Today Is Your Day Boomer

Today is your day Boomer! Today is Wednesday and the last day of March....so that means it is "hump day". It is the day the working world celebrates as halfway through the working week, but for us Boomers it is now mostly insignificant! Many of us are retired, so one day just kind of blends into another. I often hear my Boomer friends say "what day is it" or even "what time is it" and it is not because they don't carry a watch or cellphone. This retirement gig means a new way of life, a new rhythm of life, and a sometimes "it doesn't matter" attitude. We often are not constricted by deadlines, timelines, and antsy bosses....we can live more for the present retirement activity and not be harrassed by as much stress. It is a great feeling! By the way, I am headed for the golf course soon, but not before a second cup of coffee. Happy NON-HUMP DAY Boomers. Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! I know spring is here because I have my weekly, active recreation schedule now all set. Golf will happen on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays with doubles tennis set for Tuesdays and Thursdays! Don't forget my daily walks and hikes on weekends with my wife, plus the return of my kayaking, and I am ready to go! By the way, spring also means camping season for Boomers and I have been out once already....flowers, blossoms, green grass, bird songs, wierd weather patterns and still-very-cool mornings. I love it! Welcome to a great new season. Enjoy and cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! I am back after a week of renovations at my family summer cabin....and I have a renewed apppreciation for all the "handyman" people in this world. Wow, talk about skill. You don't realize it until you see them in action day after day. Last week, it was my niece's husband who donated his very-valuable holiday time, expertise, and tools to our very-needy cottage. It needed new flooring, molding, some gyprock board patching, new door locks, a new water pump system, and various other minor improvements to get it ready for family summer fun time.....and with a little help from me and other family members, he did it all with great skill and vigour! It was amazing to see this man in action, and all his techniques to get these little and big jobs done! Thank you so much!!! It honestly was inspiring.....and he is a great role model for all of us Boomers who are trying to become more "handy" around our own houses. Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! Yesterday was the first day of GOLF season for me and because of the warm weather, this is the earliest start in years! Wow....what a day, and was I ever surrounded by a multitude of Boomers. Mostly men, by the way, because this is a recreational sport dominated by males. But there is one "bee in my bonnet" I want to say as the season gets underway. Boomers....make this walk in the park chasing a little white ball about exercise plus sport. So many guys yesterday were on carts....chugging along for 4 hours. For me, I always walk and my pedometre recorded almost 16,000 steps.....so good for me! I know, I know, some Boomers need carts for medical reasons....but some are just lazy and want to ride, drink, and socialize. You need to break that habit or at least compromise and walk every second day or every second 9 holes. Try it.....your body will love it and it is all about health. Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! I cannot believe the day I had yesterday! Check out the picture and try to understand how good this hike really was: it was still officially winter but it was sunny and warm, I hiked with my best friend and we talked nonstop the whole way, every step included an incredible view of calm Okanagan Lake, no one else was on our trail, our dogs loved it too......playing in the snow and fetching sticks, and we had a small picnic at the awesome viewpoint! You know......the media portrays this time of COVID as something very bad all the time, but think of this silver lining in the dark cloud. We, Boomers, have become "active" more than ever before; we are outside constantly seeking fresh air, exercise, and space away from other people. One example is my golf club....we had 100 new members last year and about 70 this spring, most of them Boomers! So, in some weird small way....COVID has actually been good for our health. Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! Welcome to another COVID day of celebration.....this time, the famed St. Patricks Day! This Irish celebration has alot of meaning in a multicultural Canada, but for some of us.....it just means drinking green beer, and alot of it. Boomers, remember the good ol' days when we would head to a bar or pub with our buddies and drink our share? Not this year. COVID is still upon us and and the dangers of public gatherings will keep many of us away from local drinking establishments. But we can still do it.....we can still head to the liquor store, pick up our favourite beer, get some green food colouring from the grocery store, and set-up lawn chairs in the backyard with a nice fire. Up to 10 friends can sit around(physically distanced, of course!) and sip a few. These are B.C. health regulations. But there are two tips to pass along re: green beer. One: add the food colouring first to the mug, then the beer. Two: don't stir the beer as the fizz w

