Today Is Your Day Boomer

Today is your day Boomer! When I think of global warming, I think cars and industry....the number one and two carbon polluters in our world today. But what about tourism? Biking, hiking, golf, skiing etc. No, not really the activity itself...but the problem is how you get there! Yup, since COVID, air travel is way up and Boomers are very guilty of this. A new report states "that air travel has increasingly become the transportation of choice for many travellers, with 47 per cent of international tourists arriving by air in 2019, up from 34 per cent in 2000." And of course those big jets burn fuel like you wouldn't believe. And how about a cruise ship? Imagine how much gas or diesel is consumed by a 3000-passenger ship crossing the Atlantic? I personally know a Boomer couple going on three flights and cruises this year. We all have to do our part Boomers. Climate change is real and frightening as we head into 2024. Happy new year!

Today is your day Boomer! We are a unique generation....we are at or nearing retirement, and according to wildsimplejoy.com: "Every individual is different, but there are definitely trends within certain generations. Many Boomers at this point in time have reached retirement and are focusing on their grandchildren. In the past, Boomers been criticized for their lack of technology skills, but that is beginning to change as they get more comfortable with smartphones and other technology." With this in mind, here are 8 top New Year's resolutions for our generation: (1) Write a book (2) Learn how to play again (3) Travel internationally (4) Learn to play an instrument (5) Read fiction (6) Take a trip down memory lane...."if your parents are gone, take out the most prized possessions of theirs you own and reminisce. Take a look through some old photo albums, or read some old newspaper clippings. Examining our past can be bittersweet, but it is something that gives us em

Today is your day Boomer! Yup....another cost of living going up, way up!! The cost of cars in Canada and the U.S. has risen 50% since 2020....that means an average selling price of 60,000$. For a car, come on! That is ridiculous. According to The Globe and Mail Newspaper, "The spike in new car prices mainly reflects changes in the lineup of vehicles available for sale and the impact of a global semi-conductors shortage that continues to haunt the industry." For example, many new vehicles have HUNDREDS of microchips which power the electrical, safety, and entertainment systems. So.....what about other vehicle prices? Lots of Boomers drive SUVs and trucks. They are up in price by only 25%. I guess that is good news. But a friend of mine definitely got sticker shock the other day when he priced out a new Ford F150 hybrid truck at 75,000$ plus tax. Yikes! Think I'll stick with my old F150 with 170,000 km for awhile. Take out your wallet Boomers. Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! Do me a favour Boomers. Go on YouTube and type in "Smothers Brothers My Old Man song". You will laugh, and laugh some more! Remember that folk-singing comedy duo from the 1960s-70s? Well, one of them passed away yesterday....Tom Smothers, who played the dummy died of cancer at age 86 in California. "I'm just devastated," his brother and the duo's other half, Dick Smothers, told The Associated Press. "Every breath I've taken, my brother's been around." Dick was the straight guy in the comedy act, but both could play guitar and sing, and they played off each other very well. They even had TV shows and got fired for stretching the norm on television: one time "particularly when Smothers joked that Easter 'is when Jesus comes out of his tomb and if he sees his shadow, he goes back in and we get six more weeks of winter.' At Christmas, when other hosts were sending best wishes to soldiers fighting o

Today is your day Boomer! You know we may be a little older, but we haven't lost our creativity Boomers! We do a lot of cool stuff like woodworking and painting, but, maybe just maybe, we can do more on-line....like on video channels. According to YouTube Canada, "As part of the digital generation, millennials and gen z have always been known as trendsetters, but they're not the only ones making it big on YouTube. From travelling and woodworking to quilting and mixology, baby boomers and retirees are turning their passions and hobbies into content creation opportunities. They're part of a growing creator ecosystem in Canada, that's contributing significantly to the local creative economy." Oh, nice. Maybe watch some of their examples....like the one in this picture. Others include "Thrift Store Makeovers", "Mastering the 1/4 inch Seam", "Deddy's Kitchen" and "Glen and Friends". Don't like YouTube? Try Inst

