Today is your day Boomer! It was nice to start off my morning media reads with a Christmas message from the president of Pickleball Canada. Obviously a funny guy, this is what David Snell had to say to us "picklers": "take a break from your daily routines, 'Eat, Dink and Be Merry' and have a 'Volley, Jolly Christmas'! He speaks to us in a monthly "Kitchen Sink Newsletter" and reminds us that your eyewear protection is no good in your bag! Thanks David, good advice as that hard plastic ball comes over the net very fast....often at eye level. At last count, there were 1.37 million of us across the country, with many young people joining the sport. But the vast majority are Boomers, like us, who crave the socialization, sport, and competition. Many also play tennis in the summer and sometimes squash or racquetball in the colder months. Speaking of winter, this is a picture of the huge indoor pickleball facility in Vernon, B.C. which attracts regional and national competitions and hosts over 700 regular members. By the way Boomers, about half of all players engage in the sport once a week....the other half play up to FOUR times a week, pretty seriously, I suppose. It is a great sport! Happy holidays!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Today is your day Boomer! Well, yesterday was my day! My long-awaited dream of building and opening a new high school gym in Summerland came true! 550 students watched, smiled and vigourously applauded as the SD67 school trustees officially cut the ribbon and opened the facility. The kids played in their new gym, in a so-called Rocket Rally, right after that and then 200 more mostly-Summerlanders attended a two-hour opening fundraiser that evening. There were people, young and old, every where: going on tours, eating food, watching volleyball and basketball, listening to speeches, and investing money in 30 community-donated silent auction items and a huge 50/50 raffle...organized by the school's Parent Advisory Council. The final fundraiser tally was about 7000$...made in only two hours! Congratulations students and staff of SSS. Your new gym is finally here, the first new one since 1951! Play on....
Read more
Image
Today is your day Boomer! In just two days time, I will join the "hip parade" in Canada...that large number of mostly Boomers that have undergone hip replacement surgery. How many? Well according to cihi.ca, "In 2021–2022, more than 117,000 hip and knee replacements were performed in Canada, which is 5.9% more compared with the previous year, but still lower than the annual number performed before the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, more than $1.26 billion was spent on hospital costs." That's a lot of new metal, titanium, plastic and carbon injected into our bodies and a ton of money! Done in a private clinic, the cost is about 20,000-28,000 dollars. In public health, the wait list varies, but it is usually over a half year(I was seven months) and for many the pain is truly unbearable. Many are walking with canes, can't make it around the block, and are popping pills or getting injections to reduce their suffering. At one point last spring, I could hardly wa...
Read more
Image
Today is your day Boomer! To my Boomer friends and family in the South Okanagan, I cordially invite you to a BIG fundraiser at my former workplace, Summerland Secondary School. It is the new gym...in the works and a big dream of mine for.....well, decades! The sparkling new gym officially opens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony(big wigs and media only) at 10am on November 13.....but the public gets its chance at 6pm the same day! It is a fundraiser for "extras" like basketball hoops on the outside tennis court and a new, enhanced gym sound system! The school committee has already raised over 22,000$ and they want more! Can you help please by attending? Tickets are $20 for a special "smokie" dinner, chips, and a drink.....and you get gym tours, games to watch, a few speeches, a raffle and other fundraisers. It should be a grand night and, hopefully, a full house! This is a big deal for Summerland; we haven't had a new high school gym since 1951! Hope you can...
Read more