Today is your day Boomer! I am off this morning to play tennis with three Boomer buddies at my local racquet club. I have been a member there for many years and enjoy the sport and comradery of the outdoor activity. Yes, we are following COVID protocols and have had the local bylaw officer checking up on us....but, if you think about it, these local clubs are perfect for active Boomers! In a normal year, you get access to a beautiful facility, you can play informally with your friends or you can participate in organized league play or tournaments, you get the socialization which we all crave, you get practice machines, lessons if you desire, and the ability to also play squash, racquetball, and table tennis in the cold months. The cost for me is only $275 per year. By the way, I can invite guests to play as well....for a small fee. Great deal, keeping me active....and my dog loves it too! Check out the picture, as I bring home lots of used balls!!! Cheers and may the aces be

Today is your day Boomer! It is Monday, so it is the first official day of Spring Break....so, to get us started, here are some "don'ts". Just a few reminders(some tongue-in-cheek and some serious) as we get closer and closer to the official start of spring. Don't go swimming too soon or you will end up like the guy in the picture. Don't be fooled by the warmer daytime temperatures and put your plants outside too soon.....the nights can still drop below zero. When driving, don't forget to watch for playing kids as they are on holiday. Speaking of vehicles, don't change to summer tires until after March 31 and don't travel outside of your local health zone(COVID continues....). Don't walk on melting, thin ice to get a good ice-fishing spot, don't forget to wear a life jacket if you are going boating in this early season(this is the time of many drownings as people fall in cold water!), don't forget to get your backyard pruning finish

Today is your day Boomer! My wife spent the past two weeks away from me caring for a sick relative, so I was all alone as a male bachelor. This was good and bad. Good because I could watch more sports on TV and do less cleaning.....but, bad because my meals were less-healthy, I was lonely at times, and I had to do the chores she normally does! And she does alot!! Lots of little things that I sometimes take for granted like watering plants. Boomer men, do the medical research. We will all live longer as married/common law couples than we would as singles. We get better exercise, socialization and companionship, balanced diets, and love! We may all appreciate short times away from our spouse, but ultimately our lives are much better with them around! Surely...."absence does make the heart grow fonder." Cheers to my wife!

Today is your day Boomer! Day #2 of my blog on the benefits of having a truck. Check out the picture and think of your life as a Boomer. Many of us are still living in single family homes and are at the "recreation" stage of life. Therefore, a truck can do many things for us. Obviously....hauling is a key benefit: topsoil and mulch for our garden. Rocks and gravel for our driveway or cement work. Furniture for moving purposes; I always get requests from family and friends for that. Also, I slide my kayaks in and out easily for quick paddling trips to the lake or a small boat for fishing. And speaking of fishing, I sleep in the truck cab of my spacious Ford F-150 with a foamy and sleeping bag once in awhile. Add on, all the hauling I do of our 24 foot travel trailer for camping, plus my powerboat......Whoo. This truck is a godsend! You could even tow your trailer to Arizona for the winter if you wanted to. Now for the only negative I can think of......gas. Yes i

Today is your day Boomer! My wife just returned from a Vancouver Island visit to help care for a sick relative and it was very comforting for me to see her leave and return in my big truck. Yes, my half-ton truck is fully equipped with new snow tires, 4 sandbags, and four-wheel drive. She had no driving problems as she travelled through high mountain passes in snow, ice, and wind. The highways are also filled with big semi-trailer trucks who always seem to be mentioned in accidents! My point here is safety. Any driver in a truck is much safer than in a smaller vehicle....it just makes sense. You are surrounded by more heavy steel, you have a larger engine block in front of you, you have four-wheel drive if needed, and you have better visibility. The only issue is speed and I do see some truck drivers going too fast with a seemingly-false sense of security. How do I come to these conclusions? I am an experienced Boomer driver, I have common sense, I read the news every day and

