Long Weekend?

The ABC evening news came on tonight, and they said something about the weather improving in time for everyone to go back to work after the long weekend. I never really thought of Presidents' Day as a real holiday. I mean, there's no mail and I guess the banks are closed, but does anyone else get the day off?

For most people, it's just a regular 2 day weekend. Like all the rest of them. Isn't it?

Let me know if you get a long weekend for Presidents' Day. Maybe I'm wrong...

Increase Energy, Productivity and Stamina with an Adjustable Work Table

I'm reading on this website that physical inactivity - which would include sitting at a desk in front of a computer all day every day - is a contributing factor to many physical and mental health problems.  I know it has certainly been a contributing factor to weight gain for many people.  Gone are the days when daily activities were enough to keep people in shape.  Now we sit at a desk all day and have to go to the gym to stay in shape and healthy.  Or, and this is more likely, sit at a desk all day and talk about going to the gym.  Someday.

Here's an interesting idea to at least get people moving a bit- the Multi Table electronic desk. The height can be easily adjusted, lowering to just over 2 feet, and raising slightly lower than 4 feet, adjusting to individual needs and comfort.  People can raise the work surface and stand up periodically throughout the day, and still be able to continue working.  The website says that periodically standing during the day can significantly decrease health risks for both heart disease and cancers.  We're not even talking about working out or exercising here.  We're just talking about standing up periodically and working while standing instead of sitting in that same desk chair all day.

Would that be worth a try for these potential health benefits?

• Reduce cancer risks by 30%
• Reduce heart disease risks by 46%
• Increase energy, productivity and stamina
• Decrease back and neck pain
• Corrects posture to eliminate carpel tunnel issues
• Lose Weight. Standing burns twice as many calories as sitting

Companies need office furniture anyway.  I think it would be great if they provided something like this, giving employees the option of adjusting their work surfaces and positions throughout the day.  Not only would it be better for the employees' health, it would probably make them more productive, too.

What do you think?  Do you work sitting down all day?  Would you like one of these adjustable tables?  Me, I'm at home sitting on the couch (or the floor) working on my laptop all day and jumping up to do this, that, and the other thing all day, so I guess I'm standing periodically.  Truth be told, I'm doing all that other stuff before I finally manage to sit myself down at the computer to get something done, which is why I end up staying up so late, but that's beside the point.  If I was to work in an office all day, I'd want to be able to adjust my position throughout the day.  My neck and shoulders are starting to tighten up just thinking about sitting in one position all day - and all that other stuff that wouldn't get done without me.

Related articles

• Sitting for a Long Time May Damage Your Health
• Sitting Down All Day? Set a "Stand Up" Alarm
• Is a standing desk is right for me?

The Taco Bell Work Ethic

Has anyone else seen this Taco Bell commercial?  Wow - just a buck for those loaded grillers or any medium drink.  What a deal!  Notice anything else?


Yes, Taco Bell has set up their "Happier Hour" to run from 2-5 pm when these people are obviously supposed to be at work.  And Taco Bell is blatantly encouraging people to lie - or "say whatever you gotta say" - to get to Taco Bell for these deals.

I'm sorry, but that just seems wrong.  Is that really OK in today's society? 

Our Government at Work - Golden Guernsey Shuts Down

Golden Guernsey Dairy (Photo credit: jimmywayne)

We pretty much saw this coming as soon as the DOJ first brought the suit.  Dean Foods fought it while the DOJ dragged it out, never being 'ready' for any of the court dates.  Finally, to avoid continuing legal fees, Dean Foods settled and had to sell the Waukesha plant for pretty much nothing - to an investment firm that knew nothing about running a dairy and didn't want to put any more money into it.    And, for the record, the Waukesha plant didn't ship school milk to that part of Wisconsin or Michigan's Upper Peninsula - that would have been the DePere plant, which Dean Foods was allowed to keep.

