Today Is Your Day Boomer

Today is your day Boomer! The game of golf gets a bad rep for being a competition of a bunch of old guys with big stomachs. Yup......drive a cart, swing a club once in a while, drive some more, eat snacks, guzzle beer, socialize with your buddies, and then drink some more in the clubhouse at the end of the round. And I do see some of these often-Boomers acting this way on my golf course, but I also see people, like me, who walk and swing for 4 hours for the sport AND the exercise. To reinforce this, a new study from golfmonthly.com reports that a walking golfer burns about 1500 calories over a full round! That is more than you can burn in a strenuous 1/2 hour exercise routine in a fitness gym! YES, golf is good for you! I have been saying this for years. But what about that drink on the 19th hole? Here is what the website states: "to put all this calorie burning in context: a standard glass (175ml) of 12% wine contains 126 calories and a pint of 5% strength beer has 215 ...

Today is your day Boomer! I usually don't promote specific companies on this blog, but this t-shirt business has got a good thing going! And it is Boxing Day Week, so I think "shopping" talk is acceptable. Check out Lilicloth.com and see a variety of shirts with incredibly-funny slogans on front and back for very reasonable prices.....even some Boxing Week specials! There are quite a few that fit the lifestyles of Boomers, like the one in this picture, and more for retired people in general. However, some are a little raunchy.....so, choose carefully. 2023 is almost here; need a wardrobe change? Maybe try a new shirt?! Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! Okay you doom-and-gloomers.....you "glass half-empty" people. 2022 is coming to an end, and already many of you are predicting a BAD new year. This includes our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who is forecasting an ugly recession in 2023 and more high inflation. No....I can't do it. I just can't. Even after a very tough year for my family, I look forward to new beginnings and a fresh start on January 1st! What kind of person are you? Optimist, pessimist, or somewhere in the middle? Maybe you should read this visual chart and take some inspiration from it??!! Cheers Boomers, have a great holiday, and HAPPY new year!

Today is your day Boomer! Do I need to state the obvious Boomers? The BC Government has issued an alert for today that says no one should drive on high mountain highways in the southern interior unless it is an "emergency"! That means you don't have to get home for Christmas today....it could be tomorrow or another day soon. What it really means is use some common sense and stay where you are until it is safe. Yes, your family wants you safe....and yes, they will delay celebrating Christmas until you get there! The roads are crap.....accidents every where, and the problem is the bad, snowy weather and "the other guy", who is driving too fast for the conditions. You may see yourself as a good driver, and you probably are, but the other variables are too risky. I talked to a police officer once about winter driving in the BC Interior and he said black ice is the biggest problem.....you just can't see it and it is too unpredictable. He also said most ...

Today is your day Boomer! You know Boomers, we get blamed for many of the world's problems....like global warming, war, poverty, and racism. And, in fact, we also get blamed for the over-commercialization of Chistmas. Afterall, we were born and raised during the growing period of affluence after World War II. So, Boomers, I say it is time to rid ourselves of all this guilt and enjoy the holiday season! And according to the website Playbuzz, here are 8 things Boomers love to do at Christmas time: (1)Watch an old Christmas movie like "It's a Wonderful Life" (2)Sing Christmas songs via karioke (3)Buy wrapping paper in bulk (4) Shovel the driveway even though there is only 1/2 inch snow on it (5)Wear an ugly Christmas sweater (6)Deck out the house with a zillion Xmas lights (7)Play Barry Manilow Christmas songs 10 hours a day (8)Talk to relatives about the benefits of CBD candies and cookies. There are actually 13 in the list, but some I couldn't understand or...

Today is your day Boomer! Actually, maybe tomorrow is your day. If you like the snow and cold, tomorrow is officially the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere....the so-called Winter Solstice, which in latin means sun stands still. It will be the shortest, darkest day of the year and the sun will be very low in the sky at noon. But as I look out my window at a minus 17 degree morning with 10 cm of new snow, I wonder if December 21 will also be the coldest day? According to an Almanac source, no: "there are a lot of factors that affect the temperature of a location on any given day, including altitude, snow cover, and large-scale weather patterns. Snow cover, for example, partially blocks solar radiation from being absorbed by the Earth, which results in less heat being released and an overall drop in temperature. Because of these factors, it’s not possible to point to the same date year after year and call it the coldest day." Okay.....got it. But it still m...