Today is your day Boomer! Thanks to the many Boomers and family and friends who accessed my blog memories of my deceased Dad yesterday. And thanks to my cousin who supplied this picture of my Dad at his favourite fishing place in the world....Fountain Lake. I forgot to mention one more big thing my Dad helped me with: learning how to run for election and being a politician. Dad had tremendous experience serving as a school trustee(like me), hospital board, regional district director, alderman, and acting mayor....to name just a few. Even in his last few years, he served as head of the Lillooet Water Improvement Committee! So, what did he teach me? Be prepared, ask lots of questions, don't be afraid to challenge, speak with authority and confidence, and respect the people(both elected and staff) you work with. In my five years as trustee, I follow all of these recommendations very closely. As for my Dad, he raised 6 kids, had a full-time business, and still had lots of tim

Today is your day Boomer! My Dad left this world this week. I was there in-person to say goodbye and, of course, it was very, very difficult. But rather than focusing on the negatives of his downfall, I want to share with you my Dad's many contributions to my life. First off, Harold (Hal) shared his name with me and helped raise me as one of six kids in our family. Imagine the financial impact a family of eight had on his work life and mental state! Speaking of that, he taught me the importance of a strong work ethic and a good education. All his kids have university degrees or trades tickets. He showed me the supreme importance of family gatherings, how to flyfish...even when he was colour blind....how to use tools, play high-level bridge, eat organic foods, he taught me how to drive....even though I ruined the transmission on our old car....he showed me how to sail, save and invest money, have an appreciation for nature, he was a role model for me as I moved through heart/s

Today is your day Boomer! For some reason, other younger generations like to complain about us! I don't know why....I thought we were mostly nice people, but I guess we do some things differently that rub some young people the wrong way. Here are ten samples from a recent survey: (1) Obsessive yard work....see picture! (2) The 'We went through it, and so do you!' mentality. (3) Callng instead of texting (except in the case of an emergency). (4) Whining about how millennials and Gen Z are all entitled brats. (5) Making youngsters feel bad for not buying their own house. (6) Being ignorant when it comes to technology. (7) Their racism? It's on the surface, covered by jokes, innuendos, and bad stories. (8) Work/life balance is bull....Boomers want a'workhorse' mentality in their employees. (9) Supporting a political candidate just because they represent a particular party. (10) The need to recant how when they were kids, they 'played outside in the dirt wit

Today is your day Boomer! I find myself researching and writing my blog at 6:20 this morning. Sounds kind of early for a semi-retired person, right? Weren't we supposed to sleep in and enjoy a relaxed start to our retirement days Boomers? Yes, but........guess what, we are busy! A new study has found that nearly half of us get up at 6:00 and kickstart our day with some pretty important activities. The top three are (1) check e-mail (2) read/watch the news (3) plan our day. And most of us are pretty active. I'll give you one example of a day I had last week; coffee/breakfast and a hot tub in the morning, then coffee with friends, 2 hours of pickleball, home for lunch/chores and puppy playtime, a one-hour Zoom meeting in the late afternoon, dinner, and a basketball referee game in the early evening. That is a big day! I slept well until the puppy woke me up at 4am and the process started all over again. This blog shows it. We, Boomers, live energetic and vigorous lives

Today is your day Boomer! I was planning a winter trip to Arizona or California this year...a golf trip with three of my buddies. You know: sunshine, socializing, perhaps a drink or two, and of course, cheap golf. Lots of it. But gone are the days of inexpensive "Golf Now" deals where you could play in the late afternoon for 25$, or 40$ for golf, a cart, and dinner! In fact, The Desert Sun newspaper states "Check out some of the popular tee time booking sites, and you’ll see some eye-popping numbers. Tee times of $200, a thing of the past from a few years ago, are back in full force now. The $150 tee times have become common place." Wow...oh, that is in American dollars! So why the big jump in price? U.S. golf courses have been shutting down over the past decade, so fewer time slots are available. COVID drove up prices because golfers wanted some recreation outside without fear of infection. That bigger group, many of them Canadian Boomers, is still playing g

Today is your day Boomer! Did someone say...."finally"! Yes, and I hope all these fossil fuel-burning countries mean it!! According to The Associated Press, "United Nations climate negotiators directed the world on Wednesday to transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels in a move the talks chief called historic. 'Humanity has finally done what is long, long, long overdue, 'Wopke Hoekstra, European Union commissioner for climate action, said. After nearly 30 years of talking about carbon pollution, climate negotiators in a key document explicitly took aim at what’s trapping the heat: the burning of coal, oil and natural gas." What are some of the numerical goals? (1) The deal includes a call for tripling the use of renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency. (2) The transition would be done in a way that gets the world to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050. (3) It projects a world peaking its ever-growing carbon pollution by the year 2025.