So, in the end, there's still no competition for the school milk business in that little part of Wisconsin and the UP - and 100 people have lost their jobs.  I'm thankful that Jeffrey got out of there and feel really bad for those people who are now affected and don't know what happens next.  Thanks to our wonderful government.

Waukesha dairy plant Golden Guernsey suddenly closes

Waukesha - The Golden Guernsey dairy processing plant in Waukesha that supplies milk to schools and supermarkets was closed suddenly Saturday when employees showed up for work and were told not to stay, sources said.

Lynn Hiemke, president of Mapleton Dairy Haulers in Oconomowoc, said he was told by Golden Guernsey managers early Saturday that the plant was shutting down.
Hiemke said he was stunned by the closing and left scrambling as he tried to find alternate supplies of milk for hundreds of local schools.

"There's going to be schools without milk on Monday morning - a lot of them - and they don't know it yet," he said.

The dairy operation at 2101 Delafield St. has been under new ownership since last year.
Open Gate Capital, a Los Angeles private equity firm, bought Golden Guernsey after its former owner, Dean Foods, was required to sell the plant to settle antitrust concerns.

The U.S. Department of Justice - along with attorneys general in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan - had raised concerns that Dean Foods would have too much of a share of the school milk supply in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. As a result, they required Dean to sell the Waukesha plant while allowing it to retain its dairy processing plant in De Pere, just south of Green Bay.

An employee who did not want to be identified said the workers were notified Friday night that the plant would be closed. Another employee who arrived at the plant Saturday morning was told not to come to work Saturday or Sunday, a source said.

The plant was locked Saturday afternoon, with vendor trucks parked outside and Golden Guernsey trucks behind the locked fence. The cow statue in front of the plant was still adorned with its festive Christmas hat.

An Open Gate representative did not return a phone call and email seeking comment Saturday. Company president Brad Parks did not return an email or a phone call, and a woman at his home declined to comment.

Golden Guernsey supplies milk to Pick 'n Save as well as other area grocery stores.
Department of Workforce Development spokesman John Dipko said he was unaware of the closing.

Under state law, employers are required to give 60 days' notice of any shutdown to city and state officials, and to pay their workers severance payments for 60 days leading up to a shutdown or mass layoff.

The plant had roughly 100 workers, according to employees.
Dean Foods had acquired the De Pere and Waukesha plants from Foremost Farms USA of Baraboo in 2009 for $35 million.

The U.S. Department of Justice intervened the next year, saying the De Pere and Waukesha plants supplied more than 50% of the school milk purchased in Wisconsin and the U.P.

Hiemke said his company has been serving the plant, delivering milk to schools across the region from the dairy, since 1976. Mapleton has 14 employees.
"This could take me right under, and I think it's going to," he said.

"The Department of Justice has no clue," Hiemke said. "They have wrecked our plant. It's the federal government going in there, and they wrecked our plant."

Hiemke said he was working to find alternate suppliers for milk for the schools that have been buying Golden Guernsey. "I hope our schools understand we are trying as hard as we can," he said.

jsonline

Related articles

• Golden Guernsey in Waukesha suddenly closes, sources say
• Dairy plant in Waukesha shuts down

Is it a Business?

I just read a blog post that said, "Blogs aren’t just online journals anymore, they are small businesses."  That got me to thinking - is that what I'm doing with my blog?  Is that what I want it to be?

If it's a business, I'm not doing so good.  Sure, I sell the occasional ad, and I write the occasional paid post, but that's just it - occasional.  And this year the opportunities have been quite sparse, as compared to past years.  Is it because I'm not devoting the time required, because I'm not really treating it as a business?  Or is it just the economy?

The problem I've found is that I'm also not blogging regularly about the everyday things - the real reason I started this blog - so my blog isn't really an online journal anymore, either.  Does anybody know anything that's going on around here?  No, you don't, because I never get around to blogging about it.  I have good blogging intentions, but I just never seem to get to it.  I feel like I'm always trying to 'get there' but I'm stuck treading water in quicksand and not getting anywhere.  And, at the end of the day, when I finally get to a point where I can sit down, my mind's either a complete blank or I waste all my time on Facebook!  (Hush! You know you do it too!)  I'm sure the lack of personal posts and content contributes to the lack of paid opportunities, too.

