Today Is Your Day Boomer

Today is your day Boomer! Stats Canada has just announced a new historic low for fertility rate in our country.....1.33% for Canadian women! Wow, that means the average woman will likely have one or two babies, but more likely one. Look at the graph and realize Boomers, that we were born in a 4% era. I come from a family of six children and I have two friends who were part of a ten-child family! Things have really changed....yup. I know...I know, it is expensive to have kids. Child care is costly and is hard to find. Young couples often both work....and are fearful of raising children in a new world filled with pandemics, war, and climate change. But, in my opinion, having kids is an incredible joy and one that lasts forever. And....it means grandkids for us Boomers! Yessssssssssss! Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! Yes Boomers, some of us are officially "seniors"....65 or older, and some may be so-called "junior-seniors", aged 55-65 or 60-65. But what most of have in common is a desire for lower product and service prices. We all know the cost of living is rising so much, so what can we do to find lower prices? SENIOR DISCOUNTS! Yes, they are out there....lots of them. A friend told me about a 20% seniors discount at a cannabis store where she buys CBD rub for her aches and pains. Many grocery and drug stores have "senior days" where 10% off is normal, I recently saw a movie on the big screen with surround sound on Seniors Monday(only 8 bucks!), and there are some discount days on BC Ferries! Oh, don't forget provincial park camping in B.C.....half price rates for seniors during the shoulder seasons(spring and fall!) Boomers, do some research, and ask around; I think there are more deals out there than you or I realize! Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! I don't have grandkids yet....one day, I hope. But in the meantime, I like interacting with kids, mostly middle and high school students. So, I referee basketball...about 30 games so far this winter, and it is great! Except for the odd, small confrontation, most kids, coaches, and parents are appreciative of referees as we offer a controlled, safe environment for students to play. We help teach them skills, comradery, and sportsmanship in team play, and they remind us of youth-life qualities like energy, vitality, athleticism, and friendliness. Kids love their sports, and Boomers, this is something we have in common. The joy of participating and competing, and the exhilaration that comes with it! And of course, it doesn't have to be basketball. There is, generally, a shortage of referees in many North American sports like hockey, lacrosse, soccer and volleyball. Boomers, we can help fill that void, make a little bit of money for retirement a

Today is your day Boomer! Are there health benefits associated with star gazing? You know, looking skyward on a clear night and pondering life and the universe? Yup, a number of studies have been done...especially on college students...that indicate you will get a big bump of mental health! Here's a few examples published on Castanet News: (1) star gazing is "associated with greater openness to new ideas and experiences, increased investigative ability, increased artistic proclivity, a more rational approach to problem solving, increased need for cognition and thinking, a propensity to engage in fantasy, a tendency to become focused...and a willingness to consider unusual ideas and possibilities." (2) night sky watching is "correlated with an increased ability of coping mechanisms. Coping ability is associated with better cognitive and behavioural strategies during stress and tension." Oh, good! (3) There is "an improved rational approach to problem so

Today is your day Boomer! I don't really know if this is a new trend or not....but I'll put it out there! Fitness classes at gyms specifically for Boomers. Yup, workout sessions geared for 55+ age group and I mean well-rounded approches thay focus on cardio, balance, stretching, and weights. In other words, kind of perfect for our age group who should do these things almost daily. Gloria is 84 and she goes regularly: "This is the best place ever; it's geared towards us guys. We are not here to be body beautiful we are here to be healthy body. If you look around a lot of us would be in nursing homes if we weren't here.”(Castanet News) And one of the personal trainers Don MacLeod agrees: "Anybody can do it; it's basic strength training so anybody can start this and then branch off into whatever they want, but we are focussed mainly on senior's type of exercises.” As well, the Boomers intermingle with younger members of the fitness facility, which pro

Today is your day Boomer! Want some fast food Boomers? Robbie the Robot may be in the kitchen prepping your food in the near future! Yup, experts are predicting as many as 82% of all jobs in restaurants could be automated in the next few years....that's a whole lot of machines doing the work of humans. Here are a few examples: "Domino's is running trials with a pizza-making machine at one of its locations in Berlin. White Castle has implemented giant mechanical arms to flip burgers (nicknamed Flippy) and cook french fries (Chippy) at locations across the U.S. At a pilot restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas, it's nearly all robots serving McDonald's customers." (CTV News) Assembly-line food production is apparently perfect for robots. So, does this mean we will get our fast food even faster and will it be cheaper? Afterall, fewer wages will be paid out in places like Dominos. Boomers, it's a new world out there....are you ready to adjust, again?! Cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! Some people just don't get excited about NHL hockey anymore....they have excuses like the continued existance of legal fighting, their team never wins, and how do you get pumped-up by "a bunch of millionaires" chasing a small, black,rubber puck?! I do though. Yesterday was " Hockey Day in Canada" as all Canadian teams took to the ice, including Montreal which played my all-time fav Boston! And it was quite the night in my household; we hosted a special hockey night viewing, dinner, and games with a friend couple(one of which is an ardent Habs' fan!) and the emotion and entertainment was special....at least for me. My Bruins won in a cakewalk 9-4....but there was no cake for dessert, just chocolate/peanut butter squares! Great company and a great game. Here's to the tradition of old-time hockey Boomers! May the memory of Bobby Orr, Maurice Richard, Dave Keon, and Wayne Gretzky never die! And cheers to HNIC.