Today is your day Boomer! No one really wants to here this, but the average Canadian gains between 1-2 pounds over the holiday season. Yup, that includes you too Boomers as we indulge in larger-than-normal dinners, lots of snacks, and increased amounts of alcohol....ie. rum and egg nog. The website Healthline offers 20 tips to keep your weight down, and here are the first eight: (1) Be active with family and friends. (2) Snack wisely. (3) Watch your portion sizes. (4) Practice mindful eating. (5) Get plenty of sleep. (6) Control your stress levels. (7) Keep meals balanced with protein. (8) Focus on fiber. Here is more info on the "snacking" tip, especially as it refers to all those rich Xmas treats: "try to be mindful of your snacking habits. If you find yourself munching just because there’s food around — and not because you’re hungry — it’s best to avoid snacking altogether. However, if you are hungry and need a snack, opt for real foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts,...

Today is your day Boomer! Yes Boomers, the world recently reached the 8 billion population mark...but nobody seems to be too concerned. Check out the graph for the top 10 populated nations and keep in mind that India will soon pass China for the #1 spot. Canada, by the way, is sitting at about 38 million which is considered quite low for the second largest country in the world. Here are some more stats: "it is projected the world's population will reach around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2100. Other countries rounding out the list with the fastest growing populations are Egypt, Pakistan, the Philippines" and Nigeria....as underdeveloped nations in Africa are making a strong push for more people. Boomers, we can identify with population growth as we fuelled the biggest baby increase in world history after World War II. So, let's not criticize. Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! Actually, Sunday is more likely to be YOUR day. It is the final of the World Cup....on TV at 7am PT, Argentina vs France, for all the mens soccer marbles! Now, I normally don't watch soccer, but I have indulged this time, because.....#1. Canada was in the tournament and did okay and #2. I like the passion.....the singing, chanting, yelling, and obvious extreme fan dedication to their nation and sport! There may not be much scoring, like in basketball, but I am told by true fans that I should focus on the individual skills of the players. And this match will feature two of the best: Argentina's Messi and France's Mbappe! This being, perhaps, Messi's last kick at the cat at age 35. Boomers, I encourage you to watch. Think of this like the Olympics....only every four years, and would you watch the hockey final with Connor McDavid on ice? The mens 100 metres with an athlete like Usain Bolt? The skiing downhill race? Sure, absolutely....so...

Today is your day Boomer! I sometimes laugh when I see some of these old guys and gals going on global concert tours. Boomers, like Elton John, doing their so-called "Goodbye" tours across 50 cities over two years, then magically doing it again a short time later. Do they need the money at age 75? I don't think so. I guess they just love performing and want to do it until they collapse. Now, the latest is on-line performances just announced by the Rolling Stones and Elton John. And they want big bucks for tickets to see them not-in-person! Wow. Tickets for concerts used to be quite reasonable. Not now, just ask Taylor Swift fans as they struggle to pay "thousands" of dollars to attend her latest concert dates. Boomers, instead, I say spin an old album or CD in your basement and dance to the great ol' music of Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, or Springsteen. Your ears will thank you and so will your pocketbook. Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! I read with interest an article from New Zealand today which indicates a new progressive anti-smoking law. It states that young Kiwis born after 2009 will be banned from legally smoking and New Zealand wants to be totally smoke-free by 2025. Wow! How does this compare to Canada? Well, check out the graph and you can see that smoking here has dropped from 25% to 10% in the past two decades.....and certainly, Boomers are a big part of a new focus on having a healthy and fit lifestyle. But...we only have restrictions on youth smoking; for example, store sales to young people have been banned in many provinces. If you want to light-up, generally you can in Canada. And here is the other disturbing fact in both Canada and New Zealand; while smoking is down, vaping is increasing especially in youth ages. I just had heart surgery; all I know is that both are bad for you. Cig for thought, Boomers. Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! Far be it for me to tell Boomers where to live, but.....consider this. The provincial government in B.C. just announced it is going to freeze car insurance rates for two more years; that will be five years in a row that this type of insurance will be held at zero. And I know that many Boomers feature two cars in their driveway and maybe a RV. It means we have the lowest auto rates in all of Canada! However, we also have the highest gas prices in the nation....but if you live away from the Lower Mainland/Vancouver area like I do, it is not so bad. Many of us who live in the B.C. Interior region don't pay the high rapid transit taxes. Now, what else? Royal Lepage says the price of homes will drop only about 1% in 2023; that includes B.C.. But we have three of the highest home price cities in all of Canada: Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna. So, Boomers....you decide. Some British Columbia numbers to ponder. Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! And maybe today is the day to rethink Christmas.....yes, the average Canadian family spends about $2500 on gifts, decorations, and food every Christmas. And $1300 of that just goes to presents, mostly new stuff from stores like Lululemon. By the way, with high inflation....that number will likely be higher this year! So, how about "Thriftmas" instead? A new way of doing things with lots of "used", recycled gifts and decorations that other people don't want anymore. A perfect example is that old sled in the basement that your kids used, but now just takes up space....or a wreath you bought 10 years ago, but is now the wrong colour. Here are some other thrifty ideas: Unique stemware, glasses, teacups or mugs. You can add a bag of fair trade coffee that supports a local business. Decor, such as retro hand towels, vases or candlesticks. Flower pots and used house plants. A lot of people purge plants online. Baskets or canisters. You...

