Today Is Your Day Boomer

Today is your day Boomer! You know for a while on the weekend I was complimenting the so-called trucker protest in Ottawa. Thousands of frustrated people travelled from all over Canada, in the middle of winter, to voice their frustrations over vaccine mandates. The protest was loud, but mostly peaceful. Then....much to my disgust, some idiots took over the news headlines, dancing and urinating in a shameful way on the revered war memorial. Then the Terry Fox statue was violated, and what this picture doesn't show was he was made to hold an upside-down Canada flag. This was very inappropriate and a true mockery of a Canadian hero! The harrassment of soup kitchen workers and a mall blockade were other unfortunate incidents....and criminal charges are pending for some individuals. Good. And one other thing to remember protestors: the Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives you rights like freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of conscience.....but it does not allow for absol

Today is your day Boomer! It is Sunday and I rarely blog on this day....but to take your mind off COVID protests, I remind you that it is almost February. That means we are a step closer to spring and events like Groundhog Day and Family Day. But as you ponder trucker blockades, also remember this: cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada. An estimated 2 in 5 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and about 1 in 4 will die from cancer. That means tens of thousands of Canadians will die every year from cancer....including many Boomers, and close family and friends of all of us. So, in February, you can do something to help. It is called "Dry Feb" and to quote the website: Dry Feb is a fundraiser that challenges you to go alcohol-free in February and raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. It helps you get healthy while also raising funds to make a difference for Canadians affected by cancer. Does one month off alcohol sound too big of a

Today is your day Boomer! Hey Boomers, we lived through the long Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s and we know all about "peace" songs from great bands like CCR and John Lennon. The one in this picture is Cat Stevens' "Peace Train", a big hit from 1971 with lyrics that surely resonate today. Russia....do some reading, do some thinking, and take your weapons and 130,000 soldiers away from the Ukraine border and stop your threatening military games! Don't you have anything better to do than bully your neighbour?! How about some winter sports like skiing or skating? How about some nice hikes in the snow with your families? How about focusing on your own internal problems like COVID, high inflation, economic stagnation, and human rights issues? In February, sit down with a glass of vodka and enjoy watching the Olympics in China; celebrate your athletes' participation and success as your nation is usually near the top of the medal standings. Oh, an

Today is your day Boomer! You know, it is a dreadful thing to talk about....but necessary, I think, at times in a Baby Boomer blog like this. It is death...and life expectancy rates. Well, the latest numbers from Stats Canada are not good and really it is no surprise. COVID, in the last two years, has taken its toll on all age groups in our nation....especially, vulnerable seniors. Canada has suffered through almost 3 million cases and 33,000 deaths, many of these coming about in senior care facilities. It means the life expectancy rate has dropped from 82.3 to 81.7, the biggest decline in our nation since 1921! COVID accounted for the third most deaths last year and some were younger people. Youth were also greatly affected by two other categories that are on the rise: drug overdoses and alcohol-related deaths. By the way, the decline was greater for men, at 0.7 years, than women, who saw the average life expectancy fall by 0.4 years. On the positive side, other countries--

Today is your day Boomer! We are almost one month into the new year and already there are severe predictions for inflation. Canada's consumer price index rose 4.8% last month, which is the highest it's been for about 30 years! A majority of Canadians, 57%, “say that it is currently difficult to feed their household”, according to a new poll from Angus Reid Institute. In contrast, the number stood at 36% in 2019. More of the respondents, 29%, believed their financial standing will worsen in the next 12 months, six points higher than those who believed it will improve. For Boomers too, it is bad news. Many of us are on fixed pensions with no cost-of-living increase and/or are suffering through a period of low interest rates on savings and investments. I am one of the lucky ones; my teachers' pension just received a 4.4% COLA increase, which is awesome.....but one thing we all have to do is budget for this large increase. Put it in our monthly household budgets and may

Today is your day Boomer! Well, I guess it was quite a day for this famous person! You may recognize Emma Thompson, a British actress, who-like us-is a Boomer at age 62 and is the star of numerous Harry Potter movies, plus "Sense and Sensibility", "Men in Black 3", and "Saving Mr. Banks". These three movies were huge commercial successes and skyrocketed her earnings, so her net worth today is about 64 million dollars. But now she is complaining that she had to do a "nude" scene in her most recent movie; she says this was a first for her, and it was very, very uncomfortable! What do I say? Too bad, Emma....with your reputation, you can pick and choose your movies. Just say no to that movie, but surely don't gripe about it. Or, see it as a challenge in your career....something new, and go for it. Many Boomers would kill for that acting opportunity and, let's face it, you are well paid! If you worry about what your body looks lik