I'm thinking that I'm just not disciplined enough to run my own business, or maybe it's just that I have a hard time setting priorities.  I'm home all day, so my priorities tend to be about cooking, cleaning, paying bills, and doing laundry - and various and other sundry duties.  Actually making blogging a top-level priority?  Doesn't happen.  While I love being able to be home - and wonder how everything I do would get done if I wasn't - I think I need to be away from all the home stuff if I'm really going to accomplish something else.  Either that or I need to realize and accept that should I go out and get a job - doing what? I have no idea, I've been too busy being a wife and mom all these years. How do I use those skills? - then all those things aren't going to get done anyway.  So, if I can stay home and still earn some kind of income, it's OK if the floor doesn't always get vacuumed, the dishes don't always get done, and the laundry doesn't get folded for a day or two, right?  Right?  Maybe I just think those things need done and nobody else really cares?

Yeah, I'm not ready to look into small company lending, but with the kids all grown up, out of the house, and able to take care of themselves (HA!), I suppose it's time for me to figure out what comes next.  It would help if I had something I'm really interested in, something that I really wanted to do.  What do I want to be when I grow up?

Back to Work

Beth went back to work yesterday. Maternity Leave is over.  Well, it wasn't exactly Maternity Leave.  It was more like time off without pay.  Thankfully Tim has been working enough to pay the bills while she was off learning to be Jason's Mommy.  By the way, she's a good mommy!

Now she's back to work, taking care of 3 kids every day - her own and the two she watches every day.  She works as a nanny for a really nice family, and she gets to take her baby to work with her.  From what she posted on Facebook, it sounds like her first day back went well.  Eight weeks is a long time to be away from two adorable kids she loves.  I think she's happy to be back with them, and I'm sure they're happy to have her back.  Jason even helped out by being a happy boy and taking his naps.

So it sounds like everything is going well.  Of course, there will be ups and downs, but I'm sure everyone will adjust and settle into a routine that works for them.  And now that she's working again, Beth won't have to come to her dad for a cash advance when she needs something - and she can pay us back for some of the things that came up while she wasn't working, like gas for the car and an air conditioner.  The bad part is that we probably won't see Jason (and his mommy) as often as we did while she wasn't working.

Job Interviews

Image via Wikipedia

While he was on Spring Break, Cory submitted several job applications looking for a summer job.   So far he's had an interview at Best Buy, which went really well, and he has to go back for a 2nd interview with the store manager this evening.  And, he's had an interview at the Subway right there in Whitewater, within biking distance of campus.  He said that one went really well, too, though they were looking for a delivery driver, and he's not old enough.  They're supposed to call him back in the next few days and let him know about working in the store instead of driving.

So, I guess we'll see what happens.  Cory thinks he would really like working at Best Buy, but the Subway job wouldn't have to just be a summer job.  He could start now, work through the summer, and then work during school next year. The Best Buy job would just be for summer and maybe Sundays and breaks during the school year, because it's not close to campus at all.  From home, the driving to either place would be about the same - maybe a bit closer for Subway.

Whatever he ends up doing, selling electronics at Best Buy, making sandwiches at Subway, putting up metal buildings, or anything else, I know he'll do a good job.  And he'll be happiest at a job that lets him interact with a lot of people.

So, keep your fingers crossed and pray that everything works out and he gets what's best for him.  Best Buy, Subway, or something else.

Feed Your Passion

Image via Wikipedia

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Haagen Dazs. All opinions are 100% mine.

What's your passion?  At Häagen-Dazs®, their passion is creating the world’s finest ice cream.  I can get pretty passionate about their Rum Raisin!  But the ice cream really isn't what this post is about.

