Today Is Your Day Boomer

Today is your day Boomer! You know those firefighters who are out there every day protecting us? Working in extremely dangerous conditions, high heat, toppling burnt trees, swirling winds, and thick cloud: they sleep in tents and have to use porta-potties. I feel for them, but most of the hotel/motel rooms in many BC communities are already filled with fire evacuees and lingering summer tourists. These poor, hard-working people.....what they wouldn't give for a nice big, comfortable bed and air conditioning. I admire their stamina, courage, and determination as they battle continuous fires around us day after day! And they just get one under control, and another fire starts up usually for some dumb, human-caused reason like a discarded cigarette. Or they make great progress in one day and the wind comes up in the late afternoon and makes the whole thing even worse....again. It must be so frustrating. But we, Boomers, want to thank you and say keep your collective chins up

Today is your day Boomer! I am really proud of a group of retirees, many of them Boomers, who are taking a big step in the community of Sechelt, BC. This group, which calls itself Coasters Helping Coasters, has 25 volunteers that are taking over jobs in restaurants that can't find hired help. There, apparently, is a big shortage of workers on the Sunshine Coast and these businesses are now able to stay open in a difficult time. Some of the retirees are just donating their time and others are telling the businesses to donate their earnings to charity like the local foodbank. What a great idea! I applaude these Boomers as they donate their precious retirement time to a very good cause and don't forget, they can act as mentors to any other people who eventually want to take over the jobs. Boomers, this is definitely the "Me To We" social concept and I know many of us embrace it! Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! "It's a dog's life." Have you heard this expression before and what does it mean? Well, the official definition implies if you, Boomers, live a dog's life, it is bad....it is supposed to be a miserable, depressing existance. But not for my dog. She looks kind of sad in this picture, but only because she can't decide which ball to chew or roll around on. I brought home 6 used tennis balls from the courts yesterday and gave them to her all at once! Poor girl, she is just confused. Add this to the bucket of balls outside(where there are 13 more!) and you can only say this dog is spoiled. And....I throw balls for her twice a day in the backyard and she gets at least one long walk, sometimes two, every day! Also yesterday, she received a brush and trim from my wife which always results in a milkbone reward and she had a dog friend come and stay for three days earlier in the week. It's a dog's life....huh?! Just change t

Today is your day Boomer! But don't do this please! A video gamer from Nanaimo, BC just broke a world record by playing "Call of Duty" for 145 straight hours. That is about 6 days in a row....continuously. The young man is named Kory and he accomplished this feat in his basement just a few days ago. Wow. That's all I can say, except.....he just missed a whole lot of fun, outside summer activities that Nanaimo is famous for: sailing, wakeboarding, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, swimming, cliff jumping, and yes, even bathtub racing! This guy had to sleep 18 straight hours after he was done; imagine what this has done to his poor neck, shoulders, back, and eyes. It could be life-long physical damage.....especially his eyes. For us Boomers, the message here is it's OK to follow your passions....but really don't overdo it. Our bodies can only take so much and it would be nice to live a long, pain-free life. Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! Okay Boomers, it is fine to admit that we are all getting just a little bit older. Afterall, our "Boomer" age range is is 55-75 which means some of us are officially "seniors" and are collecting Old Age Security. But does it mean we have to act old? I don't think so.....and I have three solutions to that medical "problem" that many of us older people have, ARTHRITIS. (1) Do lots of gradual stretching before embarking on strenuous activities like tennis, hiking and biking. (2) Take some painkillers when needed, but check with your doctor on ones that don't have side effects. (3) Use your hottub or a hot bath to soak those weary bones and muscles. I follow these three rules and I have bad arthritis in my left hip; it works for me, just saying....and it keeps me active 5 or 6 days a week! Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! Ever tried homemade pizza on your barbeque? I have....three times now, including once camping with my mini-barbeque. And you know what, it's great! You make the crust in your kitchen and then layer one side with spray oil or brushed vegetable oil. Then pop it on the outside grill at about 350 degrees. Once browned(it gets nice barbeque cook lines), flip over with a spatula and do the same on the other side.....but don't over cook. Then bring the pizza ingredients outside and add to the baked dough right on the grill, like cheese, meat, sauce, and veggies. Then bake, but not too long; you don't want the crust to blacken. Voila, it comes out just like those fire bake oven pizzas in pubs! Maybe, try a smaller size one as an experiment first.....but a word of warning, do not spray oil right on the hot grill with the propane on. It could lead to an explosion. Brush on the oil, very lightly so the crust does not stick. Give it a try Boomers!

