Law and Legal Archives – Unretirement Project

What We Are UP To in April 2018

April 18, 2018 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Occasionally we receive free products for review or include advertising links in posts, but no one impacts the honesty of our opinions.

Watching| The Perfect Scam

> Remember the movie “Catch Me If You Can”? Well, fraud expert Frank Abagnale is collaborating with AARP on a podcast series about America’s biggest scams. The series is designed to educate listeners on how scammers operate. I’m looking forward to listening in April…

Reading| About GDPR

> Just in case you missed it, back in 2016, the European Union passed the General Data Protection Regulation (aka GDPR). It’s scheduled to go into effect next month. Whether you live in the U.S, Europe, or another country, this law will have an impact on our data, privacy, and security. It’s worth paying attention to.

Remembering | Las Vegas

>I love visiting Las Vegas. It’s such a vibrant city. Lots of great food, dynamic shows and entertainment, and great people watching. But Las Vegas today is so different than Vegas decades ago. It’s fun to see the history of the city and tour places like the Neon Museum to remember the past.

Working On| Book Marketing

> My third book, “The Recruiter’s Handbook: A Complete Guide for Sourcing, Selecting, and Engaging the Best Talent” was just released earlier in April at the Society for Human Management (SHRM) Talent Conference. So, we’re in full book marketing mode – writing articles and doing interviews. It’s very exciting.

Feeling| Ready

> We’ve been planning this move to Gainesville, Florida for well over a year. It’s nice to see positive movement toward our goal. I’m looking forward to doing some exploring in Gainesville and getting to know the city. And as much as I’ve liked living in Fort Lauderdale, it’s time.

Planning| Self-Care

> With several weeks of travel ahead (along with our move), Keith and I realize that taking care of ourselves is important. It could be a small as taking a few moments to play a favorite tablet game (We both like Bejeweled Blitz.) Or planning a trip to get in some serious rest and relaxation once this April move is behind us.

Loving| Cold Brew

> You guys know I’m a huge tea fan. But when it comes to a cold caffeinated beverage, my favorite is cold brew. I was recently in Portland, Oregon and got my fill of Stumptown Roasters. Luckily, I don’t have to wait for trips to Portland to get Stumptown – it can be found at the grocery store.

Geeking| Jigsaw Puzzle

> Growing up, I enjoyed jigsaw puzzles. For birthdays and Christmas, my father would give me jigsaw puzzles. We would always have a table in the family room with a big jigsaw puzzle on it. Now that I’m grown, I’m less inclined to do physical puzzles, but I have a jigsaw puzzle app. I can pick the puzzles I want, the number of pieces, etc.

What’s UP with you?

What We’re UP To – August 2017

August 30, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

Watching | Solar Eclipse

> Did you see it?! Keith and I were out there in the middle of August with our NASA approved eclipse shades on. South Florida didn’t have a total blackout, but it was still amazing. I saw a headline that the solar eclipse cost the U.S. $700M in lost productivity. But with the next one quite a few years away…hopefully people took a few moments to enjoy.

Reading | WTFJHT

> It’s an acronym for “What the F*** Just Happened Today”. Matt Kiser started an electronic newsletter about the shock and awe of today’s politics. It’s become very successful and turned into a full-time occupation for him. It can be a daunting task to sift through today’s news. Matt does a great job of curating the headlines.

Working On | Cleaning Out Old Photos

> Both hard copy and digital images. First, I plan to review all my digital images and get rid of the slightly blurry and crooked ones that we’re never going to show anyone. Then, my next goal will be to decide what hard copy images should be transferred to digital. If you know of a great company for converting photos to digital, leave a note in the comments!

Feeling | Ready

> I’ve just spent a couple of days working on air travel, hotel reservations, and shuttle trips. Fall conference season is coming. It will be fun. I always learn a lot. (And getting to see the autumn foliage is fabulous!)

Planning | Specifically, Estate Planning

> We already have wills, etc. But I’ve seen quite a few articles recently about the importance of estate planning. One of them was Next Avenue’s “The Biggest Estate Planning Mistake People Make”. It’s made us realize that regularly reviewing our existing plans is important. Estate planning isn’t a one and done activity.

Loving | Cold-Brew Coffee

> I gave up drinking coffee in the morning a few years ago. Coffee decided it just didn’t like me anymore. But this August I’ve tried a couple of Starbuck’s new cold-brew coffees and really like them. So much so, that we’re attempting to make our own cold-brew at home.

Geeking | New iMac Computer

> I finally made the switch. I love my iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. But I’ve been a holdout when it comes to my desktop computer. No more. I’ve converted to an iMac. It does take a little getting used to, but I’m getting the hang of it. Once my file conversion is complete, Keith says he’s going to be next. Wish us luck!

What’s UP with you?

Bookmark This! “How to Make a Difference” Edition

February 22, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

Another regular feature we want to have on this blog is a round-up of resources you might find useful. I read a lot of blogs and over time I’ve really come to enjoy when other bloggers do this. But in an effort to put a different twist on the idea, I want to curate resources around a single topic. That way, you can “bookmark” it for future reference.

In the U.S., we recently had an election and now have a new President and Congress. Now I’m not here to talk about who and what to support. That’s your decision and I respect it. However, I think we can agree that we are seeing an overall increased level of activism in our political process. And maybe at some point in time, you’ll want to be a part of it – if you aren’t already.

I’m all for getting involved and making a difference and your thoughts known to your legislators. It’s the foundation of our political systems. However, I also know that reaching out to your congressional representatives can be a bit intimidating. And, as an HR professional, I’ve seen a lot of really good ideas never get implemented because of the way they were presented. So here are some resources to help you communicate with your elected officials:

Lifehacker published a couple of posts recently, written by a former congressional staffer, that focus on how to communicate with your government officials.

How to Effectively Lobby Your Congressperson

The Best Ways to Contact Your Congress People, From a Former Staffer

I just discovered an app that allows you to stay on top of issues and send videos to your representatives. It’s called Countable and is available for iOS and Android (FREE.)

Should you decide to take to the streets to show your support for an issue, this article on “How to Protest Safely and Legally” is a must-read.

When I was first starting my career, I got involved in the legislative affairs committee and made a difference for my profession. The woman who chaired the committee was loud and passionate about people voting and getting involved. One day, I asked her what made her so passionate and she said that she grew up in South Africa. She knew what it was like not to have the freedom to vote and contact her legislators. She basically said, “You Americans don’t know how good you have it.” From that moment on, I realized the importance of being involved and having my voice heard.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the Newseum in Washington, DC