your car through the paces so you know how it handles on ice or in snow.
• Leave your lights on.  Your headlights will help you see – and help others see you in heavy snow.  Just don’t use the brights OK?
• Get your car a pre-winter check.  Now is the time to know if your battery is in good shape and whether your coolant levels are ready for cold weather.  A dead battery can leave you stranded and nobody wants that!  And don’t forget your windshield wipers – now’s a good time to replace them before your windshield is frozen over!
• Put the snow brush in the car.  And don’t forget an extra pair of gloves and maybe a blanket.  Maybe you could ask Santa for one of these car kits too?
• Make sure to fill your windshield wiper solution – and gas tank – often.  When the roads are sloppy, you don’t want to be without wiper solution.  And don’t get me started on the level of your gas tank – if it’s cold and you get stuck in traffic or just stuck somewhere, you’ll want your gas tank full!
• And last but certainly not least, when your car is covered in snow, brush it all off before you put the car in gear and start driving.  You want to be able to see at all times – and if you don’t clean off the hood, the back window and the top of the vehicle, you’re going to have your vision obstructed by blowing snow.  And it’s kind to the vehicle behind you when there isn’t snow blowing off your car too!

Need more tips?  Try these from AAA – Winter Driving Tips.

And if all else fails – just stay home and build a snowman!

I like bears – and this little one doesn’t know the meaning of the word quit.  If you haven’t seen this video, it’s a real treat.  Happy Weekend everyone!

Two years ago and three years ago this week, I visited Disney World with a group of friends for RunDisney events.  The first year I didn’t run – but 2 years ago I ran the first 10K I had run in well over 20 years.  My time wasn’t great but it was respectable at 1:27 for 6.2 miles  – including selfie stops at EVERY mile marker!

RunDisney events are huge fun although you need to be prepared for expense and crowds.  But, you get to run through the Disney parks when they’re closed in the overnight hours and it’s incredible.  Want to know more about RunDisney?  Check out this link.

My Facebook memories are full of throwback pictures from Disney this week – but here’s a few of my favorites from the 2016 trip:

I always like to be early – and this year, I haven’t waited until the snow was flying to have a raging case of chapped lips.  Tis the season to carry lip balm.  But my cracked lips got me thinking – why do they chap and what can I do to stop it?

According to the internet (so it has to be true right?), most cases of chapped lips are due to dry, cold weather and/or excessive licking of the lips.  Check and check – no wonder I’m a fan of the lip balm!  Unlike most of the rest of our skin, our lips don’t have oil glands making them more prone to drying and cracking.  Who knew?

The experts also say that it only takes a few changes to your routine to prevent most cases of chapped lips:

• Use lip balm – try something that feels a bit oily rather than waxy.  My favorite is this lemon balm from Bath and Body Works.
• Drink more water.  Not only will your lips feel better, your whole body will feel better if you are properly hydrated.
• Use a humidfier when you can – again, the more moisture the better when it’s cold and dry.
• Last but not least – when it’s cold and windy outside, consider wrapping our face up with a scarf.  Just remember to leave a space so you can see!

So grab your lip balm and hold on – it’s supposed to snow here in Chicago later this week!

 

 

Let’s review my Try It Tuesday results for the last few weeks:

• Last Tuesday’s Pumpkin Chili was a hit!  I made 6 quarts of chili and it was almost gone by 11:45AM.  Of course, if you put a crock-pot full of anything that smells as good as that chili did in an office and you KNOW it’s going to go fast.
• I’ve armed myself with a tube of Lysol wipes – and the wave of sickness going around my office has subsided.  I’m going to take credit for it with my obsessive Lysol wiping.
• Still looking for a good place to buy loose leaf tea?  A friend of mine swears by www.favatea.com.  I’ve placed an order for a few ounces of a couple of black tea varieties and a citrusy green tea blend.
• I’m still not journalling – but I haven’t missed a day on this blog in months.   I still say if you’re worried about something write it out.  Puts things in perspective when you put it down in black and white.  (Or blue and white – your pen and paper colors are really up to you!)
• Have you tried the Waze app yet?  It helped me get home tonight – big crash and traffic tie up on the highway.  Thanks to Waze, I got on to the frontage road and breezed right around it!

That about covers it for my Try It Tuesday review!  Let me know if you’ve tried one of my suggestions in the comments!

I turned 18 in 1981 and voted in my first election that fall.  Since then, there are very few elections I’ve missed.   I remember skipping a primary once because in my district, all the candidates were running un-opposed.  And I remember missing one general election because I was traveling and didn’t realize I wouldn’t be home in time to get an absentee ballot – that was in the years before early in-person voting.  But I am a firm believer that as a citizen, it is my responsibility to vote.  And more than just vote – to be an informed voter.

If you don’t vote, two things happen.  First, you get the government you deserve.  If you’re disengaged and don’t hold your elected officials accountable, you shouldn’t be surprised that your government doesn’t prioritize policies that benefit the majority of our fellow citizens.  Second, if you don’t vote, you lose your right to complain about your elected officials.  End of story – you can’t sit on the sidelines and expect your complaints to carry weight.  Either you’re a part of our democracy or you aren’t.  Too many people have fought and died for our right to vote.  Tomorrow is Election Day so participate.  Go vote.

Need some help finding out what’s on the ballot or even where your polling place is located?  Check out your state’s State Board of Elections website or one of these resources:

• vote.org
• League of Women Voters
• US Election Assistance Commission

What goes better with Halloween than magic?  Here are some tricks you can try!  Happy Weekend!

In keeping with the Halloween theme, nothing is scarier than a hockey goalie mask thanks to Jason of Friday the 13th fame.  But this is Throwback Thursday so what you probably don’t know is the story of the pro hockey goalie who was the first to regularly wear a mask.

On November 1, 1959 Montreal Canadien Jacques Plante became the first hockey goalie to wear a full face mask.  While Plante took a lot of heat for it at the time, within a few years, every goalie in the league was wearing them – and Plante’s story will give you a clue about why.

That fateful November night, about 3 minutes into a game versus the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, Plante was hit in the face by a puck splitting his lip from the corner of his mouth all the way up to his nostril and breaking his nose.  He tried to keep playing, but there was blood everywhere so within a few minutes Plante was sent to the locker room to be stitched up.  When he returned to the ice 20 minutes later, he was wearing the fiberglass mask he had been wearing for practice.  Up until that night, the Canadiens legendarily cranky coach Toe Blake had not allowed Plante to wear the mask during a game fearing it would impair his vision.  But after being stitched up, Plante put his foot down and refused to play without the mask.

Coach Blake, Plante’s teammates, opposing players and reporters mocked him mercilessly.   But Plante said that after four broken noses, a broken jaw, two broken cheekbones and almost 200 stitches in his head, he just didn’t care how the mask looked.  And given that Plante won the Vezina Trophy (the NHL’s goaltending prize) seven times, was named to the NHL All-Star team seven times and had six Stanley Cup wins, it wasn’t long before he was imitated rather than mocked.  Plante style masks were popular throughout the 1960’s – and Plante himself played in the NHL until 1975 so you could argue that they played a role in his longevity in the league.

Want to know more about Jacques?  Check out this link.