Today my Walgreens Insurance expires so I have to find new health insurance – or roll the dice and go without until this corporate hiatus is over. UGH!!!!!
I tend to be really heathy so I don’t need to see a doctor frequently. And I’ve had my annual mammogram and OBGYN visit this month, so I’m not technically due for any exams for a year. But I’m at an age where I’m not sure I want to roll the dice with coverage.
COBRA is close to $800/month for me – which is also a non-starter. So I tried to get on to Healthcare.gov this morning to see what my options are but apparently someone tried to use my identity there as well so I’m locked out.
Wish me luck as I fight to regain my identity not only with unemployment but now with health insurance as well!
So I finally filed for unemployment today. Yes – I’ve been procrastinating about it. I had REALLY hoped I wouldn’t need to do it but the job offers are not flooding in so pragmatically, I took the plunge and finally did it.
I cannot imagine why scammers do this – they’d earn more money if they just got a job! During the Covid shutdown, someone tried to claim unemployment in my name so I get to jump through a bunch of hoops to prove I’m really me. I had to call in, upload multiple documents to prove I’m me, and then this afternoon, I get to call again and review the documents with them. Oh joy…. But I suppose it’s better that way so a scammer can’t claim to be me again?
So that’s on my to-do list today – kind of a bummer. Tell me something good on your to-do list to even out the karma in the comments!
So now we know it will be Kansas City and the 49ers in the Super Bowl – but more importantly, I saw the first release of Super Bowl commercials online this morning!!!! I really don’t care about the football most years, but I’m always fascinated by the game ads. I get it – it’s usually the year’s biggest live audience so it’s a showcase. But most years there are some REAL clinkers among the ads. 
Last year, Fox said they got $7 million per spot in the game but CBS hasn’t announced the cost/spot for this year’s game – although they have said it is sold out. I always take those announcements with a grain of salt given that most advertisers have packages through the season and that certainly will impact their rates. We all know there can be a big difference between rate card and invoice prices right?
I used to run a contest to predict the best/worst Super Bowl commercials at work. Obviously, since I’m not working it’s hard to run a co-worker contest but you can use the link to allow your co-workers to choose their favorites then decide if you want to use ratings or the USA Today poll to determine the winners. Have fun with it!
When I was growing up, I wanted to be a physical therapist. We had a neighbor with cerebral palsy and the work the physical therapists did with him was amazing. So in high school, I volunteered in the PT Department at the hospital where my Dad worked. I thought it would give me a better idea about the career path and maybe get me credit for observation hours when I started college. 
But then life happened. My Mom passed away when I was 17 and my college plans got a little messed up. I decided to go to the branch campus of Ohio State for a year rather than going away to school right away. And in that year, I decided I would rather study business and go into advertising. So I transferred to Bowling Green State University and got my degree in Business Administration.
The point is, life for me rarely goes to plan. My current “corporate hiatus” certainly wasn’t in the plan. I thought I would work at Walgreens until I retired – after all, they have a reputation for people staying there for their whole careers! But life had other plans and here I am surfing the job boards once again. 
I am resilient – I just need a new employer to see the value in that.
Here’s a weird side effect of the job search I don’t think I would have ever expected – my posture is suffering. Why is it that when I was working, I sat up straighter in my chair than I seem to be doing now? I think it’s because when I’m typing, I sit up straight but when I’m scrolling I seem to slump. So I guess that’s a measure of how much typing I did while working?
Any way you look at it, good posture can help you maintain better health. Not only can your posture impact back and neck pain but even impacts your digestion! Check out what these resources say about the effect of posture on your health:
Now that I’ve caught myself slumping more, I’m taking steps to correct it. To start, I’m taking a weekly Pilates class using a reformer. I LOVE the reformer – you get a fabulous stretch from it! And I’ve found all kinds of other suggestions like these which also utilize yoga or Pilates elements:
I’m making this to-do Tuesday entry fast – I have a re-certification test to take for Google Analytics. So here’s a really terrific to-do list I stole from a post on LinkedIn – I think it’s thought provoking!
On this day in 1901, Queen Victoria died after 63 years on the British throne – which was her family business. She had an amazing life – if you want to know more about her, check out this link: https://www.britannica.com/video/179999/Overview-Victoria-reign
Seeing this made me think about family businesses. My Dad was the first member of his family to go to college and he chose to become a pharmacist. His oldest nephew followed him into pharmacy and even worked at the same hospital with him. That nephew had 3 children – one of which is a PharmD, one is an engineer at Eli Lilly and the last is a doctor. Those aren’t my only healthcare connections – I had an aunt that was an RN and another cousin that taught medical imaging. So in my family, healthcare is kind of the family business.
I always wonder what it’s like to have a parent that has a business that they pass on to their children. I wonder what that pressure must be like for both the parent and the child. Dad never really tried to get me or my brother to think about pharmacy but I did get a lot of teasing about finally joining the family business when I got my job at Walgreens. 
I’ve been targeting healthcare as one of my priority categories as I look for my next role. Keep your fingers crossed for me OK? More applications went in this morning! 
For throwback Thursday, I thought it might be fun to tell a couple stories about my worst ever job interviews. The first one is funny in hindsight but the second one left a scar.
Here’s the first story: I was interviewing at a major fast food chain for a corporate marketing job. They flew me out to their corporate HQ for this interview so I knew I was pretty far in with them. But the minute I got off the plane, I started to feel horrible. By the next day – the day of the interview – I was just plain sick. With a fever. I really don’t remember a lot of that interview – I only remember concentrating on staying upright. It was just horrible! And no – I didn’t get the job. Can’t imagine why!
The second story is harder for me to tell. The interview was for a job that I really wanted. I mean I wanted it bad – I was a HUGE believer in their product and my franchise experience was perfect for them. Or so I thought. My interviewer was a 20 something person who probably shouldn’t have been allowed to be interviewing on her own. After the opening pleasantries, she said to me – and I quote – “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Google Analytics but you’ll be required to use it.” So a couple of things here – I was obviously older than her so it seemed VERY patronizing. And second, at the top section of my resume, I listed that I had certifications for both Google Analytics and Google AdWords. So not only was she patronizing but she also clearly hadn’t read my resume.
When I interview, I am always prepared – not only do I read up on the company but I also find out as much as I can about the interviewer. And when I have interviewed people to hire in the past, I generally have notes written on their resumes for questions to ask but I’ve also read up on them as much as possible – at least on LinkedIn. So that last story has left a scar. I know there is ageism out there now – so as I go into interviews now, I’m a little sensitive about it. 
Just because I have deep experience doesn’t mean I’ve slowed down. It doesn’t mean I don’t learn fast. And it doesn’t mean I won’t perform. I need a new challenge.
Do you have a bad interview story? Tell it in the comments!
Learn Or Do 