Today Is Your Day Boomer

Today is your day Boomer! I got a letter in the mail yesterday saying I am now officially on the "waiting list" for hip replacement surgery. The letter says 6-10 weeks is the wait time with room for error either way. This is after my initial consult with my hip specialist three months ago. So, do the math and it will be about a half year wait. Many Boomers, like me, accept this and say this is just how our health care system works. But others do different things. A friend of mine said "no" to the long wait time and went to Alberta for his surgery. He paid his 30,000$ and waited less than two weeks! I saw him yesterday....he is doing great: no limping, very little pain, restarting golf, going fishing, and walking many km a day! And you should see his smile and great attitude! Why not Boomers? If you can afford it and you're in a ton of pain, journey to places like Alberta or the U.S.. Get it done...and enjoy your retirement years sooner. In the meant

Today is your day Boomer! Boomers, we all want a reliable car....a vehicle that performs multi-functions, looks good, and has a sensible price tag. But....RELIABILITY....is probably number one in our hearts. Who wants a breakdown on a mountain highway in the middle of the winter? Well, according to Consumer Reports, Lexus(#1), Toyota(#2), and Mazda(#3) are your best bets for used cars! In last place, Tesla, Dodge and Chrysler vehicles out of the 26 brands surveyed. The average North American spends 40,000$ on something used and 68,000$ on a new vehicle....so, it is a major decision. And of course, it greatly factors into re-sale value of a vehicle. Be careful though. According to CTV News research, "Even though some cars are known to stand the test of time, not every model year from every brand, even a solid one, is created equal." In other words, Boomers, do your due dilligence and research. And good luck.

Today is your day Boomer! What are those ugly looking red things in the picture? Boomer tennis and pickleball players, those are RED low-pressure tennis balls....perfect for a new sport, a new sport that could challenge the incredible growth of pickleball. Yup, Tennis America is getting so concerned about the rise of pickleball that they have introduced a slower, smaller version of tennis! It is called "red ball tennis" and has been used with younger kids for quite awhile, but now it is being promoted for older adults.....like Boomers! According to Sport News, "it's the ideal way for people of all ages to get into tennis and the best place to try it is (wait for it) on pickleball courts." Yes, you can play on p-ball courts....which, by the way, are already pretty full but has less noise. It is also considered a stepping stone to play the bigger, faster normal game of tennis. Here is what one new player, Angelique, says about red tennis: "I have to say,

Today is your day Boomer ! We are likely the most high-profile, influential generation of all-time. We, the Baby Boomers, can reflect back on a time of intense global change, cultural revolution, individualism, and economic motivation. American writer Philip Bump describes it this way: "Boomer babies fueled a huge spike in diaper sales. North American school systems had to rapidly expand classrooms and hire an enormous number of new teachers to make way for the influx of young boomer pupils. While boomers spent much of their lives benefiting from a robust economy, it is their very existence that helped to create that prosperity: They were a cohort of historically-unprecedented size, whose basic need to be clothed, fed, housed and educated was a decades-long jobs creator and economy stimulator. And they were a cohort whose massive size and timing — not just in the immediate aftermath of World War II, but decades into a postindustrial era of growth, government investment and a s

Today is your day Boomer! How many putters do you have in your bag Boomer golfers? I know one guy that has four, including the supposed-best-of-all putters....the Scotty Cameron. This apparently is the best putter in the world for 30 years, is used by great players like Tiger Woods, and sells for 600-1000 dollars! Yes, another example of consumerism...a time when we grew-up Boomers, a time when we spent, spent, spent and created a very-materialistic world! Well, the younger generations are now apparently saying NO to this trend. It is called the "underconsumption core”, and it's an emerging trend that’s basically the opposite of the buy-it-all mindset that you often see. And according to thesimplicityhabit.com, "it comes as a welcome relief to those who are tired of trying to keep up with expensive lifestyles and unrealistic expectations." Here is an example: "Instead of buying everything new, underconsumption core is all about buying second-hand. Thrifti

Today is your day Boomer! I have some Boomer friends away for a month-long European vacation right now. England, Belgium, France, Italy, and Portugal(including the Paris Olympics) are their main stops.....what a trip!! But when is the right time, age-wise, to travel for Boomers and seniors? You may have heard the old cliche: "60's are the GO years, 70's are GO SLOW, and 80's are NO" Is this really true? "Ability to travel is not a function of age," says Elaine Schaefer, who writes a blog about senior travel. "It's determined by your physical and mental fitness." In other words, it's more a question of self-assessment. Some 60-year-olds are less fit and only marginally prepared for the stress and other impacts of travel versus some 85-year-olds who can go on walking holidays for 300km on the Spanish coast! Travel experts say "you may have to adjust your activity level to match your physical condition."(see picture). For e