It's about an original online series called Passion Profiles that Häagen-Dazs® is sponsoring.  In this series, ET Canada's Cheryl Hickey takes you into the lives of some of Canada's most entertaining personalities, people who are living their passions.  Chefs Anna & Michael Olsen have already been featured, and coming up next on August 11 is designer and HGTV star Sarah Richardson.  I think Beth might really enjoy that one and perhaps get some inspiration and ideas about how she can turn her interest in interior design into a career she loves.  And that seems to be the purpose behind this series, not just to entertain but to inspire people to live their own passions.

It's something I've been thinking about recently as I try to figure out what I'm going to do when Cory goes off to college and I don't have any kids left at home.  We've got to help put the boy through college, so Jeffrey says I should get a job.  And, since I've been mom for all these years since the kids were little, I don't really know where to start.  What do I want to do?  What can I do?  I keep coming back to something dealing with food.  Maybe I could bake bread somewhere.  That would be awesome.  Somebody's gotta bake the bread, right?  I'd be happy with a knife and a cutting board chopping vegetable somewhere.  I don't really know, but it would make it a lot more enjoyable to be doing something I like to do instead of just working somewhere because I have to.  Maybe all the stuff that isn't getting done at home won't seem so bad then?

Be sure to visit www.passionfiles.ca and check out the Passion Profiles series.  Perhaps you'll be inspired to pursue your passion.

Now, about that Rum Raisin...

Is It Spring Already?

It was sunny and warm today, so I just had to get outside for a while.  Gotta enjoy it while I can, because it's supposed to get cool and rainy, and maybe even snow a little this weekend.  I'm not the only one, because there were people out everywhere - taking walks, visiting with their neighbors while the kids played in the yard, grilling something for dinner.  Everyone is coming out of their caves, blinking in the sunlight.  People like to complain about winter, but I think it just makes us appreciate it more when spring finally comes around.  But maybe that's just me. 

I do have slightly mixed feelings about spring this year.  Sure, I love the sunshine and the warm temperatures, being able to get outside and open the windows, but spring means we're getting closer and closer to Cory's graduation.  When he was a little bitty cutie pie, I told him to stay little; I liked him just the way he was.  He did not listen.  Now he's all grown up, going to be graduating from high school and then going off to college, where he'll have to find a job to pay for it, and where he'll be away from home and on his own.  How in the world did that happen?

I wonder if there's a way I can slow down these next few months?

Less Time and More Expenses

So we're sending our son to college next year. For all you who have little kids - start saving now.  I know that's easier said than done, because we had good intentions of saving for our kids' college educations, but finding that extra money is never easy.  Now we just have to make it work.  I keep telling him that he better fill out every single scholarship application he can get his hands on, so hopefully something will come through - if he'd ever get his butt in gear and do it.  (I hope you're reading this, Cory.  I <3 you!)

Also, besides Cory needing to find a job to help pay for his own education, Jeffrey is saying I will need to find one, too - one that pays more than blogging, I suppose.  I'm not so sure what I want to do or what I'm even qualified to do after being able to stay home and take care of the family and the house for so many years.  Not that I'm not capable, but where to start?

I'm also catching myself thinking about all the things I do on a regular basis and wondering how I'm going to have time to do any of that stuff ever again.  Yep, I'm already making a list of all the things that won't get done or that I won't be able to do any more - baking, reading, ironing Jeffrey's shirts, and shaving my legs are only part of that list!  And what about walking?  And if I can't walk will I gain weight and have to buy new clothes?

That brings me to another issue - Balancing Work and Family on a Budget. Because I'm home, I have time to cut out coupons and send in rebates, and fix meals without relying on ready-made foods.  If I'm not home, how will I have time to do those things?  Luckily the boy won't be living at home, so maybe the grocery budget will be able to stay the same, but there are bound to be other expenses that we don't have now.  Thankfully we won't need to pay for daycare, which even with SitterCity coupons, can still be expensive.  That was part of the reason I didn't go back to work while the kids were little - after paying for gas to get there and daycare for the kids, I really wouldn't have been making any money.  And then the kids got older and needed someone to drive them here and drive them there, and there was always plenty to do, and I'm just not one of those 'have to get out of the house' kind of people, so I was happy staying home and taking care of the things that need done.