Today is your day Boomer! Boomers, this bears repeating because many of you live outside the reading zone of the Penticton Herald newspaper. Paul Crossley, in a letter to the editor, had these kind words to say about THE MAN running for president: "Abysmal Hysterical.....Offensive Venal.....Belligerent Incongruous.....Pissant Wacky.....Churlish Juvenile.....Quixotic Xenophobic.....Depraved Knavish.....Revengeful Yechy.....Execrable Leud.....Spurious Zany.....Fraudulent Maniacal.....Turbulent Gaudy.....Nihilistic Uncouth".Okay, I had to use a dictionary to understand some of these descriptors. Obviously, this writer does not like(hmmm, hmmm) Mr. Trump at all! He joins over 2/3 of Canadians who showed their dislike for the former president in a recent poll. Some called Donald "crazy". Now that's a word I can understand! Good luck in the primaries......all candidates! And cheers.

Today is your day Boomer! We are a "fit" generation aren't we? Recent research seems to indicate this. Boomers in the nation of Australia average one hour of fitness training per day! That is awesome and those Boomers down under are way ahead of other generations! So, here comes some fitness tips for us from an Aussie personal trainer: "1. Uncover what motivates you: think about what you love doing. Is it being outdoors? Consider activities like forest walking or outdoor bootcamps. Are you a social butterfly? Make your usual coffee at the local café a takeaway and go for a walk with a friend. 2. Find activities that you love: once you know what motivates you, whether it is walking in nature, connecting with others, health or even feeding that healthy competitive streak, it’s time to take the plunge and find the right activity for you. 3. Buddy up: you are less likely to bail if someone is waiting for you, so grab a friend, family member or even a work pal and ge

Today is your day Boomer! They call it "exercise snacks"....and no, we are not talking about food. We focus today on short periods of heavy physical energy; more on this from Dr. Jane Thornton: "Essentially, we think about these short bursts of intense physical activity as being something that's lower volume, so it doesn't take up quite as much time; but it's usually a little bit more intense." And here is one recent study that supports this: "A 2022 study co-authored by Gibala tracked 25,241 British non-exercisers who engaged in three one-to two-minute sessions of vigorous physical activity throughout their day, showing a 38 per cent to 40 per cent reduction in "all-cause and cancer mortality."(cbc.ca) Oh, sounds good! Examples? Walking stairs, going steeply uphill on a treadmill, standing burpees or air squats. Doctors say this brief "intense" activity can be just as good for you as those 30-minute daily "moderate"

Today is your day Boomer! Heavy snow and extreme cold is double-trouble for Boomers....especially Boomers with a history of heart disease. It comes down to the simple risk of snow shoveling. Yup, moving too much snow over a short time. According to health.harvard.edu, "picking up a shovel and moving hundreds of pounds of snow, particularly after doing nothing physical for several months, can put a big strain on the heart. Pushing a heavy snow blower can do the same thing. Cold weather is another contributor because it can boost blood pressure, interrupt blood flow to part of the heart, and make blood more likely to form clots." Heart attack! Yes, the number of attacks increases over the winter months as people become more sedentary. So, read the list of cardiologist safety tips in this picture...and maybe follow some or all of them Boomers. Oh, there is one other option--get someone else to do the work for you. For example, pay a teen to tackle your heavy snow loads.

Today is your day Boomer! Some people do crazy things....even when it is cold, very cold! This morning, it was minus 28 when I got up and yet I'm sure some Boomers went skiing. Or maybe a motorcycle ride??!! The two main risks are frostbite and hypothermia....the latter can kill you. So, how to prepare properly for these extreme temperatures? According to the National Weather Service, here are some main "dress" tips: (1)Wear layers of loose-fitting and lightweight clothing. Trapped air between the layers will insulate you. (2)If doing strenuous outdoor activities, avoid wearing cotton. Once wet, cotton takes a long time to dry and will sap your heat. Use synthetic fabrics that wick moisture from your skin and dry quickly. (3)Outer garments should be tightly woven, water repellent, and hooded. (4)Wear a hat, because 40%of your body heat can be lost from your head. (5)Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extreme cold. (6)Mittens, snug at the wrist, are better

