Five Things Friday Vol. 128

BACK AT WORK

I was a little hesitant to return to work on Wednesday because that was where I had my health scare last week. Like I said, it happened towards the end of the day when I was alone in the office, because I am usually the last one in the office, so that was going to be the case again this week. But it’s not like I can stay home. I have a few theories of why what happened last week happened (stay tuned for a more detailed post about that), so I am trying to make some progressive changes at work, mainly by being more mindful about staying hydrated and not being sedentary all day.

Those changes are:

• use my standing desk more often (I did that for a while and then got lazy)
• use my Garmin alert to tell me when to stand up and move around/stretch
• keep my water bottle filled up (and keep sipping)
• take an actual break to eat lunch (are you also guilty of eating while working? Stop doing that.)
• go for a short lunch walk

RETAIL THERAPY

I bought a hammock last weekend. I was in a mopey mood because of not feeling that great and having to cancel my trip to Boston, and my brother in law (my sister’s husband) suggested in an off-hand comment that I should get a hammock and just take it easy for a little while. I don’t know if it was just a little joke to make me feel better, but it sparked something in me. I’d better not tell you for how long I’ve been thinking about buying a hammock. It’s a bit ridiculous. It’s not a HUGE expense, so I don’t really know why I haven’t gotten one before. I guess I just needed a spontaneous, random “permission” to finally spend the money. (Believe me, I am very aware how silly that sounds.) I only had the hammock for a few days and it’s already brought me so much joy. Needless to say, I am planning to spend a lot of time in it this summer.

CA PRIMARIES

You might – or might not – know that we’re having a primary election in June. We’re (sadly) voting to replace governor Gavin Newsom (his term is ending). 

California utilizes a top-two primary system where all candidates are listed on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of their partisan affiliations, advance to the general election. Consequently, it is possible that two candidates belonging to the same political party could win in a top-two primary and face off in the general election. Well, and a very crowded field of Democratic candidates risks splitting the vote so heavily that the top-two Republican candidates – who normally would not really stand a chance – could advance to the November ballot, completely locking the Democrats out of the general election.

It’s a complicated decision to make. I want to vote for the candidate that I think is right for the job, but might have to vote for my „second choice“ because of polling numbers. Currently, it does look like a Xavier Becerra (Democrat and served as Secretary of Health and Human Services under Biden) and Steve Hilton (Republican endorsed by Tr*mp) are leading the polls, Tom Steyer (progressive billionaire) is in third place. But obviously, we cannot elect a Republican in November. I know California had Republican governors before and we survived it, but in the current political climate, it would be devastating. 

WHATSAPP CIRCLE VIDEOS

Have you seen/used the circle video feature in Whatsapp? They’re officially called “Instant Video Notes“, which let you record and send short, 60-second video clips directly in your chats. These videos play automatically on mute, and are captured in a distinctive circular frame. My cousin has been sending me these little video messages from his runs (and I’ve been sending him some back) and it’s been so motivating to see these little blips pop up in my messages. Makes me smile every single time.

MY OWALA WATER BOTTLE

Owalas are the new Stanley Cups. You heard it here first. I swear I wasn’t influenced. I bought an Owala* bottle on a whim with Tanja, when she was here to visit in early March, and had previously not even heard of it… and then, BAM, when I returned from my trip to Germany, Owalas were suddenly EVERYWHERE. I mean, I am not surprised. They’re pretty cool water bottles with a so-called „FreeSip“ feature; a built-in straw and wide-mouth opening on the same lid. They’re leakproof, come in pretty colors and keep my water cool. What else would you possibly want? Oh, it matches my Mepal* Lunch Pot (which I also love).

BONUS NOTE

Today is Tanja‘s birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, sweet friend, so happy you were born! I wish I could celebrate with you in person today! I hope you have the best day!

*not an ad. I bought these things with my own money.