Hopefully there will be less to be done with no kids at home.  I'm sure it will all work out.  Other people do it.  I will need to find a way to track any extra expenses, so I'll be able to figure out if I actually end up making any money.  That is, if I can find any extra time for that.

I Like the Idea of an Online University

With my youngest practically grown up and planning to go off to college next year, maybe it's time I figured out what I want to be when I grow up.  You think?  My husband keeps saying things about me going back to work, and I'm sure a little extra money will come in really handy, especially considering we somehow have to help pay for this boy to go to college.

The problem is, I haven't actually had a 'real' job (besides MOM and chief cook and bottle-washer around here) for several years.  I've done the occasional babysitting, interview or web design job, and now I write blog posts.  I'm not sure how any of that can translate into a 'real' job.  Before kids I worked retail, but I'm not really a people person, so I'm not sure that's something I really want to do again.  Dealing with nice people is one thing, but dealing with customers is a whole other thing altogether.  Still, I wonder if I'm even qualified to do anything else without getting a degree of some kind from an online university.

Image via Wikipedia

If I am going to go back to school for something, I really like the idea of being able to do it from the comfort of my own home and still get a quality education.  Also, with a kid in college, I wouldn't want to spend too much on my own education.  An online university like Western Governors University sounds promising.  The tuition is under $3000 for a 6-month term.  Of course, I'll have to do some research, but they say that's about half the cost of a typical online university.  Actually, there's a table right on the site that gives an idea how much it's going to cost to complete a online nursing degree, business degree, or any of the other degrees offered through WGU and through several other online universities.

Before I think about getting any kind of degree, I guess I still have to figure out what I want to be when I grow up, so I know what kind of degree to pursue. But, in the meantime, I've got some bottles to wash, or towels to fold!

Back to Work

Since Beth is back home, she went looking for a new job.  She was wanting to find something a little closer to home to save on time and gas money.  She put in several applications but hasn't heard from any of the places, so she went last week to fill out her paperwork so she could go back to Marshall's.  They put her to work right away that day, and she's worked practically every day since.  So it's good, she's getting a lot of hours.  She's also working a lot earlier than she has before - 7am, so she's up and out of the house by 6:30, and the kids are having to share the bathroom in the mornings again.  They haven't had to do that since first semester last year when Beth was still in school, and then they didn't have to leave the house until 7:30 or so.

Hopefully they will realize how much they missed her at Marshall's while she was gone, and she'll feel more appreciated there now that she's back.  Whatever her faults may be, she is definitely a good worker, and they're lucky to have her.  She knows how to do anything that needs done in that store and can fill in anywhere.  She may not want to work in retail forever, but she is good at what she does - and she's really good at getting people to sign up for those TJX Rewards cards.  Must be that cute smile and those brown eyes - and her math skills, too.  Not that it takes a lot of math to figure out how much a customer can save on that first purchase - 10% - but some of the cashiers can't even figure that out. 

Anyway, here's hoping the Marshall's experience is more positive than in the past, and we won't have to hear too much whining.

So Much to Do, and it Takes so Much Time

All right, I finally got to sit down - but I made a German Chocolate pie, Oatmeal Rolls, a pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce - and cooked a turkey today. I made African Burritos for dinner, too, then had to clean up the kitchen and get the turkey all cut up and the broth put in a pan so I can use it tomorrow. And now I'm just tired.

I've also decided that we'll have to give up Thanksgiving if/when I ever have to get a job outside the home. Not that I really want to, because I'm already making list of things that will have to go and Thanksgiving is the least of them. But my husband seems to think that when Cory gets out of high school that I'll want/need to go back to work. Never mind that I don't know what I would want to do - definitely not rv repair and preferably not retail again, but other than that? And who is going to do what I do now? Still me? With less time?