Today is your day Boomer! Remember when we got a dog or cat early in our married lives to prepare us for child-rearing? We learned about animal bathroom habits, food, walking with a leash, discipline, love, and loyalty. It was a good idea, but now....something new, but similar, is coming for many of us Boomers. It is called "grandparenthood".....if that is even a word. Yes, many of our children are in their 20's or 30's, and maybe....just maybe....we can expect that they could soon be "expecting"! In preparation, I think a must-read is the BC Health Guide....no, I mean a new non-fiction book called "Dad Up". It is for Dads, but the relearning of parenthood is really good for grand pa's and ma's. Topics like diapers, strollers, bottle feeding, and playground strategies are included....and best of all, the author is Steve Patterson, a long-time popular Canadian comedian, so the humour is outstanding. Trust me, you will get a big lau

Today is your day Boomer! This is a picture of my close friend in the yellow jacket. What a great day we had in the snow on a sunny winter day last year....and this week, he is turning 65. He is officially a "senior" in the eyes of government and society in general. But what does that mean? Well, according to the numbers.....the current population of B.C. is 5.2 million and by 2038, ¼ of the province will be seniors (this is 5% higher than the Canadian average). Surprisingly, B.C. has the 7th most seniors behind the Atlantic provinces which are #1-4 and Alberta is dead last. OK, what else? You qualify for the Old Age Pension, which is just over $600/month and you can take your Canada Pension Plan as well....although, some people take it as early as age 60. You also qualify for all the so-called "senior discounts" in businesses like restaurants, movie theatres, ski hills, and grocery stores. On the negative side, many people will now consider you to be offi

Today is your day Boomer! This is a picture of me and my FIVE brothers and sisters! So, a family of six kids, all Baby Boomers, born after World War II when the economy was prospering and it was "normal" to have big families. In fact, I have a friend who came from a family of 10 kids born on the Canadian prairies....where you had alot of children to help work on the farms. Canada's fertility rate was 3.9 in 1959 for each woman; today, it is 1.5 which means many new families are very small or even childless. Too bad, I say, as I help plan a big weekend fishing trip with my siblings this spring! And what it means for Canada is this: we need a fertility rate of 2.1 to replenish our population and this hasn't happened since 1971! It means we must bring in immigrants to reach that goal, so we do at a rate of about 375,000 last year. For example, a Sudanese family recently moved to my community from Africa after spending many difficult years in a relief camp.....th

Today is your day Boomer! The famous Coquihalla high mountain highway in B.C. has reopened this week to regular vehicle traffic. This after devastating floods recently tore up the road and made it impassable for a long stretch of time around Christmas. 200 million dollars worth of quick work got it going again, but the road conditions....we are told...are rough. You can't pass, there are lots of transport trucks going slow, potholes are everywhere, one-lane sections are prevalent, and there are many looky-loos! Yup, people are actually driving up this important supply route just to sightsee and guess what? They are stopping for pictures in busy, narrow spots, running out of gas, forgetting that the electric-charging stations are not open, and just basically being a pain-in-the-rump! Shake your head drivers.....stop it! Then comes word that an-almost Boomer made a court appearance this week and received a $2000 fine for racing at 243km/hour on the Coq last year. This knuck

Today is your day Boomer! You can disagree, of course, but it is pretty hard for me to say another breed of dog is better than a golden retriever. I base this on our family experience, as we now are on our third golden and online surveys around North America that have these dogs consistently ranked in the top three. Retrievers are extremely loyal, friendly, great with kids, and are often used as guide dogs, stress-reducing dogs, and senior care home animals. Ever met a vicious golden? I doubt it. Recently out walking my dog, I met a woman who had a three-year-old male golden who was named after his father. The Dad dog was "Butter" and the son was "Butterboy".....and it was so appropriate as this extremely-friendly dog melted right into my arms in seconds. I know another couple that has had 8 goldens over the years including a male and female named "Sonny and Cher". Love those names! It sure beats the old, traditional names like "Goldie"