Today is your day Boomer! I recently met this Boomer guy at a farmers market. He played the guitar, sold specialty brooms, and called himself the "Broomer"! And apparently he is making quite a name for himself across the Okanagan Valley. So, I thought to myself.....why can't other Boomers, like us, do something similar? For example, if you owned a grave-digging company, you might call yourself the "Tomber". If you are a pessimistic futurist, you might be known as the "Doom and Gloomer". If you sold your valuable male sperm to the local sperm bank, you might be called the "Womber". If you drove too many old, smokey diesel trucks, you would be called the "Fumer". If you were a stage comedian, you might be called the "Humourer". If you like to go to nude beaches and drop your shorts, you might be the "Mooner"......and so on. You get my drift Boomers; just make it rhyme. It will stick in people's me

Today is your day Boomer! Is it too much to ask for one simple thing.....please, please, please learn to spell! People are screwing up constantly and we see it now all over the place, even in this simple picture example depicting "crab" apple jelly. Why is it more noticeable now? Well, we all have access to social media and many of us, like me in this blog, participate extensively. We like to comment on issues and add pictures, we like to tweet, and we love to buy and sell on the internet. But many of us, including Boomers, don't know how to spell very well or we we don't proofread. I know, I know.....this is the retired teacher in me blathering away, but it is bothersome and it takes away from your credibility! Just reflect back on all those early-morning tweets from former President Donald Trump. His serious messages about serious issues like war and COVID were often wrongly spelled, and honestly I think it made him look like a buffoon. Is "buffoon&q

Today is your day Boomer! Just because it is still summer doesn't mean you should not pay attention to the coming election in Canada. Today, I begin my process of learning about the local candidates and major issues. I am headed to a "meet-and-greet" with a local candidate who I may want to support with a vote on September 20. It is all about meeting local people and gaging concerns in our riding.....and my constituency is very large, so this candidate needs to track down all the diverse concerns across many kilometres. She is doing the right thing and so am I by engaging early in the process. Meanwhile, I have already started my own research on the different party platforms; I am monitoring social media and the news media for stories on current issues and the leaders, and I am thinking about what the future for Canada may look like. For example, global warming, child care, inclusion, and forest fires are concerns for me. Remember Boomers, we all have a reponsibi

Today is your day Boomer! And what a day it will be for me! It is my anniversary and no, I am not going fishing. But, I can tell you that my wife purchased a new fly fishing reel as a gift for me! It is shown in this picture and it is just perfect! She did the same thing for me when we were married 31 years ago. We received alot of household items-like dishes, salad bowls, crystal, towels-but it was her idea to hold back 80$ and give it to me for a new fly rod. I used it all those years and it caught many big fish......and now she has done it again. What a great anniversary gift! By the way, I can't tell you what I bought her (because she reads my blog!)but I know she will like it, and we are going out for a nice dinner later in the evening. Boomers, with all the bad news out there right now, let's still celebrate the good times! Happy anniversary to my lovely wife, and cheers all.