Today is your day Boomer! How many of you Boomer males looked like this in your prime? Probably, quite a few including me as I sported hair down around my shoulders for awhile...as did my older brother. Even this "James Bond" guy did in the 1990s! And then the "mullet" came in style for awhile as guys left their hair long in the back, but cut it shorter on top and the sides. I didn't like it.....and I'm not sure I like long grey hair on Boomers today in their age 55-75 age range. Quite often it is very grey or even white, it often covers bald spots, and seems kind of out of style. But it is still out there.....and alot! I recently went to a Doobie Brothers concert and not only was the band sporting long, scraggly hair.....but so was half the audience. The rampant smell of pot was also permeating the air. I leave it up to you Boomers; personally, I have graduated to a shorter, sportier hair look. Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! This is kind of a test to see if you are really a Boomer or not. Look at the picture, read the lyrics to this song "Baby Boomers" by Barefoot Tom and see if they make sense to you. I know they are very "American" in nature, but you should still be able to identify and understand at least 90% of the content. If you do, congratulations.....you officially are a "Boomer" and hopefully you can retire soon. Or, you can be semi-retired like me.....or, if you are aged 55-75 and have enough money, you probably are a retired Baby Boomer already. By the way, you can watch the song on You Tube or you can play it yourself on your ukelele(see red chord letters). That's what I do. Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! I see in the news today the passing of Canada's "Hockey Dad" Walter Gretzky.....father of superstar Wayne Gretzky. So, I pay tribute to all Dads in our nation that truly commit a huge portion of their lives to their children and their hockey desires. Of course, it is not just fathers and hockey.....it is Moms, grandparents, and step parents that are being honoured here and for all sports like soccer, baseball, and lacrosse. Walter was the prime example of a Dad who would get out of bed at 4am for Wayne's hockey practices, he would slave for hours in the bitter Ontario winters to keep an outdoor rink going for his sons(see picture), he drove most weekends through snowstorms for tournaments, and provided hard-earned money for food, equipment, ice fees, and travel. He is the "poster boy" for committment to his children and many of us Boomers can really identify with this. My wife and I did the same thing for our three kids....in

Today is your day Boomer! Actually...today is MY day! It is the first day of tennis season at my local racquet club as I get ready to hit the courts with my Boomer friends. There are strict COVID protocols in effect, but it feels so good to get outside and socialize and recreate again. It basically means winter is over and maybe, just maybe, we are seeing life getting back to normal again.....I hope! Most Boomers in B.C. will be getting their vaccines in April and May and that means, I hope, increased socialization. It is something we have all been missing. You do get a taste of it virtually, but it is not the same as meeting "in-person" over lunch at a restaurant, playing golf with your buddies, fishing in the same boat, or hosting a Saturday Night dinner with your favourite friends. These vaccines are the key to a brighter, more interactive future for all of us! Let's get out and play Boomers! Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! Yesterday, I was blogging about appreciating the "little things" in life. Well, here is a little thing....possibly a new breakfast recipe for you. This comes from my wife's family and is often served on holiday mornings like Christmas. The night before the big day, take slices of bread and make cheese and ham sandwiches. Then place them in a baking plan and spread whipped-up raw eggs over them. Let the egg soak-in overnight in the fridge and then bake in the morning at 350 degrees. Voila, you have what my family calls "wifesaver" breakfast.....a term which is probably not appropriate anymore. So, let's call it "spousesaver" or "timesaver" or something like that. Whatever you call it......it is delicious and vegetarians can just eliminate the ham. It's a simple, little recipe. Maybe, try it....Easter is only a month away. Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! Yes, let's make the most of every day in our retirement. Most of us are kind of stuck inside during this time of COVID, but it doesn't mean we can't try new things. I read an article the other day about "appreciating the little things in life".....and I think it really applies to us Boomers. A few ideas for you: try a new cooking recipe, spend quality time with your dog, weed out your old clothes, begin spring planting indoors, practice extra time on your ukelele, virtually call an old friend, bake bread for the first time, paint a portrait instead of a landscape, begin writing a blog like me, or do what my 90-year-old father does and pencil sketch the faces of friends. There are lots of "little thing" ideas out there.....but wait, I just got an e-mail from my tennis buddies and our season starts this week!! YEH!!!! Can't wait! Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! And today is the first day of March....and a new month of optimism ahead. What is there to look forward to? Look at the picture and let's start with flowers. I was told last night that daffodils and tulips are beginning to push up through the ground in Victoria and some blossoms are starting! Also, this is the month of St. Patricks Day, Daylight Savings Time, Spring Break, Basketball's March Madness, and the Ides of March. Add on.....the startup of tennis and golf season and I am in rapture! This is also the month that some B.C. Boomers may start receiving their COVID vaccines as the 80-plus age category goes first....then, I hope, people in their seventies, that is, some of us. It is March, spring has almost sprung, and we Boomers are sooooooooooo happy! Cheers.