I know other people do it, somehow. And I used to do it before kids, but I forget how, and back then we lived in a much smaller place. For now I guess we better enjoy this Thanksgiving while we have it, and I better try really hard to get things caught up around here.

It's State Fair Time Again

The Wisconsin State Fair started today, and that means Cory is working for the next couple weeks. This is his 3rd year working the Golden Guernsey booth at the fair, and he really enjoys it. The days are long, and there's a lot of standing, but it's a pretty easy job selling milk and greeting people. This year he even has the gel inserts for his shoes the first day! Last year he suffered through day one and then he and his dad stopped at Walgreens before his shift the second day to buy some inserts. Those things really do make a difference! Too bad they can't have some GelPro mats for everyone to stand on.

He's working again tomorrow and then Sunday. I took him and dropped him off this morning because he didn't have to work until 11:30, but on most days he has to be there at 8 or 8:30am, so his dad will swing by there and drop him off before heading to work, and then pick him up again after work. There may be some waiting around either before or after work, but he'll figure out something to do. Beth mentioned tonight that she really wants a cream puff, but she's probably not going to make it to the fair. I told her to ask her brother, nicely, and give him some money, and he can go get one for her between the time he gets off work and the time his dad picks him up. It won't take long, but it will give him something to do at least one day.

Anyway, it's a busy schedule for a couple weeks, but pretty decent money for a young man. I'm not sure what he's got planned for his money this year, probably not a big purchase like a PS3, but definitely some Pokemon cards, maybe some posters, maybe some books, and who knows what all. He does always manage to find something to spend it on.

She's Good

Beth called after work tonight. She said the District Manager came in to the store today and she wants Beth to go to all the stores to train people. See, part of everybody's job at Marshall's is to get people to sign up for their Rewards card - yes, it's a credit card, and if you get one, you save money, 10% on the first purchase and then points afterward.

Last month the store Beth works at got 150 people to sign up. Beth got 50 of those herself. So the District Manager would like a Beth in all of her stores and wants Beth to go to all of the stores to demonstrate her techniques - because obviously she's doing something right. And it is kind of cool when someone notices.

Help With the Job Search

In today's iffy economy, so many people are losing jobs and don't know where to turn. Finding a new job can be extremely stressful, and all resources are welcome, right? The people at Lightship Research have put together a job search strategy that is a little different than the average. It involves developing contacts and helping you get in touch with the people who have the power to hire.

See what people are saying:

"I highly recommend Lightship Research http://www.lightshipresearch.com I was the CTO of a division of a Fortune 500 company and got laid off when the division was sold to another company. I had not looked for a job in 15 years and I didn’t even have a resume. I signed up and in 4 days I had a resume and a target list of companies that we were going to attack. Even though these guys knew how to market me and take care of all the technical aspects of the search, the biggest value to me was guiding me through the process and giving me support all along the way. I got a job in 5 weeks. I think they were glad to get rid of me, I hounded them with questions every day and they were always there to answer them, even on weekends."

T. Klineman, NY

Educational Benefits from CSU

Jeffrey keeps talking about going back to school and taking some classes to get his CPA or CMA, but it's so hard to fit classes into his already busy schedule. Plus there's the cost involved in taking classes. So far, all he's done is talk about it.

It's probably the same for most people. That's why Columbia Southern University wants businesses to learn about the benefits of becoming CSU Learning Partners. It doesn't cost anything for businesses to sign up, and there's no obligation, but by partnering with CSU, companies can offer their employees access to CSU's online degree and certificate programs, at a discounted tuition rate. Courses are flexible, designed to fit into busy schedules. CSU students never have to miss work, family activities, or the things that are important to them. Spouses and children are also eligible to take advantage of the courses and discounts.