Today is your day Boomer! Boomers spend a lot of time going up and down mountains....hiking, biking, skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing mostly. So I think it is appropriate that this Boomer blog recognize today as International Mountain Day around the world. It was created 20 years ago by the United Nations to celebrate all the important things mountains do for our planet....things like fresh water generation, mineral production, and tourism. And....on this day there is always mention of Mt. Everest in Nepal as the highest mountain(over 29,000 feet), but what is the official shortest mountain? Do you know? Look at the picture. According to Wikipedia, it is "Mt. Wycheproof, which is a mountain in the small town of Wycheproof, Victoria, Australia, which stands at 42 metres (138 ft) above the surrounding terrain and 147 metres (482 ft) above sea level." I don't really see evidence of a mountain in the picture, but I guess it is there....somewhere. Boomers, don't

Today is your day Boomer! Yesterday's blog was maybe a wakeup call for some of us as we begin to realize that the average Boomer has only about 15-20 years to live. So, for many Boomers that means a focus on their so-called "bucket list"....that is memorable things to get done before that fateful day! Things like climbing Mt. Everest, sky jumping, golfing at Pebble Beach, or going to a Rolling Stones concert. Well, if you can skate....I recommend adding this one. Take a trip to Pavillion Lake near Lillooet, BC and skate to your hearts content on its pristine ice surface! Check out the picture and imagine ice so clear it glistens with remarkable clarity for miles and miles. This is the famous Pavillion Lake that attracts skaters, hockey players, and ice fishermen in the winter. And no wonder....you have to see it to believe it! Try and pick a sunny day and hope that the winds of winter have swept away all traces of snow. It feels so incredible and also feels lik

Today is your day Boomer! Are you "average" Boomer? Like average height, weight, average or moderate in your political views.....and do you expect to live to the national or provincial average? I hope I do, but actually it is an eye opener. Why? Because if the average Boomer is in his/her 60's, we have only about 15-20 years to live! A new study says the BC average is 82.6, Canada-wide is 82.9, and where I live now....Summerland is actually lower at 82.2! But there is a silver lining in the dark cloud, my town has the highest life expectancy of any municipality in the Okanagan Valley, supposedly a great place to live with lots of natural, outdoor activities and a nickname of "Canada's California". Hmmmm, maybe all that forest fire smoke is finally getting to us. What's worse? My birth town of Lillooet, BC is actually 75.6....my sister and Dad live there. But then again, do numbers really matter? My father is 93 and is still living there! So ma

Today is your day Boomer! Following the worst of COVID, people....including many Boomers...are going back to concerts. The numbers are out for 2023 and they are astounding! According to the Associated Press, "2023 was a landmark year for concert sales: worldwide, the top 100 tours of the year saw a 46% jump from last year, bringing in $9.17 billion compared to 2022's $6.28 billion. In North America, that number jumped from $4.77 billion last year to $6.63 billion." And guess who is the number one money earner, swiftly earning more than one billion dollars on tour this year? Yup, Taylor Swift has sold 4.35 million tickets for 60 shows of her Eras Tour! She has also racked up huge sales in two other categories: "Swift brought in approximately $200 million in merch sales and her blockbuster film adaptation of the tour, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” has earned approximately $250 million in sales, making it the highest-grossing concert film of all time." Yikes,

Today is your day Boomer! Tired of the same old thing Boomers? You have conquered both skiing and snowboarding and need a new thrill? How about snow biking? Yup, check out the picture and realize you can buy one of these for about 300 bucks! Ski bikes have the frame of a bicycle with skis underneath rather than wheels. They have stationary peddles that riders can rest their feet on, but no brakes, so riders stop the same way as skiers would. And might these bikes work well for aging Boomers who may have joint issues? Ski biker Ross Frazier says "ski biking is not as hard as it looks. He says the bikes are easier to take on the chairlift than a snowboard, and there’s less risk of injury because the rider isn’t attached to the bike when they fall off. Bikes also take stress off the knees, which makes it a good option for people with mobility issues, and knee problems." Hmmmmm, that sounds good. A new winter challenge Boomers! By the way, the bike featured in this picture is