Today is your day Boomer! Some of you will be pleased to hear that today is "Ditch New Year Resolutions Day".....it means you can dump all or some of those unrealistic promises you made on January 1 to dramatically improve your life. You know, the ones you were pressured into by family, friends, or your feeling-guilty self. Sure, ditch...dump away, but read this first. Research shows that after one week, people begin dropping their promises at a 25% rate; after 6 months, it has dropped below 50%, so resolutions are tough to maintain. Here are the 4 main reasons for failure: In one recent study, 35% of participants said they had unrealistic goals. 33% didn’t keep track of their progress. 23% forgot about their resolutions. And one in 10 people said they made too many resolutions. Which reason(s) are your best excuse? By the way Boomers, the two most popular resolutions are related to improvement of health(ie. losing weight) and spending habits. So, I guess the moral o

Today is your day Boomer! Of course I would like to fly somewhere warm this winter! It is mid-January, slushy, cold, and depressing. But I also realize the idiots are out there in full force. People like the #1 mens tennis player in the world trying to get into Australia to play in the Australian Open without being vaccinated....I won't even mention his name, I am so angry. Thankfully he was deported. The group of Sunwing influencers from Quebec who partied on a flight all the way to Mexico with total disregard for other masked people on the trip. Thankfully, they were denied flights back home by two separate airlines. Then, I hear that 1700 people refused to wear masks on Canadian airline flights last year and only about half got fined. The biggest ticket was about 2000$, but most were much less and I understand the maximum penalty is 5000$! I say, DO IT.....give them the max right away and ban them from flights in-and-out of Canada for at least 3 years! These ignorant

Today is your day Boomer! People our age are smart enough to know not to drink and driver or drug and drive, right? Apparently not. There is a new study out from UBC that shows the following: blood samples were analyzed from 4,339 moderately injured drivers treated at four B.C. trauma centres between 2013 and 2020. Before cannabis was legalized, 3.8 per cent of drivers had blood THC concentrations above the Canadian legal driving limit of 2 nanograms/ml, research found. That percentage rose to 8.6 per cent after legalization. The proportion of drivers with higher concentrations of THC (above 5 nanograms/ml) also increased, going from 1.1 per cent pre-legalization to 3.5 per cent afterwards. Now, let's get to the SURPRISING part. The study states that "the largest increase was among drivers over 50." OhOh, that means alot of Boomers! Seriously, I know many in our generation grew up smoking dope and likely still do....but surely, we are past the point of just using

Today is your day Boomer! No, I am not here to give you any advice on the dreaded "D" word. In fact, I am no expert being happily married for three decades. But.....I can give you some info based on my 25 years as a grade 12 "law" teacher. In Canada, the first Monday of January is called "Divorce Day" as family lawyers get 68% more phone calls from unhappy people than normal. I guess some people begin the new year with a renewed vigour to get away from their spouse; add in the COVID factor and the isolation of couples at home for long periods and, well, I suppose some tired couples just makeup their mind. Also, it is quite easy to get a divorce in Canada these days. We have a system of "no fault" divorce, which means you don't really need a specfic reason to get a divorce....a reason like physical abuse. All you have to do is live apart for at least one year and the ball is rolling. It used to be three years! Also, the divorce rate

Today is your day Boomer! A few weeks ago in this very blog I talked about the richest people in the world(like Jeff Bezos) giving up a small percentage of their billions to feed the needy. Instead of spending incredible dollars on things like a space mission, maybe they could be a little more "me to we" and spread around their gravy. At the risk of sounding too socialist, I say the same thing today to these incredibly-rich athletes.....see table. And these numbers are for one year only! I'll give examples of two entertainers that are doing something right with their money: singer Dolly Parton has bought over 150 million books for needy school children in nations around the world and Oprah Winfrey has donated millions to her girls leadership academy in Africa! How much money, as a person, do you really need? Not a hundred million a year!!! Boomers, hopefully we all find it in our hearts to volunteer some of our "extra" money and/or time to help our worl

