I was wondering what I’d do if the power went down, and where the closest New Jersey cooling centers might be. Here are some links that may help you if you are doing the same:

New Jersey Cooling Centers search result at nj.com

N.J. Cooling Centers search results on google.com

NJ Cooling Center search results on bing.com

Stay cool, stay safe. Know the warning signs of heat stroke

Drink more than the usual suggested amount of water, avoid strenuous activity, and take frequent breaks in as cool a location as possible if you must be outdoors.

Photo by cesarcabrera used under Creative Commons License.

It is really a pleasure to be able to write about something that is close to home for me…literally and figuratively.  I have a brother who is disabled, or physically handicapped…unable to do things that you and I may take for granted.   In his case, it is more than just a physical condition, but for many who are simply unable to walk, or get in and out of a car or van, NMEDA has excellent, easy-to-use solutions for you.  I was so impressed looking at the vehicles and seeing what they were capable of doing…not all of them are alike, there are different solutions for different needs.   I looked at the drop-down menus under the categories along the top of the site, and visited a few links, and got the feeling that this was a very supportive organization.

The next thing that I wanted to know was whether or not there were dealers in New Jersey that provided these vehicles, and so put my zip code in, a relatively rural, out-of-the-way part of New Jersey.  I found 2 within a reasonable driving distance…1/2 – 1 hour away, in Fairfield, Saddle Brook; others in New York; and one near where I grew up before moving to this area, in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

If there are that many locations in my area, I’m sure you’ll find them in your area, too. Visit and check, and if you have a moment, let us know what your closest location is in a comment.

There’s a very quick solution for making it easier to read text on the screen; hold down the “ctrl” (control) button on your keyboard, then tap the + (plus) sign on the keyboard to increase the size…to reduce size you do the same thing and tap the – (minus) sign.  A great tip for Baby Boomers who are seeing their eyesight change…and not for the positive.

Of course if you need eyeglasses, you may find that increasing the size of the font is not enough…letters and images are blurry. That’s the case with me, and most of us Baby Boomers, almost anyone after the age of 40. I was able to get one pair of eyeglasses at a fairly reasonable price because I have insurance, but asked the doctor for a prescription for just the reading portion of my progressive lenses. I am thinking of getting them online through Zenni Optical because their prices are incredibly low. My optometrist was a little put off when I asked him for the prescription, and said “why don’t you ask me what I would charge you for the glasses”, so I did, and he said $100. Well with a source online that can provide them for about 1/10th of that price, it was an easy decision.

Here’s an article, a review about Zenni that someone wrote that may interest you.

This post is a combination of personal and sponsored information.

There was an article written at examiner.com that made me think about our own experience purchasing glasses online…you can read the post about eyeglasses right here, written by a man who lived in Brooklyn, NY.

This was an honest review sharing how he was able to get glasses at a low price, was pleased with the glasses, and shared honestly why the glasses could be obtained at great discounts.

We have purchased glasses from the same source, and the prices are great…the fact that there aren’t designer frames, which there aren’t…but they are very fashionable, does not matter to us…in the present economy, getting glasses at somewhere between $8 and $50 dollars without insurance is amazing.

We did find that when we made our first purchase, we forgot to give proper measurements for the glasses, and had to send them back and get another pair, working out a fair arrangment with the seller. It’s important to provide your PD (pupilary distance) number…something you have to obtain from an optometrist.

You pick your frames and arrange everything online, it takes a couple weeks for your glasses to arrive by mail. For more information, you may want to stop by and take a look at holiday eyeglasses and then browse about the site and see for yourself what you can get for a great price.

“New research published in the January, 2008, issue of the journal of the Public Library of Science shows that people who drink moderately, exercise, quit smoking and eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each day live, on average, 14 years longer than people who do not practice these lifestyle habits.

“British researchers followed 20,000 healthy British men and women ages 45 to 79 from 1993 to 2006. Each participant was assigned a “health score” receiving one point for each healthy habit. Those who practiced none got a health score of zero; those who practiced all of them got a health score of four. The researchers also tested each participant’s blood to measure vitamin C intake, an indicator of how much fruit and vegetables they were eating.

“After adjusting for age and other factors that could affect one’s chances of dying, the researchers found that people with a health score of zero were four times more likely to have died during the course of the study, particularly from cardiovascular disease.

“The researches noted that a person with a health score of zero had the same risk of dying as someone with a health score of four who was 14 years older. The lifestyle changes offering the most health benefits were not smoking and eating five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

“In our fast paced society, it can be difficult to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day – but that’s where Wholefood Farmacy foods can help you, your family and your children to bridge the gap.

“Fruitalicous contains a wide variety of fruits which are preserved through the natural process of drying – this increases the nutritional density dramatically. Eating one ounce of Fruitalicous is the same as eating about half a pound of fresh fruits – one ounce of Veggielicious is the same as eating about half a pound of fresh vegetables.

“There’s no better way to make sure that you, your family and your children are getting five servings of fruits and vegetables every day!”