Today is your day Boomer! Did you know that someone breaks a bone in our world once every three seconds? And I bet that number goes way up when winter hits....the ice, the snow, the slippery sidewalks, they all contribute to falls for our aging population. Oh, that includes us Boomers! Also, a hip fracture is more impactful on our lives than any other bone break. According to a new study posted on CNN, "One in three adults aged 50 and over dies within 12 months of suffering a hip fracture. Older adults have a five-to-eight times higher risk of dying within the first three months of a hip fracture compared to those without a hip fracture. This increased risk of death remains for almost ten years." Yikes! This is awful. So, what else? "Dementia is a common factor that increases the risk of falling. Frailty, poor vision, the use of a combination of medications, and trip hazards around the home also increase the likelihood of falls. Osteoporosis, a disease characteri

Today is your day Boomer! Is the "e-scooter" in your future Boomers? This picture is not for promoting a certain brand of scooter, but it certainly gives you food for thought. This highly-rated Hiboy sells for 550$ on Amazon and can take the weight of a person under 220 pounds, it can travel up to 40km on one battery charge, and can go up to 30km per hour! Not bad....it also features an optional seat which is maybe a good idea for longer trips. Yes, it is made for urban travel, in and around neighbourhoods....but could it work for you? Could you take it downtown for a small shopping trip, or to pickleball 5 minutes away, or to your library a few blocks away? It is not great, obviously in snow or heavy rain, but what about in three of our four seasons? And now the BC Government is getting serious about it; they recently did a pilot project in 13 communities and now are embarking on a four-year study into how e-scooters can fit into our provincial transportation system!

Today is your day Boomer! These people show us that it certainly is possible. A man recently walked from Mission to Vancouver, 17 hours and about 100 km, all in one continuous trek! Mykael Koe says he has lost 155 pounds in the past 3 years since he took up walking. Wow! He adds: "It's a beautiful experience to get out and explore the Fraser Valley and see it from another angle; it's really incredible how diverse the culture is here." Now....take a look at this map. This could be the longest walk ever....from southern Africa to northwestern Russia, over 22,000 km!! And I know at least four sets of friends or relatives that have recently done long walks in Portugal, Spain, France, and the U.K......by the way, all of them are Boomers! Maybe it is a new trend, something unique, challenging, and different from the standard, long-distance bike trips. Something to think about Boomers....something exciting, stimulating, and inspiring! Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! "You are never too old to start exercising.” And specifically, lifting weights! That is the main result from a new study that looked at Boomers and older seniors who started weight training for the first time. According to the study published in The Washington Post, "a new study of resistance exercise and the elderly found that even people in their 80s and 90s — who hadn’t weight trained before — showed significant gains after starting a supervised program of lifting weights three times a week. 'It shows that healthy older people can certainly respond to resistance training, that their muscles are still plastic,' says Tommy Lundberg, exercise researcher." Now, hold the phone for a moment. The research subjects were all healthy. Lunberg adds " anyone past about age 60 who’s interested in starting a new lifting or other exercise routine should probably check first with their doctor and then seek out training programs at a gym or co

Today is your day Boomer! Having trouble getting motivated to exercise? Or if you do exercise a lot, how about some variety to keep you motivated? Being on the same treadmill day-after-day is not inspiring, I think. Penticton Parks and Rec is offering "12 Days of Fitness" starting today through December 12 with something different every day: basketball, volleyball, fitness room, boot camp, skate, lacrosse, lane swim...to name a few! Oh, and all of them are FREE! What a great idea Penticton! "There’s always something fun and new to try, even if it’s your first visit or one hundredth visit to our facilities,” said Darcey Godfrey, the city’s recreation business supervisor. And they do this every year...it is an annual event. More communities should do this! And it is perfect for Boomers who have the time and motivation to try new things. Register at www.penticton.ca/12days. Cheers!