Today is your day Boomer! Watch out anti-vaxxers....these politicians are getting serious! The hammer is coming down in Quebec as that province has announced a special new "health tax" for people without shots. It does not apply to people that have medical exemptions, but it will penalize the roughly 10% who are refusing the jab for whatever-their reasons! Wow....people will get a bill in the mail and the premier says it will be "sizeable". The main reason? Hospitals in Quebec are being clogged-up with anti-vaxxers in for COVID treatment....while the majority population can't get access for various surgeries. The premier says the 90% have already made a big sacrifice with three-time shots.....now it is time for the minority to pay. Whew, good luck government collecting that money and be ready for court challenges. Boomers, for the rest of us outside of Quebec, be ready for something similar in our province or territory....maybe even a "mandate&quo

Today is your day Boomer! It is the dead cold of winter and continuing COVID saga that is pushing me more and more to books. We are encouraged to stay home and avoid Omicron....but we can still go to the library or order books online.....books like this one. Dirk Cussler, if you didn't know, has taken over from his Dad, Clive, and is now writing the "Dirk Pitt" adventure novel series. Many Boomers know that Clive Cussler was one of the best fiction writers of all time, featuring over 80 books on underwater thrillers. He passed away in 2020, but did co-author 8 novels with his son before he died. So, needless to say, I was hopeful-but wary-when the younger Cussler released his first book without his father's assistance. The result, I am happy to say, is a very good read....The Devil's Sea. And like father, like son, it is gripping fiction that keeps you turning pages late into the night. The book features all the usual Cussler characters and reminds you t

Today is your day Boomer! What could you do at age six? Probably not much....maybe recite your ABC's, finger paint, snowplow down the bunny hill at a ski resort. Afterall, you were in grade one and the world had few expectations of you. But....look at this picture. This Arianne from Delta, B.C.......she watched as her brother almost got hit by a car on a busy street and decided that same street needed a crosswalk. So, she wrote a letter to the local municipal council and gathered names on a petition, and guess what....council said YES! This month, Delta installed a new painted crosswalk with flashing warning lights at that location and this was the response from Councilor Dylan Kruger: "to see a young person aged six or seven caring about the future of her community.....it gives me a lot of faith for the next generation." Arianne says youth action on climate change could be her next goal. Wow, Boomers, if she can do it, so can we! It's never too late to ch

Today is your day Boomer! Is it possible we could have a little less bickering this year? We are one week into 2022 and it is my fervent hope that we show a little more respect for each other....we should talk, negotiate, and show some understanding instead of yelling, screaming, and dishonouring people. Here's a few examples; look at the bird picture as you consider them: vaxxers vs antivaxxers, loggers vs environmentalists, Trump fans vs Biden supporters, science vs conspiracy, China vs Canada, Trudeau vs O'Toole, COVID regulators vs BC fitness gyms, Russia vs the world, Bruins vs Habs, believers of climate change vs non-believers, DeChambeau vs Koepka, NHL vs the Olympic Organizing Committee, Taylor Swift vs Kanye West, and Sunwing vs Quebec influencers. I probably missed a few.....and some new verbal battles will arise as the year progresses. Boomers, maybe we, as leaders, can be part of the solution...not the problem. Let's have a positive new year filled with c

Today is your day Boomer! What are they....the annual Darwin Awards, when people just do dumb, dumb things? This was the case yesterday in BC's Lower Mainland when a big snowfall hit and people were trying to make their way to work. First of all, to even try driving on bad, icey roads with summer or those-dreaded "all-season" tires is stupid....but then something else was happening too! Look at the picture and realize that commuters, in a rush, just didn't clear enough snow from their vehicles for good visibility....and they weren't thinking about people in cars around them. For example, 150 vehicles were stopped by Burnaby police in just three hours. Police let 125 of the drivers go with a verbal warning, on the condition that they clean the snow off their cars before proceeding, though 16 people were issued written warnings. Six drivers’ poor snow removal was serious enough to warrant a ticket for driving with an obstructed view — a $95 hit to the pocketb