Today is your Boomer! The most impactful moments on television just happen to be dominated by Baby Boomer events. According to a study done by the Television Academy, big news events dominated the top three spots: Atop it they put Apollo 11's 1969 first landing on the moon, and Neil Armstrong's declaration of a "giant leap for mankind.” In second they put coverage of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and in third the Beatles' 1964 appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Another big Boomer event was Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered at the March on Washington in 1963, coming in ranked No. 6. And lots of famous TV "show" moments are also rated very high; here's just a few: the final episode of MASH, the much-debated, cut-to-black final moment of “The Sopranos", the episode of “Ellen” where Ellen DeGeneres reveals she's gay, and the infamous “Soup Nazi” episode of “Seinfeld”. Hey, I watched many of these! Great

Today is your day Boomer! A Boomer friend slipped on ice yesterday going to pickleball. She stepped out of her car and zoommmmmmm....fell quickly onto the hard parking lot. She was very sore but was lucky not to break any bones! This happens a lot in Canada. Almost 30,000 people suffer hip fractures every year in Canada, and most of them are Boomers and older seniors. What else? According to a new study, "More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling, usually by falling sideways. Women experience three-quarters of all hip fractures. Women fall more often than men. Women more often have osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break." Hmmmm....not encouraging. Some other info? "Falls are the No. 1 reason for injury-related death, hospitalization and emergency department visits for older adults in Canada." Winter is finally here Boomers! Get ready for massive snow storms, ice, and very cold temperatures across Canada

Today is your Boomer! Okay, he is almost a Boomer....so, I will include him in our generation. He is the man in yellow in this picture and he is a long-distance runner. But Gary Leung is not your ordinary athlete, he is blind and he runs incredible distances flanked by assistants(in bright pink) who help him stay on line and avoid obstacles! According to CTV News, "Leung has completed the 100-kilometre (62-mile) Antarctic Ice Marathon, becoming the first blind person to do so; the 400km ‘Ultra Gobi’, considered among the toughest foot-races in the world; and is fresh off a 2,300km charity run from Japan’s southern city of Kagoshima on Kyushu Island up to northern Aomori." He averaged 50 km/day for 40 straight days! Along the way, he also raises money for children who have critical illnesses...most recently, about 60,000$ in Japan! Next up for Leung and his tight-knit crew is the Marathon des Sables, a 250km desert run from Morocco to France, in April. And then he wants t

Today is your day Boomer! I saw this poster in a high school P.E. office yesterday and thought....if this is good for kids, it surely fits the bill for Boomers! Look at all the benefits of walking, especially outside. Things beyond the obvious "cardio" health benefits....with more emphasis on the "mental" side of things. Simply put, a walk makes you feel better. This comes with a disturbing reminder from Statistics Canada: "In the most recent Stats Can survey on exercise for older Canadians, 42% of respondents reported walking outside less than three days a week. Yet research suggests that walking outdoors, especially in nature, provides physical and emotional benefits. The reverse is also true: limited outdoor walking is an indicator of frailty and a risk factor for social isolation, decline in mobility, and reduced health-related quality of life." Okay, only 42%. This means we can do better, especially during this very-warm winter this year. It

Today is your day Boomer! To downsize or not? That is the question Boomers as we consider another year living in bigger homes built for families....but our children have mostly moved out! So what do we do? A smaller house, a condo, a big RV? According to mortgagesandbox.com, here are five key drivers of Boomers’ decision to downsize. (1)financial considerations: "The cost of maintaining a larger home, including property taxes, insurance, and maintenance, can be a significant burden on retirees living on a fixed income. In the current inflationary environment with high mortgage rates, those costs have risen significantly in the past year." (2)health and mobility: "As we age, we may find that our ability to maintain a larger home and navigate stairs and other obstacles becomes more challenging. In these cases, downsizing to a more accessible home, such as a single-story home or one with fewer stairs, can be a sensible choice." (3)lifestyle and hobbies: "Some

Today is your day Boomer! It is going to cost you more to live this year....at least if you are a Boomer in British Columbia. Here is a list of potential price increases as we start 2024: (1)According to Canada's Food Price Report 2024, total food prices are expected to increase by 2.5 to 4.5 per cent in 2024. This means the typical Canadian family of four can expect an increase of about $700 in their annual food bill. (2)FortisBC, which provides power to some parts of the province, will raise its electricity rates by 6.74 per cent starting Jan. 1, costing the average customer about an additional $11.26 per month. Meanwhile, B.C. Hydro has also applied to the B.C. Utilities Commission for a 2.3 per cent rate hike that would take effect on April 1, 2024. (3)The B.C. government announced in September it would cap the allowable rent increase at 3.5 per cent for 2024. As well, home prices across Canada are expected to rise by 5.5 per cent by the end of 2024, according to a market su