Today is your day Boomer! It is so nice to celebrate "family time" this summer as this COVID crisis winds down....we hope. Families are finally getting together for important events like weddings and funerals, but also gathering for the little things: Sunday dinner, a boat ride, a waterfall hike, wine tasting, and yes, even, ukelele jams! This is a picture of my oldest brother and I enjoying a uke duet at our summer family cabin and just having a great time! Picking and playing together on the uke for the first time in our lives; it was so much fun, we played numerous songs together and shocked other family members.....in a good or bad way, I'm not sure. So, two pieces of advice for you ukelele-playing Boomers: family up and partner up this summer. I learned alot from my bro and thoroughly enjoyed the interaction. You can tell from the picture. Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! As a consistent reader of my blog, you probably realize that I am a bit of an optimist. But, considering what is going on in our world right now....I am getting a little down right now. Yesterday, I drove through continuous forest fires and black/orange thick smoke for five hours trying to get home and then we hit another new one just off the highway as we got close to home. It is still spreading and threatening homes today. The Afghanistan situation has also depressed me; Canada and the US fought there for a long, long time....only to recently withdraw and then see the Taliban retake power in the nation so quickly. The images on TV are very disheartening. Also, the COVID pandemic is well into a stage four and the unvaccinated don't seem to be taking it seriously....especially younger people. Canada's prime minister called an election for mid-September when all this bad stuff is happening and that is hard to understand. Whew....I need a bre

Today is your day Boomer! For many Boomers, The Beatles became our favourite band in the 1960s. And if you're like me, you still listen to their songs on a regular basis. Last week, however, I discovered something very disturbing about one of their songs. Listen to the lyrics from "When I'm 64" from the Sgt. Peppers album. It is one of my favourite songs, but it really does do a disservice to us Boomers. Lyrics like "will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?" implies that most of us are so old and useless, we are almost dead! So, I did some research on the song and apparently Paul McCartney wrote it at age 14.......sometime in the early 1950s when, I guess, young people perceived 64 to be very old. What? Boomers, at age 64....many of us are just getting started.....many have just retired, are full of energy and good health, and are looking forward to the final third stage of our lives. We are not even official "seniors&

Today is your day Boomer! The COVID 4th wave, that everyone hoped wouldn't happen, is seemingly here. Cases are way up across Canada and the world, and there is a new target. It is the unvaccinated. Over 90% of all cases in our country are those without the jab and only .5% of cases have had both shots. So, why wouldn't you get the vaccine?! It just makes sense.....common sense for all of us to help protect each other. Check out the picture and think long and hard about what we just experienced for 1 and 1/2 years. Winter is not far away and that's when the virus is passed around so much easier, and it is a new variant that is causing trouble....the so-called Delta Variant and scientists say there could be others lurking just around the corner unless we do something about it. Something, collectively. So, Boomers....please take the jab and help persuade others around you to do the same. And let's get back to our "normal" lives ASAP. Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! Are you up to your usual "same old summer" activities? You know, go for a bike ride, play golf, indulge in a late afternoon swim, walk in the evening etc.? That's fine, but how about something new? Check out this picture from my recent holiday and think DIFFERENT! That's right....the good weather continues and there is lots to do that may be on your bucket list: ziplining for the first time, a new circle driving loop, standing under a waterfall, picking peaches, renting a jetski, taste testing a new brew or cider instead of wine, buying an electric bike, or....like me, jumping off a big swing over a lake! Boomers, change it up! Go for it and enjoy your summer. Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! I am back from summer holiday just in time to miss the last 10 days of the Olympics. Too bad, because Canada did great.....placing 11th overall with 24 medals including 7 gold and it was our best performance in the summer event since the Los Angeles games in 1984. Why does this matter to Boomers? Well, many of us are sports fans and loyal Canadians....but I also see a trend of many older athletes qualifying for the games. For example, a woman athlete from Kelowna placed 9th in the marathon and she is easily over the age of 40! This is inspiring for our age group as we see more and more fit, active, and very athletic Boomers out there exercising every day and/or competing in significant sporting events. Good examples are the BC Summer and Winter Games, held annually, and the Senior Games competitions. Most of these were put on hold during the time of COVID, but they should be coming back soon. In the meantime, Boomers, we can train and get ready and i