Today Is Your Day Boomer

Today is your day Boomer! Sorry, I took a few blog days off for the Easter weekend....but here is some new food, er...music for thought. Boomers, how often do we only listen to "greatest hits" songs from our favourite artists like The Beatles, Elton John, and Dire Straits? What about the so-called "B" sides of some of their greatest hits.....the weaker, less-listened to, sometimes-forgotten songs of our favourite bands?? A few come to mind; look at this album cover from Dr.Hook in 1974 and remember the funky, crazy song called "Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball". Listen to the lyrics; they are hysterical! What about "Why don't we do it in the road?" by The Beatles on the famous White Album? Try that one....simple lyrics with quite a message! And then there is this song: "Sway": From the Rolling Stones' album "Sticky Fingers," this bluesy rocker boasts a powerful rhythm section and Keith Richards' renowne

Today is your day Boomer! A couple of "must do" things for Boomers this Easter weekend: spend lots of time with family, have a big celebratory dinner, if religious...attend church, recreate outside, eat some chocolate, and fill-up your gas-guzzler vehicles. The infamous Carbon Tax kicks-in a new rate on Monday, April 1 and this means a gas increase of about 15 cents/litre! This tax came into effect at $20 per ton in 2019. It has steadily climbed in the years since and is scheduled to rise from $65 per ton to $80 on April 1. It is scheduled to go up another $15 each year until 2030, when it reaches $170 a ton. That is unless the Liberals get voted out of office and another party cancels it. It is causing much debate in our nation. For me....it means filling up two vehicles, a boat, and an extra gas can for my lawnmower sometime this weekend. By the way, "summer" gas is more expensive than winter fuel....so we can expect more price increases in the next few mont

Today is your day Boomer! Every day we read in the news....lots of stories about senior scams. Many older Canadians getting bilked out of thousands of dollars because they trust people....people who are criminals on the phone or internet. Last year it was almost 10 million dollars in our country! This would never happen to us, right Boomers? We are too young, we don't have dementia, and are not easily fooled! Well, many of us are now into our late 70's....we're getting up there! According to the National Institute on Aging, here are the top four senior scams: (1)Government impersonator scams, such as someone posing as a Medicare representative asking for account information (2)Fake prize, sweepstakes, and lottery scams, in which you are asked to pay money or provide account information to claim winnings (3)Computer tech support scams, in which a scammer tells you that your computer has a problem and wants you to pay for support services to fix it (4)The grandparent scam,

Today is your day Boomer! I have written over 700 blogs on this page, so needless to say, I spend a lot of time searching the net for Baby Boomer info. I came upon this advice on Facebook a few days ago and you can take it or leave it. Here is the abbreviated version. Advice for Boomers 60 years of age or older: (1)It's time to use the money you saved; use and enjoy it! (2)Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandkids. (3)Keep a healthy life without great physical effort; do moderate exercise. (4)Try not to dwell on daily aches and pain; accept them as part of life. (5)Speak in courteous tones and try not to criticize and complain too much. (6)Don't stress over the little things in life; feel good in the now. (7)Enjoy your time and money together with your partner; love is most important! (8)Be proud; maintain your outer appearance, so you'll feel better about yourself on the inside. All these come from a social media guy named Tim Lewis. Th

Today is your day Boomer! Yesterday I was upset with younger generations who took potshots at some Boomer traditions....like still using a telephone landline! Today, it is me critiquing them. Does this picture make you cringe? Do these young people not practice manners, or....are the people they are communicating with more important than their table friends? Here is a sad statistic from a survey of 42,000 young people: "The study found 23% had behaviour that was consistent with an addiction - such as anxiety over not being able to use their phone, not being able to moderate the time spent and using mobiles so much that it was detrimental to other activities."(BBC News) This means almost 1/4 of young people are addicted to their cellphones! What else? "Such addictive behaviour could be linked to other problems such as stress, a depressed mood, lack of sleep and reduced achievement in school." Oh boy. Boomers, let's all put down those phones and live life to

Today is your day Boomer! Sometimes other generations make fun of us Boomers. Is it jealousy, or is it because our generation has traditionally taken a leading role in our society? I don't know....but I do know websites like moneywise.com, publish lists like this: "16 useless baby boomer life skills". Here are a few examples: (1) Reading a map: "reading a physical map can be a little intimidating, but it may be a worthwhile skill to learn and maintain for those rare in-case-of-emergency situations." (2) Driving a stickshift: 96% of North Americans now drive automatic transmissions! (3) Writing in cursive: "the rise of email, digital note-taking and even e-signatures has limited the opportunities to ever show off your fancy penmanship." (4) Using a landline: like the fancy red one in this picture, the article mocks us with "It won’t be long now before the only corded phone you’ll find will be in a museum." (5) Ironing your clothes: "A