Today is your day Boomer! Sometimes my blog focuses on other blogs that I find motivating and perfect for Baby Boomers. This one: over50andfit.ca is a great inspiration for all of us. It is a twice-weekly blog on fitness for the older generation and features "Barrie" who is 84, but says he "feels 48"! This is a man who worked with kids in the school system for over 50 years; that in itself is an accomplishment; he has also travelled to over 50 countries in his lifetime; and seriously took up fitness at age 50 and began doing triathlons. Now, in his 80s, he is recovering from a car accident and has really taken to personal training. His blog is lively, well written, and features topics for Boomers like calorie counting, stretching, and the benefits of drinking water. He just might motivate you to get back into the gym....if any are still open during COVID...and drastically change your lifestyle. Wow, way to go Barrie! Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! I think dealing with snow in the dog days of winter is all about attitude. This thought as I head out to brush off about one inch of the new stuff last night, with a heavy load of 10-15 cm expected tonight.....oh, and already about a foot on the ground! Some people complain and see snow removal as a so-called "job" and a clear restriction on their time and driving. Others, like me, see it as a challenge....a chance to get outside, get some exercise, and enjoy the natural wonders of a white, winter wonderland. Afterall, it is January and most of us can expect snow on a regular basis in Canada. So, maybe what you need is a little inspiration....from say, a motivating blog, or a new snow blower, or even a new shovel. Take a look at that old plastic shovel you bought in 2003 and maybe think about spending some money on a new supermodel shovel. Have you checked them out at Rona or Home Hardware lately? Shovels....with new ergonomics, designs, an

Today is your day Boomer! If you're like me, you received a book or two as gifts for Christmas. And if you're like me, you are still a Beatles fan. Well, here is a must read that I devoured in a few short hours during the holidays; it is "The Last Days of John Lennon" by James Patterson, the biggest-selling author of all time. Normally a fiction thriller/mystery writer, Patterson-with the help of two research assistants-takes us on an awesome non-fiction journey of The Beatles early roots, through their popular era, into the troubled times of the late '60s, and then their breakup. Along the way, he integrates in the troubling, depressing story of Mark David Chapman....the man who murders Lennon with 5 shots to the back. It digs deep into his brain, his emotions, and mental state as he prepares to shoot the gun. Wow. The book also contains alot of interesting nuggets of info on the relationships of John, Paul, George, and Ringo....their girlfriends, wives,

Today is your day Boomer! Alright, here we go......it is just after New Years, so do you want to do "resolutions"?! There's mixed emotions out there re: these annual "promises to improve your life". Some people take on too much and flame out after a few weeks, and others say it's too much pressure.....so they won't do any. For me, I just do a few like regaining strength and mobility from my recent rib injury and continuing to practice my ukelele. However, author and so-called "Happiness Expert" Gretchen Rubin advises that Boomers, like us, should take on "22 resolutions in the year '22"! Wow, that is a BIGGGGGG promise, even though many of them can be very small like painting an old window or cleaning a storage room. I don't want to take on that many resolutions....but I do like her second suggestion that we take 22 minutes/day to just "rest". That's right.....rest. Apparently in this crazy, fast-paced

Today is your day Boomer! Let's start off the New Year with an incredible feel-good story. Here it is from Sportsnet: Vancouver Canucks trainer Brian (Red) Hamilton shared an incredible story about a random act of kindness that he says may have saved his life. During the team’s first visit to Seattle, for the Kraken’s inaugural home game on Oct. 23, a Seattle fan knocked on the glass behind the Canucks’ bench to get his attention, and showed the equipment trainer a message on her phone: “The mole on the back of your neck is cancer.”(see picture) Hamilton later checked with Canucks’ medical staff, and it was determined that the mole was a Phase 2 malignant melanoma. Hamilton had it removed. "She saved my life. She didn’t take me out of a burning car. . . but she took me out of a slow fire. The words out of the doctor’s mouth were if I ‘ignored that for four or five years, I wouldn’t be here.’" He wanted to thank the fan on Saturday when the Canucks returned to Seattl

Today is your day Boomer! Well, she didn't quite make it to age 100.....but it was one heck of a try! Boomers, on this first day of 2022, we can take a little inspiration from actress Betty White. See woman in green dress on right side of picture. I'm sure you recognize her; Betty passed away just before New Years at age 99, two weeks before her next birthday. If you followed her career, she was best known for comedic TV roles in the Mary Tyler Moore Show and Golden Girls where she delighted us week-after-week with her wit and charisma! She also starred in a number of movies....but what I liked about her best was her always-there smile and sense of optimism. She could make you laugh in a wink and I think she was at her best on those late-night TV talk shows like Carson and Letterman. For us Boomers, she has some advice on living to 100.....she says "don't eat anything green!" And while I disagree with her on that one, I do agree that laughter and an incr