Today is your day Boomer! What is it with this crazy world Boomers? First off, there is no smoke in the Okanagan Valley and it is smokin' hot in mid-August! What a relief....great for boating, golfing, biking, any outdoor activity. Also, I bought a bag of noodles yesterday and it cost $6.50! What??? How about a pie? Almost 11 bucks for a store-bought bumbleberry version, and...I bought another pie from a local farmers market at the supremely-absurb price of 25 dollars! This is nuts! And.....they put cranberries in the bumbleberry pie! What? Yup, along with the tradional raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Wow, my world has turned upside down. What's next, corn on the cob for $1.20 each? 0h, that is already happening too. I need a loan just to go to the grocery store! Boomers, remember the good ol' days when you could get five loaves of bread for one dollar? Or KD for 10 cents? Now it is 2.50$ for the same box of macaroni. Back to noodles again. By the

Today is your day Boomer! Sorry, no blogs recently....I have been on holiday trying to avoid the internet! But I have been fishing, swimming, hiking, and kayaking at our summer cabin in the B.C. Interior. And I noticed something new about many wilderness lakes....kayaks and paddleboards are taking over, while powerboats are on the decline. I saw very few noisy speed boats and jetskis, and a great number of quieter, self-propelled floater boats. It was great! A super way to enjoy nature and get exercise. I would do 1 and 1/2 hour paddles every morning, either with a family member or friend. We would see lots of wildlife like fish, eagles, herrons, osprey, beavers, and bear. And....we would paddle slower and smoother for long distances....with shorter high-speed cardio sessions mixed in. Great idea! The experience and scenery were awesome (see picture). By the way, a recent Google article states almost 3% of North American Boomers own kayaks. I envision that number going way u

Today is your day Boomer! Boomers, as we age, one of our greatest concerns is dementia. It is a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. And it is often associated with other medical risks like heart disease! So, would you trust a 30-year study with over 130,000 participants who basically ate nuts instead of red meat? According to CTV News, "The men and women were asked how often they ate a serving of processed red meat, which could be two slices of bacon, one hot dog, two small links of sausage or kielbasa, and salami, bologna or other processed meat sandwiches. They were also asked how often they ate nuts and legumes, such as one tablespoon of peanut butter; one ounce of peanuts, walnuts or other nuts; an eight-ounce glass of soy milk; a half cup of string beans, lentils, beans, peas or lima beans; or a typical three-ounce serving of tofu or soy protein." The result? The risk for dementia

Today is your day Boomer! It is one of my favourite all-time movies....it is Dumb and Dumber from 1994, and it reminds of numerous events in the news today! (1) 18 campfires were discovered in the Okanagan recently despite a lengthy, well-advertised ban and an extremely-dangerous forest fire season (2) A 20-year-old college student fell 400 feet to his death BASE jumping at the Grand Canyon (3) A man in his 20s died after cliff jumping at Twin Falls in Lynn Canyon, near Vancouver. There have been 40 deaths in the past 50 years at this location. (4) A 14-year-old boy died after falling overboard in Lake Huron and becoming tangled in the boat’s propeller Tuesday morning. Many of these incidents are, of course, very preventable. Boomers, let's all be smart and careful, take minimal risks and enjoy our beautiful summer with family and friends. Cheers!

Today is your day Boomer! With my social studies teaching background, I enjoy writing about current events in this blog....as well as, reading letters to the editor and editorials in my local newspaper(Penticton Herald). And every once in awhile, I see something worth repeating. Here it is; a comparison of the two main U.S. presidential candidates: " Donald Trump: Born in the U.S.A., Moneyed-class upbringing, B.A. Science & Economics, Handed a business position, TV host for The Apprentice, No real political/military experience, Communication style unprecedented, Characterized as racist, misogynistic, Married three times, Impeached twice, Convicted felon on 34 charges, No common sense?, Concerned for his self-interests, Project 2025: to end democracy. Kamala Harris: Born in the U.S.A., Middle class upbringing, B.A. Political Science and JD Law, Lawyer, Senator, Deputy Dist. Attorney, Attorney General California, Politically qualified, U.S. Vice-President – factual, Charac