Today is your day Boomer! I guess I have been spelling "yuk" wrong on my blog....the correct way is actually "yuck" and it truly is a very-expressive slang word....especially in this case. They are nicknamed the 'Dirty Dozen', the annual list of 12 worst vegetables and fruits for unacceptable traces of pesticides. According to CNN, "Approximately 95% of nonorganic strawberries, leafy greens such as spinach and kale, collard and mustard greens, grapes, peaches and pears" are on the list. Add in nectarines, apples, bell and hot peppers, cherries, blueberries and green beans. These foods, coming from America, are some of my favourites! On the flip side, "Avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, onions and papayas led the 'Clean Fifteen' list of conventionally-grown produce with the least amount of trace pesticides.....and frozen sweet peas, asparagus, honeydew melons, kiwis, cabbage, watermelons, mushrooms, mangoes, sweet potatoes and carrot

Today is your day Boomer! Here's a name you likely haven't heard in a long time....Frank Zappa. An American composer, guitarist, and satirist of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. He produced 60 musical albums including a lot of rock and jazz during our Boomer growing-up period. Yup, he was a little "out there" with his ideas on life and culture. In fact, this is how he described himself: "I am not a hippie, I am a freak!" But then again, read his message in this picture; it includes a big ray of optimism in this-rather negative world and he encourages us to "turn off, tune out, and turn on our life."......basically what this Boomer blog is all about. Certainly I am not a famous entertainer, but Dave Stathers says "live every day like it could be your last, and be active and positive!" I've already had heart surgery twice and I am only 65. Thanks for the reminder Frank. Boomers, let's LIVE!!

Today is your day Boomer! As I head out the door this morning for my first game of golf, I reflect on the good and bad of the official arrival of spring. The good: look at this picture and tell me you aren't excited about the return of green growth and colourful flowers, the return of chatting birds as they get their nests ready for babies, five days in a row so far of clear skies and 20 degree temperatures (where I live), an early start to gardening outside, golfing and skiing on the same day, and daylight saving time for those evening walks with the dog. The bad: drought conditions continue across BC, the early start of forest fire season(two in the Okanagan this past weekend), the new unpredictable weather patterns, the lower-than-normal snow pack, and the higher chance of flooding due to heavy tree loss last year. Boomers, spring has sprung....let's enjoy, but be ready for almost anything this year! Cheers....

Today is your day Boomer! I took a run at extremist politics in Germany yesterday, so how about a little American government today? He is a longshot....a Democrat like his famous uncle JFK, but Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is taking a run at the US presidency. Like Justin Trudeau in Canada, he is obviously using name recognition from his family(Justin's father was Pierre, long-time PM of our nation) to gain votes during the "primary" presidential process down south. His famous uncle, of course, was president in the 1960s....and his Dad, RFK, was a senator, attorney general, and confidant/advisor to John during the scary Cuban Missle Crisis in 1962! Robert, the son, has been criticized for his anti-vaccine stance during COVID...but he still describes himself as an advocate for the middle class. He says "I can fix this country." But according to CTV News, he has a public-speaking medical issue: "Kennedy talks in a quiet, strained voice, sometimes haltingly, the

Today is your day Boomer! I thought those days were over....as a history teacher for thirty years, I taught the horrors of the Holocaust, the rise of Hitler, and the extreme nationalism in Germany. Well, it's back. Sigh....in fact, if Germany held an election today, the relatively-new Alternative for Germany(AfG) Party would take 2nd place! One anti-AFG demonstrator echoes my thoughts: "I never thought such inhuman ideas would be gaining popularity in Germany again. I thought we had learned the lessons from our past." Apparently it is mostly young men that are latching onto this party, many from the old eastern part of Germany. And according to CTV News, "voters in Germany and across Europe are increasingly empowering far-right nationalist parties who promise to restrict immigration and, in some cases, constrain democratic freedoms of religion, of expression, of the right to protest." Syria, Turkey, and Afghanistan immigrants are trying to get into Germany

Today is your day Boomer! Today may be a good day for drinking, afterall it is St. Patricks Day, but any day is a good day for reading! Boomers do a ton of reading compared to other generations; here are some stats from a recent study done by libraryjournal.com: 58% of Boomers are "avid readers"....in 2nd place behind the 58% older Silent Generation. 75% of us have local libray cards vs Generation X (79%) and our number one reading genre is "thrillers" at 43%. That's my favourite, but my wife likes to stick to non-fiction. But I think what is even more interesting is what books can do for you physically and mentally. Check out the book/reading facts on this picture....for example, how reading reduces stress and how it helps us live longer! I agree with this last one as reading words sharpens our mind, makes us think and imagine, and helps keep the dreaded "dementia" at bay in our aging brains! Boomers...books, books, books! It's good for