Today is your day Boomer! Remember that old piece of advice? Health experts told us we need to drink eight glasses of water per day, or we would get dehydrated! Wow, I just couldn't do that...it seemed impossible to me. It still does. But now, according to CBC.ca, there is new evidence that shows we need to drink water only when we are "thirsty" and there is no specified amount. According to sports doctor Jane Thornton, " a person's water needs vary based on several factors like age, health status, sex, physical activity levels and local climate". And...."most people don't need to drink two litres of water a day because they'll also get fluids from other sources like fruits and vegetables or coffee and tea". That has been my philosophy for a long time! But how do you know when to drink, and how much? The doctor says "signs of dehydration can be mild at first, with people often having trouble concentrating, a headache or irri...

Today is your day Boomer! I watched the first installment of the Netflix docu-series "Harry and Meghan" last night, and in my opinion, it was well done! It features the supposed "real" story of the romance of the royal couple....with more shows to come on their breakaway from the life of Buckingham Palace. The one hour showing seemed to have the right mix of interviews, pictures, e-mails, texts, newspaper clips, and home videos.....done with tasteful music. I especially liked all the photos of young Harry and William as they grew up and began to realize their lives would be very unique....and difficult. As well, the influence and protection of their mother...Princess Diana...really helps us understand the wicked, relentless pursuit of the paparazzi in their lives! Also on her death. It is on Netflix only and it may be worth you signing up as a new member Boomers. There are six episodes. Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! Most of my readers will now know that I recently spent a week in hospital recovering from heart valve surgery. Yesterday, I talked about the quality service I received at Kelowna General......today, I focus on the Boomers. There were 11 patients on my acute care ward, 10 men and 1 woman....and I bet, based on sight alone, most of them were grey-haired Boomer men like me. In there for a variety of heart-based surgeries like valves, bypasses, and stents. I talked to a few, because you do get to wander around the hallways, and most of them said they were there because they smoked, didn't eat or exercise properly, or they weren't proactive enough in dealing with their health. Some, like me, suffered from bad genetics. But....let me say it again. Boomers, in my small sample, are getting heart disease! Take note and take action. Get that long-awaited in-person checkup.....if you have a doctor. That's how my valve issue was discovered. Cheers...

Today is your day Boomer! One month ago today, I lay in hospital in Kelowna getting heart valve surgery. Today, I am back....ready to attack life and write about more Boomer experiences and issues. But first, hats-off to the staff at the KGH Cardiac Ward who made my surgery both memorable and relatively smooth! Despite all the baloney you hear about our public health care system, these people were prepared, professional, and sympathetic. A cardiac ward, only open for about a decade, featured nurses, doctors, and other care providers who really knew what they doing. And today....at home and recuperating....I am still benefitting from their expertise! Thanks so much, especially to the nurses, who work under heavy-stress situations and must take care of 4-5 heart patients on 12-hour shifts. It is easy to see why so many get burned out. My new valve is working fine and I look forward to the next chapter in my new Boomer life. Cheers!