Spring break!

I’m actually driving to Ohio for my own personal spring break as this is published. I’m going to be spending a week in my hometown area – the timing being driven mostly by the eclipse but I’ll be seeing a lot of friends and family so for my throwback today, I’m planning to do a lot of reminiscing.

If I don’t post a lot over the next week – sorry! Have a great week and I’ll see you back here soon!

Control of your own health

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 2024, it’s important to take control of your own health. I lost my employer health insurance and declined COBRA because of cost but did get coverage on the healthcare.gov exchanges. It’s very basic coverage – but I tend to be healthy so I’m sure it will be fine until I land my next corporate gig.

Having the flu also made me take stock of what I’m doing to control my own health. I’ve been working on my weight, I exercise regularly and while cookies remain my nemesis, I have been trying to cook/eat healthier.

I recently came across an article (linked below) from consultants McKinsey & Company – it’s a really good read. It points out how much we can take control of our own health – from at home diagnostic testing that we all got used to with Covid to more emphasis on women’s heath to healthy aging, we all have so many resources at our fingertips these days. What are YOU doing to control your own health? Tell me in the comments!

Article link: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/the-trends-defining-the-1-point-8-trillion-dollar-global-wellness-market-in-2024

It’s a cold and rainy day…

LOL – my title today makes me think of Snoopy on top of his doghouse with his typewriter. It’s a cold and rainy day here in the Chicago suburbs – and I would like nothing more than to curl up in a chair and spend the day lost in a book. But there are jobs to hunt (and maybe an interview to prep for) so here I am at my desk.

But if it weren’t a work day and I didn’t have a mile long to-do list, here are a few things I might be indulging in on a cold rainy day:

I’d like to do any of the above – but I’m heading back to work. I’m taking an online class learning SQL coding – learning something new is always a good idea no matter what the weather is!

A week from now…

A week from today is the big solar eclipse! Where I live in the Chicago suburbs, there isn’t much excitement but my hometown in Ohio is a whole other matter.

I grew up in Wapakoneta, Ohio famous pretty much only for being the hometown of Neil Armstrong. Wapak (as we natives call it) has a population of about 9,800 people and is a lovely little small town that has worked hard to have a quaint downtown area full of fun stores and restaurants. And it’s also home to the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum. There’s a Moon Festival every summer to celebrate the first walk on the moon — and you can get any number of souvenirs saying First on the Moon in the area.

Wapak is pretty much on the line for 100% totality for this eclipse. Needless to say with the fondness for the Moon in town, it’s going to be a big event there. Need a schedule? Check out the website here: https://www.wapaksolareclipse.com/

So with all the excitement, I’m heading home to see the eclipse. I’ve never seen one so I’m pretty excited myself! For the last solar eclipse in North America in 2017, Chicago only saw a partial eclipse. I went to an event at the Chicago Botanical Gardens – but sadly, at eclipse time clouds rolled in and by the time I made it to the car, it was raining. So I’m hoping for clear skies this year and the chance to use any of my 6 pairs of eclipse glasses to see totality!

One of the really interesting things about totality is all the other things that become visible for the 4-5 minutes the moon blocks out the sun – check out these links for info. If you have the chance, I’m told totality is amazing. If you miss this year, you only have to wait until 2044 for a line of totality in North America again!

Coding for fun?

I’m taking a class in SQL today. Brushing up on coding is good for me but I’m reminded of my first coding class – which seems like it was a million years ago….

I had to be able to code in both COBOL and Pascal when I was in college. I’m sure both of them are dead now! This is so long ago that we used punch cards for the programming. And dinosaurs roamed the quad too. But I was punching my cards and maybe got a little over-enthusiastic – which caused my program to work in an infinite loop in an if/then statement. I crack up every time I code something now remembering that. Good times!

Did you ever code in COBOL or Pascal? Or use punch cards? Let me know in the comments – but I really hope not!

Gotta run – I’m just on a break!

What’s New in Wellness?

I’m working on an application for a Marketing Director position with a nutrition company. I’m a believer in vitamins and health supplements so I’m enthusiastic about the role – it would allow me to use my experience and skills to help make a difference in people’s lives.

I take a Women’s multivitamin, extra Vitamin D, extra Vitamin E and an eye health vitamin every day (almost – I tend to forget them on days that I get out of a normal routine). Why? Well, like many women, I try to eat a healthy diet, but life can get in the way of that! I make it even harder on myself since I live alone – making the quantity/variety of food I cook challenging.

Why do I take what I do? Well, I think a multivitamin is sort of like an insurance policy. It helps ensure I get iron, Vitamin C and various minerals that I might not quite get from my day to day diet. As a woman, iron and calcium are really important to me so the multi-vitamin gives me a little boost.

My OBGYN recommended extra Vitamin D because I’m an inside worker so I may not get it naturally via sunlight particularly during the winter. And I’m very fair skinned so I avoid a lot of sun in the summer so I don’t get burned! Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium – and ladies, as we age we want to maintain calcium levels to help avoid osteoporosis. I figure a little boost here can’t hurt. I don’t want broken bones!

I take extra Vitamin E because it has anti-oxidant properties and it’s good for your skin and your eyes. And years ago my OBGYN recommended it as a way to help relieve monthly cramping. That was reason enough for me to take it but I also think it’s part of the reason I have very few issues with my complexion.

Last but not least, my Opthamologist has been tracking the onset of macular degeneration in both of my eyes. I had cataracts removed from both eyes at a fairly early age and I’m also showing signs of macular degenerations very early. I have spots in both eyes that are areas of concern although I haven’t started with any noticiable symptoms in my vision yet. So I take a daily eye health vitamin as well. I prefer Ocuvite since it’s only 1 capsule a day. Eye Health vitamins typically contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin which are related to Vitamin A and help keep your retinas healthy.

Want more info about Vitamins? Check out these links!

Meal Planning?

This to-do Tuesday, I’m planning what I’m cooking for Easter dinner. It’s going to be a small gathering at my house, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to plan a lovely meal!

I’m going sort of traditional – I have a small ham. Tiny – but adorable! I’m going to glaze it with a brown sugar/honey/orange juice concoction of my own. I’m sure you all have seen glaze recipes that are similar right?

Side dishes…. Decisions, decisions! I don’t want tons of leftovers so I may go kind of traditional with sides too. A personal favorite for me is green bean casserole – and I have all the ingredients in my pantry at pretty much any given time so that’s a plus! But I’m thinking roasted veggies as a second side – potatoes, carrots and asparagus. YUM!

Desert? I’m going back to an oldie but goodie – Lemon cake pudding. It’s fun – you bake it in a water bath and the batter separates into pudding and cake.

Here are my main dish recipes for you to try – I’d love to hear what you’re planning in the comments!