Today is your day Boomer! This picture is an eye opener Boomers, especially as warm weather is upon us and we head out into nature for hiking, biking, walking, and camping. A lot of these "garbage" items take mega-years to break down, so read the headlines carefully. That reminds me; how environmentally conscious is our generation? According to sgkinc.com, "Concerning sustainability, they prefer brands that are trustworthy, credible, and environmentally conscious in their production processes. And based on a study "Shaping the Future Together" by the Prognos Institute and Kantar Public, baby boomers are more sustainable in their behavior compared to Gen Z. The study found that 81% of boomers waste less food, water, and energy and avoid plastic bags to reduce waste. Additionally, 49% are foregoing air travel for the environment. This frugality is attributed to their personal history and their childhood and youth not being characterized by abundance." Ok

Today is your day Boomer! As my golf season gets set to open this weekend, a few thoughts for Boomers.....(1) Golf is getting rather expensive, isn't it? Annual dues and daily green fees are up substantially since COVID and even beer, a mainstay of the 19th hole, has bubbled up in price! (2)There is more demand for tee times, especially from Boomers who are hitting retirement age and we are playing more games; at our course last year, we had quite a few players over 100 rounds and the average was about 70. (3)Boomers have to deal with a variety of aches and pains when they play; for example, aging for me means pain in a hip, knee, and Achilles tendon! (4)Grey-haired males still dominate most golf courses, but more and more women are taking up the sport. (5)More older Boomers means more use of carts on courses; however, my buddies and I like to walk for the exercise and we always think of a recent study that shows golf walkers live longer! Okay Boomers, have a good season. May the

Today is your day Boomer! Another Baby Boomer bites the dust. Yup, singer/songwriter Eric Carmen has passed away this week at the tender age of 74. Remember him? Lead singer of The Raspberries and then maybe more famous as a solo artist, who had a great appreciation of some other famous performers: "I loved the Beatles, The Who, the Byrds, the Stones, the Beach Boys and the Small Faces. I loved bands that could WRITE!”(CNN) His most famous singing hits included an emotional "All By Myself" and “Hungry Eyes,” which provided the steamy soundtrack backdrop for an intensifying love between Johnny and Baby in “Dirty Dancing.” I liked this guy and I still have those two songs on my phone playlist! But I don't like the hair. Boomer guys, did you have hair like this back in the 1970s? Yuk! Looks kind of like a raspberry patch. Cheers and here's to Carmen...

Today is your day Boomer! Hey Boomers, we only have a few decades left on this planet....maybe we should choose a community that is serious about attracting retired people. How about Vernon, BC...a city in the North Okanagan that already sports the biggest and best indoor pickleball facility in Canada, and now, a new 136 million dollar ALC(Active Living Centre)?! This is what it offers for us Boomers: "The new ALC includes an aquatic centre with an eight lane 50-meter pool with a moveable bulkhead and two diving boards; leisure pool with zero depth beach entry; tot slide; spray features; a lazy river and a family hot tub. Also featured will be a warm water 25-meter by-three lane teaching pool; sauna; steam room and adult’s only hot tub. The facility also includes a fitness centre, double gymnasium with multiple sports courts, a synthetic walking/running track and eight dedicated multipurpose activity and program rooms." Wow! Vernon also features two incredible recreation la

Today is your day Boomer! 62 year old Toby Keith has some great advice for us Boomers! His country song "Don't Let the Old Man in" sums up our fight against aging and mortality. Keith died last month of stomach cancer, but he fought very hard for two years to avoid death. His song, a big hit, was inspired by a visit with a much-older Clint Eastwood. According to parade.com, the two shared a golf cart at Eastwood’s golf tournament in California, and the Oscar-winning director mentioned he was leaving the next day for three-month shoot to make a movie called The Mule. "How do you do it, man?" Keith asked. "I just don’t let the old man in,” Eastwood responded. From there, Keith got to writing. He performed the emotional song at the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards and Eastwood placed the song in his movie "The Mule." Boomers, this song is all about attitude. Here are just a few of the descriptive lyrics: "Many moons I have lived, My b

Today is your day Boomer! Boomer men, do you look like this? Check out the picture. When was the last time you updated your wardrobe? You know, those floppy, wide, bell-bottom jeans from 1972 just won't work anymore!!! Okay then, we need some fashion advice from a so-called industry expert. Micheal Q. Parker has ten tips to help us, and his advice is to finish this sentence: "You might be dressing like a Boomer if you".....(1)wear dress shirts untucked (2)wear cutoff jean shorts (3)only wear collared shirts (4)only wear black shoes with your blue pants (5)only wear sweatpants when working out (6)won't give up the shirt and tie (7)only wear sneakers when exercising (8)only wear wide silk ties (9)haven’t bought a new suit, sport coat or slacks in the past ten years (10)if you over accessorize. Boomer guys, these are good tips! Do you spend some money on newer fashion and regularly clean out your closet? Maybe it's time and maybe your wife would agree. Chee