It sounds like a positive partnership for everyone involved. Companies can offer these benefits to their employees with no contract, commitment or cost to the company. Employees have the opportunity to further their education in a more affordable and flexible way, and the companies get better qualified and happier employees.

Check out the list of degree programs offered and talk to your company about partnering with CSU.

Exam Schedule

The kids went back to school today. Even though they missed two days of school last week, exams are still scheduled as originally planned. I'm not sure what Beth's schedule is, but Cory has two exams tomorrow - well, one is just a 'culminating activity' in Phy. Ed. Then he has two on Wednesday, and he's out of school for the rest of the week. Another four day weekend!

Whatever Beth's exam schedule is, she's finished with high school when she finishes her exams. Can you believe that? She's working all the rest of the week 2-10pm, and then next week she can work even more. She says she's scheduled 35 hours next week.

I just realized this short week means I need to send the next payment for the New York trip with Cory either tomorrow or Wednesday. The good news is, Cory's portion is covered with trip points this time, and I now have some nice luggage to use for the trip. It was on sale at Kohl's, and Jeffrey had a 20% coupon on top of that - so he got a nice set of luggage for under $60 today, 3 rolling suitcases, a tote, and a toiletrie bag. It may not be the best quality, but for the amount of travel we do, it will be fine. And it's certainly better than the old suitcases we've had for years. At least these won't fall over when we roll them! Suitcases are designed so much better nowadays.

Snow Day #3

The kids are happy. Actually, I'm assuming they're happy, since they're still in bed. No school today, for the third time this month. Cory might be regretting these snow days at the end of the school year when they have to make them up, but Beth doesn't care. She's graduating at the end of 1st Semester, so she won't have to make up any snow days. When I was in school, I'm pretty sure there were a certain number of snow days built into the school calendar, because they knew it was going to snow. Here, they know it is going to snow, and they might plan for one snow day , but after that they have to tack additional days onto the end of the school year.

This time, I think it was a good decision to cancel school. There really is snow. A lot of it. The driveway was completely covered and drifted when Jeffrey and I got up this morning. We didn't measure, but I think it was at least a foot deep - at least that drift I was shoveling was. It took us over an hour to clean the driveway off, and the snow and wind were doing their best to cover it back up as soon as we cleaned it off. The way the snow was coming down, visibility was really limited, and I don't think they'd plowed the streets yet.

That didn't stop Jeffrey from heading to work once we'd gotten the driveway shoveled off. I told him he should work from home today, but he's always gotta go in, no matter what the weather is like. He called me when he got to work, so I know he made it OK. He said it wasn't fun. The trip home should be better because the snow is supposed to stop before too long and there will be time for the roads to start getting cleaned off. And, of course, there will be more shoveling. With all this snow, I can eat whatever I want and never once have to think about fat burner pills. Not that I actually ever think of them, but shoveling really is good exercise.

I heard once that if you see your normal activities as exercise, you get more benefit from them than someone who is doing the same things but doesn't see it as exercise. Did that make sense? I haven't been able to find anything written about that, but I thought it was very interesting. Have any of you heard that?

Learning to Manage Stress

We all have a certain amount of stress in our lives. Some people have more, and some people handle it better than others, but it has been proven that stress can have detrimental effects on your health. As the economy gets worse, people are bound to feel the stress even more.

founded in 1997 by the award-winning author, Dr. Kathleen Hall, the Stress Institute is a lifestyle company that provides solutions and practices in the fields of stress management. Their programs are designed prevent and benefit a wide variety of conditions as well as optimizing health and wellness. Reducing stress can even reverse many diseases and conditions like heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure.

The Stress Institute has several courses and seminars that can be scheduled for a group. Courses can also be customized by the stress speakers to meet the needs and issues of an individual organization. These are probably a great investment for companies who want to take care of their employees and at the same time increase productivity. Less stressed employees, or at least employees who know how to handle stress, are bound to be more productive and get sick less, right?