Today is your day Boomer! Boomers, my friends, and family.....thank you so much for reading my blog every day! Today, I ask that you read this picture and strongly consider a donation to this very-worthwhile school gym project in Summerland. Money raised will go to "extras" that will help make this 10 million gym very special for students and the community as a whole....things like extra paint on the floor and a new, bigger scoreclock. We need 25,000$ by the end of April...Thanks again. Dave

Today is your day Boomer! How much would you pay to watch the greatest golfer in the world play? A lot, right? Tiger Woods, because of numerous injuries over his career, only plays once a month now....usually at "major" tournaments like the U.S. Open. So....you pay all that money and follow him around all day, fighting with massive crowds, and then you do what is portrayed in this picture. Instead of enjoying the moment...the sounds, the live sights of a legend swinging a golf club...you hustle for a picture or a video. Look at the picture again; this is what our world has come to! A recording of a special moment is obviously more important than actually experiencing it live! In my opinion, this is sad, sad, sad! Yes, I say, try for one pic/vid of Tiger and then put the phone away! Just enjoy the atmosphere....It's likely a "once-in-a-lifetime" moment that should savoured and enjoyed in your memory. Boomers, let's live for the moment....the now.

Today is your day Boomer! He is 74 now...a Boomer himself, and he started releasing albums in 1973 when I was still in high school. But Bruce Springsteen is still putting out a new album. However, it is a "greatest hits" collection to be released next month. If you want a CD or vinyl version, it sports 18 tracks like "Born to Run" and "Secret Garden"...the digital album has 31 songs! Meanwhile, we, Boomers, know Springsteen as a rock n'roll legend: "Springsteen is a pioneer of heartland rock, a genre combining mainstream rock music with poetic and socially conscious lyrics that feature narratives primarily concerning working-class American life. He is known for his descriptive lyrics and energetic concerts, with performances that can last for more than four hours".(Wikipedia) I saw Springsteen, live in concert in Vancouver, in my early 20's....definitely one of the best shows on my personal concert list! I like greatest hits albums..

Today is your day Boomer! This event fits my encouraging, stay-active blog Boomers perfectly! It is March, so that means UBCO in Kelowna will be hosting a month-long symposium entitled "Embrace Aging". It is the 10th year in a row for this event....perfect for Boomers....and here are samples of workshops available to you: "The month of March will feature a host of events including estate planning, digital literacy, living with dementia, learning how electronic medical records and health portals work, as well as ending ageism and an introduction session on tarot cards. This year there will also be a Bollywood-style dancing workshop, chair yoga, a course on electric bikes, as well as a bird watching session."(Castanet News) Boomers, many of us are 65 years and older and are part of the fastest-growing age group in Canada and over the next 20 years, the population of older adults is expected to grow by more than 65 percent! Let's embrace this time in our lives.

Today is your day Boomer! I really enjoy my once-weekly blah, blah, blah sessions with my Boomer buddies. We meet at Tims on Thursdays for coffee and sometimes dougnuts and blab away the morning for about 90 minutes. Often we arrive to a packed restaurant and leave just before lunch time! By the way, the most dominant group there(by far!) is grey-haired. We talk politics, weather, recreation, family, and local issues/events.....but, there is one topic we really need to improve upon. We always talk medical issues...we do it first and it is lengthy and we almost do a round-the-table "me-hurt" session. I am very guilty of this as I croon over my recent leg injuries and how they greatly affect my lifestyle! Otherwise, we hear about hearts, valves, knees, stomachs, hips, prostrates, extra weight, and the list goes on and on. Boys...some of you read my blog and I say it is time for a change! Less talk on health and way more talk on golf, skiing, family, and friends should b

Today is your day Boomer! And today is March 1....the beginning of a new month and maybe a new feeling?! Boomers, I am an optimist...and I do know the official start of spring is still three weeks away, but I have this feeling that the sun and warmth are coming very soon! So...I have a long drive to a conference this morning and I have decided to play this Beatles' song to celebrate MY early start to spring(see lyrics of "Here Comes The Sun"). It is George Harrison's version of new life and this is one interpretation: "Here Comes the Sun is thus a song about hope. We all go through difficult times, difficult moments in our life. And some of these moments feel like they last a long time -- just like the long, cold, lonely winter. But eventually it does change, the winter does end." When he wrote this song, George was depressed and upset about a possible breakup of the band, so he engaged in a beautiful, thoughtful walk in a garden on a sunny day. He then